The term chick-flick is still polarising. Sometimes, it is a useful label to describe easy-viewing movies catered to women but often, it is a shorthand to describe just any movie led by women. The problem with this label is that it flattens stories about women, and we miss the whole spectrum of female-led stories that are universally relatable, be it flawed protagonists who do not have their lives together, people who make difficult decisions for their families or conniving villains.
Enter, SBS On Demand’s new collection of female centric movies which celebrates the diverse range of female actors and stories. Below are a few recommendations to get you started and to badly quote Shania Twain, you now have the prerogative to have a little fun with this collection.
Bring It On
On the surface, Bring It On rides the wave of 90s teen movies that have become cult classics, much like 10 Things I Hate About You or Clueless. It is a blend of cheerleading routines, cheerleader dynamics, humour, friendship and angst. But it departs from its contemporaries in its subtle commentary about classism and cultural appropriation, which was ahead of its time.
The story follows a cheerleading squad from the affluent Rancho Carne High School, led by captain Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst). Shipman is horrified when she discovers that their former captain stole their championship-winning routines from an inner-city squad called the Clovers, led by Isis (Gabrielle Union). Isis is understandably enraged and ready for a showdown which leads to a clash of wits and energetic high kicks. Dunst and Union are incredibly charismatic in this movie and together they lead a memorable cast. As a side note, Union was about 28 years old in real life and played a high school student flawlessly.
The movie spawned at least five sequels and a musical adaptation, but nothing quite compares to the original and the iconic line from Shipman, “This is not a democracy, it's a cheerocracy.”
Bring it On is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
Stream free On Demand
Bring It On
comedy • 2000
comedy • 2000
My Best Friend’s Wedding
To be clear, this Mandarin version from 2016 is a loose remake of the Julia Roberts’ movie from the ‘90s. In both movies, the premise is the same. The protagonist realises she is in love with her best friend only after he announces his engagement to a younger, chipper woman and spends the rest of the movie trying to sabotage the wedding and relationship.
In this version, fashion editor Gu Jia (Shu Qi) rushes to London to when her best friend and sports journalist, Lin Ran (Feng Shaofeng), plans a fancy wedding to Xuan Xuan (Victoria Song), who comes from old money. Along the way she meets Nick (Rhydian Vaughan) who becomes entangled in her schemes to break up the wedding and convince Lin Ran that the two of them belong together.
This movie, just like the original, is a rom-com. But also, it is a touching movie about friendship and personal growth. Movie veteran Shu Qi dominates the scenes while the city of London provides a beautiful backdrop as she moves through the stages of grief and lost love.
My Best Friend’s Wedding is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
Volver
Volver, directed by Pedro Almodovar, is a Spanish movie that makes the best use of Penelope Cruz’s talents in a way that Hollywood movies never could. Rather than being the femme fatale or sexy sidekick, Cruz plays Raimunda, who is central in this female-led story about family secrets, personal challenges, and generational trauma.
When Raimunda learns that her husband tried to rape her teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo), she moves back to her hometown and reinvents herself as a restaurant owner serving homely Spanish food. The images of food being prepped and served are beautifully done and the sight of dishes like pisto Manchego and tortilla espanola are a visual feast.
At the same time, Raimunda’s sister Sole (Lola Dueñas) claims that their dead mother who died in a fire is visiting her and this supernatural mystery requires some investigation. Put together, the depiction of family drama, female resilience, supernatural elements and misogyny makes it a compelling view.
The ensemble cast is phenomenal, and their chemistry, intimacy and bickering make it seem like we are watching a real-life family. It is no surprise that the 2006 Cannes Film Festival jurors presented the best actress prize to not just one, but the entire female cast of Volver.
Volver is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
8 Women
This French movie is set in the 1950s and unfolds in a picturesque French manor. It kicks off when the master of the house is discovered dead and eight women who are connected to him are all suspects. There’s a wife, daughters, maids and in-laws – two of them played by screen legends Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert – each with their own secrets, alibis and motives. When the man who connects them is dead, the gloves are off, and the women start to show how they really feel about each other.
It is almost a reversal of the dead girl trope that kick starts many murder mysteries and Nordic Noirs. In its place is a delightful musical with impeccably dressed women uncovering secrets, snipping and physically fighting with each other while also investigating a murder. It is what a mashup of an Agatha Christie movie and the musical, Chicago, would look like.
The movie’s dramatic setting is amped up by campy scenes, catchy tunes and impressive choreography. But what’s more impressive is the way the movie subverts genre expectations and blends suspense, fashion, and dark comedy.
8 Women is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
Shiva Baby
Still on the subject of dark comedy, the movie Shiva Baby really encapsulates Tolstoy’s quote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” In this movie, Danielle (Rachel Sennott) goes through excruciating personal discomfort and self-discovery during a shiva, a Jewish mourning ritual, for a family friend.
Set completely in a cramped suburban house, Danielle bumps into her ex-girlfriend and sugar daddy and this awkward encounter unearths the many lies she has been telling people. This alone is cinematic fodder but her overbearing parents and nosy community kicks it up a notch, so she unravels, lashes out and makes questionable choices, all in under 90 minutes. The result is a movie that offers a modern take on sexuality, societal expectation, and family pressures though the lens of a young woman who is messy and not always likeable.
The music score – which sounds like something out of a horror movie – and claustrophobic setting adds to the palpable tension. It almost feels like Danielle is frantically moving in circles to avoid landmines, except in this movie, the people are the dangerous ones who can blow up your life.
Shiva Baby is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
The Worst Person In The World
This Norwegian movie is a rebuttal to the often-repeated statement that rom-coms are a dying cinematic genre. Instead, the genre is changing and reinventing itself. Gone are the perfect female leads or lovable goofs. In its place are characters like Julie (Renate Reinsve) who is navigating adulthood in Oslo. Reinsve really carries this movie as the story spans a series of chapters and captures her moments of joy, heartbreak and uncertainty over four years.
When we meet Julie, she cannot quite commit to a career, oscillating between medicine and photography. Similarly, she is ambivalent towards her partner even as he broaches the idea of starting a family. When she meets someone else whom she can connect with, she reevaluates her life and decisions. There is no big speech or gestures; instead, it is a realistic movie where people are equal parts scared and enthused and their personal growth is gradual.
As a city, Oslo is rarely featured in pop culture, unlike New York or Paris or even Sicily, but director Joachim Trier is clearly enamoured by the city. This is the third movie in his Oslo trilogy, following Reprise and Oslo, August 31st and it shows that growing up is universally challenging.
The Worst Person In The World will screen on SBS World Movies on Sunday 28 January at 8.30pm. It will then be available at SBS On Demand for 30 days.
Discover a world of classic and indie movies centred on women in the . With more than 70 titles, including comedy, action, drama and documentary films too, there's plenty to choose from.
