Category: 52 Films By Women

An actress at the precipice of her career’s decline is offered the Fountain of Youth and one dose of “The Substance.” This incredible piece of cinema by writer, director, and editor Coralie Fargeat is so much more than you’d expect from a feminist middle finger to aging and the underbelly of Hollywood’s misogyny—or any career,…
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Never Let Go Starring/Produced by: Halle Berry Directed by : Alexander Aja Written by: Kevin Coughlin; Ryan Grassby USA (2024) Overview/Synopsis Going into Never Let Go, I was both excited and nervous. I was thrilled to see a Black leading lady carry a film, but I also wondered how the public would receive her performance.…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #19 Vuelven (Tigers are not afraid) (2018) Mexico Written by Issa  by Lopez     Vuelven (Tigers Are Not Afraid) is the most hauntingly beautiful Ghost Story from writer/director Issa Lopez who channels not only a poetic truth of drug wars through children’s eyes, but also loss with such an eerie…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #18 Leave No Trace (2018) USA Written by Debra Granik What do you do when that stray that you love, is your dad? First off, before getting into this wonderful film, hats off to Debra Granik in making the most poignant film/character study/ Love Letter to the idea of “Daddy’s little…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #17 Tully (2018) USA Written by Diablo Cody Every mom out there…has been there. After childbirth and in the first year of raising a child, even the best Mom can feel “Empty” at one point or another. Empty as in, tapped out of energy to keep everything going. Empty as in…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #16 Altered Carbon (2017) USA Laeta Kalogridis What happens when “sleeve” love divides families ?   At the heart of this Neo-Noir series from Laeta Kalogridis, book by Richard K. Morgan on Netflix is the age old question “Is blood thicker than water?” Main Plot: An Envoy (assassin for good) is…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #15. Advantageous (2015) U.S.A. Jennifer Phang   In an overpriced world where existing comes at a high price, Gwen the spokeswomen for a body modification company realizes she is being aged out of her job. With no job prospects and a daughter Jules whom she wants to give a better chance…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #14. What Happened Miss Simone (2015) U.S.A. Liz Garbus   Hands down, this documentary opening is the most captivating, that I’ve ever seen. Many artist claim to give themselves to the audience but here we are observed by Nina! Are we worthy of her performance? We wait in silence as she…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #13. RAW (Grave) (2016) France/Belgium Julia Ducournau   RAW is a nuanced story of love, secrets, & acceptance. I read a comment on this film calling it a slow Ginger Snaps, but I think that fan (of possibly the horror genre) missed the subtle subplots. In the film, Justine (an adamant…
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52 FILMS BY WOMEN: #12. Mustang (2014) Turkey/Russia/France – Deniz Gamze Ergüven   Mustang is a moving tale about a group of sisters stuck in a traditionalist Turkish environment as they long for modernity. At the end of the school year 5 sisters frolic with classmates unaware of the events to follow. Upon returning to…
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