Most Popular and Highest Rated Films by Essential Women Directors In March 2025, in celebration of Women's History Month, I created a thread of essential women directors. The list below includes the highest-rated and most popular film of every director in that threa...

It’s #FemaleFilmmakerFriday and I'm continuing to fill in #DirectedByWomen filmography gaps on this list. Only a couple more left! Tonight's selection is LES PLAGES D'AGNÈS (THE BEACHES OF AGNES) (2008) by Agnès Varda. This is Varda's highest-rated film on Letterboxd. #52FilmsByWomen #24 #Filmsky 📽️

A ★★★★ review of Two People Exchanging Saliva (2024) Ah the French. Bless them, because this is a sad, brutal gem of a movie where a bruise is a sign of wealth, that you have enough slap credits built up to pay for anything. Beautifully filmed and just ...

#63: Two People Exchanging Saliva (2025) - Thank you the French for being the French.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★★ review of Two People Exchanging Saliva (2024) Ah the French. Bless them, because this is a sad, brutal gem of a movie where a bruise is a sign of wealth, that you have enough slap credits built up to pay for anything. Beautifully filmed and just ...

#63: Two People Exchanging Saliva (2025) - Thank you the French for being the French.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

Michael Hough, ALEC rep and jerk.

#62: 13th (2016) - Look at this fucker Michael Hough. You’ll want to punch him 20 times during this movie.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

Michael Hough, representative for ALEC in the movie 13th.

#62: 13th (2016) - Look at this fucker Michael Hough. You’ll want to punch him 20 times during this movie.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A scene from ONE DAY

It’s #FemaleFilmmakerFriday and I'm filling in #DirectedByWomen filmography gaps for #WomensHistoryMonth. Tonight's selection is ONE DAY (2011) by Lone Scherfig. I love her work and this is her most popular film but I avoided it till now because I loved the book so much. #52FilmsByWomen #23 #Filmsky

1000 Women in Horror film poster.

#nowwatching 1000 Women in Horror. #52filmsbywomen

A ★★★★★ review of Hamnet (2025) I maybe had some early moments of, "OK, sure." But then the movie really slips into gear and it turns into this amazing study of art and grief and how both can inform the other. And as great as Jessie...

#60: Hamnet (2025) - Hamnet and Hamlet are played by brothers and that’s horrifying and wonderful.

★★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★★★ review of Hamnet (2025) I maybe had some early moments of, "OK, sure." But then the movie really slips into gear and it turns into this amazing study of art and grief and how both can inform the other. And as great as Jessie...

#60: Hamnet (2025) - Hamnet and Hamlet are played by brothers and that’s horrifying and wonderful.

★★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

20. Making Mr. Right (1987) Susan Seidelman
#52FilmsByWomen
Una publicaste debe venderle al mundo la idea de que un androide es la solución perfecta. Pero termina en un lindo triangulo amoroso con el androide y su creador. Y yo terminé enamorada de que Ann Magnuson.

19. Merv (2025) Jessica Swale
#52FilmsByWomen
Una pareja pelea y luego se reconcilia por su perro. Ni todo el encanto del trio protagonista salva este caos aburrido.

18. Elio (2025) Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
#52FilmsByWomen
Un poquito fallida, pero tiene una secuencia con una canción de David Byrne muy cute.

A ★★★ review of Little Miss Sunshine (2006) So half of this movie is a really smart family drama about trying to deal with trauma. The problem is...the other half is schmaltzy shit about trying to get to the horror predatation that is a pageant...

#59: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Gets an extra star just for Abigail Breslin comforting Paul Dano. The scene rules.

★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★ review of Little Miss Sunshine (2006) So half of this movie is a really smart family drama about trying to deal with trauma. The problem is...the other half is schmaltzy shit about trying to get to the horror predatation that is a pageant...

#59: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Gets an extra star just for Abigail Breslin comforting Paul Dano. The scene rules.

