Want to be a hero but don’t want to get off your couch? No worries! You can help get more movies made by women greenlit by the simple act of streaming great female-helmed flicks available to you right now. Okay, feminist icon, have you solved sexism now???
No, you haven’t. But it’s actually not a bad first step — streaming data is a huge part of studio decisions for future projects. To help you start saving the world, we’ve put together a list of the best and most loved movies on Disney+ written, directed, and/or produced by female-identifying creatives. Thank you for your service!
1. Eternals
Marvel strayed a bit from its standard movie formula with 2021’s moody Eternals, which features celestial beings who’ve been stuck on Earth for centuries but were forbidden to intervene in human dramas. They have only one mission: to fight mysterious space creatures called Deviants. So, even though the Eternals are technically more powerful than any being we’ve met before in the MCU, they mostly just sat around while Thanos wiped out half of existence.
However, when the first Deviant is seen after decades of peace, the now-scattered group must come together (and work through centuries worth of baggage!) to save the planet they were sworn to protect. Directed by the Academy Award-winning Chloé Zhao, Eternals boasts a sweeping, millennia-spanning story; an impossibly beautiful cast (Angelia Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Kumail Nanjiani, to name a few); and the MCU’s first openly gay superhero!
How to watch: Eternals is streaming on Disney+.
2. Turning Red
Pixar’s latest movie Turning Red is also one of its best. Like so many Pixar classics before it, it perfectly explores the big feelings that come with growing up — only this time, there’s a red panda-shaped twist.
Meilin Lee may seem like your average 13-year-old girl, but she’s got a secret: When her emotions grow too strong, she turns into a giant, fluffy, adorable red panda. As Mei balances gaining her mother’s approval and obsessing over boy band 4*Town with her friends, it gets harder to keep the panda under control. Written by Domee Shi and Julia Cho, directed by Shi herself, and produced by Lindsey Collins, Turning Red is a thoughtful and groundbreaking take on puberty that is relatable, hilarious, and sob-worthy all at once. Plus, it’s got some killer boy band tunes: Good luck getting « Nobody Like U » out of your head. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter *
How to watch: Turning Red is streaming on Disney+.
3. 10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate About You, written by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, is teen movie perfection, putting a ’90s twist on The Taming of the Shrew with excellent results.
The students at Padua High School weave a tangled romantic web: Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is besotted with Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but she can’t date anyone until her intelligent yet abrasive older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) starts dating. In order to ask out the girl of his dreams, Cameron enlists the help of bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat. What starts as a contentious courtship quickly evolves into something more, with Stiles giving us an independent rom-com heroine for the ages and Ledger in full dreamboat mode. — B.E. *
How to watch: 10 Things I Hate About You is streaming on Disney+.
4. Black Is King
Written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé, Black Is King is a stunning visual album and a companion to 2019’s The Lion King. But this immersive, moving film is more than just a gorgeous retelling of the story we know and love — it is an artistic triumph.
Mashable’s Alexis Nedd writes, “[Black Is King] recontextualizes the metaphor of Simba’s journey to that of the African diaspora — removed from the homeland, denied the memory of our royalty, and rising to retake our cultural legacy. Set with music from Beyoncé’s curated 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, Black Is King is an invitation to revel in the diversity and beauty of the African continent and a celebration of thriving through survival.”
How to watch: Black Is King is streaming on Disney+.
5. Saving Mr. Banks
There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than movies about making movies — and 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks is one of the best of the bunch. Written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, Banks tells the surprisingly life-affirming story of how Disney, in the 1960s, finally secured the rights to Mary Poppins, then a wildly popular children’s book.
Emma Thompson is superb as the cantankerous British author P. L. Travers, who was deeply averse to any changes made to her original material whatsoever. Tom Hanks exudes comforting charm as Walt Disney himself, determined to follow through on a promise to his kids to make a movie from their favorite book. However different they may seem, these two creative giants form an unlikely bond when they discover how their similar upbringings are informing their lives in the present. Saving Mr. Banks hits all the right notes for a light-hearted drama; it’s nostalgic, it’s touching, and it’s full of delightful British disdain for American cheeriness.
How to watch: Saving Mr. Banks is streaming on Disney+.
6. Encanto
We may not talk about Bruno, but we do talk about Encanto, written by Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush. One of Disney’s latest animated films introduces us to the magical Madrigal family, whose special gifts turn out to be burdens as well as blessings. Encanto is a powerful examination of familial bonds and generational trauma, accompanied by gorgeous animation and catchy tunes courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda, including « Surface Pressure » and « We Don’t Talk About Bruno. » — B.E. *
How to watch: Encanto is streaming on Disney+.
