If the words "Strong Female Character" make you want to roll your eyes rather than clap excitedly at the prospect of gendered progress in diversifying female representation, then congratulations -- you get it. The Strong Female Character trope (SFC) is one that is precisely that -- a trope, an archetype, and a cliché. The SFC is just another two-dimensional way to present female characters as elevated from the boring, average, regular women and girls situated beneath them in the hierarchy of Being Taken Seriously in the media world. The SFC is introduced as the end-all solution to passing the Bechdel Test, a ridiculous caveat asking the very barest of minimums for a film to be considered "female friendly," and a paradigm made even more ridiculous given that a large percentage of Hollywood films are somehow still missing the mark.

In an excellent article about SFC's entitled "Strong Female Characters are Rarely Strong and Barely Characters," Bijhan Valibeigi defines the SFC as follows:

"A character whose exterior qualities and achievements are designed to stand in contrast to her inner feminine vulnerability. She is given value because of her masculine traits; she is kept from being the protagonist because of her feminine traits."

In this sense, the word "strong," when applied to a female character, is usually understood as also meaning "well-written." Is the "strength" of every male character ever in the history of everything ever questioned or tokenized as being pioneering or groundbreaking? Not really, no. This discrepancy dictates the idea that any character who is complex, multi-dimensional, and worthy of respect is and must be inherently male. More so, it relegates any female character that does not express any one of those traits to being the default. Meaning, female characters are assumed to be simple, uninteresting, weak, and solely existing for the purpose of their relationship with the male lead (or leads) in their respective media -- generally presented as either helping, hurting, or sleeping with them.

The hetero-patriarchal nature of the Hollywood system as a whole is certainly one reason why this pattern of female characterization has become so popular recently. Under the guise of radical progress, women in film and television are now starting to be more complicated and multi-faceted characters, and the Hollywood higher-ups are just now beginning to realize how profitable this "progress" can be. Essentially, women on screen are finally being recognized as whole persons -- flaws, weaknesses, quirks and all -- just as the men have been accustomed to for long as these industries have been around. Talk about radical.

This is not to say that Hollywood's treatment of women in the last decade or two hasn't improved in any way -- there is no denying that the representation of women on screen has become more diverse and inclusive in recent years, to the joy and relief of critics, audiences, and industry professionals alike. But to say that full equality in representation has been reached, and that the threshold of achievable progress has been met is a very naive position to take. Consider how few lesbian, gay, and transgender characters you see in mainstream cinema or television -- in 2014, almost 83 percent of all releases did not feature any LGBT roles. Or, Hollywood's persisting tendency to "white-wash" stories and characters that could easily and magnificently be filled with capable and understandably frustrated actors of color, who are continuously passed over for safer, whiter casting decisions instead. Obviously, Hollywood has a long way to go if actual, realistic representation of gender, race, sexuality, and age are ever to become the norm, but the growing trend (especially on the Internet) of actively demanding to see changes reflecting these issues is definitely a great place to start.

Below are 5 examples of female characters from the last two years that go above and beyond the notion of "strong." These women are more than just pretty faces -- they're unpredictable, ruthless, determined, and, best of all, not just there to be of use to their men.

1. "Gone Girl" (2014)

If you want a complex, unique female character unlike one you've ever seen, then Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne is exactly what you're looking for. Her character isn't necessarily the positive, female role model that many people think is necessary when crafting a "strong" leading lady, but the beauty of this film is that it turns all pre-disposed notions of acceptable femininity upside down, and takes you on a wild ride to do so.

2. "A Most Violent Year" (2014)

This trailer does a wonderful job of introducing Jessica Chastain as a key figure in this film's story. As she says, "It wasn't your good luck helping out all these years -- it was me." She plays Anna Morales, mother of two and wife to small time heating oil company owner Abel, but don't let these labels fool you; she's a calculated, clever business woman who is more than willing to play dirty to get what she wants.

3. "Ex Machina" (2015)

In a world where the female body is constantly taken at face value and objectified, it is fascinating to see how this character, a robot with artificial intelligence named Ava (played by the captivating Alicia Vikander), functions when her body is literally an object. Using her wit, cunning, and her femininity to her advantage, Ava is forced to navigate a world of patriarchal dominance, constant limitations, and the looming threat of being destroyed if she does not act in a certain way -- the only world she knows, but one that audiences might recognize as a social commentary about a woman's relationship with our own world.

4. "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015)

When it was revealed that Charlize Theron (as the striking Imperator Furiosa) was the main protagonist in this film (and not Tom Hardy, as was advertised heavily), there were many men who were, shockingly, pretty mad about it. Similar to the previous example, this film also deals with themes of feminism and the "proper" role of the female body, but it is the performance of Theron that really cements her character as being so much more than just a strong woman. If that's not enough to convince you, she was also described as "the best female action hero since Sigourney Weaver in the best female action hero since Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien,'" so don't just take my word for it.

5. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015)

A female lead? A black Stormtrooper? The potential hints of the first interracial, gay couple in space? This film ruffled feathers all across the board, but despite a lot of the negative feedback it received for these points, one thing was made perfectly clear: Daisy Ridley as Rey was one of the best parts of Episode VII. Her characterization as resourceful, fiercely loyal, and a force to be reckoned with (pun intended) was not only a well-fitting addition to the Star Wars franchise as a whole, but also a chance for female protagonists -- particularly those in action/adventure movies--to get a chance to shine and inspire younger generations. The success of this film in turn created the platform for the next in the franchise, "Star Wars: Rogue One," to also feature a female lead, so it will be interesting to see how that film is received as well.

So what do the movies listed above all have in common? Besides the fact that Oscar Isaac is in 3/5 of them (I'm not biased, I swear -- he just has really good taste in scripts!), the driving force behind all of these movies is the power and command displayed by all of the women in them, without the movies patting themselves on the back and pandering to female audiences just for doing so. These women are real, they are not perfect, and they are all examples of how captivating complex female characters can be -- and how ready and excited audiences are to see more of them.