Let’s be clear: we are talking about the original Disney animation of Mulan, and not the 2020 live action remake that, frankly, took all the elements that made the animated Fa Mulan a powerful feminist icon and threw them out the window.

The animated Mulan wasn’t a young woman desperate to subdue her chi in order to fit in (that’s not how chi works, by the way), she was just an ordinary human who made a reckless decision to disguise herself as a man and enlist in the army to save her father’s life. She wasn’t automatically better than her male peers because of her chi—they were all tasked with the same challenges and pushed to grow in the same way—but Mulan succeeded because she worked really hard and faced up to obstacles with her brain as well as her physical strength. 

From using the weights as climbing equipment to help her reach the top of the pole and fetch the arrow shot there at the start of their training, instead of seeing them only as burdens weighing her down like the other soldiers, to causing an avalanche to defeat the enemy, Mulan was an asset to the army because of her ingenuity. She worked for her improvements and achievements, and was celebrated for her decency, courage and hard work, qualities that anyone can have and develop regardless of gender.

Gangubai Kathiawadi is inspired by the true story of Ganga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi, a woman from Kathiawad, India, who was scammed and sold into prostitution in Mumbai. The film follows her story from this tragic turn to how she reclaims her agency and rises to the top to become a politician and advocate for women’s rights.

Visually captivating and occasionally intensely uncomfortable, the Hindi-language film boasts an arresting performance from actress Alia Bhatt in the title role. From a frightened and heartbroken young girl to an activist confident in her own power who will speak as firmly in a room full of people ready to judge her as she will to the prime minister of India, Gangubai Kathiawadi pulls no punches in showing how women are routinely abused and dismissed, but also how we can drive our own narrative.

An addition and spinoff to the Ocean’s franchise, and this time led by a cast of wonderfully talented and diverse actresses, Ocean’s 8 is a fun, dynamic heist comedy that stars Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, sister to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean in the previous films. 

After her release from prison, Debbie rounds up a gang of women—played by Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina—to help her steal the Toussaint, a US$150 million Cartier necklace, off the neck of ingénue Daphne Kluger, played by Anne Hathaway.

Ocean’s 8 is fast paced and witty, and (while we’re not encouraging criminal activity) it’s a fun film about uniquely gifted women working towards a common goal. While the cast is undeniably beautiful and varied, the focus of the movie is really on the characters’ abilities and personalities.

Elizabeth is less an accurate representation of history and more a character-driven and emotional telling of one woman’s journey from illegitimate heretic born of a convicted adulteress to the queen of England.

Cate Blanchett portrays Elizabeth I with depth and intensity as she evolves from young princess to anointed monarch, playing this iconic historical figure with equal parts strength and vulnerability. In this film, Elizabeth leans on trusted advisors as she grows into her power—and she also makes mistakes and stumbles. Elizabeth is a visually rich examination of what it meant to be a leader as a woman at a time when no one wanted a woman to be a leader. Blanchett’s Elizabeth is realistic in that she’s human and seeks  support from William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) and Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), as well as her head lady-in-waiting Kat Ashley (Emily Mortimer), as she navigates scheming courtiers, sleazy suitors and ambitious opponents. Stylistic and striking, Elizabeth reminds us that powerful women have always existed.

This whimsical and fantastical film finds a young girl lost in a magical parallel universe and on a mission to save her parents who have been transformed into pigs.

Like the original Mulan, the appeal of Spirited Away is that its protagonist is a regular person whose accomplishments and strength of character are grounded in her humanity and decency. Yes, it’s full of monsters and spirits, but at its core it’s a coming-of-age story whose protagonist is an average young person who struggles and grows, making this film so inspiring for viewers and especially for young girls. 

In fact, that is a theme throughout Hayao Miyazaki films. From Princess Mononoke (1997) to Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), his protagonists are often regular young girls who through challenges and setbacks grow into an improved version of themselves. Thank goodness he’s much better at making movies than he is at retiring.

