26 Movies Every Woman Should See At Least Once

There are a lot of good movies about, and by, women. But some movies are special. They open up the door in your heart for characters to move in, and stay forever. Which of us, after seeing Little Miss Sunshine, doesn't often think of Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) performing her pageant routine with confidence, completely disregarding the collective open-mouthed gape of the adults in the room?
 
The best movies are the ones that invite us to examine parts of our own culture and identity within a greater story, and this list of movies that every woman should watch covers a wide range of genres and experiences of women and nonwomen alike. Here you’ll find stories that explore the complexity (and magic) of female friendship, navigate the ever present effects of mother/daughter dynamics, explore sexuality, and make room for women to be both villains and heroes. Because being a woman is whatever you choose for it to be, and these movies celebrate that.