Originally published on Filminine by Vicky Wheeler.
If you’re looking for notable films directed by women this year, this curated list highlights upcoming releases to watch. Dates are approximate and based on information gathered from IMDb; check back regularly for updates and new additions. If a film is missing from this list, contact us to suggest it.
All dates are estimated based on information found via IMDb.
JANUARY
Blame
Writer/Director: Quinn Shephard | Release date: 5 January 2018 (USA)
Quinn Shephard’s debut feature arrives as a confident first film from a young filmmaker. Blame explores life in high school through the eyes of an outsider, examining the complicated and taboo dynamics that can form between teacher and student, and the devastating effects of jealousy and revenge. Shephard’s direction promises a bold, emotionally charged take on fraught relationships and adolescent isolation.
Forever My Girl
Writer/Director: Bethany Ashton Wolf | Release date: 19 January 2018 (USA)
Adapted from Heidi McLaughlin’s novel, Forever My Girl follows a country music star who abandoned his fiancée to chase fame and must confront the consequences of that choice years later. The story examines regret, responsibility and the ripple effects of decisions made in pursuit of ambition. Expect a romantic drama with a country-music sensibility and an emphasis on second chances.
What They Had
Writer/Director: Elizabeth Chomko | Release date: 21 January 2018 (USA)
Starring and executive produced by Hilary Swank, What They Had centers on a woman who returns home when her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, is lost in a blizzard. The film confronts family tensions, memory loss, and the personal reckonings that surface when caretaking and past grievances collide. Elizabeth Chomko’s sensitive approach aims to portray the emotional complexity of caregiving and family bonds.
Ophelia
Director: Claire McCarthy | Release date: 22 January 2018 (USA)
Ophelia reimagines Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia’s perspective, giving voice to a character often sidelined in traditional retellings. Claire McCarthy’s adaptation promises an intimate, character-driven exploration of the choices and constraints that shape Ophelia’s fate in this classic tragedy.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Writer/Director: Desiree Akhavan | Release date: 22 January 2018 (USA)
Based on Emily M. Danforth’s novel, this coming-of-age drama follows a teenage girl who explores her sexuality while living in a conservative community. After her experimentation is discovered, she is sent to a conversion therapy camp. Desiree Akhavan’s film examines identity, resilience and the damage caused by attempts to repress sexual orientation, offering both heart and quiet defiance.
FEBRUARY
The Female Brain
Writer/Director: Whitney Cummings | Release date: 9 February 2018 (USA)
Comedian Whitney Cummings adapts Louann Brizendine’s book into a comedic look at differences in male and female psychology. The film centers on a scientist whose research into gendered brain differences begins to shape how she approaches relationships and life choices. Expect observational humor grounded in neurobiological themes and relationship dynamics.
Lady Bird
Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig | Release date: 16 February 2018 (UK)
Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed coming-of-age film follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a seventeen-year-old navigating identity, family tension and ambition in Sacramento, California. The film balances humor and heartbreak as it explores the messy transition from adolescence to adulthood and the complicated love between a daughter and her mother.
Half Magic
Writer/Director: Heather Graham | Release date: 23 February 2018 (USA)
Half Magic follows a trio of women who come together to air frustrations with a male-dominated world and to support each other in reclaiming self-worth. Combining comedy with themes of female solidarity and empowerment, Heather Graham’s film aims to blend laughter with a message about self-love and mutual support.
Dark River
Writer/Director: Clio Barnard | Release date: 23 February 2018 (UK)
Dark River follows a woman who returns to her rural hometown after her father’s death to assert her claim to the family farm. Clio Barnard’s drama explores inheritance, belonging and the fraught ties that bind people to place and family. The film promises a grounded, potentially hard-hitting portrait of responsibility and reconciliation.
MARCH
You Were Never Really Here
Writer/Director: Lynne Ramsay | Release date: 9 March 2018 (UK)
Lynne Ramsay adapts Jonathan Ames’s novel into a tense, atmospheric thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix as a tormented fixer hired to rescue a girl from a trafficking ring. The film tackles urgent subject matter with visceral intensity and a distinct visual style, promising an unsettling, emotionally raw viewing experience.
A Wrinkle in Time
Director: Ava DuVernay & Writer: Jennifer Lee | Release date: 23 March 2018 (UK)
Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved novel follows a young girl who, with the help of three mysterious guides, journeys through fantastical worlds to find her missing scientist father. The film’s diverse cast and imaginative visuals aim to blend family drama with epic science-fiction wonder.
Blockers
Director: Kay Cannon | Release date: 30 March 2018 (UK)
Blockers is a comedy built around three parents who, upon learning of their teens’ prom-night plans, set out to thwart them. Kay Cannon directs a story that mixes parental panic with the awkward realities of adolescence, aiming for broad laughs while touching on the anxieties parents feel about their children growing up.
Make sure to check back in March for the next few months of female-directed films to watch!
Have any other films to add to the list? Leave a comment and tell us which releases you’re most excited to see.
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