FemaleDirectors.com is a website for female-directed movies: you can find, play, and add them to your Netflix queue, and buy them on Amazon.com. Browse within our genres to find movies from the female perspective.
Thrillers
The Caveman's Valentine
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The Caveman's Valentine

2001
After finding a frozen corpse near his cave in a New York City park, homeless recluse Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) -- a former piano prodigy beset by delusions of harmful rays bombarding him from the Chrysler Building -- suspects foul play and investigates. But can the schizophrenic Romulus pull himself together long enough to catch the killer? Featuring a brilliant turn by Jackson, this engrossing thriller also stars Colm Feore.

Directed by:

  • Kasi Lemmons
    • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


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    Partners in Crime
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    Partners in Crime

    2000
    After a string of professional setbacks and failed marriages, Gene Reardon (Rutger Hauer) gets back on track working as a detective and living with his daughter in a small town. After a high-profile citizen gets kidnapped, the FBI is called in, led by lovely Wallis Longsworth (Paulina Porizkova): Reardon's first wife. When he finds the abduction -- and a murder rap -- pinned on him, Reardon turns to Wallis for help.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Warren
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    The Code
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    The Code

    2009
    Deeply in debt to the Russian mob, master jewel thief Ripley recruits a talented burglar to help him pull off one more daring heist: filching two gem-encrusted Fabergé eggs worth a cool $20 million each.

    Directed by:

  • Mimi Leder
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Lies in Plain Sight
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    Lies in Plain Sight

    2010
    This made-for-television drama follows the unsettling journey of Sofia, a blind woman who quests to uncover the reason for her beloved cousin Eva's suicide. As her search deepens, Sofia discovers that Eva had long been hiding troubling secrets.

    Directed by:

  • Patricia Cardoso
    • rating:3.1.png 3.1 Average Rating


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    Music & Musicals
    The Boys Next Door
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    The Boys Next Door

    1985
    On the eve of their high school graduation, two young men (Maxwell Caulfield and Charlie Sheen) head for Los Angeles -- along the way they embark on a violent murder spree that shocks the nation. They're not maniacs, nor are they hardened criminals; they're just the "typical" boys next door. This crime drama from director Penelope Spheeris (Wayne's World) is a startling look at crime amid normalcy.

    Directed by:

  • Penelope Spheeris
    • rating:3.2.png 3.2 Average Rating


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    The Miracle Worker
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    The Miracle Worker

    2000
    Unable to see, hear or speak since early childhood, young Helen Keller (Hallie Kate Eisenberg) lives in an isolated world of shadowy silence. That is, until determined teacher Anne Sullivan (Alison Elliott) enters her life, determined to draw the girl out of her lonely darkness. David Strathairn co-stars in this moving television adaptation of the timeless -- and true -- tale of courage and spirit, based on the play by William Gibson.

    Directed by:

  • Nadia Tass
    • rating:4.0.png 4.0 Average Rating


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    James Taylor: Live at the Beacon Theatre
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    James Taylor: Live at the Beacon Theatre

    1998
    Grammy-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor performs his greatest hits and personal favorites in this concert, which was recorded live at New York City's Beacon Theatre in 1998. Featured are 25 songs, including "Your Smiling Face," "Shower the People," "How Sweet It Is," "Fire and Rain," You've Got a Friend," "Mexico" and "Handy Man." Also includes music videos and an interview with the endearing -- and enduring -- musician.

    Directed by:

  • Beth McCarthy
    • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


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    Mamma Mia!
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    Mamma Mia!

    2008
    On the idyllic Greek isle of Kalokairi, single mom Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) goes into a tizzy when her bride-to-be daughter (Amanda Seyfried), in a bid to learn her father's identity, invites three of Donna's ex-lovers to the wedding. Buoyed by the tunes of ABBA, this effervescent yarn -- a Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) -- also stars Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård as the trio of potential dads.

