Female directors have been making their mark in Hollywood recently with some amazing feature films. In 2019 we saw the likes of Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart, Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale and Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire to name a few, all of which were highly regarded by critics.
We’ll often hear about a great film from a female director in the news, but there are also other, less-regarded films from outstanding female directors that might not have received the same amount of press or may have simply flown under your radar in the years since their release. The following list features 10 underrated films across various genres by female directors that are worthy of your time.
Strange Days (1995) - Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow is undoubtedly one of the world’s most recognizable and highly acclaimed female directors, usually releasing amazing film after amazing film, having even won a Best Picture Oscar for her film The Hurt Locker. One film that’s often overlooked or forgotten about by the general moviegoing audience is her 1995 crime-thriller, Strange Days.
Set in an alternate pre-new millennium Los Angeles, the film stars Ralph Fiennes as a former police officer who now sells underground recordings of people’s memories, of which the viewer of these recordings can relive the memories for themselves as a sort of out-of-body experience. It’s part-sci-fi, part-crime-thriller with a unique plot and excellent performances from Fiennes and co-lead Angela Bassett, and one that deserves more recognition.
Billy Madison (1995) - Tamra Davis
Comedy fans are well aware of the beloved Adam Sandler film Billy Madison but may have forgotten the film was directed by a woman - Tamra Davis. The critically panned film sees Adam Sandler’s character having to repeat school years 1-12 again in order to inherit his father’s fortune. Naturally, Sandler plays a lazy goofball and the film features plenty of hilarious hijinx.
Comedy films tend to always get a bad rap from the critics so there’s no surprise that this film holds a low 40% Rotten Tomatoes rating, but it’s the type of film that was never intended to please the critics. As a crowd-pleaser, however, Billy Madison delivers the goods and Sandler is at his best in this laugh-out-loud romp.
American Psycho (2000) - Mary Harron
Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, an exquisitely groomed wall street trader by day, serial killer by night in Mary Harron’s cult-classic film American Psycho, based on the famous Bret Easton Ellis novel. Bale’s embodiment of a sociopathic killer is frightening under the direction of Harron as he gives us some of his career-best work in this one.
The film is a satire of the American dream and one that uses violence as symbolism to address wider themes of capitalism, consumption, identity, isolation, and more, which may fly over some heads while watching it. It’s these themes as well as the ambiguous ending that make American Psycho less palatable for some audiences, but they’re also its biggest strength, which is why this film is so underrated.
Green Street Hooligans (2005) - Lexi Alexander
Before Lexi Alexander made the equal-parts atrocious and fun, Punisher: War Zone, she directed the small soccer hooligan movie with Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam, Green Street Hooligans. The film follows a recently expelled Harvard student (Wood) who relocates to England to live with his sister and her husband, after which he becomes involved in the dangerous world of soccer hooliganism.
A film about soccer hooliganism is quite unique, which should be enough of a reason to check this underrated film out. While there’s plenty of it, the film is not all about fighting and violence. There’s a dramatic aspect to this film that brings forth themes of mateship and morality and it doesn’t glorify the violence, making for a surprisingly grounded flick.
Your Sister’s Sister (2011) - Lynn Shelton
This charming indie film from director Lynn Shelton and starring Emily Blunt will have you feeling all sorts of awkwardness. It revolves around a grieving man (Mark Duplass) who’s invited to his best friend’s (Blunt) father’s cabin in the woods for some quiet time, only to find that his best friend’s sister (Rosemarie DeWitt) is also staying there. The three have a drunken night where one thing leads to another, setting in motion days of revealing uncomfortable secrets.
Your Sister’s Sister is the type of film where the synopsis doesn’t do it justice, which is why this indie darling may have flown under the radar for some audiences and deserves more recognition. The film is dialogue-heavy and relies on clever writing to engage the audience and get them emotionally connected to these characters, doing so superbly under Shelton’s direction and screenplay.
The Beaver (2011) - Jodie Foster
Acclaimed actress Jodie Foster stars in and directs Mel Gibson in the 2011 drama, The Beaver. Gibson plays a depressed father who after being kicked out of home by his fed-up wife (Foster) decides to begin carrying a beaver hand-puppet around, which he uses to speak through as his only method of communication in an effort to overcome his melancholy state.
The film tackles themes of mental illness delicately and with poise, sending a strong message to its audience about the need to address mental illness and get people who may be suffering from it, talking about it. The coping mechanism Gibson uses here is unique, to say the least, but it goes to show that there’s no right or wrong way in overcoming a debilitating illness such as depression (and it makes for some humorous moments).
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012) - Lynne Ramsay
Another film that sees mental illness rear its ugly head, although in a much more unnerving fashion is Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. Tilda Swinton plays a mother who struggles to nurture her young son as he begins to exhibit disturbing behavior over his formative years, resulting in tragedy.
This devastating film takes a certain type of stamina to get through as the themes can play heavy on one’s soul. It’s these themes and feelings that general audiences tend to try and avoid in preference of a more rewarding viewing experience, however, there’s no doubt this film can offer that same reward, just in a different, non-feel-good way.
Kiss of the Damned (2013) - Xan Cassavetes
One of the more under-appreciated as well as sexiest vampire films in recent memory is Xan Cassavetes’ Kiss of the Damned. It’s a classic tale of boy meets vampire-girl, vampire-girl turns boy into a vampire, and the two live happily ever after - except until vampire girl’s sister shows up causing friction between the young lovers and the entire vampire community.
This under-appreciated gem has a lot going for it. It features stunning cinematography, excellent casting, and performances as well as plenty of drama and non-cheesy romance. The beautiful cast in this film gives Twilight a run for its money but is way less schmaltzy, with more horror, making for a less glittery but more gritty film overall, and one that shouldn’t be missed for all fans of the genre.
Unbroken (2014) - Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie’s third directorial effort, Unbroken, is a biographical WWII film that follows the story of Olympian Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) and the atrocities he had to face at a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during WWII - and this was after spending 47 days in the middle of the ocean on a small raft following a plane crash.
Zamperini had it tough but his will and perseverance allowed him to get through some excruciating times while uplifting his fellow prisoners-of-war. Unbroken is an inspirational film but not one that’s sugar-coated in any way by Jolie. She treats the film’s subjects and the situation they’re in with respect, never sensationalizing any of the more harrowing events that take place for entertainment’s sake.
Berlin Syndrome (2017) - Cate Shortland
Australian director Cate Shortland’s thriller, Berlin Syndrome, plays to the fears of any solo traveler alone in a foreign land. In it, an Australian photographer named Clare (Teresa Palmer) meets local Berlin man Andi (Max Riemelt) and the two hit it off, forging what seems like a legitimate romance. That is until Clare wakes up in Andi’s apartment and realizes that she’s not allowed to leave.
It’s truly terrifying to think that you could be traveling solo for work or pleasure, fall in love and then be kidnapped by the man or woman of your dreams, especially in a city like Berlin, which is a hot-spot for tourists and ex-pats and one that’s generally considered as safe. Berlin Syndrome is thrilling from start-to-finish and the plausibility of its story makes it one that will make you think twice about your next solo trip.
