Yorgos Lanthimos' humorous period drama The Favourite is a movie unafraid to portray women as they are. They can be well-intentioned and loving, naïve and powerful, scheming and pretentious among so many other things. But most of all, they can be well-written and fully developed characters in a great and compelling story.
Luckily for fans of The Favourite, there are many other great features that have equally detailed female characters. Moreover, such movies also tend to have quite interesting female villains who are often just as entertaining, mysterious, or powerful as the protagonists are.
Us (2019)
Despite having an ensemble cast, Us still primarily focuses on the mother of the family played by Lupita Nyong'o. Curiously, the antagonist of the story is also played by Nyong'o because it is her doppelgänger from the world beneath.
This kind of dualistic nature of the movie's protagonist and antagonist is all the more entertaining as it shows the inner struggle with one's self as an exterior, physical struggle.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada has no shortage of central female characters, and much like in The Favourite, both the villain and the hero are women.
However, The Devil Wears Prada doesn't really define Miranda as the antagonist in the simple way of describing a character like that. Instead, it's more of a clash of ideals and beliefs of Andy and Miranda.
The Witch (2015)
The star of The Queen's Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy had actually become known initially for her lead role in Robert Eggers' The Witch. And though the villain of the story, the evil witch, isn't really prominent most of the time, there is still a different female character to oppose Taylor-Joy's Thomasin.
Interestingly, Thomasin clashes more with her own mother rather than the witch that causes many of the issues in the first place. In a way, this modern horror classic could be considered an exploration of mother-daughter relationships.
Mean Girls (2004)
No list would be complete without the iconic Mean Girls which had taken the world by storm in 2004. Teen movies set in high schools are often in a hit-or-miss situation, but Mean Girls' unique approach to female characters in a setting like this one is what made the movie stand out so much.
It's about cliques and friendships, popularity and being yourself. It explores just how complex high-school hierarchies can be and how such experiences can go on to shape people as they become adults.
Heathers (1989)
Another classic from the teen genre, Heathers is much darker than any other movie of such kind. It was Mean Girls before Mean Girls existed, but it still used more of black comedy to show the darker side of adolescence.
Like in Mean Girls, the story revolves around a clique, but while Cady was accepted by the Queen Bees and then decided to leave them, Veronica is already a part of the clique and realizes that she doesn't enjoy it and wants to leave.
I, Tonya (2017)
Margot Robbie's award-nominated performance in I, Tonya was definitely extraordinary as she transformed into the real Tonya Harding almost seamlessly. But who stood out just as much was Allison Janney who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Tonya's mother LaVona Golden.
Much like in The Witch, the conflict here happens between mother and daughter, though LaVona seems to be even more aggressive than Thomasin's mother. But because the movie doesn't stick to just one truth; viewers get to see the perspectives of all the people involved — including LaVona's.
Misery (1990)
Misery still holds the title of one of the best adaptations of Stephen King's works — and not for nothing. In fact, Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance which remains the only Oscar won by a King adaptation to this day.
What makes Misery's Annie so terrifying is her character could very much be real. Though fan culture seems to be more accepted now, particularly obsessive fans have existed for decades, if not centuries.
Black Swan (2010)
Another Academy Award-winning performance (this time, for Natalie Portman), Black Swan seems to have a multitude of villains at different points in the story. One moment it could be Nina's artistic director and another moment it could be her own mother.
But the real villain of the story is Nina herself — or rather, the side of herself she struggles with. It's the psychological aspect of her obsession with perfection that drives her to imagine Lily being her rival.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino often writes female characters well, but the way he does it in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and its sequel is impeccable. Uma Thurman's the Bride is already someone to root for, but she becomes all the more interesting when encountering and fighting her villains.
Several of these villains happen to be female. From Vernita Green to Elle Driver to O-Ren Ishii, the Bride is able to defeat all of them, and their minions, as she walks her path of revenge and blood.
Gone Girl (2014)
David Fincher's Gone Girl is a movie that has a female villain... who many viewers still end up rooting for. It's a unique situation when the both lead characters aren't really the villains but aren't the heroes, either.
From Nick's point of view, Amy is the problem. But from Amy's point of view, Nick is the one at fault. It's only for the viewers to decide who to root for.