It's March, which means it's time to celebrate Women's History Month. The What to Watch team is looking to the entertainment world to applaud the contributions of women, compiling a list of great female-led movies and TV shows of the past year, which includes some 2024 Oscar nominees and 2023 Emmy winners.
As told by the US Census Bureau, this special time of reflection and celebration has its roots in 1857 and 1908 when women laborers protested unfair working conditions and fought for equal rights. Commemorating the occasions, in 1910, March 8 became International Women's Day. Women's Week became official in 1978 and the Women's Month we've come to know came into place in 1987.
With all that being said, check out our list of great female-led performances from April 2023 to anticipated performances of March 2024.
Past releases
Barbie
It should come as no surprise that Barbie is on this list. It was one of the biggest movies of 2023 and Greta Gerwig helped transform the classic Mattel doll into a story about feminism, gender norms and equality. There's a reason the movie is up for several Oscars at the 2024 ceremony and Margot Robbie and America Ferrera have received rave reviews for their performances.
Barbie is streaming on Max in the US, and available to rent on Prime Video in the UK.
Beef
Beef is deserving of every accolade it's accumulated, and it's received many. Ali Wong is brilliant opposite Steven Yeun in the series playing a successful businesswoman frustrated by her station in life trying to balance her career and family. She takes out her frustrations in road rage gone all the way wrong. Although the series has its share of drama, it certainly has its comedic moments as well.
Beef is streaming on Netflix.
Black Cake
Black Cake has become widely popular among viewers and deservingly so. The series follows Jamaican emigrant Covey (Mia Isaac) in her cross-country journey to escape the tragedy of her young adult years. As her story is shared with her children, twists and turns unfold that truly leave the audience on the edge of their seats.
Black Cake is streaming on Hulu in the US and on Disney Plus in the UK.
The Color Purple
In the 1980s, the original The Color Purple movie became a classic as it reimagined Alice Walker's critically-acclaimed novel and told the tale of Whoopi Goldberg's Celie as she battled decades of abuse to eventually grow into a pillar of strength. In this 2023 musical rebrand, Grammy-nominated Fantasia takes on the role of Celie and is accompanied by Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Colman Domingo. One nuance about the 2023 rendition we greatly appreciate is the fact it better tells the story of sisterhood.
The Color Purple is streaming on Max in the US, and available to rent on Prime Video in the UK.
The Diplomat
After a successful run on The Americans, a show we feel deserved so much more fanfare and accolades than it received, Keri Russell did a heck of a job landing on her feet in The Diplomat. In the Netflix series, Russell plays Kate Wyler, the new US ambassador to the UK who is forced to deal with an international crisis. She also has to contend with her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), a career diplomat whose presence at times undermines her authority.
The Diplomat is available to stream on Netflix.
Elsbeth
For those fans of The Good Wife, we have good news, as Elsbeth is the next spinoff of the series. Elsbeth follows an unconventional attorney, played by Carrie Preston, who takes her talents from Chicago to New York City. It's yet to be determined if her methods will come to thoroughly impress her new peers or simply just annoy them.
Elsbeth episodes air live on CBS in the US and become available the next day on Paramount Plus.
Found
Found served as a hidden gem during the fall of 2023. Shanola Hampton is brilliant in the series playing Gaby Mosely, a public relations specialist who has made it her life's work to find the missing people not readily being searched for by authorities. There is something intriguing about seeing the character, a kidnap survivor, take back power once stripped from her by her captor, who is now her captive helping her with each missing person's case.
Found season 1 is available to stream on Peacock in the US.
Griselda
When you think of uplifting stories about powerful women, Griselda is not necessarily a story you think of. However, Sofía Vergara is fantastic at portraying Griselda Blanco, a deadly drug queenpin who is relentless at getting what she wants in a criminal world run by men. If you binge-watch the drama, we recommend you check out some of the Griselda documentaries we found as well.
Griselda is streaming on Netflix.
June
June Carter Cash is country music royalty, as a Grammy-winning musician and as the wife of another country music legend, Johnny Cash. Aptly titled June, this documentary follows her extraordinary life and features Jane Seymour, Robert Duvall and Reese Witherspoon, who won an Oscar portraying June in Walk the Line.
June is streaming on Paramount Plus.
The Marvels
The Marvels may not have been as massive a hit at the box office compared to other MCU films, but it's certainly worth watching. Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani do a great job teaming up in an epic showing of girl power as Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel. They prove that you don't need Iron Man and Captain America to step in and save the day, or the human race.
The Marvels is streaming on Disney Plus.
Nyad
Starring Oscar-nominee Annette Bening and Oscar-winner Jodie Foster, Nyad is a biographical sports drama about Diana Nyad, a woman who at 60 decided to pursue her dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida, a roughly 110-mile journey. Her story plays to the old adage that it's never too late to go after what you want; it may inspire you to pursue some of your own goals.
Nyad is streaming on Netflix.
Poor Things
Emma Stone is a contender to win a second Oscar for her phenomenal portrayal of Bella Baxter, a young woman in Victorian London brought to life through a brain transplant, and whose voyage of self-discovery is one that's rarely been seen before. Having already claimed the Golden Globe for her performance in the movie, Poor Things is worth checking out.
Poor Things makes its streaming debut on Hulu on March 7 in the US.
Special Ops: Lioness
Special Ops: Lioness has all the makings of a phenomenal series. It features the talent of Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman, must-watch fight choreography and a unique storyline about a group of CIA operatives trying to foil a terrorist plot. The women of Special Ops certainly brought the boom in this thrilling drama.
Special Ops: Lioness is streaming on Paramount Plus.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
If you're one of the Swifties who couldn't make it to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and didn't see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert movie when it was in theaters, you still have time to join the fun of the musical event from the comforts of your own home. The Grammy-winning artist leaves it all on the stage and screen as she proves why she’s one of the most influential entertainers in music.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour becomes available to stream on Disney Plus on March 15.
Anticpated releases
Damsel
Damsel is a newer entry on the list and it's already drumming up a ton of buzz. Starring Millie Bobby Brown and Robin Wright, the movie follows a young woman in the fight for her life as she learns that marrying her Prince Charming could result in her doom at the hands of a fire-breathing dragon. This is a sci-fi project, which Brown has proven herself to be a pro in based on her work in Stranger Things.
Damsel premieres on Netflix on March 8.
The Girls on the Bus
The Girls on the Bus is on the list due to its plotline. It follows four women journalists as they cover the presidential election. While they each have their own perspective and reasons for covering the political landscape, they come to rely on each other as they battle the rigors of an election cycle. The Girls on the Bus is another series marketed as a drama, but the trailer alone lets you see some humor. Given the current real-life political cycle in the US, the series should be interesting to watch.
Girls on the Bus premieres on Max in the US on March 14.
The Regime
Kate Winslet sets sails (yes a Titanic pun) in The Regime, a new dark comedy about a chancellor of a modern-day authoritarian regime who becomes increasingly paranoid behind the walls of her palace. As she looks to protect her power and authority, she finds herself involved in some rather uncanny, yet comical, schemes. If Time Magazine is to be believed, Winslet is "hilarious" in the series. We certainly hope so, as the last great political comedy we've seen from Warner Bros. was the iconic Veep.
The Regime starts streaming on Max on March 3 in the US, and on April 8 on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
Shirley
It's a movie about the history-making Shirley Chisholm starring the Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Regina King in her first big role in years. Outside of King's star power, Shirley earns a spot on the list because it's a movie about Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. The fact that King is starring as Chisholm is icing on the cake.
Shirley becomes available to stream on March 22 on Netflix.