    Directed by:

  • Phyllida Lloyd
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Foreign
    Fire
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    Fire

    1996
    Two Hindu women struggle with loveless, arranged marriages: Sita (Nandita Das), who discovers that her husband (Javed Jaffrey) has a mistress, and her sister-in-law, Radha (Shabana Azmi), who cannot give birth. As the lukewarm coals of their long-term relationships fade, the women ignite passion in their lives by finding comfort in each other. Director Deepa Mehta's drama is supposedly the first Indian film about lesbians.

    Directed by:

  • Deepa Mehta
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Waste Land
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    Waste Land

    2010
    Renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian garbage pickers who mine treasure from the trash heaps of Rio de Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho landfill.

    Directed by:

  • Lucy Walker
    • rating:4.0.png 4.0 Average Rating


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    The Escape
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    The Escape

    2009
    When terrorists in war-ravaged Afghanistan kidnap and threaten to slay outspoken Danish journalist Rikke Lynvig (Iben Hjejle), young, English-speaking Taliban operative Nazir Osmani (Faegh Zamani) helps her plan a daring getaway. But when Nazir himself also escapes Afghanistan and seeks Rikke's help in Denmark, she is torn between personal loyalty and the political fallout of aiding a terrorist. Kathrine Windfeld directs this tense thriller.

    Directed by:

  • Kathrine Windfeld
    • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


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    Charlotte Rampling: The Look
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    Charlotte Rampling: The Look

    2011
    Actress Charlotte Rampling largely tells her own story in this unconventional self-portrait conceived by filmmaker Angelina Maccarone. Highlights include conversations between Rampling and her friends, along with clips from her most famous films.

    Directed by:

  • Angelina Maccarone
    • rating:3.1.png 3.1 Average Rating


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    Gay & Lesbian
    The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
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    The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls

    2009
    Trace the fascinating lives of New Zealand's provocative music and comedy duo Jools and Linda Topp through this enjoyable documentary, which details the lesbian twins' rural upbringing, political activism and immense popularity at home and abroad. Featuring hilarious interviews with several of the sisters' most outrageous alter egos, this joyous celebration also includes brilliant insights into New Zealand's history.

    Directed by:

  • Leanne Pooley
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Andre's Mother
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    Andre's Mother

    1990
    Terrence McNally's play (presented here as part of the "American Playhouse" series) centers on the AIDS-related death of a young man named Andre. In just over an hour's time, we see how Andre's mother (Sada Thompson) and his lover, Cal (Richard Thomas), come to terms with their grief both separately and together, and how they take the first difficult steps to move forward with their lives in the wake of the tragedy. Deborah Reinisch directs.

    Directed by:

  • Deborah Reinisch
    • rating:3.1.png 3.1 Average Rating


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    The Sensei
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    The Sensei

    2008
    After punks at school hand him a savage beating, gay teen McClain Evans (Michael O'Laskey II) secretly begins martial arts training with Karen O'Neil (director Diana Lee Inosanto), a woman who has her own axe to grind with the narrow-minded rural community. But as Evans learns to stand up to prejudice and hate, the boy and his sensei unleash a firestorm of controversy in their small Colorado town. Louis Mandylor co-stars in this drama.

    Directed by:

  • Diana Lee Inosanto
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Normal
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    Normal

    2003
    Rural Illinois resident Roy (Tom Wilkinson) declares after his 25th wedding anniversary that he has always believed he's a woman trapped inside a man's body. This shocks and angers some in his family and community, but some are unexpectedly supportive. It's up to Roy's shell-shocked wife, Irma (Jessica Lange), his kids and the entire community to come to terms with this stunning revelation. The film earned three Golden Globe nominations.

    Directed by:

  • Jane Anderson
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
    We periodically update our movie database by adding new female directors and their movies. If you would like to receive notice of these new additions when they happen, please email us at:
    frances 'at' femaledirectors.com