The Greatest Films Directed By Women

Criminally unfair. Those are the two words that spring to mind when I consider the fate of female directors throughout the short history of the cinematic medium. Not enough opportunity. Appalling sexism. Terrible chance and circumstances, coupled with biases, slander and mistrust. When I began asking for these lists from all the critics below many replied reluctantly. Their reasoning that so many of their films would be modern, that so many of the classics would be homogenous, is not without justification. But it's no one's fault that we all fall back on the same seven classics. It's a worldwide shortage of support and funding for female artists. It's a lack of distribution of more esoteric work by women. It's many major film industry's refusal to hire women. It's a system of neglect and disenfranchisement that can only be called criminally unfair. But that's not what this poll is about. It's about celebrating work by brilliant, unique voices in cinema. It's about encouraging viewers who recognize some of these titles to seek out the rest. It's about reiterating that some of the greatest art of all time is made by fearless, amazing women who deserve more opportunity, more gratitude and more support in whatever form we can give it. So without further ado, here are some of the best films of all time as chosen by some of our most amazing critical minds. If you haven't seen them, get watchin'. Everyone was asked for ten, but a few of us cheated. 


The Greatest Films Directed by Women from Scout Tafoya on Vimeo.

Blake Backlash

The Hitch-Hiker
The Babadook
Old Joy
A League of Their Own
Cléo from 5 to 7
Blue Black Permanent
Zero Dark Thirty
Grace of my Heart
Red Road
Ratcatcher


Eric Barroso

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Beau Travail
News From Home
The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach
Daisies
Cléo from 5 to 7
The Connection
The House is Black
Mikey & Nicky
Meshes of the Afternoon



Theodora Blasko

Je, Tu, Il, Elle
2 Days in Paris
Whale Rider
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Lost in Translation
The Babadook
We Need To Talk About Kevin
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
High Art
Take This Waltz


Danny Bowes

Beau Travail 
Beyond the Lights 
Cléo from 5 to 7
Desperately Seeking Susan 
Je, Tu, Il, Elle
Loverboy
Om Shanti Om 
Orlando 
Point Break 
Winter's Bone 


David Cairns

Meshes of the Afternoon
Dr. Glas
The Piano
Strange Days
The Connection
The Stranger Left No Card
Suspense
The Beaches of Agnès
Little Tich and His Big Boots
Daisies
A New Leaf


Forrest Cardamenis

Meshes of the Afternoon
La Captive
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Meek's Cutoff
Wanda
Cléo from 5 to 7
The Virgin Suicides
Orlando
The House Is Black
Manakamana


Monica Castillo

De Cierta Manera
Selma
Fishtank
Salaam Bombay/The Namesake
Beyond the Lights
Top of the Lake
Strange Days
Real Women Have Curves
The Virgin Suicides
Goodbye First Love



Jaime N. Christley

The House Is Black
Sweetie
La Ciénaga
The Heartbreak Kid
Chilly Scenes of Winter
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Vagabond
Wanda
News From Home
Ishtar


Olivia Collette

Kung-Fu Master
Swept Away
Fire
Virgin Suicides
The Runaways/“Fighter”
French Twist
Aeon Flux
Monsoon Wedding
Selma
The work of Michelle MacLaren: She's mostly associated with TV rather than movies, and I don't care. Wonder Woman could have changed that, but I blame that entirely on short-sighted, self-absorbed, and misogynistic studio execs.


Adam Cook

Golden Eighties
La Bonheur
Everyone Else
Father of my Children
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
U.S. Go Home
Seven Beauties
Meek’s Cutoff
News From Home
Adventures of Prince Achmed


Fernando F. Croce

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Wanda
Daisies
Beau Travail
An Angel at My Table
The Gleaners & I
India Song
The Apple
Sisters, or the Balance of Happiness
Sambizanga
A New Leaf


Freja Dam

Lost in Translation
Zero Dark Thirty
Italian For Beginners
Clueless
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Cléo from 5 to 7
Your Sister’s Sister
Winter’s Bone
Fist Tank
35 Shots of Rum


Abhimanyu Das

Near Dark
Point Break
The Night Porter
Ravenous
Lost in Translation
Fish Tank
Mikey and Nicky
The Heartbreak Kid
Seven Beauties
Wendy and Lucy


Paul Duane

Daisies
Grace of My Heart
Mikey & Nicky
The Hitch-Hiker
Wanda
Portrait of Jason
Innocence
Salaam Bombay
Bad Girls Go To Hell
Winter's Bone


