9 empowering shows and films to watch this International Women's Day
From I Hate Suzie to Extraordinary, these shows need to be on your list
This International Women's Day, why not take the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge not just the women in your life, but women all over the world? It's the day to celebrate empowerment, equality and everything that women throughout history to the present day have achieved.
However you choose to mark the day, there's something about watching inspirational films or TV shows that can be uplifting and empowering at the same time. We've rounded up a list of content for you to enjoy. Whether it's a new Netflix drama about women insisting they shouldn't sacrifice pleasure when it comes to marriage, or a brilliant comedy series about the joys and pitfalls of motherhood – these shows all share the focus of powerful women at the forefront. Happy watching!
Lessons in Chemistry
Brie Larson leads this brilliant, empowering drama into how science helps thousands of women change their lives in the 1950s (and we're only sorry that it's not based on a true story)! The story follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who is forced to leave her college programme and becomes a lab assistant. However, after fate hands her a cooking show, where she uses scientific explanations to explain how to cook some of her excellent dishes, she becomes a household name... and changes some lives.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Has one singer done more to empower millions of young women and girls over the years? Whether it's a bad breakup, being publicly shamed, losing autonomy with ownership of her music or finally finding love and wanting to hold onto it - Taylor's experiences feel both unique and universal through her glorious songwriting - and her concert movie, follows her during one of her sold-out tour shows where she performs the biggest hits from all of her albums so far to the delight of her thousands of screaming fans.
Extraordinary
This is a shout-out to all of the hilarious women out there! Jen, Jen's bestie Carrie and Jen's mum Mary - played by Máiréad Tyers, Sofia Oxenham and Siobhán McSweeney all bring their A game at portraying very different but equally brilliant women in this superpowered comedy. In the show, Jen lives in a world where everyone has a power. The only problem is that she is 25 and still doesn't have one. As she attempts to discover what it could be, she is helped along the way by her technologically challenged mother, whose power is technology, and her bestie who can communicate with the dead. Enjoy!
Sex/Life
Season two of this raunchy show recently landed on Netflix and fans have delved into the new episodes. The premise of the story in both seasons of the drama is centred on Billie (Sarah Shahi) who is torn between her sexual desires with her ex-boyfriend and her relationship with her husband, but, ultimately, it's about a strong woman who decides to take control of what she wants. If you haven't watched yet, check out the video below for a teaser of season two…
The creator, Stacey Rukeyser, is clearly proud of the theme around Sex/Life. "If you want to see a morality tale about a woman with sexual desire, all you have to do is look at the entire canon of film and television," she told Variety, adding: "What usually happens is that a woman with sexual desire either goes crazy or becomes the bad girl. I was really adamant that that is not the story that we are telling."
I Hate Suzie
Another show with a strong female lead is starring Billie Piper. The show was so popular that it returned with a second season at the end of 2022, once again focusing on Billie's character Suzie Pickles, a celebrity who suffers a mild breakdown after her phone is hacked. Although Suzie has a love/hate relationship with the public and her followers, her humanness and witty one-liners make her thoroughly watchable.
Back to Life
Season two of may have aired in 2021 but thanks to its new home on Netflix, it's drawing a new audience. The dark comedy tells the story of Miri Matteson (Daisy Haggard) a woman who has recently been released from prison after 18 years and is struggling to come to terms with her new normal. Similar to a flawed but real (and hilarious) central female character makes this unmissable.
Women Who Rock
Fiction aside, maybe you're keen to learn about real women in history who have made a difference. In this case, this music documentary is a great option. The four-part docuseries focuses on female pioneers in music who have become icons and legends in their own right. It features interviews and archive footage of huge names like Janis Joplin, Chaka Khan, Shania Twain, and more as they discuss their experience in an industry dominated by men.
Hidden Figures
Another one for history fans is . It might be a movie, but the plot is real and important. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae as three African-American women who played a pivotal role during the Space Race at NASA in the 1960s. At a time when America was segregated by both sex and race, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan's stories were not heard by the masses. This title brings to light a fundamental and inspiring story.
Motherland
We never get tired of watching . The BBC comedy depicts motherhood so brilliantly and hilariously, but it also strikes an emotional nerve, too. It centres on Julia and her gang of friends including the larger-than-life Meg, outcast Liz, alpha female Amanda and, of course, the hapless dad, Kevin. They all battle the everyday burden of being a parent and trying to hold down a job, remain active and keep up their social lives, all the while batting off inconveniences from aging in-laws. It's one of the best comedies there is.
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