18 Noteworthy Movies Directed by Women in 2018
You wouldn't know it from looking at the list of 2019 Golden Globe nominees for Best Director, but 2018 was a great year for female filmmakers. Women stepped behind the camera on some of the best movies of the past 12 months, including Can You Ever Forgive Me?, RBG, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Click through to see 18 of the most noteworthy titles directed by women in 2018. (Photos via Mary Cybulski/Twentieth Century Fox + Netflix + Magnolia Pictures/CNN Films + Jojo Whilden/Netflix)
Blockers: On its surface, Kay Cannon's directorial debut is a teen comedy about three parents (John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz) trying to stop their high school-aged daughters from having sex on prom night. But look past the raunchy humor and you'll find a smart, surprisingly sweet story that defies sexist stereotypes and taps into the joys and fears that come with growing up — or watching your child grow up. (Photo via Quantrell D. Colbert/Universal Studios)
Set It Up:Netflix's streak of successful rom-coms featured some real gems, including Claire Scanlon's charming feature film directorial debut, which stars Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch as two overworked assistants who play matchmaker for their demanding bosses, only to then (spoiler!) fall in love themselves. Scanlon has extensive experience directing some of TV's best comedies — The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, etc. — and she put that experience to good use here, creating a rom-com that delivers on both the rom and the com. (Photo via KC Baily/Netflix)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Marielle Heller's biographical dramedy, adapted from Lee Israel's memoir of the same name, flew largely under the radar when it was released in October, but it's worth a watch before awards season. As Israel, a down-on-her-luck writer who turned to literary forgery to pay her bills, Melissa McCarthy gives one of the best, most compelling performances of her career. Both she and costar Richard E. Grant are nominated for Golden Globes, and Heller is at least part of the reason why. (Photo via Mary Cybulski/Twentieth Century Fox)
Destroyer: Karyn Kusama's crime drama doesn't officially hit theaters until December 25, but early reviews from TIFF praised both Kusama's artful direction and Nicole Kidman's evocative performance, which earned her a 2019 Golden Globe nomination. Kidman plays veteran LAPD detective Erin Bell, whose long-ago stint as an undercover cop comes back to haunt her in the present. (Photo via Sabrina Lantos/Annapurna Pictures)
The Land of Steady Habits: Enough Said director Nicole Holofcener directed this under-the-radar Netflix gem about a man (Ben Mendelsohn) who abruptly leaves both his job and his wife (Edie Falco) in a fit of midlife ennui. His wife, for one, is better off without him, but he is decidedly not better off without her, and his identity crisis spirals into a series of bad decisions, which make for a sad life but an entertaining movie. (Photo via Alison Rosa/Netflix)
Mary, Queen of Scots: Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie star in this period epic about the royal family feud between Mary Stuart (Ronan) and her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England. The movie is the filmmaking directorial debut of Josie Rourke, who is renowned for her work as a theater director. (Photo via Liam Daniel/Focus Features)
The Miseducation of Cameron Post: Chloe Grace Moretz shines as the title character in Desiree Akhavan's understated but poignant adaptation of Emily M. Danforth's novel, about a teen who's sent to a conversion therapy camp after she's caught with another girl on prom night. (Photo via FilmRise)
Night Comes On: Director Jordana Spiro, probably best known for her on-screen roles in shows including My Boys, Blindspot, and Ozark, received raves for this quiet indie about a young woman recently released from juvenile detention, who's torn between avenging her mother's death and reconnecting with her younger sister. (Photo via Samuel Goldwyn Films)
RBG: Filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen teamed up to direct this documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and career as a tireless advocate for women's rights. It's a fascinating, inspiring look at a feminist icon whose grit and perseverance have made her into a folk hero and Internet meme. (Photo via Magnolia Pictures/CNN Films)
On the Basis of Sex: For those of us who just can't get enough of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there's another film about her fight for equal rights due out on December 25. Unlike RBG, this one is a scripted drama, with Felicity Jones in the role of a young Ginsburg. Mimi Leder directed the movie, which focuses on Ginsburg's efforts to bring a case before the US Court of Appeals to overturn gender discrimination — AKA discrimination on the basis of sex. (Photo via Jonathan Wenk/Focus Features)
Private Life: Tamara Jenkins directed Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti in this Netflix original movie about a couple whose otherwise happy marriage is strained by their struggles to conceive a child. Jenkins earned two 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations for the project: Best Director and Best Screenplay. (Photo via Jojo Whilden/Netflix)
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind: Marina Zenovich's HBO documentary about the late Robin Williams is a deeply human portrait of an artist we loved so much but ultimately knew so little about. Through clips from his career and interviews with his friends and loved ones, Zenovich shows us both the darkness and the light in William's life and legacy. (Photo via Sonya Sones/HBO)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before: Susan Johnson's adaptation of Jenny Han's YA novel was one of the most rewatched Netflix movies of the year. Breakout stars Noah Centineo and Lana Condor had a lot to do with that, of course, but Johnson's vision for the story was as pitch-perfect as their performances. (Photo via Netflix)
You Were Never Really Here: Although Lynne Ramsay's film, which she adapted from Jonathan Ames' 2013 novella, technically premiered, unfinished, in 2017 at Cannes, it wasn't released to the public until the spring of 2018. Disturbing and grim, it's not an easy or even particularly enjoyable watch, but critics have praised Ramsay's direction as both "fearless" and "mesmerizing." She even earned a 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Director. (Photo via Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)
Love, Gilda: Lisa D'Apolito's documentary is a bittersweet but heartfelt tribute to legendary comedian Gilda Radner, whose too-brief career — she died of ovarian cancer at age 42 — inspired and paved the way for countless other female comics, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Melissa McCarthy. (Photo via Magnolia Pictures)
What They Had: Elizabeth Chomko's directorial debut is a heartbreaking portrait of a family — played by Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Blythe Danner, and Robert Forster — grappling with the devastating and far-reaching effects of Alzheimer's. It's sad, yes, but there are moments of genuine tenderness and even joy, too. (Photo via Bleecker Street)
Leave No Trace: Debra Granik's adaptation of Peter Rock's 2010 book, My Abandonment, has a 100 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows Will (Ben Foster), an Iraq War veteran who, as a result of debilitating PTSD, lives in the forest, away from society, with his young daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie). (Photo via Scott Green/Bleecker Street)
A Wrinkle in Time: Ava DuVernay's ambitious adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved children's book wasn't a hit with critics, but it's noteworthy for other reasons. For one thing, it features a diverse cast led by young actress Storm Reid, who plays Meg Murry opposite Oprah Winfrey's Mrs. Which, Mindy Kaling's Mrs. Who, and Reese Witherspoon's Mrs. Whatsit. For another thing, it's a visually stunning piece of art — a feast of special effects and gorgeous sets and costumes. And we think that's worth celebrating. (Photo via Walt Disney Studios)
