Often misrepresented, misunderstood, or altogether ignored, female anger has long been a nuanced emotion that cinema has struggled to portray accurately. It’s a theme that’s sometimes diluted into palatable ‘feistiness’ or ‘passion,’ often overshadowing the raw, pure strength of feminine rage in its full form. Yet, in the shadows of mainstream cinema, numerous gems have dared to dive into this complex emotion, capturing its multi-dimensional essence in a way that resonates with audiences universally.
Promising Young Woman
“This has become my comfort movie recently. It’s my revenge fantasy against every man who said something horrible to me, made me feel uncomfortable, took advantage of me, made me trust them, and betrayed that trust; I love it.”
Erin Brockovich
The “angry single mom energy who is still determined to do right by her kids and then eventually by her clients” really spoke to one person who described the movie as “a perfect underdog story, and her anger is so real and justified.”
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
This 2017 crime drama was a popular choice, as one reader user who went to see it as a bored 25-year-old explained, “The hall remained silent the whole time except for sounds of someone crying. I’m pretty sure all of us cried. There was this one scene where seeing the raw grief and anger, I burst into tears.”
Girl, Interrupted
This 1999 movie was “probably the first movie I saw that portrayed female rage and mental illness in a sympathetic light. It really stuck with me”.
Another forum user agreed, “That movie reverse-funneled my self-image, if that makes sense.”
Steel Magnolias
Many users nominated Steel Magnolias, notably Sally Field. One reader explained, “When Clairee tells M’Lynn to hit Ouiser, I go from crying to laughing to crying all over again.”
Thelma and Louise
The iconic female buddy movie “Susan Sarandon and Gina Davis, were amazing in the movie & perfectly cast.” Another user agreed that the partnership “of those two is legendary.”
Hereditary
For one forum user, Hereditary, a psychological horror from 2018, is “powerful and relatable to any woman who has had to sit around and help men process their feelings with zero regard for her own.”
The Dressmaker
One reader describes this comedy-drama from 2015 as “an excellent, gorgeous film and depicts female anger and vengeance.” Another user agreed, “Kate Winslet is just so good at realistically showing grief.”
First Wives Club
One forum user was keen to highlight “Diane Keaton’s character, who tried so hard to be supportive and kind,” but it always backfires. “Her blow-ups were particularly well deserved.”
Hidden Figures
Many readers nominated this 2016 drama, particularly Taraji P Henson, who “doesn’t get enough recognition.” One commentator highlighted her character’s journey and “everything she had to go through to get the respect she deserved, and it just comes pouring out! Such a cathartic moment”.
Or, as another reader put it, “Deconstructing racism is hard, if not impossible, without allies.”
Aliens
A user suggests Ripley from the Aliens series because she is “a calm, cool and collected competent female professional with a perfect amount of righteous indignation at the inhumane callousness of her corporate handlers and that epic “get away from her!” mama bear instinct.”
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Readers suggest both the American and Swedish language versions for Lisbeth Salander, who is “a walking pot of bubbling, building rage, and that’s why we adore her.”
American Beauty
One forum user user highlights “the scene where Annette Benning has finished the open house, and it didn’t sell.” Another user agreed, “I think many of us have treated ourselves like that.”
The Break-Up
One reader nominated The Break Up because “Jennifer Anniston’s character illustrated how women can get frustrated in a relationship even when they like the guy.”
The Menu
Anna Taylor Joy’s performance was spot on, particularly when she discovers that Tyler lied to her. “The script said she would just sit there silently crying,” but instead, she had her character “slap and claw the bejeezus out of Tyler, as she should. I love her for that.”
Set It Off
One forum user thought that while “the entire cast was phenomenal!” Queen Latifah stood out because “she has a genuine edginess to her that was front and center for that role.”
Lady Bird
Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird accurately depicts “being a teenage girl.” The mother-daughter relationship particularly struck a chord, “she acts bratty and talks back, but she realizes and feels bad about it. She just wants a romanticized coming-of-age, but everything is actually” awful.
Waiting to Exhale
Angela Basset’s performance as she calmly sends “her kids off to school, and then she tears through that closet and throws out all her cheating husband’s clothes into his car and lights it on fire.”
Little Women
Another Greta Gerwig film, for one forum user, “Florence Pugh’s monologue as Amy in Little Women to Teddy about being a woman in that time” is a fantastic depiction of female rage that “was excellently done. The whole film isn’t about that. But that scene was A+”.
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
While the film tells a broader story, a forum user suggests “the scene in Princess Kaguya after a man dies in pursuit of her hand in marriage, she breaks everything around her and runs back to her hometown as a streak of destruction across the countryside. The film is animated and this scene is drawn with mostly strokes of thick black charcoal and really shows the raw emotion of anger, sorrow, and frustration. The whole scene felt like a very realistic reaction and an accurate portrayal of the anger inside of women.”
