Wonder Women: Top Movies By Female Directors To Stream Online

Directed by Celine Sciamma this movie is set in France in the late 1700s and portrays a forbidden affair between an artist and an aristocrat, both played by strong female actors. The film was entered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It won the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award.

Where To Watch: Hulu

This coming of age movie based on the life of rappers from the streets of Mumbai shattered all the Bollywood Box office records. Zoya Akhtar and her acclaimed movie made headlines and history when it won 13 Filmfare Awards and a nomination for the Oscars in 2020. The movie revolves around a slum dweller in Mumbai's Dharavi district, who doubles up as a street rapper and uses his art to navigate the social issues in his society.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime 

This comedy film has a premise that tugs at the heart and definitely worth a watch! Chinese-American director, Lulu Wang, sets the movie in China, where lead character Awkwafina (a New Yorker) returns to, only to stealthily say goodbye to her grandmother (who is diagnosed with cancer) under the guise of a fake wedding. 

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 75 or INR 600

This gut-wrenching take of a 12-year old's battle with his parents makes for an intense, gripping watch. Lebanese director and activist, Nadine Labaki bases this drama on the lives of slum dwellers in Beirut. Zain Al Rafeea, a Syrian refugee runs away from his negligent parents, committing a violent crime and being sentenced to five years in jail. Hardened by the situations thrown at him, he decides to sue his parents in protest of the life they have given him. Strong performances in store. 

Where To Watch: Netflix

Everybody who has watched Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird rightly agrees to how relatable this coming of age movie is. The movie is based on high-school teenager Christine Lady Bird McPherson's ups and downs as she navigates through life, friendships, heartbreak and most importantly her relationship with her mother.

Where To Watch: Netflix 

Another movie in the relatable universe is Dear Zindagi directed by Gauri Shinde. The movie is based on her personal life experiences and tells a story of self discovery. It follows the lead played by Alia Bhatt who faces a series of downturns, suffers from insomnia and is looking for answers. The movie is written or rather narrated as a letter to life, hence the movie's name. 

Where To Watch: Netflix

Marielle Heller’s The Diary Of A Teenage Girl requires you to leave judgements at the doorstep while you enjoy this movie. An adaptation from Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel of the same name, this one's a candid, rare and non-judgmental exploration of female sexuality. Teenager, Bel Powley refuses to restrict her sexual desires and embarks on a journey to experiment and resent societal norms.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 300 or 980

A beautiful story of a young Indian woman with cerebral palsy, depicted extremely well by actress, Kalki Koechlin who falls in love with a blind girl. Director, Shonali Bose took over 4 years to master this movie that takes you on an exhilarating ride from India to New York following a rebellious heart. 

Where To Watch: Jio Cinema

Expect to be blown away by captivating visuals and enthralling background music in this out-of-box comedy set in Tokyo. Sofia Coppola directs Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, Americans who find each other in this buzzing city and discover that they have more than insomnia in common, a love for each other.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 400 or INR 1135

Director Sian Heder sure does have an interesting plot for you in this movie. It depicts a woman living out of a van who steals a baby to trick her ex-boyfriend's mother into loving her. It features the iconic pair of Ellen Page and Allison Janney from Juno and makes for an emotional, engaging and thought-provoking Indie drama.

Where To Watch: Netflix

Angelina Jolie takes the reigns and directs this movie that is about a young girl who is forced to become a child soldier after losing her family in the Khmer Rouge invasion of Cambodia. It is an artful depiction of a real survivor and the fact that it is told through this 7-year-old girl makes this an emotional, heartbreaking watch. 

Where To Watch: Netflix

In Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone, actress Jennifer Lawrence earned her first Oscar nomination playing the realistic character of an impoverished teen in this chilling mystery. Bombarded with family problems all over she is on the  cusp of eviction from her home in rural Missouri, she must find her missing father, a meth dealer who has put up the property as a bond. It’s a social-realist fable with a final-act twist.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 400 or INR 750

Director Jennifer Kent's take on mental illness is brilliant in the Babadook. Although the movie is a psychological horror, it runs much much more deep than jump scares and gore. The movie is about a widowed single mother Amelia and her emotionally disturbed young son, Sam, are plagued every night by a shadow-monster from a children’s book. We love how this movie is equally disturbing in its daytime scenes.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 400 or INR 980

A civil rights saga, Ava DuVernay’s Selma follows the life of Martin Luther King Jr. We are taken through the run-up to a historic march through Alabama, a demonstration that helped pave the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Unflinching in its depictions of police brutality, it’s a powerful watch.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime rent or buy for INR 400 or INR 1160