The awaaaards. The red carpets. The gowns, dah-ling. It’s the time of year when we get all hyped for the movie industry and films. And as much as we love looking at the fashion and seeing the beautiful, symmetrical types getting all fancied up, when it comes to movies, we’re pumped for something else entirely this year: proving that women-lead movies are crazy profitable.

For some reason, Hollywood has a dumb AF tradition of thinking that women-lead projects don’t produce stories that people want to see. Hello? Women make up more than half of the population. But according to research by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, women comprised only 12% of directors on projects last year. (Even more dismal? There is a serious dearth in all kinds of women creators in film and TV overall. Check out the study and this Variety article for more.)

But here’s the deal: Like with most businesses, people are only going to make and sell what’s in demand. So it’s up to us to prove that stories from women directors, writers, producers and actors are what’s for dinner. And that means turning up to the theaters and buying tickets.

Think of it as the opposite of Netflix and chill: Instead of waiting for women-lead movies to come out on demand or streaming them from some P2P site, we’re taking our $15 to the theater and buying tickets to represent for our girls (and in turn, ourselves). Here are the women-fronted films we’re most excited to support in 2017, so we can see more women-led projects in 2018, 2019, 2020, …

 

HIDDEN FIGURES

Co-written by: Allison Schroeder

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae

One of those stories we should have learned in school, but our curriculum was too focused on old white dudes instead: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae play NASA mathematicians whose brainpower launch an astronaut into space.

 

THINGS TO COME

Directed by: Mia Hansen-Løve

Starring: Isabelle Huppert

There’s a time in most women’s lives when they fall into the role of caretaker (for boyfriends, husbands, children, friends and/or parents) — and though caring for others can be fulfilling, it can come at the cost of putting yourself first. Isabelle Huppert, who is Meryl Streep levels ah-mazing as an actor BTW (this movie will make you want to watch everything she’s ever done), plays the role of a woman whose husband leaves her and mother dies; Major bummers, no doubt BUT there’s a big fat silver lining for our girl: FREEDOM. And it’s cool to see how a grown-ass woman flourishes with freedom versus something like the Girls version, which is crazy hard to navigate without the wisdom acquired after years of living and loving.

 

LOVESONG

Directed by: So Young Kim

Starring: Riley Keough, Jenna Malone

Opens: February 17

A BFF story that we can’t wait to see.

 

BEFORE I FALL

Directed by: Ry Russo-Young

Starring: Zoey Deutch

Opens: March 1

A movie directed by a women, starring women and a based on a book by a woman. Woot! Based on the book by kick-ass YA author Lauren Oliver, the popular girl makes good, after seven chances and a Groundhog Day like scenario.

 

RAW

Written and Directed by: Julia Ducournau

Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf

Opens: March

For most vegetarians, the idea of biting into a steak is squirm inducing enough. But try sinking your teeth into human flesh. This gutsy veggie-to-cannibalism story was a big winner in the indie film award circuit and even caused viewers to faint during a TIFF screening in 2016.  Check the clip below and TIFF’s interview with director Julia Ducournau here.

 

SNATCHED

Written by: Katie Dippold, Amy Schumer, and Kim Caramele

Starring: Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn

Opens: May 12

We liked Trainwreck but something tells us we would have liked it a lot more had it not had the judgy, moralistic ending. (The lesson dished: settle down with a man, stop smoking pot and you’ll be a “good girl.” Bleck.) We have better hopes for this flick — not only because it’s written by a team of women but because it’s also giving us Goldie Hawn.

 

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING

 Directed by: Stella Meghie

Based on a book by: Nicola Yoon

Starring: Amandla Stenberg

Opens: May 19

If Amandla Stenberg isn’t your ultimate girl crush yet, she’s about to be. The actress plays a 17 year-old girl who is literally allergic to everything. Like, so allergic, she can’t leave the house. As you can imagine, Maddy’s life is pretty bleak — until a new neighbor moves in. We couldn’t find a trailer as of yet, but until one hits YouTube, check author Nicola Yoon‘s site, which has a bunch of behind-the-scenes updates.

 

WONDER WOMAN

Directed by: Patty Jenkins

Starring: Gal Gadot

Opens: June 2

With the number of superhero movies that get cranked out every summer, there are simply not enough centered around women. FINALLY, we get some long overdue Wonder Woman love. But the coolest part of this release, is that it’s directed by a woman, too. Marvel and DC movies are expected to pull in crazy money — and for the most part, they do. Let’s show the studio head and Marvel and DC nerds that women directed, women-fronted superhero movies are just as lucrative by driving up Wonder Woman‘s box office numbers, shall we?

 

ROCK THAT BODY

Directed by: Lucia Aniello

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoë Kravitz, Demi Moore

Opens: June 16

Anyone who has lived through a bachelorette party or three knows that the Hangover movies make the ladies’ version of such festivities look like a trip to Disneyland. If anyone can make a go of depicting the way girls really get down, it’s director and co-writer Lucia Aniello, who also writes for Broad City. 

THE BEGUILED

Written and Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Opens: June 30

We can’t wait to see what Sofia Coppola does with this grisly story, first told on film in 1971 with Clint Eastwood. The OG movie explored themes of sex and vengeance and portrayed perennial tough guy Eastwood as vulnerable; It was a group of women who rescued him who had the upper hand.

PITCH PERFECT 3

A big, fat, Hollywood movie written, directed by and starring a whole bunch of multi-talented women? Acca-awesome.

LADY BIRD

Directed by: Greta Gerwig

Starring: Saoirse Ronan

We have a major, ma-jor crush on Greta Gerwig — and she’s directing this sucker. What’s it about? When does it come out? Who the eff knows. But we’ll be all up in them guts once it does.

UNICORN STORE

Directed by and starring: Brie Larson

Written by: Samantha McIntyre

The unstoppable Brie Larson directs her first film, which is scheduled to release sometime this year and we simply can’t wait to see what she has in store.