If you took a shot every time you read “Hollywood has a misogyny problem” in 2017, you would be long dead. That doesn’t mean it’s not a point worth belaboring — on the contrary, if the past year of entertainment news has taught us anything, it’s that silence around systemic misogyny only breeds more of the same. You may have heard them before, but the facts are these: men disproportionately dominate the filmmaking industry. Women rarely direct films, and are hardly ever recognized or lauded when they do. The industry itself precludes directorial opportunities for women, due in part to run-of-the-mill wage gap nonsense and perceived commercial (read: societal) disinterest in women and their stories. While 2017 was the year that finally recognized women’s perseverance against virulent Hollywood sexism, awareness does not a centuries-long problem solve.
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According to USC Annenberg’s most recent “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair?” report, just 4% of over 1,000 top-grossing films sampled from 2007-2016 were directed women. Eighty percent of those women directed just one of the 1,000 films, and none of them directed five or more. Opportunities are even scarcer for female directors of color — 83.3% of women of color and 79.3% of white women directed just one top-grossing film in the ten-year period. Female directors disproportionately direct dramas and (romantic) comedies. In 2016, 4.2% of film directors were female. Right now, 4.2% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs. If you’re a woman in America, you’re about as likely to direct your own film (never mind score at the box office or produce a critical success) as you are to run one of the country’s most prosperous companies — and that’s without getting into the minutiae of the indie game. A damn shame, since women made some of the most inventive, empathetic, and enchanting films of 2017.
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If you have a calendar, a pulse, or the inclination to look anywhere on our features page, you’ve likely already celebrated/mourned the passing of 2017. When the year drew to a close, all culture outlets descend with their hottest takes and toppest tens — what was overrated, what was well-acted, what was just plain good. This list is not so much a “Best Of” as it is a retrospective, a look back at the year in films directed by women. As the hydra of filmmaking sprouts head after head, it can be exhausting to even attempt combing through every film released in a given year. However, if you’re trying to prove a somehow-still-necessary point about gender disparities in one of America’s most influential industries, you may find it’s time to get out your sword and start slicing. This list doesn’t encompass every film directed by a woman in the past year, but I think that these 52 films (a deliberate homage to the #52FilmsByWomen movement) are particularly representative of 2017’s inventive/disheartening/awesome/absurd year in film.
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Women stormed the box office in 2017 with “Wonder Woman” and “Lady Bird.” They moved critics to tears with indie darlings like “Beach Rats” and “Maudie.” They challenged the medium with works like “Loving Vincent” and “The Lure.” Like any other directorial pool, they produced films that ranged from fantastic to terrible, from awe-inspiring to trite. No matter the results, though, most of these women overcame social and financial barriers to achieve their visions — a feat worth celebrating any day of the year. This list encompasses some of last year’s most visionary, polarizing, and popular female-directed films. They might not all be critical favorites (let’s be real, films by women rarely are), but they each brought something interesting to the table in a complicated year of cinema. Here are 52 notable 2017 releases directed by women.
“Alive and Kicking”
Director: Susan Glatzer
Cast: Stephen Sayer, Chandrae Roettig, Rebecka Decavita
Synopsis: This documentary chronicles the fascinating history of swing dancing and its Harlem origins.
What You Need To Know: This 2016 SXSW premiere by Susan Glatzer came out last spring courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Though “Alive and Kicking” received overwhelmingly positive reviews, this acrobatic doc flew under the popular radar. Glatzer was able to bend this occasionally dry genre to her flashy needs, ultimately producing a film as lively and gravity-defying as its subjects. Using the lens of swing dancing to examine societal issues, Glatzer takes a unique look at the history of swing by getting personal with some of its most interesting participants. Even if documentary and swing aren’t your thing critics have reached a consensus — “Alive and Kicking” is worth a watch.
“The Bad Batch”
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Cast: Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey
Synopsis: In a dystopian future, Arlen is declared “bad batch” and exiled to a harrowing desertscape between Texas and Mexico. After a run-in with some cannibals, Arlen must figure out how to survive and build community among some of society’s most undesirable citizens.
