Weekly Update for March 20: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films You Can Watch from Home

Due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent restrictions, Women and Hollywood is shifting its focus to online content. We’ll be enjoying media from the comfort of our homes and encourage you to do the same.

(Please keep in mind that these dates are subject to change.)

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD

Blow The Man Down – Written and Directed by Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole (Available on Amazon Prime)

“Blow the Man Down” is a delightfully dark, clever, and funny exploration of different kinds of sisterhood. Set in Easter Cove, a quaint fishing village in Maine, the pic sees sisters Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth Connolly (Morgan Saylor) mourning the loss of their mother. The pair have little time to deal with that tragedy before another befalls them: a run-in with a dangerous man gets Mary Beth in hot water. She and Priscilla attempt to conceal her crime, but the pair quickly realize that they’ll need reinforcements, and seek the help of her mother’s longtime friends, finding themselves deeper and deeper in the underbelly of Easter Cove. Given how rare it is to see women over 60 on-screen, it’s a unique joy to see “Blow the Man Down’s” stellar supporting cast — Margo Martindale, June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, and Marceline Hugot — doing everything from baking pies to running a brothel. Beyond being three-dimensional, these characters make Easter Cove hard to say goodbye to. I’d gladly watch a series that centers on them. (Laura Berger)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole.

Emma. – Directed by Autumn de Wilde; Written by Eleanor Catton (Available on VOD)

“Emma.”: Focus Features

Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of “Emma.” Handsome, clever, and rich Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Autumn de Wilde.

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) – Directed by Cathy Yan; Written by Christina Hodson (Available on VOD March 24)

“Birds of Prey”

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho, and the mafia princess? Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson, “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor, and Ella Jay Basco also star.

Clemency – Written and Directed by Chinonye Chukwu (Available on VOD March 24)

“Clemency”: Sundance Institute

Alfre Woodard gives a career-defining performance as Bernadine Williams, a prison warden in the midst of a moral crisis. She has spent her life contributing to a system that incarcerates mostly young men of color, and also condemns them to death. Bernadine is at a crossroads. She is struggling, wondering what she is doing, what we, as a culture, are doing. “Clemency” is an urgent look at the toll the prison industrial complex takes on all the souls who are a part of it. (Melissa Silverstein)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Chinonye Chukwu.

The Invisible Man (Available on VOD)

“The Invisible Man”

Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister (Harriet Dyer), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge), and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid.) But when Cecilia’s abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

The Hunt (Available on VOD)

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen for a very specific purpose — The Hunt. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, a group of globalist elites gathers for the very first time at a remote Manor House to hunt humans for sport. But the elites’ master plan is about to be derailed because one of the hunted, Crystal (Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”), knows The Hunters’ game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off, one by one, as she makes her way toward the mysterious woman (Hilary Swank) at the center of it all.

International Falls – Directed by Amber McGinnis (Available on VOD)

A woman (Rachael Harris) stuck in a small, snowbound border town has dreams of doing comedy when she meets a washed up, burned out comedian (Rob Huebel) with dreams of doing anything else.

Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears – Written by Deborah Cox (Available on Acorn TV March 23)

The theatrical movie spin-off “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” follows Essie Davis’ private detective as she embarks on a global adventure to find missing treasure, solve murders, and break aviation records. After freeing a young Bedouin girl from her unjust imprisonment in Jerusalem, Phryne Fisher begins to unravel a decade-old mystery concerning priceless emeralds, ancient curses, and the truth behind the suspicious disappearance of Shirin’s forgotten tribe.

Asako I & II – Written by Sachiko Tanaka and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Available on VOD March 24)

“Asako I and II”

Asako (Erika Karata) lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.

The Grudge (Available on VOD March 24)

After a young mother murders her family in her own house, a detective (Andrea Riseborough) attempts to investigate the mysterious case, only to discover that the house is cursed by a vengeful ghost. Now targeted by the demonic spirits, the detective must do anything to protect herself and her family from harm.

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD

“Swallow”

Lost Girls – Directed by Liz Garbus (Netflix)
Justine – Written and Directed by Stephanie Turner (Netflix)
Ride Like a Girl – Directed by Rachel Griffiths; Written by Elise McCredie and Andrew Knight (VOD)
Go Back to China – Written and Directed by Emily Ting (VOD)
Swallow (VOD)
Queen of Paradis (Documentary) (VOD)
Premature – Written by Zora Howard and Rashaad Ernesto Green (VOD)
Buffaloed – Directed by Tanya Wexler (VOD)
A Simple Wedding – Directed by Sara Zandieh; Written by Sara Zandieh and Stephanie Wu (VOD)
Little Women – Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig (VOD)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (VOD)
Bombshell (VOD)
Frozen II – Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck; Written by Jennifer Lee (Disney+, VOD)
Judy (VOD)

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN COMING TO STREAMING/VOD

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Documentary) – Directed by Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht (Available on Netflix March 25)

“Crip Camp”: Sundance Institute/Steve Honigsbaum

Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” is an untold story from Nicole Newnham and film mixer and former camper Jim LeBrecht.

Cunningham (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Alla Kovgan (Available on VOD March 24)

“Cunningham”

“Cunningham” traces Merce Cunningham’s artistic evolution over three decades of risk and discovery (1944-1972), from his early years as a struggling dancer in postwar New York, to his emergence as one of the world’s most visionary choreographers. The 3D technology weaves together Merce’s philosophies and stories, creating a visceral journey into his innovative work. A breathtaking explosion of dance, music, and never-before-seen archival material, “Cunningham” is a timely tribute to one of the world’s greatest modern dance artists.

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Alla Kovgan.

The Banker – Written by Niceole Levy, George Nolfi, David Lewis Smith, Stan Younger, and Brad Caleb Kane (Available on Apple TV+)

Inspired by true events, “The Banker” centers on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racist establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett’s wife, Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire.

1917 – Written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Sam Mendes (Available on VOD March 24)

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory, and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers — Blake’s own brother among them.

Hooking Up – Written by Lauren Schacher and Nico Raineau (Available on VOD)

Bailey (Sam Richardson) and Darla (Brittany Snow) embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country re-enacting Darla’s colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the road trip come to light, the unlikely pair force one another to confront their issues, discovering that there might actually be more to love than just sex.

Curtiz – Written by Zsuzsanna Bak, Tamas Yvan Topolanszky, and Ward Parry (Available on Netflix March 25)

As America prepares to enter WWII, Hungarian film director Michael Curtiz (Ferenc Lengyel) grapples with political intervention and a dysfunctional relationship with his estranged daughter amid the troubled production of “Casablanca” in 1942.

FILMS MADE BY WOMEN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING/VOD

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”: TriStar Pictures/Lacey Terrell

Lost Transmissions – Written and Directed by Katharine O’Brien (VOD)
The Postcard Killings – Written by Liza Marklund and Andrew Stern (VOD)
Just One More Kiss – Written and Directed by Faleena Hopkins (VOD)
Olympic Dreams – Written by Alexi Pappas, Nick Kroll, and Jeremy Teicher (VOD)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Directed by Marielle Heller (VOD)

TV PREMIERES

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Miniseries) – Created by Nicole Jefferson Asher; Directed by DeMane Davis and Kasi Lemmons (Premieres March 20 on Netflix)

“Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”

The long-awaited Madam C.J. Walker miniseries is here. Created by Nicole Jefferson Asher, and produced by and starring Octavia Spencer, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” is the story of the first self-made female millionaire. Sarah Breedlove — aka Madam C.J. Walker — was born two years after Emancipation. Society is still rife with racism. She is a poor laundress with a daughter and is struggling with her hair. She meets Addie (Carmen Ejogo), a lighter skinned African American woman with money who is making a hair tonic to help black women. When Sarah offers to sell the tonic to other black women, Addie tells her she is “too dark to shine.” “Self Made” sees Sarah experimenting with lots of different solutions, and slowly she figures it out. She starts employing her whole family, opens a salon, and is on her way. I love Sarah’s ambition. I love that no one can rein it in, no matter how hard they try. (MS)

Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power (Documentary) – Directed by Nancy Lang and Peter Raymont (Premieres March 20 on Hulu)

“Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power”: White Pine Pictures

Millions of Margaret Atwood’s readers know her books from cover to cover, but few know the woman behind these stories.

The English Game (Miniseries) – Directed by Birgitte Stærmose and Tim Fywell (Premieres March 20 on Netflix)

Two 19th century footballers on opposite sides of a class divide navigate professional and personal turmoil to change the game — and England — forever.

Unorthodox (Miniseries) – Directed by Maria Schrader; Written by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski (Premieres March 26 on Netflix)

“Unorthodox”: Netflix

What would it take for you to leave the only life you have ever known? “Unorthodox” tells the transformative story of a young woman, Esty (Shira Hass), from Williamsburg, Brooklyn who lives by the strict rules of the Hasidic community, until one day she breaks away from her arranged marriage and travels to Berlin to find herself. But just as she begins to discover a whole new world, her past catches up to her.

Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections (Documentary) – Directed by Sarah Teale, Simon Ardizzone, and Russell Michaels (Premieres March 26 on HBO)

“Kill Chain” again follows Finnish hacker and cyber security expert Harri Hursti as he travels across the U.S. and around the world to show how our election systems remain unprotected, with very little accountability or transparency. Hursti’s eye-opening journey is supplemented by candid interviews with key figures in the election security community, as well as cyber experts and U.S. senators from both parties who are fighting to secure the integrity of the vote before November 2020.

THE GIRLS CLUB IS OFFERING FREE ONE-MONTH MEMBERSHIP

Founded by Women and Hollywood publisher and founder Melissa Silverstein, the Girls Club is a community for women creatives, culture-changers, and storytellers to connect, create, network, advocate, support, and redefine entertainment.

These are trying times. We realize that COVID-19 is affecting the health, safety, and livelihood of many folks in the industry, and want to offer a space for folks to come together amidst all of the uncertainty. With that goal in mind, the Girls Club is offering a one-month membership free of charge when you sign up.

If you identify as a woman and would like an invitation to this community, please email girlsclubnetwork@gmail.com and let us know a bit about who you are and what you do.