There is a very good reason why this Noughties girl-power romcom led by Reese Witherspoon still stands the test of time—and it’s not because of The Bend and Snap.

Witherspoon plays Elle Woods who, after a break-up (when she was expecting a proposal), applies to—and gets a place at—Harvard Law School as part of her plan to win back her man. When she arrives, however, she not only finds him engaged to a fellow law student named Vivian Kensington, but also discovers her own ambition to become a great lawyer. In the end, Elle not only gets over her ex—spoiler alert—she also surpasses him professionally and wins over Vivian.

The wonderful thing about Legally Blonde is that it fights against the stereotype of women being catty towards each other. Elle and Vivian definitely find themselves at odds for much of the film, but Witherspoon portrays Elle as someone who always leads with kindness first, and tries to see the best in people. She also stands up for her friends when they’re in a fix, and for herself. The best part of Legally Blonde, though, is that while Elle changes her style at Harvard, she never at any point relinquishes her femininity. And in her triumphant moment, she returns to her signature pink, challenging the concepts that there can be no strength in femininity, and that women cannot be simultaneously conventionally girly and powerful. Snap.

Adapted from the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious follows the life of 16-year-old African American Claireece “Precious” Jones who lives in Harlem, New York with her unemployed and abusive mother. Not only is Precious, played by Gabourey Sidibe in an Oscar-nominated turn, financially and socially disadvantaged, she’s also pregnant for the second time by her father, who raped her.

When her pregnancy is discovered by her school principal, Precious is sent to alternative school programme Each One Teach One where she meets other disadvantaged girls and a teacher who believes in her ability to turn her life around.

Precious is not an easy film to watch, but it’s still uplifting and leaves you deeply invested in the protagonist. You want her to do well and escape her circumstances, and it’s an incredibly satisfying fist-pump moment when Precious learns to process her trauma, remove herself and her children from her mother’s abusive home, and walk off with dreams of the better life she will build for herself.

Like many films about Asian Americans, Saving Face speaks to intergenerational trauma and burden. Unlike many other films about Asian Americans, this one features an LGBTQ+ character in the lead and her mother who is pregnant but refuses to reveal who the father is. 

Emotional and hilarious, Saving Face navigates Wilhelmina “Wil” Pang’s (Michelle Krusiec) relationship with her mother, Hwei-Lan Gao (Joan Chen), who’s living with her after being kicked out of her family home for being pregnant out of wedlock. It also explores Wil’s budding romance with her girlfriend Vivian (Lynn Chen), how Wil relates to her culture and family, and her internal struggle as a third culture kid and lesbian.

The film, directed by Alice Wu, is full of heartfelt performances, colourful characters, and a diverse range of interpretations for what it means to be a woman.

Starring Rachel McAdams as Becky, a morning news producer who gets fired from her station instead of receiving the promotion all her colleagues thought she’d earnt, Morning Glory is bright and fun, and a great film to watch whenever you’re stuck in a bit of a professional rut.

The storyline is maybe a little predictable: workaholic Becky finds a job as producer for a flagging morning news show and is tasked with reviving it despite having to work with reluctant and difficult anchors, and in the end she does such a good job saving the show a rival network tries to lure her over with a job offer, which she turns down to stay with the show she saved and the team she’s come to love. Oh, and she learns work-life balance and finds love with a tall and handsome colleague in the process.

However, the performances from McAdams, Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford are absolutely delightful. Becky is ambitious and nuanced, insecure and capable, and a character you can root for. Throughout the film, she’s challenged by resistance, arrogance, incompetence and disappointment, but her self-knowledge and assurance in the quality of her work, intuition and professionalism push her to meet every challenge with gusto and adapt to each in a way that best guarantees her success. Becky’s drive and agility, as well as her sense of humour and loyalty, are both inspirational and aspirational. 

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