What You Need To Know: Cannibals! A giant boombox EDM party! Keanu Reeves as a wacky polygamist! There are so many reasons to be intrigued by “The Bad Batch,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature. The “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” director offers her characteristically tongue-in-cheek perspective to social ostracization, disability, and eating human flesh. The result is a chaotic, perhaps directionless film that polarized critics for months (our own Jessica Kiang was not so fond in her review). Is “The Bad Batch” underrated genius, or overhyped amateurism? It’s on Netflix now, so you decide. Either way, it’s got standout cameos from Keanu Reeves and the elusive Jim Carrey.
“Band Aid”
Director: Zoe Lister-Jones
Cast: Zoe LIster-Jones, Adam Pally, Fred Armisen
Synopsis: A couple can’t seem to agree on anything, as their careers and romantic life haven’t gone the way they thought. Joining up with their neighbor, they start a band, creating songs that help them work through their marriage problems.
What You Need To Know: Zoe Lister-Jones has been a mainstay in the indie scene since co-writing and starring in “Breaking Upwards” in 2009, but she makes her directorial debut with this sweet indie, enlisting a bevy of cameos from her “Life in Pieces” co-stars along the way. While the synopsis may make “Band-Aid” sound a bit too Sundance-y for most (where it did premiere in 2017), the film isn’t afraid to explore the darker undercurrents of why this couple isn’t getting along (read our own Gregory Ellwood’s positive review here). Lister-Jones has already proven herself as a writer-actor but she makes a remarkably assured debut. Also, the songs kind of rock, to the point where the cast members travelled around as the band when the film was released. — Christian Gallichio
“Beach Rats”
Director: Eliza Hittman
Cast: Harris Dickinson, Madeline Weinstein
Synopsis: Taciturn Frankie is torn. As he splits his time between cruising for gay hookups online and causing mischief with his hypermasculine friends on the beaches of Brooklyn, the complexities of his identity become difficult to reconcile — and even harder to hide.
What You Need To Know: Easily one of the most underrated films of 2017, “Beach Rats” more than earned all its critical praise (including from our own Andrew Crump — review here). Lead Harris Dickinson and cinematographer Hélène Louvart scored some well-deserved Spirit Award nominations for their work on the film, but it’s a shame to see writer-director Eliza Hittman left out of the race. The “It Felt Like Love” director, who took home 2017’s Directing Award at Sundance, created something truly indelible in “Beach Rats.” Never have Coney Island fireworks or mirror selfies carried so much emotional weight. Though it’s drawn comparisons to Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” “Beach Rats” truly is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. With enchanting performances and visuals that will stick with you for years, it’s time to check out this movie if you missed it in 2017.
“Before I Fall”
Director: Ry Russo-Young
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Logan Miller, Halston Sage, Jennifer Beals
Synopsis: Popular teenager Samantha dies in a car crash, then magically wakes up to find herself reliving the same day over and over again. As she tries to untangle the mystery of her life, she must also unravel the secrets of the people closest to her and discover how the power of a single day can make a difference.
What You Need To Know: One of the few wide releases on this list,“Before I Fall” is a tale of spiritual discovery that follows one girl as she learns to appreciate the beauty of her daily life that she normally takes for granted. If this sounds like the premise and message of “Groundhog Day,” that’s because it is. However, the film works so well because of its honest portrayal of guilt, angst and existential questioning for teenager Samantha (when she asks her father, “Am I a good person?” you really believe she’s questioning this). Intimate performances by Zoey Deutch and Logan Miller make the popular girl/nerdy guy trope feel genuinely romantic and fresh. The characters act and sound like real teenagers, thanks to a nuanced screenplay by Maria Maggenti. With director Ry Russo-Young’s dreamlike aesthetic and subtle take on how social media causes people to act apathetically cruel towards each other, “Before I Fall” stands out in a crowded selection of high school films. — Jack Siegel
“The Beguiled”
Director: Sofia Coppola
Cast: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Colin Farrell
Synopsis: In the Civil War-era South, a young woman finds an injured Northern soldier. When she brings him to her home, a plantation housing several unmarried young women, a psychologically complex tale of seduction and deception unfolds.
What You Need To Know: Initially one of the most hotly anticipated films of summer 2017, a misleading trailer and some problematic storytelling garnered a bit of resentment for “The Beguiled.” The film features strong performances, especially from Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, and surefootedly navigates issues of female social disadvantage and trauma. However Sofia Coppola’s penchant for all-white casts and the film’s erroneous marketing as a thriller raised more than a few eyebrows. In the end, “The Beguiled” is a beautiful, well-done art film — our own Jessica Kiang praised its imagery and actors in her review. Whether or not that makes up for its flaws merits a longer discussion, but “The Beguiled” was certainly one of the most talked about films of the past year.
