The 20 best films directed by women over the past decade

Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay , is probably one of the best biopics we have ever seen. It was impactful in retelling the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign and reminding us that we still have a long way to go in securing equal rights. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015 and won Best Original Song: "Glory" by John Legend and Common. Listening to it years later still gives me goosebumps!

As a film with a somewhat simple plot about a teenage girl traveling across the Midwest with a group of misfits, American Honey captivates in a way that only director Andrea Arnold knows how to create. Arnold is a great writer and director because she knows her strengths, primarily focusing on rebellious and freethinking characters in sticky situations. Aside from this being her first film set outside of the UK, one of the most interesting things about the film is that she cast it by searching for random teenagers on the streets. As a KC native, hearing that they had filmed parts in the Kansas City area was a big deal back then.

Director Patty Jenkins knocked it out of the park with Wonder Woman, and DC finally had a win! It kind of makes you wonder — (see what I did there?) — why there hadn't been a super successful DC film until this point, at least not since The Dark Knight (2008). Gal Gadot was incredible as Diana, the story was great, and the visuals were absolutely stunning! Sure, people have their opinions, but I don't remember hearing any real negative criticism over this film, except maybe men hating on it simply because she's a woman. Women-centered and women-directed films might just be enough to save the DC universe.

The Farewell is a touching dramedy about a Chinese-American woman, Billi (Awkwafina), struggling with her family's decision not to tell her grandmother about her terminal cancer diagnosis. The film's tagline, "Based on an Actual Lie," is true: It is based on director Lulu Wang's life experiences that she had previously discussed in her radio story, "What You Don't Know." This was a great role for Awkwafina since we are used to only seeing her as a comedy actress, and she gave a great performance! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll... have to be patient, as the pacing is a bit slow, but the payoff is so worth it.

Hustlers, directed by Lorene Scafaria, is, in a few words, a lot of fun. Inspired by the New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler, the film follows a group of former strippers who come up with a devious plan to drug and steal from the rich men of Wall Street after the financial crisis of 2007-08. The cast was great, and Jennifer Lopez gave the best performance of her career. We can forgive but never forget about her Oscar snub!

2019 was the year for amazing women-led films, and Booksmart by Olivia Wilde was hilarious! A modern take (and woman's perspective) on trying to fit in in high school: Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) attempt to cram four years of partying into one night when they realize that they should've had more fun instead of only focusing on school. This film is an absolute riot and should be rewatched frequently, in my opinion. More films like this, please.

Greta Gerwig's retelling of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was so enjoyable to watch in the theater. Though not technically a Christmas movie, something about the story puts you in the holiday spirit. As someone who hadn't seen a film adaptation until then, I loved the contemporary take on the classic novel and each actor's performance. On a completely different note, I cannot wait to see what Gerwig does with Barbie (2023)!

Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a beautiful period drama that tells the story of a young painter, Marianne, and the daughter of a French countess, Heloise, who develop a shared attraction to each other when Marianne is hired to paint Heloise's wedding portrait. Like most love stories, this film is slow-burning but engaging until the very end. Among its long list of accolades, it was the first woman-directed film to win the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Regina King killed it with her feature film directorial debut! One Night in Miami is a fictional story inspired by the real 1964 meeting of four legends: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke, where they discussed Ali's newfound heavyweight championship title. King went above and beyond with playwright and screenwriter Kemp Power's stage play of the same title, giving the audience much more than what could be conveyed on stage. What the cast achieved in nearly two hours of one setting is astonishing; Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. acted their butts off and deserved all the awards.

Birds of Prey is honestly one of my favorite films of all time! Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn follows her on her journey after her breakup with the Joker. She teams up with the rest of the "Birds of Prey" to save a young girl from Gotham City crime lord Roman Sionis. I went into it with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the story, the quality of the characters, and how it pushed the boundaries of a traditional DC film. It was hilarious while still having awesome action sequences; all in all, it's a good time. Cathy Yan, please direct more anti-hero movies!

