6 Movies to Rent From Redbox Featuring a Strong Female Lead
Deciding what to watch based on where it can be found is as much of a consideration these days as its genre. With the guaranteed availability of these movies to rent from Redbox, that decision is made for you. The following options include historical adaptations, comic book movies, and dramatic films. So what’s the common theme? These are all movies featuring a strong female lead.
‘Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)’
Yes, that is the full title of the DCEU’s 2020 film. And its lengthy name (which was changed to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey at some theaters) wasn’t the only obstacle in its way. Shortly after its theatrical release, movie theaters worldwide were shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ending its very short run.
Fortunately, Birds of Prey is now available to rent with Redbox. The film sees Margot Robbie reprising her role from Suicide Squad — only this time, she’s on her own. Harley takes out those in her way in the name of heartbreak, injustice, and breakfast sandwiches. But like most strong female leads, she eventually realizes she can use all the friends she can get. And that’s when the fun really begins.
‘Wild’
What’s better than a movie starring an Academy Award-winning actress who’s known for playing strong women? How about one that tells the true story of a real-life powerful woman, with a message to inspire all? That’s precisely what the 2014 film Wild delivers.
Reese Witherspoon is Cheryl Strayed, a woman who chooses to cope with difficult life changes by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. While many are there to support her along the way, Cheryl is the epitome of a strong female lead — accepting others’ guidance and lessons but remaining true to herself as she does.
‘Whip It’
If there’s a spiritual twin film to Birds of Prey, it might be 2009’s Whip It. After all, it stars a young woman who dyes her hair blue, straps on rollerskates, and fights against whatever comes her way, along with a group of equally inspiring ladies.
This theme of female empowerment goes beyond the story itself. Not only Whip It written by a woman (and based on her own novel) and directed by another (Drew Barrymore, in her directorial debut), but it stars a host of acclaimed actresses, from Barrymore to Ellen Page to Kristen Wiig.
‘Suffragette’
Long before women fought for bodily autonomy and equal pay, there was another fundamental human right on the table: The right to vote. The 2015 film Suffragette, about the early 20th-century movement in Great Britain, depicts some of the real-life events of that time through a fictional lens.
Carey Mulligan is Maud Watts, a young worker who finds herself becoming more and more involved in the women’s rights movement in 1912. She puts everything on the line to help her fellow woman. Meryl Streep also stars as Emmeline Pankhurst, a political activist from the time.
‘Amelia’
Continuing the tradition of stories based on real events, Amelia (2009) stars Hilary Swank as one of the most famous strong women in history: aviator Amelia Earhart. The film tells her story through flashbacks, showing her trials as she pushed to be taken seriously and achieve her goals.
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
Though the name of the film reflects the top billing of actor Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road is as much Imperator Furiosa’s story as his. Charlize Theron portrays the lieutenant who turns on Immortan Joe, the ruler of the post-apocalyptic world, to other women’s lives. If that doesn’t convince you she’s a strong lead woman, the clip above should do the trick.
