For decades, female characters in film were often sidekicks, muses, or moral anchors—strong but still expected to be likeable, rarely allowed full complexity on their own terms.
But cinema is shifting. Contemporary filmmakers are now centring women as full, flawed, and fascinating subjects—no longer chasing approval, but pursuing authenticity, desire, and agency.
These six films, streaming now, refuse to simplify their female leads. Instead, they offer intimate, layered portraits of women who live on their own terms, in all their contradictions.
Renuka in My Mother’s Girlfriend: Renuka, a working-class mother in a queer relationship, quietly defies norms. She doesn’t seek validation—she simply lives her truth, tiffin in hand, girlfriend by her side. Her presence challenges the idea that marginalised women need permission to exist fully.
Marianne in Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Céline Sciamma’s film flips the muse narrative. Marianne paints Héloïse, and their bond deepens into mutual desire. The female gaze reshapes love into something tender, intellectual, and free from conquest.
Ansa in Fallen Leaves: Ansa lives with quiet resilience. Romance, when it comes, is subtle. She finds meaning not in grand gestures but in shared silences—proof that a woman’s worth isn’t defined by being chosen.
Rekha in The Booth: This gentle portrait of a queer, middle-aged woman centres her longing. Rekha’s glances and silences affirm that desire doesn’t diminish with age or circumstance.
Victoria in In Bed With Victoria: Messy, honest, and uninterested in being “fixed,” Victoria reclaims her story. Her chaotic life is her own—and she makes no apologies for it.
Etero in Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry: Etero finds power in solitude. Her journey celebrates independence without denying desire, offering a rare look at female autonomy in later life.