I really enjoyed Emerald Fennell's feature directorial debut, Promising Young Woman. A traumatized Cassie attempts to right the wrongs of her past by seeking vengeance against men who try to take advantage of her. Upon discovering that Fennell was a writer and executive producer for the British TV series Killing Eve , my admiration for this film made a lot of sense. Carey Mulligan was phenomenal in her role as Cassie, and the ending will leave you stunned.

Nomadland was a huge win for Chloe Zhao. She did an amazing job directing the film and wrote the screenplay (adapted from Jessica Bruder's book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century), edited it, and produced it. The story follows Fern, who, after losing everything during the recession, including her husband, packs up her van and takes her life on the road. Frances McDormand was so convincing in this role, blending in with the real-life nomads cast in the film. So much so that she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, while Zhao took home the awards for Best Picture and Best Director.

A remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Belier, CODA is a sweet coming-of-age story with deaf representation. As the only person in her family with the ability to hear, young Ruby serves as her parents' interpreter. She is often working on their fishing boat to alleviate some of their struggles. When she discovers a love for singing, she soon realizes she must decide between following her passion and her obligations to the family business. Sian Heder's film meant so much to the deaf community. Certainly, it made a statement at the 94th Academy Awards, taking home Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur's performance as Ruby's father, Frank. We need more movies like these!

In 2021, Black Widow finally got her own movie! Fans were curious to see where the story would go, considering Natasha Romanoff — spoiler! — died in Avengers: Endgame (2019), but upon discovering it was set in the past and following the events in Captain America: Civil War (2016), the timeline made more sense. Cate Shortland's film follows Natasha as she faces the demons of her past while repairing relationships she left behind. Black Widow was a nice change of pace, as it was complex but still engaging, and we were introduced to characters who were close to her, giving Natasha even more character development.

Jane Campion 's adaptation of the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage is what the majority of critics would call a masterpiece. Set in 1925, it centers around Montana rancher Phil Burbank, who criticizes his brother's new wife and son, Peter, when he isn't herding cattle. Phil takes Peter under his wing, making audiences wonder if his opening up is an act of love or part of a bigger threat to the family. Though the film is slowly paced, the ending will surprise you and is well worth the wait. Benedict Cumberbatch and the rest of the cast do an incredible job, while critics deem Campion "one of her generation's finest filmmakers."

Inspired by true events, Women Talking tells the story of a group of Mennonite women who, upon discovering a terrible truth about their community, must decide whether to leave or stay and fight. Sarah Polley's ensemble cast consisting of Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and icon Frances McDormand, plus Miriam Toews' thought-provoking story, make for a perfect film adaptation, which rightfully earned Polley the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Debut director Mimi Cave found the perfect balance between horror/thriller and comedy, which makes this film so engaging. Fresh takes the horrors of modern dating to a new level when Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) in a grocery store and agrees to give him her number. She accompanies him on a weekend getaway but quickly discovers he is not what he seems. Despite the disturbing subject matter, you do not have to be a fan of horror to enjoy this movie.

Gina Prince-Bythewood said she would never get over the film's Oscar snub , and neither will we! The story is based on the real Dahomey Amazons, who protected the kingdom from the 17th to the 19th century. Viola Davis steals the show as Nanisca, the general of the all-female warriors, responsible for preparing the next generation for battle. With a film that did so well at the box office and garnered enough attention to be nominated by the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards, there was no excuse.

Jennifer Kaytin-Robinson, the writer/director behind Netflix's Someone Great and co-writer of Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder, gives us yet another hilarious Netflix original. Starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, Do Revenge appears to be your typical high school revenge story, but there's a twist that few see coming. The film centers around two unlikely friends: popular girl Drea (Mendes) and quirky transfer student Eleanor (Hawke), who plot to get revenge on the other's tormentor. This is a new favorite and one of the better Netflix comedies.

We're saving the best for last here: Turning Red perfectly captures how chaotic life can be for a 13-year-old navigating puberty and her parents' overbearing tendencies. The main character, Mei, transforms into a giant red panda when she gets too excited or overwhelmed. One of the most unique things about Domee Shi's feature directorial debut is that it is based on her experiences as a Chinese-Canadian in Toronto during the early 2000s. Shi gives us everything we now wish to see in a Disney/Pixar film: endless laughter, heartfelt moments, red pandas, and, of course, boy bands.