Picks of the Week: Three Thrilling Films Out Now About Women Around the World

Picks of the Week is Women and Hollywood’s newest resource. We are often asked for recommendations, so each week we’ll spotlight the women-driven and women-made projects—movies, series, VOD releases and more—that we’re most excited about. Sign up for the Women and Hollywood newsletter at womenandhollywood.com to get each week’s pick delivered to your inbox.


Pick of the Week: Greta

No good deed goes unpunished in Greta.

The campy thriller sees Chloë Grace Moretz playing Frances, a kind young woman new to New York City. One fateful day, she finds a purse left behind by someone on the subway; the Good Samaritan uses an ID card in the bag to contact its owner, who welcomes Frances into her home. Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a lonely widow living in a foreign land, is grateful to have her purse back, but more grateful for Frances’ company.

Huppert and Moretz have good chemistry as they bond over cinema, tea and cooking. Then, things go sour—and the former begins to stalk the latter, terrorizing her at every turn.

Greta is best viewed in a packed theater. Half the fun of watching the pic is seeing—and hearing—the audience’s reaction as the film becomes increasingly wild and weird. The delightfully absurd roller coaster ride is especially enjoyable alongside other passengers, whether they’re laughing, gasping or sneering at Greta’s twists and turns. (Laura Berger)

Greta opens March 1.


Pick of the Week: Woman at War

Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) is a seemingly average Icelandic woman: a choir director trying to adopt an orphan from Ukraine. But behind her apparently normal life, Halla has become a stealth eco-terrorist, using a bow and arrow to knock down power lines and sabotage development in the countryside.

At first, the terrorism is dismissed, but as she becomes bolder and causes more damage, the authorities double down on trying to capture the anonymous warrior who is fighting for a greener future. (Melissa Silverstein)

Woman at War opens in New York and Los Angeles March 1, with a national expansion to follow. Find screening info here


Pick of the Week: Saint Judy

Immigration issues are front and center in the news. Saint Judy reminds you about the people, not the politics, that are affected by the laws.

Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan), a woman trying to make a living as an immigration attorney, has more cases than she can handle and barely gets paid. But when she represents a woman seeking asylum who has been persecuted due to her gender, she winds up changing U.S. immigration law. (MS)

Saint Judy opens in select cities March 1 and will expand March 8. Find screening info here.

Women and Hollywood educates, advocates and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the global film industry. The site, founded in 2007 by Melissa Silverstein, sets the standard, defines the conversation, fuels coverage and reinforces messages throughout the specialized and mainstream media to call for gender parity on a daily basis. Follow W&H at @WomenaHollywood and Melissa @MelSil.

About

Women and Hollywood educates, advocates and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the global film industry. The site, founded in 2007 by Melissa Silverstein, sets the standard, defines the conversation, fuels coverage and reinforces messages throughout the specialized and mainstream media to call for gender parity on a daily basis. Follow W&H at @WomenaHollywood and Melissa @MelSil.