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Aviva Dove-Viebahn reviews the top fiction feminist watches from the past year including The Substance, Ironheart and The Better Sister.

The post The Best Feminist Fiction Films and TV Shows of 2025 appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

One such fight is chronicled in the new film Lilly, released in theaters this May and now available for rent. The brainchild of director Rachel Feldman, Lilly tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, “an ordinary woman who became extraordinary,” in the words of Patricia Clarkson, who portrays her in the film.

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And yet, every day ordinary people fight injustice. And some days, those people persist long enough, resist long enough, that their fights rise to national prominence. One such fight is chronicled in the new film Lilly, in theaters beginning May 9. The brainchild of director Rachel Feldman, Lilly tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, “an ordinary woman who became extraordinary,” in the words of actor Patricia Clarkson, who portrays her in the film.

Unfortunately, Ledbetter didn’t live to see the film arrive in theaters. She died in October 2024 at age 86. “She was so profoundly happy to know that her legacy would extend in entertainment form,” Feldman says, “particularly so that young women would absorb the story.”

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Born to Romanian and Iranian Jewish parents, Shuster-Eliassi grew up in the Oasis of Peace, also known as Neve Shalom (in Hebrew) and Wahat al-Sallam (in Arabic), a social experiment in the form of a small village where Palestinians and Jews live intentionally as neighbors, and their children attend a bilingual school where they take classes on peacebuilding.

But Coexistence, My Ass! is far from a myopic biography of one activist comedian; instead, it becomes something much more expansive. The film encapsulates the deep complexities, horrors and challenges of the crisis in the Middle East and the conundrums of peacebuilding facing its many interlocuters without coming across as either naïve or completely hopeless.

The post Sundance 2025: Timely, Incisive and With Unexpected Humor, ‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ Offers a Singular Perspective on Conflict in the Middle East appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

This intimate documentary captures her triumphs and setbacks, offering a powerful portrayal of breaking barriers in a deeply traditional society.

The post Sundance 2025: ‘Cutting Through Rocks’ Is a Groundbreaking Film on Rural Iran and a Woman Who Dared to Lead appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's sure-footed and community-minded approach to leadership shines through in this inspiring documentary directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz.

The post Sundance 2025: ‘Prime Minister’ Shows What it Looks Like When a Leader Prioritizes Compassion Over Politics appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Speak. follows high school debate champions using their voices to advocate for change, while Sugar Babies profiles a young woman leveraging online relationships to fund her education.

Though their paths differ, both films highlight the resilience and resourcefulness of a generation determined to carve out their own futures.

(This is one in a series of film reviews from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, focused on films by women, trans or nonbinary directors that tell compelling stories about the lives of women and girls.)

The post Sundance 2025: Are the Kids All Right? In Docs, ‘Speak.’ and ‘Sugar Babies,’ Gen Z Strive to Imagine Their Futures appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

All of these women know that they’re entering a complicated political landscape, one that’s heavily partisan and disheartening to many of their constituents. They’re also experienced and driven, ready to work across the aisle as necessary while remaining dedicated to important causes, from protecting abortion rights and supporting the LGBTQ+ community to advocating for gun control, judicial reform, affordable healthcare and public education. These women come from all walks of life, sectors of the workforce and backgrounds. Some worked retail or food service jobs to pay their way through school. Others have been lifelong public servants or dedicated themselves to volunteering. They’ve been working physicians, engineers, attorneys, climate change activists, CIA analysts, mayors, state representatives and senators, education advocates, executive directors of nonprofits and small-business owners. They are Black, white, Latina and Middle Eastern. Some are proud members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many are from working-class backgrounds. Some are mothers and even grandmothers. Several are first-generation college graduates or the children of immigrants.

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The post Must-Watch Feminist Fiction: Our Fave Films and Series Released in 2024 appeared first on Ms. Magazine.