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- 15 Movies on Netflix With Complex, Strong Women Leads That You Can Watch Tonight
15 Movies on Netflix With Complex, Strong Women Leads That You Can Watch Tonight
Strong women leads have been dominating the big and small screens, giving viewers a look into complex, complicated, intriguing, and inspiring women characters of all kinds. From movies made to motivate to flicks made to veg out to, Netflix has a handful of titles that pack a punch with not only a good storyline, but also a great woman lead. And the best part is, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your home to absorb inspiration from these kickass women! The fan-favourite streaming service has an incredible selection of movies featuring girls and women who grow up, take risks, kick butts, and take names. We’ve rounded up a diverse selection of women-led films that you can stream instantly, including everything from deep movies like Marriage Story to fashionable romps like Sex and the City. Get ready to binge the best movies on Netflix that feature your favourite leading women!
– Additional reporting by Lauren Harano and Haley Lyndes
Related: 28 Films to Watch During Black History Month That Aren’t About Black Trauma
Sex and the City: The Movie
Fewer friendships are as iconic as the ones between the female characters in Sex and the City. See how Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kim Cattrall handle life’s challenges together in this 2008 big-screen edition of the beloved HBO series.
Watch Sex and the City: The Movie on Netflix now.
The Edge of Seventeen
Hailee Steinfeld shines in this coming-of-age film that explores the prickly ups and downs of female friendship in high school (especially when one of your friends starts dating your detested older brother – oof, drama).
Watch The Edge of Seventeen on Netflix now.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Jenny Han’s bestselling novel meets the big screen in this sweet adaptation, which not only focuses on Laura Jean’s (Lana Condor) love life but also her ever-evolving relationships with her best friend and two sisters.
Watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix now.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Lara Jean and Peter’s new relationship hits a speed bump when the last recipient of Lara Jean’s secret letters shows up. As she struggles with feelings for two guys, Lara Jean has to figure out what she really wants out of life – and love.
Watch To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on Netlfix now.
Dude
Four best friends (Alexandra Shipp, Lucy Hale, Kathryn Prescott, and Awkwafina) navigate their final two weeks of high school while also dealing with love, loss, and the stress of wondering what comes after graduation.
Watch Dude on Netflix now.
Fun Mom Dinner
This group of friends finds themselves on an unexpectedly rowdy journey through LA in Fun Mom Dinner.
Watch Fun Mom Dinner on Netflix now.
Julie & Julia
A woman (Amy Adams) learns about life while cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child‘s beloved cookbook. (Meryl Streep as Child? Genius.)
Watch Julie & Julia on Netflix now.
What a Girl Wants
Amanda Bynes captures our hearts in this movie, and it’s hard not to fall for her costar Colin Firth, too. In search of a father she’s never met, Daphne (Bynes) hops across the pond to find out her father is an established politician.
Watch What a Girl Wants on Netflix now.
Eat Pray Love
Julia Robert spends time eating and praying on her journey to self-discovery (which is based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of the same name), which dives into what it means to be divorced and how you can find love again.
Watch Eat Pray Love on Netflix now.
Marriage Story
This dramedy stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a New York City theater director and his wife, a former teen actress turned stage performer. Charlie and Nicole’s already rocky marriage comes apart after Nicole accepts a starring role in a TV pilot and moves to Los Angeles with their son, and the movie follows the subsequent unravelling of their lives together. If you need a good ugly cry, this one is for you.
Watch Marriage Story on Netlfix now.
Falling Inn Love
Netflix’s feel-good romance Falling Inn Love has everything you need in a cheesy rom-com: a punny title, a gorgeous setting, and a scenario built to make its leads fall in (sorry, inn) love against all odds. Singer and actress Christina Milian stars as Gabriela, a city girl who spontaneously enters a contest to “win an inn” – aka renovating the dilapidated Bellbird Valley Farm – after a breakup. Lo and behold, she’s chosen! Which means she has to travel from her home in San Francisco to New Zealand, where the Bellbird is located. Luckily, with the help of a handsome contractor (Adam Demos), Gabriela fixes up not only the building but also her heart.
Watch Falling Inn Love on Netlfix now.
A Bad Moms Christmas
This sequel to the 2016 film Bad Moms brings back the dream team of Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn for more bad mum behaviour – this time over the holidays. With erotic dancers, sexy Santas, and three hot mums desperate to blow off some steam during the stress of the holidays, you know that things are going to get pretty naughty.
Watch A Bad Moms Christmas on Netlfix now.
Someone Great
Starring Jane the Virgin‘s Gina Rodriguez, Pitch Perfect‘s Brittany Snow, and She’s Gotta Have It‘s DeWanda Wise, this comedy tells the story of aspiring music journalist Jenny (played by Rodriguez), whose boyfriend of nine years unceremoniously dumps her as soon as she lands her dream job in San Francisco. However, her two BFFs, Blair and Erin (played by Snow and Wise, respectively), are there to help her get over her ex with one last crazy weekend in New York City before she moves across the country, and they seriously deliver.
Watch Someone Great on Netlfix now.
She's Gotta Have It
Spike Lee’s indie film She’s Gotta Have It forever changed the landscape of independent filmmaking as it became a critical and popular hit with a budget of only $175,000. It’s about a young black woman named Nola Darling who prizes her independence above any of her three suitors.
Watch She’s Gotta Have It on Netlfix now.
3 Generations
In this poignant family drama, teenager Ray transitions from female to male. His mother and grandmother, played by Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon respectively, must find his father to get legal consent for his hormone replacement therapy.
Watch 3 Generations on Netflix now.