Timothy Earle

Stories We Tell
The Future
Me and You and Everyone We Know
The Piano
Winter's Bone
The Square
American Psycho
The Crash Reel
Proof 
The Hurt Locker


Eric Eidelstein

Somewhere
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Beau Travail
Daisies 
The Gleaners and I 
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Salaam Bombay!
The Future
La Ciénaga
Fish Tank


Alex Engquist

Beau Travail
Meshes of the Afternoon
Clueless
Portrait d’une jeune fille de la fin des années 60 à Bruxelles
Apologies 
Paris Is Burning
Wanda 
Le Bonheur
Beyond the Lights
A New Leaf


Autumn Faust

Paris is Burning 
Meshes of the Afternoon 
Trouble Every Day
Leones
Fish Tank
Somewhere 
Bird People
The Loneliest Planet 
Morvern Callar
Daisies


Veronika Ferdman

Getting to Know the Big Wide World 
Ginger and Rosa 
Trouble Every Day 
Marie Antoinette 
Le Bonheur
Bright Star 
Bridges-Go-Round 
An Autumn's Tale 
Ana and the Others 
Ishtar


Kenji Fujishima

Meshes of the Afternoon
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Mikey & Nicky
Sleepwalk
Portrait of Jason


Felipe Furtado

88 Fillette 
An Autumn's Tale
July Rhapsody
Lady Chatterley 
Oh Uomo! 
One More Hour with You 
Oxhide 
Seventeen
The Velvet Vampire 
A Woman's Revenge


CM Gardner

Cléo from 5 to 7
Paris Is Burning
U.S. Go Home
Beau Travail
Lost In Translation
Mikey & Nicky
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
News From Home
Morvern Callar
Strange Days


Sean Gilman

Oxhide II
Sita Sings the Blues
News from Home
Ishtar
Beau Travail
Boat People
An Autumn's Tale
The Piano
Point Break
Le Bonheur


Erik M. Gregersen

My 20th Century
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
The House is Black
Les Rendez-vous d'Anna
The Ascent
At Land
Hypocrites
Suspense
Rapture
Where Are My Children


Tucker Johnson

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 
America Psycho
Near Dark
The Babadook
In a World
Wayne's World
Lost in Translation
Obvious Child
American Splendor
Winter's Bone


Alan Jones

Point Break
Beau Travail
Marie Antoinette
Chloe from 5 to 7
American Psycho
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Meek's Cutoff
Love & Basketball
News from Home
Fast Times at Ridgemont High


Daniel Khan

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Near Dark
Somewhere
Cléo from 5 to 7
White Material
Fat Girl
Friends With Money
The Notorious Bettie Page
Morvern Callar
Bright Star


Danny King

 35 Shots of Rum 
Home for the Holidays
Jeanne Dielman 
Losing Ground 
Love & Basketball 
A New Leaf 
Ripley's Game
Wanda
The Weight of Water
Wendy and Lucy



Ryland Walker Knight

Beau Travail
Portrait d’une jeune fille de la fin des années 60 à Bruxelles
Wanda/A New Leaf
Morvern Callar
The Holy Girl
Outrage
Mille Soleils
Vagabond
Harlan County, USA
In the Cut
Everyone Else

Kevin B. Lee

The Arch
Daisies
The Gleaners and I
The House is Black
India Song
The Intruder
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
Meshes of the Afternoon
Oxhide II
Woman Demon Human


Zach Lewis

Meshes of the Afternoon
The House Is Black 
Daisies
The Heartbreak Kid
Moses und Aron 
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 
The Ascent 
U.S. Go Home 
The Fourth Dimension
Oxhide II


Violet Lucca

Documenteur
I Am Somebody
Losing Ground
Daisies 
Moment of Impact
Portrait d’une jeune fille de la fin des années 60 à Bruxelles
Bastards
Girlfriends
The Wonders 
A New Leaf


Mark Lukenbill

Je, Tu, Il, Elle
Bright Star
U.S. Go Home
A New Leaf
The Last Mistress
Foxfire
Marie Antoinette
Exhibition
Wanda
Wolf's Chalet
Girlfriends


Willow Catelyn Maclay

Les Rendez-Vous d'Anna
Clueless
Hard Fast and Beautiful
Lost in Translation
Fat Girl
Paris is Burning
The Day I Became a Woman
Point Break
Dyketactics
Vendredi Soir


