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'Erin Brockovich' - Julia Roberts gives a career-defining performance as Erin Brockovich, a woman who took on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

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'Nine to Five' - Dolly Parton stars in this comedy, which addresses serious themes like toxic masculinity and sexual harassment.

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'The Color Purple' - Steven Spielberg cast Whoopi Goldberg in her big screen debut. She stars as a woman who tries to find her identity after a lifetime of struggle.

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'Clueless' - This adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Emma' is an essential time capsule of mid-'90s culture. It follows Cher as she celebrates female friendship and sexuality.

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'The Trouble with Angels' - Ida Lupino was one of the only female filmmakers during the '50s, and 'The Trouble with Angels' is her masterpiece, following two Catholic schoolgirls who maneuver sisterhood.

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'Frida' - Frida Kahlo is a feminist icon, and Salma Hayek does a very respectable job playing the Mexican artist in Julie Taymor's biopic.

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'Kill Bill: Volume 1' - 'Kill Bill' is a stunning film from Quentin Tarantino. Uma Thurman plays the Bride, a tough-as-nails assassin who seeks vengeance on those who betrayed her.

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'Whale Rider' - The young Pai wants to ride whales and become the chief of her tribe. However, she has to tackle the tribe's patriarchal traditions.

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'Persepolis' - This animated film centers around Marjane, a girl who wrestles with life during the Islamic Revolution.

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'Legally Blonde' -

A classic comedy, 'Legally Blonde' is actually based on the real-life experiences of Amanda Brown, who wrote the book of the same name.

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'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' - In this honest film, Bel Powley is a treat as Minnie, a 15-year-old who tries to discover her own sexuality.

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'RBG' - As a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made a huge impact on American law. This documentary details her decades' worth of work.

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'Thelma & Louise' - Ridley Scott directs this road film, which stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two happy-go-lucky criminals on the run from the police.

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'Vagabond' - Written and directed by Agnès Varda, 'Vagabond' is a gritty account of a woman's life in France.

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'The Passion of Joan of Arc' - A blockbuster of the early 20th century, this film tells the true story of Joan of Arc, a Catholic saint who was burnt at the stake for wearing male clothes.

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'Little Women' - Based on Louisa May Alcott's book of the same name, 'Little Women' is a heartwarming drama about the March family, navigating love in post-Civil War America.

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'I Will Follow' - For her (feature film) directorial debut, Ava DuVernay told the story of Maye, a grieving woman who is helped forward by 12 guests.

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'All About Eve' - A Hollywood classic, 'All About Eve' stars Bette Davis as an aging Broadway star, who builds a sticky relationship with a fan, played by Anne Baxter.

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'Orlando' - 'Orlando' is a fascinating feminist film. Tilda Swinton stars as the title character of Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando,' a revered male character.

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'Alien' and 'Aliens' - Both 'Alien' and 'Aliens' have an incredible lead in Sigourney Weaver, who stars as a brass-knuckled Ripley. The heroine battles aliens and tries to survive in space.

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'Queen of Katwe' - An astonishing true story, Madina Nalwanga stars as Phiona Mutesi, a young girl introduced to chess who becomes a champion.

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'Made in Dagenham' - Sally Hawkins stars as Rita O'Grady, a woman who leads a strike for equal pay back at a Ford factory in Dagenham, London, England.

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'Mustang' - 'Mustang' centers around five orphan girls who are trapped by their guardians after having some harmless fun with boys. The film is an alarming takedown of patriarchal elements of Turkish society.

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'Girlhood' - Not to be confused with Richard Linklater's Oscar-winner, 'Girlhood' is a gripping drama that focuses on a young African-French teen navigating life in a poor Paris suburb.

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'Iron Jawed Angels' - Katja von Garnier directs this historical drama, which centers around American women's suffrage during the 1910s. Specifically, the film focuses on suffrage leaders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns.

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'Suffragette' - With an all-star cast featuring Meryl Streep and Carey Mulligan, 'Suffragette' centers around the women's rights struggle in the early 20th century.

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'Desperately Seeking Susan' - 'Desperately Seeking Susan' stars Madonna in her first major film role. It's a brilliant comedy-drama that examines the role of a housewife in American society.

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'Mona Lisa Smile' - 'Mona Lisa Smile' is a mesmerizing watch from director Mike Newell. Julia Roberts stars as an art professor who grapples with life at the private women's school Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

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'Mad Max: Fury Road' - 'Mad Max: Fury Road' was one of the biggest films of 2015, with intense action and some key feminist themes.

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'The Watermelon Woman' -

'The Watermelon Woman' was one of the first films directed by a black lesbian, Cheryl Dunye, who also stars in the romantic comedy-drama.

See also: The 30 most essential cult films of all time.

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