film

Disney’s “Mulan” Remake Doesn’t Challenge the Patriarchy. It Reinforces It

Liu Yifei as Mulan, a Chinese young woman, who wears red and has long, dark hair.
by Roslyn Talusan
September 17, 2020 at 9:39am
In the apocalyptic hellscape that is today’s political climate, we deserved a Mulan with humanity.
collage of a black woman in a wedding dress constructed in cotton, fashion magazines, slave notices and vintage slave photography

Begone with the Wind: How Hollywood Rewrites Slavery

by Ayanna Dozier
September 9, 2020 at 8:55am
If these cinematic perceptions of slavery are committed to memory, then we might accept the plantation as a mere backdrop to terror rather than the very site of it. Read more »
Seth Rogen plays a millennial man and his relative; the two sit across the table from each other and make eye contact.

“An American Pickle” Finds Humor in Uniquely Jewish Hardship

by Rachel Klein
August 21, 2020 at 11:25am
Seth Rogen embodies both his own Jewish present and a collective and just-out-of-reach Jewish past.  Read more »
Nalini Vishwakumar wears a loose-fitting green shirt, her hair dark and wavy, and sits in a therapists office looking somber.

Third Party Clarity: Therapy Is a Luxury for Pop Culture’s Troubled Mother-Daughter Pairs

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
August 19, 2020 at 11:30am
In film and television, few relationships are as fraught as the one between a mother and a daughter. Read more »
a Black woman with her hair in a cornrowed ponytail sits in a tub with her head in her hands

Trauma-Centered Art Should Be the Future of #MeToo

by Taylor Crumpton
August 6, 2020 at 9:00am
The film is an offering to those who have been affected by gendered violence. Read more »
A white woman in a glittery dress smiles, confetti falling from above.

“Palm Springs” Taps into the Idea That Time Loops Fix Women

by Angie Jaime
August 5, 2020 at 10:43am
The pursuit of betterment means losing a part of themselves along the way. Read more »
Two white teens embrace, with the girl leaping into the boy’s arms.

Fanfiction to Film: “The Kissing Booth” Brings Misogyny from Wattpad to Netflix

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 31, 2020 at 2:33pm
Why are the fanfics that become films so misogynist? Read more »
Kate, a white woman with a blond bob, sits in the front seat of a car.

BitchWatch: 15 Movies Feminists Should Watch This Summer

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 22, 2020 at 10:30am
Whether you need a laugh, or need to be horrified, this BitchWatch is an essential summer guide. Read more »
Two white people wearing sunglasses relax on floats in a pool, the desert behind them.

In “Palm Springs,” Consent Is a Murky Line

by Sarah Jae Leiber
July 20, 2020 at 11:16am
While Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti turn out great rom-com performances, their characters’ soulmate bond hinges on lies and feigned ignorance. Read more »
Nile, a young Black woman with braids, and Andy, a white woman with short dark hair, lean on a car in “The Old Guard.”

Everything Must Die: Big Pharma Is the Real Villain in “The Old Guard”

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 17, 2020 at 11:45am
Plus, it’s wonderfully queer. Read more »
Laura and Massimo embrace, with Massimo standing behind Laura. She has an expression of ecstasy.

“365 Days” is another Abuse Story Painted as Romance

by Meggie Gates
July 14, 2020 at 10:15am
The romance genre has been dominated by dominant men for years. Read more »

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Best of Bitch

The Dramatic History of American Sex-Ed Films

by Sarah Mirk
June 17, 2014 at 10:29am
In 1948, in a seventh grade classroom in Eugene, Oregon, a teacher dimmed the lights and flipped on 16mm projector. A film called Human... Read more »

Films and TV Portray Abortion as More Dangerous Than It Is

by Erica Thomas
February 19, 2014 at 3:47pm
Films and television shows tend to present a skewed portrayal of abortion—when fictional movies and TV shows include a plotline about abortion... Read more »

One-Sentence Reviews of the Lesbian Netflix Canon

by Sara Century
November 13, 2014 at 10:52am
Lez face it: when you’re a ladygay like myself, cruising the internet for something to watch, you realize very quickly that there are a whole... Read more »

"Moonlight" is an Essential Work of Art for the Current Political Moment

by Nijla Mu'min
December 5, 2016 at 8:15am
Moonlight displays the kind of empathy and humanity that we desperately need right now. Read more »