Lucas Mangum

The Babadook
American Mary
Near Dark
American Psycho
Pet Sematary
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Little Miss Sunshine
Tank Girl
Daisies
Ravenous


Jason Miller

At Land 
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Harlan County, USA 
Mikey and Nicky 
News From Home 
Clueless
The Gleaners and I 
Trouble Every Day 
Meek's Cutoff 
Let Your Light Shine 

Charlie Nash

The Babadook
Boys Don't Cry
Fat Girl
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Me And You And Everyone We Know
Meek's Cutoff
The Piano
Trouble Every Day
The Virgin Suicides
Zero Dark Thirty


Nick Newman

News from Home
Triumph of the Will
Trouble Every Day
Le Bonheur
Meek's Cutoff
All Is Forgiven
Wings 
The Arbor
Day Night Day Night
La Ciénaga


Max B. O’Connell

Beau Travail
Cléo from 5 to 7
Daisies
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Harlan County, USA
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Meshes of the Afternoon
Meek's Cutoff
A New Leaf
Near Dark

Honorable Mentions: Seven Beauties, Desperately Seeking Susan, The Bigamist, The Loneliest Planet, Winter's Bone


John M. Oursler

News From Home
Sister
Fish Tank
White Material
The Piano
Wendy & Lucy
Lore
Abuse of Weakness
Exhibition
Somewhere


Michael Pattison

Archipelago
American Dream
Harlan County, USA
The Royal Road
Lost In Translation
Apologies
Double Tide
Gently Down The Stream
Bright Star
Zima


Cain Rodriguez

High Art
Lost in Translation
Clueless
Big
Bend It Like Beckham
Zero Dark Thirty
The Babadook
The Future
Thirteen
The Namesake


Bill Ryan

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
The Hitch-Hiker 
Zero Dark Thirty
Le Bonheur 
Bluebeard 
Trouble Every Day 
The Babadook 
Harlan County, USA 
Somewhere
Deep Impact 


Kristen Sales

Harlan County, USA
Daisies
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Meek's Cutoff
Point Break
The Decline of Western Civilization
The Bling Ring
Tomboy
Ravenous
Bright Star


Michael Sicinski

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Meshes of the Afternoon
The Man Who Envied Women
Daisies 
Fuses
A Real Young Girl
Vagabond 
Beau Travail 
When It Was Blue
St. Ignacius Church Exposure: Lenten Light Conversions


Andrew Skelton

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Cléo from 5 to 7
Beau Travail
The Heartbreak Kid
Daisies
Girlfriends
Marie Antoinette
The Headless Woman
Meek's Cutoff
Wings


Justine A. Smith

Bright Star
Orlando
Trouble Every Day 
A New Leaf
Smooth Talk
Beau Travail
Point Break
Marie Antoinette 
Fat Girl 
Everyone Else


Andreas Stoehr

Meshes of the Afternoon 
Daisies 
Wanda
A New Leaf
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Quasi at the Quackadero
An Angel at My Table
Nitrate Kisses
Orlando
American Psycho 


Tanner Tafelski

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Bastards 
India Song 
Ratcatcher 
The House is Black 
Daisies 
The Gold Diggers 
The Father of My Children 
Oxhide
Meek's Cutoff


Scout Tafoya

Les Rendez-vous D’Anna/Je, Tu, Il, Elle
The Loveless
In Darkness/Lore
Girlfriends
Vanishing Waves
Leviathan
La Belle Endormie/The Bling Ring
Lourdes
White Material/Morvern Callar
You And I


Irina Trocan

The Adventures of Prince Achmed 
Meshes of the Afternoon 
Outrage 
Daisies 
Les Rendez-vous D’Anna
Far from Poland 
The Intruder
Lourdes
Tiny Furniture
Meek's Cutoff 


Kyle Turner

Girlhood 
A League of Their Own
The Piano
Fifty Shades of Grey
The Babadook
Monsoon Wedding
Eden
But I'm a Cheerleader 
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Me and You and Everyone We Know


Sean Van Deuren

Cléo from 5 to 7
Girlhood
Me And You And Everyone We Know
Mikey and Nicky
Ratcatcher
Stories We Tell
The Savages
The Virgin Suicides
Wendy and Lucy
White Material


Neil Young

The Act of Killing 
Archipelago 
City of God 
Colterrain 
Greenland Unrealised
I Was Crying Out At Life. Or For it. 
The Intruder 
René 
Schmeerguntz 
Wanda