The Best Movies Directed By Women In 2021

Updated February 3, 2022 832 votes 77 voters

Voting Rules

Vote up your favorite movies directed by women in 2021.

UPDATE: Check out the top movies of 2022!

Good 2021 movies directed by women span across all genres including comedy, fantasy, and action. There are ground breaking thrillers like Promising Young Woman that you should add to your watch list along with thoughtful dramas. Regina King took the helm of One Night in Miami that portrays a fictional meeting between Malcom X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. These movies also have all-star casts and you'll find some foreign films on the list as well. But which of these 2021 films that were directed by women should be at the top of the list?

Be sure to vote up your favorite movies so other fans know what to watch next. Keep an eye out for action films like Shadow in the Cloud starring Chloë Grace Moretz and directed by Roseanne Liang. Check back for new and upcoming 2021 films directed by women as they are released and added to the list.

Photo: Promising Young Woman / Focus Features

Ranked by

1
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour
18 votes
- Directed by: Cate Shortland
Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, ...more
Available On:
subscription
$3.79 $9.99 $3.99
2
Promising Young Woman
Carey Mulligan, Laverne Cox, Bo Burnham
33 votes
- Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie ...more
- #104 of 171
  The Best Movies For Women
- #2 of 15
  15 Major Movies That Made It Impossible To Make A (Direct) Sequel
- #16 of 59
  The Best Feminist Movies
Available On:
subscription
free
$3.79 $14.99 $3.99
3
Things Heard and Seen
Amanda Seyfried, James Norton, Natalia Dyer
22 votes
- Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
After moving to a small town with her husband, a young artist begins to suspect that their home harbors a dark secret.
- #147 of 189
  The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
- #21 of 25
  25 Most Essential Female-Led Horror Films
- #6 of 15
  15 Natalia Dyer Movies And TV Shows You Need To See
Available On:
subscription
4
Shiva Baby
Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper
26 votes
- Directed by: Emma Seligman
While at a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student has an awkward encounter with her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend.
- #10 of 15
  15 Movies That Are Just One Long Panic Attack
- #103 of 151
  The Best Indie Comedy Movies
- #63 of 153
  The Best Comedy Movies Of 2021
Available On:
subscription
$9.99 $9.99
5
Moxie
Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Josephine Langford
24 votes
- Directed by: Amy Poehler
Inspired by her mom's rebellious past and a confident new friend, a shy teenager publishes an anonymous zine calling out sexism at her school.
- #277 of 443
  The Best Movies Directed By Women
- #69 of 138
  The Best Inspirational Movies
- #11 of 51
  The Best Drama Films Streaming on Netflix
Available On:
subscription
6
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt)
Sophie Hawkshaw, Zoe Terakes, Marta Dusseldorp
8 votes
- Directed by: Monica Zanetti
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt) is a 2020 Australian LGBT romance comedy film directed by Monica Zanetti, based on her own 2016 stage play. A teenage girl struggles to ask her classmate to their ...more

Black Widow

Available On:

Promising Young Woman

Available On:

Things Heard and Seen

Available On:

Shiva Baby

Available On:

Moxie

Available On:

Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt)