Unless you’re a die-hard fan of blockbusters, summer probably isn’t your favorite season to head to the cinema (besides for the air-conditioning, of course). But this weekend is almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to films by and about women. Whatever your taste may be, there’s almost certainly a film opening in theaters this Friday that will catch your eye.
Meera Menon’s “Equity” tells the story of the women of Wall Street — the powerful female forces working in a male-dominated industry. The financial thriller stars Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) as Naomi Bishop, an investment banker.
If you’re looking for less serious fare, you can check out the star-studded comedy “Bad Moms.” The raunchy movie stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn as overworked, under-appreciated moms who decide that perfection is unattainable, so they might as well have some fun. The trio endeavor to stop judging themselves so harshly and to bring down the “perfect moms” — a clique led by Christina Applegate.
Oscar nominee Ellen Page anchors two releases being unveiled Friday — and both of the dramas are women-directed. In Sian Heder’s “Tallulah,” she portrays a reckless young woman who “rescues” a toddler from a negligent mother, and in Patricia Rozema’s “Into the Forest” the “Juno” star and Evan Rachel Wood play sisters struggling to survive in their isolated home when all forms of power disappear.
If you’re in the mood for a documentary, you’ll have two newly released female-helmed ones to choose from: two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple’s “Miss Sharon Jones!” or Gillian Armstrong’s “Women He’s Undressed.” The former follows Grammy-nominated R&B powerhouse Sharon Jones around during what is described as “the most courageous year of her life.” “Miss Sharon Jones!” explores her music, life, and diagnosis with a life-threatening illness. “Women He’s Undressed” dives into Hollywood history and pays tribute to legendary costume designer Orry-Kelly.
And for you horror aficionados, there’s “Shelley,” co-written by Maren Louise Käehne, and “Lace Crater.” Both films center on women experiencing strange — possibly otherworldly — changes in their bodies. “Shelley” tells the story of a surrogate who gets more than she bargained for when her pregnancy includes hallucinations, and “Lace Crater’s” protagonist has a formative sexual encounter with a ghost.
So, there’s no shortage of options if you want to support women-centric, directed, and written films this opening weekend at the box office. And if you missed “AbFab” you can still see that too.