“Berlin Syndrome”
Director: Cate Shortland
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Max Riemelt, Matthias Habich
Synopsis: Claire, an Australian journalist on vacation in Germany, is held captive in her one night stand’s apartment.
What You Need To Know: This psychological horror-thriller hit theatres in the summer, drawing critical approval but little public buzz. Praised for its tense, bewitching story and a breakout performance by lead Teresa Palmer, this film by Cate Shortland takes the eponymous novel by Melanie Joosten and brings its horrifying premise to life. “Berlin Syndrome” put Shortland, who went to Cannes’ 2004 Un Certain Regard competition with her first feature “Somersault,” on quite a few radars. Though “Berlin Syndrome” is her first foray into horror, Shortland and her outstanding cast keep audiences on their toes with this complex portrait of peril and desire. Our review from Noel Murray calls the film “incredibly effective, while offering a perspective that [thrillers about female peril] usually lack.” If you’re a horror buff, this recent Netflix addition is definitely one to look up.
“Bitch”
Director: Marianna Palka
Cast: Jason Ritter, Brighton Sharbino, Marianna Palka, Kingston Foster, Jaime King
Synopsis: Undone by her unruly children and wayward husband, housewife Jill assumes the persona of a vicious dog.
What You Need To Know: If you’re anything like me, you’re not even reading this section because that synopsis already has you scouring the internet to stream this film. As wildly original and unsettling as its description suggests, “Bitch” marked Marianna Palka’s directorial return to Sundance. Her first feature, “Good Dick,” premiered at the festival in 2008 to mixed reviews despite its inventive construction and unsettling concept. “Bitch” received the same treatment, though it’s arguably Palka at her best. As our own Eli Fine said in his review, “Bitch” is a wild, original piece of work and you should take the requisite time to watch it sooner than later.” Expertly combining balls-to-the-wall dramatic experimentalism with feminist horror, Palka has created one of the most unique films of 2017 in “Bitch.” So stop reading this and look it up!
“The Breadwinner”
Director: Nora Twomey
Cast: Saara Chaudry, Soma Bhatia, Noorin Gulamgaus, Laara Sadiq
Synopsis: When her father is taken away by the Taliban, Parvana comforts her family through storytelling and adopts masculine dress to be able to bring home food and money.
What You Need To Know: You might remember “The Breadwinner” from the Golden Globes, where it was up for Best Animated Feature. The movie drew attention when Angelina Jolie signed on as an executive producer, but animation fans already had their eyes on this latest project from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and Nora Twomey. The same studio behind “The Secret of Kells” and “Song of the Sea” takes a PG-13 turn with “The Breadwinner,” delving into difficult themes of violence, misogyny, and oppression. This movie can be surprisingly difficult to watch, but its unique visual style and heartfelt characterizations produce a full, compelling world that is as beautiful as it is bleak. This dark horse in the Best Animation races might not take any statuettes home come awards season (thanks, “Coco”), but it was still an great asset to 2017’s cinematic year.
“Buster’s Mal Heart”
Director: Sarah Adina Smith
Cast: Rami Malek, DJ Qualls, Kate Lyn Sheil
Synopsis: An unhinged man avoids the authorities by breaking into vacation homes in a secluded mountain community. Along the way, he recalls his former life as a stable family man.
What You Need To Know: This unconventional script from “The Midnight Swim” director Sarah Adina Smith made for an inventive, head-scratching TIFF debut in 2016. “Buster’s Mal Heart” finally saw a limited release in April and drew critical backlash for its meandering, arguably shallow plot (our own Kevin Jagernauth was in that camp), but Rami Malek proved to be a convincingly charming and unsettling lead. In “Buster’s Mal Heart,” the “Mr. Robot” actor takes his Emmy-winning talents to an altogether more surreal place, offering a similarly enigmatic, nuanced performance in his first lead feature role. Backed up by “Kate Plays Christine” star Kate Lyn Sheil, Malek and Smith craft a unique world in “Buster’s Mal Heart.” Weird bordering on disturbing, darkly comical bordering on outlandish, this film absolutely separates itself from the crowd. We’re just still trying to figure out whether or not that’s a good thing.