7. The Rescue
In 2018, a rescue mission captured the attention of the world when 12 boys and their football coach were trapped deep inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand. Monsoon rains had cut off the group, who were stranded in the dark two kilometers into the cave — a labyrinth of tunnels completely filled with water. Against all odds, an incredibly high-risk, complicated rescue effort was formed, and The Rescue, from Free Solo directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, tracks it all.
« At its core, ‘The Rescue‘ is a story about a collection of people of all different nationalities, languages, and cultures working together to achieve a common goal, » said Vasarhelyi and Chin in a press statement. « In making the film, we were reminded of the beauty of humanity, especially after the last several years where the world has seemed more divided than ever before. » It’s a claustrophobic, stressful watch for the most part, and for everyone glued to the news when it was happening, it’ll bring back all those emotions of anticipation, stress, and finally, relief. The moment when British divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen first find all 13 in the cave is astounding and deeply moving. But it’s just the beginning of a perilous mission. – Shannon Connellan, UK Editor *
How to watch: The Rescue is streaming on Disney+.
8. The Parent Trap
Did you know The Parent Trap is a Nancy Meyers movie? One more reason to love the film that launched Lindsay Lohan’s career and sent a generation of kids into a feverish obsession with overly intricate handshakes. The Parent Trap, a remake of the 1961 classic, tells the story of two girls who meet at summer camp and realize they were twins separated at birth by their now-divorced parents. Nothing left to do in this situation but switch places and try to get Mom and Dad back together, right?
Lindsay Lohan is precocious and adorable, doing double-duty as both of the twins with the help of (now-commonplace) movie magic. She fits right in alongside the veteran cast, which includes a glowing Natasha Richardson, Dennis Quaid at his dreamiest, and iconic ’90s villain Elaine Hendrix absolutely stealing the screen. The Parent Trap is as charming now as it was 20 years ago, though hopefully fewer children of divorce will be using it as a blueprint to lock their parents in a room together while giggling mischievously just outside the door. It’s just a movie, kids. *
How to watch: The Parent Trap is streaming on Disney+.
9. Queen of Katwe
If you’re looking for an aspirational family film, look no further than Queen of Katwe, directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake). Phiona is a 10-year-old girl living in Katwe, a poor town in Uganda. Her life is mostly caring for her younger siblings and helping her mother (Lupita Nyong’o) at the market until she stumbles upon a chess class at a local mission. The teacher soon recognizes that Phiona is an extremely gifted chess player, and she begins to pursue the game, both for herself and also as a possible avenue to lift her family out of poverty. Based on a true story, Queen of Katwe is a well-acted, deeply moving and ultimately optimistic movie that will stay with you for days.
How to watch: Queen of Katwe is streaming on Disney+.
10. Beauty and the Beast
It may be a « tale as old as time, » but Beauty and the Beast stills rocks any day. Who can forget Belle’s keen intelligence, the Beast’s compelling change of heart, or Gaston’s tendency to eat far too many eggs? These characters stick with you, as do the many earworms they belt throughout the movie. For fairy tale romance, dancing furniture, and captivating songs, you really can’t go wrong with this classic, written by Disney juggernaut Linda Woolverton. — B.E. *
How to watch: Beauty and the Beast is streaming on Disney+.
11. Becoming Cousteau
A deep dive by definition, Becoming Cousteau explores the depths of the legendary oceanic explorer and filmmaker. Director Liz Garbus delves into the life of Jacques Cousteau, whose documentation of ocean creatures with newly adapted equipment changed the game — all aboard his boat, the Calypso. His work, including 50 books, award-winning films, and long-running television shows, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and The Cousteau Odyssey, was highly influential on aquatic exploration. If you’ve seen Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic, you’re gotten a taste of the signature aesthetic. Garbus was granted access to 550 hours of archival material — including over 100 hours of audio journal entries and interviews from collaborators and crew members — to create this documentary, and she brings to life his innovation and dedication to environmentalism, alongside his family life and creation of The Cousteau Society. – S.C. *
How to watch: Becoming Cousteau is streaming on Disney+.
12. The Princess Diaries
Anne Hathaway’s career skyrocketed after her charismatic performance as Mia, a gawky high schooler in San Francisco who suddenly discovers she’s the heir to the throne of Genovia, a fictional European country full of fairy tale castles and makeover montages. Before she can ascend the throne, she’ll have to impress her austere grandmother, the Queen, played by an absolutely perfect Julie Andrews. Written by Gina Wendkos and adapted from the Meg Cabot novel of the same name, The Princess Diaries is a feel-good family comedy brimming with warmth. An absolute winner.
How to watch: The Princess Diaries is streaming on Disney+.
