15 Films With Strong Female Leads Highlighting Feminine Power in Cinema to Add to Your Watchlist Today

Briana Viser • Writer and Editor

Mar 1, 2024 4:00 PM EST

Welcome back queens and kings of the internet. We're here today in homage to strong, solid cinematic ladies whose on-screen presence and performance leave us reflecting on bigger questions of self-identity. Illustrious women who not only prove their vivacity and talent as an actress, but bring forth to us a unique perspective about womanhood. We proudly praise women in cinema who have reshaped characters and quirks to express that being a woman is a spectrum of profound breadth. Reframe what you thought about women in cinema and enjoy this celebration of strong female leads.

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Breakfast at Tiffany's | Audrey Hepburn | 1961

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Audrey Hepburn's breakout role as Holly Golightly perpetuated her to iconic stardom. Based on the novel of the same name, Hepburn redesigns what it is to be a 'scandalous woman' of the era. Bringing perk, poise, and grace to her character, her astute performance has solidified the film into the realm of classics.
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Lost in Translation | Scarlett Johansson | 2003

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ScarJo stars alongside the iconic Bill Murray in this ambient indie film. Two lost souls aimlessly wander Tokyo. The lurid lights and garish colors transport them out of their comfort zones to a place of unfamiliarity and loneliness, until they find each other.
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Girl, Interrupted | Winona Ryder | 1999

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Winona Ryder once again impresses us with her depth of darkness in a role that challenges the realm of mental health and women. Though it tackles heavy topics, her performance humanizes and grounds women in a way that we can't forget.
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Amélie | Audrey Tautou | 2001

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For all you Francophiles out there who love to be transcended to a different culture, language, and time period, this film is for you. It follows Amélie, a wallflower of sorts who's simply looking for love. Light and cute, but incredibly put together with quirk and originality in France.
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The Iron Lady | Meryl Streep | 2011

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Meryl Streep never fails to impress us, does she? In this film she stars as Margaret Thatcher, prime minister of the United Kingdom during the Cold War.
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Kill Bill | Uma Thurman | 2003

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Uma Thurman plays 'The Bride' in one of Tarantino's classic films, which centers on a vengeful woman, and all the people who stand in her way of justice. Not a film for the faint of heart, filled with violence and gore that only Tarantino can perfect, a feminist angle to a more than scorned woman.
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Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson | 2008

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Two women, one man (actually there's a third woman, but we won't get into that). The film tackles the ebb and flow of love through an ephemeral lens, as well as a steady one. Highlighting different angles of who we are as women, what we want in men, and how breaking boundaries of relationships, this feel good film has us wanting second and third showings.
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Mulholland Drive | Naomi Watts and Laura Harring | 2001

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David Lynch's genius film explores identity, sensuality, and a mind unraveling in a feminist film noir. Two great female leads carry the film to high and low places, and to LA's iconic road at night.
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Pride and Prejudice | Kiera Knightly | 2005

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A beautiful rendition of the period piece based on the Jane Austen novel, a hoydenish woman sets her standards for marriage higher than most in her day – an inspiration to us all.
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Melancholia | Kirsten Dunst | 2011

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A unique and bizarre Lars von Trier film with a touch of sci-fi, the female lead shares her vulnerabilities for all to see, witness, and understand. Seeing debilitating mental health up close and personal never looked so artistic.
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Marriage Story | Scarlett Johansson | 2019

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A story of harrowing situations turned doable, all with the help of leading actress ScarJo as she empowers herself through her marital struggles. It's not always easy to come out on top, but she sure did it.
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Lady Bird | Saoirse Ronan | 2017

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A high school senior, this strong female navigates the complexities of life, love, and her educational future in this modern piece.
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Licorice Pizza | Alana Haim | 2021

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Set in 1970s San Fernando Valley, California, the film follows the scandalous romance of the haughty Alana, a 25 year old, and her high school boyfriend Gary. If there's one shameless woman who knows what she wants in a man, it's Alana.
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Kate Winslet | 2004

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Her hair changes color with her journey, her name is a fruit, and she lives in an alternate reality where you have the ability to delete certain memories in your life to save yourself the pain of grief. This cerebral indie film takes us on a nonlinear and honest journey through the good and bad times of relationships.
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Annie Hall | Diane Keaton | 1977

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A trailblazer of the genre 'romantic comedy,' this classic and iconic film follows a quirky couple through their ins and outs. Annie Hall is a steadfast, confident woman who any girl (or guy!) can look up to.
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