Don’t you love that moment when you have your tea (or hot cocoa), you're snuggled up on your bed/couch/loveseat/blanket fort ready to binge some Netflix, and then you remember that you have watched everything there is to possibly watch? It is the worst. Don’t fret, though! I have five fabulous movies to watch when you think you have watched everything on Netflix, and all have an amazing female lead (if not two). Sit back, relax, and watch these ladies kick ass.
1. "Almost Adults."
Two best friends, about to graduate from college, try to figure out who they are in the shadow of major life events. For Cassie, it's a break up with a long-term boyfriend, and for Mackenzie, it is coming out as a lesbian. Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman play Cassie and Mackenzie, the kind of lifelong best friends that you will immediately recognize or be insanely jealous of, and director Sarah Rotella and writer Adrianna DiLonardo, queer women themselves, nail the tricky, painful and oftentimes funny process of coming out. This movie swings between laugh-out-loud funny and try-to-cry-and-call-your-best-friend emotional. Trust me, this is well worth a watch.
2. "Deirdre and Laney Rob a Train."
Two sisters and their little brother Jet are left to support themselves after their mother is sent to prison, after which they hatch a plan to steal from the train that drives by their home. This crime dramedy, starring Ashleigh Murray and Rachel Crow as the titular Deirdre and Laney, soars with a funny, charming and heartbreaking script and breakout-worth performances. The bond between sisters, and the way that this film explores the complexities of sibling relationship, might just have you calling your brother or sister. This is movie that is definitely worth checking out.
3. "Boy Meets Girls."
"Boy Meets Girls" tells the story of Ricky, a 21-year-old transgender women living in Kentucky, who desperately wants to leave her small town and make it to New York, only to have her life complicated by a romance with a girl from town, Francesca, and the possibility of romance with her childhood best friend, Robby. Michelle Hendley, who plays Ricky, should be a household name. It is not just the fact that Hendley is trans (although it's refreshing to see trans characters played by trans people), but that she is a damn good actor who steals every scene that she is in. The film deftly deals with the complexities of gender and sexuality with humour and grace; this is one film that would be a shame to miss.
4. "Begin Again."
A singer-songwriter, Gretta, who was left by her longtime boyfriend, is discovered by a record label executive, Dan, who was coincidentally just fired. Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo star as the pair of misfits, traipsing around New York, trying to record an album unlike anything else. It's a story full of laughter, music, and simply amazing cameos (looking at you, James Corden). Knightley plays Gretta with a quiet strength that grows throughout the film; her story of finding her voice through her music is powerful. This is simply a film you cannot miss.
5. "Short Term 12."
"Short Term 12" is a short-term foster care facility, where Grace, played by the iridescent and Oscar-winning Brie Larson, tries to connect with bright and funny resident Jayden, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Grace, who has just found out she is pregnant, has to reconcile her painful past with her future, and Larson’s portrayal is sensitive, subtle and raw; you ache for her and Jayden -- but you never doubt that these two women are the heroes of this story. This is a film that is so good, you really have to see it to believe it.
Any movie on this list one of your favorites? Is there one I missed that I should check out? Leave a comment below and let me know!