★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#thedecadesproject
#thedecadesproject2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★★ review of Real Genius (1985) First time I've watched this in, well, forever. And god, what a piece in the era of Val Kilmer being introduced to audiences and just, wow, a fireball of smart charisma. Plus William Atherton at the h...

#58: Real Genius (1985) - First time I’ve seen this in like 20 years and man, fucking Kent.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★★ review of Real Genius (1985) First time I've watched this in, well, forever. And god, what a piece in the era of Val Kilmer being introduced to audiences and just, wow, a fireball of smart charisma. Plus William Atherton at the h...

#58: Real Genius (1985) - First time I’ve seen this in like 20 years and man, fucking Kent.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

Jessie Buckley as The Bride

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any wilder, here comes THE BRIDE! (2026) by Maggie Gyllenhaal. An ambitious 1930s punk rock take on the Frankenstein legacy as well as, oddly enough, somewhat of a "Bartleby, the Scrivener" stan account. Loved the score. #52FilmsByWomen #22 #Filmsky 📽️🎬

Cathy and Edgar have their own Mad Hatter's tea party in WUTHERING HEIGHTS

For this #FemaleFilmmakerFriday I've gone back to the 19th-century Brit lit well of two weeks ago. I've also gone back to the theater—finally!—to see my first 2026 films. First up was "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" (2026) by Emerald Fennell. The quotation marks are warranted. #52FilmsByWomen #21 #Filmsky 📽️🎬

Pet Sematary 4K cover.

#nowwatching Pet Sematary. #52filmsbywomen

17. The Bride! (2026) Maggie Gyllenhaal
#52FilmsByWomen
Es un caos total y sin sentido pero la amo totalmente.

16. The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) Kaouther Ben Hania
#52FilmsByWomen

15. Fitting In ( 2023) Molly McGlynn
#52FilmsByWomen
Una adolescente le diagnostican un problema reproductivo que altera sus planes de tener relaciones sexuales. Sentí toda la furia juvenil necesaria.

A ★★★★ review of Jane Austen's Period Drama (2024) Just plain funny as hell but also heartfelt in a very fun way. The moment when he's taking notes made me laugh maybe way too hard.

#54: Jane Austen’s Period Drama (2025) - Just plain funny as hell with a very pointed point.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

A ★★★★ review of Jane Austen's Period Drama (2024) Just plain funny as hell but also heartfelt in a very fun way. The moment when he's taking notes made me laugh maybe way too hard.

#54: Jane Austen’s Period Drama (2025) - Just plain funny as hell with a very pointed point.

★★★★ / ★★★★★

letterboxd.com/josephfinn/f...

#firsttimewatches2026
#52filmsbywomen
#52filmsbywomen2026

The Gleaners and I film poster.

#nowwatching The Gleaners and I. #52filmsbywomen

Red Crescent operators standing by in THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB

It's hard to treat this like just any other film, but tonight's #FemaleFilmmakerFriday selection and the last film of my #OscarBlitz is THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (2025) by Kaouther Ben Hania. Powerful and necessary. #WomensHistoryMonth #DirectedByWomen #52FilmsByWomen #20 #Filmsky 📽️

14. Wuthering Heights (2009) Coky Giedroyc
#52FilmsByWomen
Otra adaptación, esta más cercana al libro, aunque no tiene la belleza de la del 2011, puntos extra porque Tom Hardy y su esposa, Charlotte Riley echan chispas.

13. Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes (2025) Maïlys Vallade, Liane-cho Han
#52FilmsByWomen
Cosa hermosa, de esas películas en las que yo quisiera vivir.

Die, My Love film poster.

#nowwatching Die, My Love. #52filmsbywomen

Elle Fanning is Mary Shelley in MARY SHELLEY

The bottom half of tonight's Regency double feature is MARY SHELLEY (2017) by Haifaa al-Mansour, director of my beloved WADJDA. Again, per Letterboxd, this is her most popular film. I figure it can't be any worse than GdT's FRANKENSTEIN. #FemaleFilmmakerFriday #52FilmsByWomen #19 #Filmsky 📽️