Shudder’s 1000 WOMEN IN HORROR proves how LGBTQ women are shaping horror. We probably always have, but now we’re front and center in the new Shudder Documentary. Whether as actors or creators (both even), we are everywhere. Read why you should watch the new release – as if the title alone wasn’t enough?!

1000 WOMEN IN HORROR is out on Shudder, and you should absolutely check it out. First and foremost, because it pays a long overdue tribute to women. Sure, the Final Girl has always been a key element of slashers, but female writers and directors have also been involved for decades.

And yes, this includes queer women!

Horror has always been a genre for outsiders. For anyone who has ever felt too weird, too loud, too much — or simply not enough — horror understood you long before mainstream culture caught up. So it should come as no surprise that queer women have been at the heart of the genre for well over a century.

What is surprising is how rarely that story gets told. A new Shudder documentary is here to change that.

WANT TO READ A REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENTARY?

Head on over to Heaven of Horror, where I reviewed this already >

1000 Women in Horror, streaming now on Shudder as part of Women’s History Month, is a 96-minute celebration of the women who built, shaped, and continue to revolutionize horror cinema from 1895 to the present day.

Directed by Donna Davies and written by horror historian and film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas — based on her acclaimed 2020 book of the same name — the documentary brings together actors, directors, writers, and producers who have all left an indelible mark on the genre.

Here at Womentainment, we also wanted to highlight that this documentary focuses on all women. This includes queer women, who are woven throughout this story in ways that deserve their own spotlight.

Horror Has Always Been Queer – Whether We Called It That or Not

Long before anyone used the word “queer” in a positive context, horror was doing something quietly radical: centering outsiders, giving power to those society deemed monstrous, and letting the “Other” win.

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas has written that horror at its best gives a voice to those who would otherwise struggle to be heard. Also, how its “Others” include anyone whose identity is defined by negations: Not-white, Not-male, Not-straight.

This is the philosophy baked into the DNA of 1000 Women in Horror – the book as well as this new documentary on Shudder.

While the documentary does not wave a pride flag explicitly, it does something arguably more powerful. This documentary presents a community of women horror creators. Women who have built spaces for themselves precisely because those spaces did not exist.

They wrote what was missing.

Then they directed what no one else would greenlight.

And it was all made possible because they produced films from sheer necessity and desire.

That is, at its core, a profoundly queer impulse.

Why Shudder Keeps Getting It Right for LGBTQ Women in Horror

It is worth noting that 1000 Women in Horror is hardly Shudder’s first foray into this territory. The platform previously released Queer for Fear. This is a docuseries exploring the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the horror and thriller genres, all while tracing queer influence.

From its literary origins with Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde, through to contemporary genre filmmaking. The Queer for Fear series was a landmark, and now 1000 Women in Horror continues the conversation. However, this time, it shifts the lens specifically onto women.

In doing so, Shudder’s 1000 Women in Horror documentary also makes space for the many queer women whose contributions have been overlooked or undervalued.

As a horror critic (over at Heaven of Horror), I found it genuinely moving to watch this documentary. It truly treats the women who make horror with the same reverence usually reserved for the male auteurs who dominate the conversation.

And as someone who covers entertainment for audiences who care about representation, I find something else thrilling as well. The simple fact that so many of the women featured are queer or queer-adjacent. Whether in their storytelling, or simply unapologetically themselves in ways that resonate far beyond genre. Often both!

Womentainment recommendation: Should you watch it? Absolutely!

Despite its title, 1000 Women in Horror is not a niche documentary for hardcore horror fans only. It is a film about creativity, resilience, and the radical act of making art that reflects your own experience.

For LGBTQ women, for women who love women, for anyone who has ever felt like a monster in a world that prefers them invisible; This is your documentary!

Stream it on Shudder now. Then go and watch everything the women in it have ever made. You will not run out of great horror anytime soon.

Us, Forever Ago is a fascinating documentary-drama hybrid. No, I don’t mean a “mockumentary”. It’s more of an innovative take on making a documentary and mixing it with drama. Read more in our Us, Forever Ago review here!

Us, Forever Ago is a different kind of indie film. Not just because it’s a hybrid but because it plays with its genres in a downright brazen way.

The end result of Us, Forever Ago is mostly being a documentary. However, and this is where that extra hybrid layer comes in, it’s a documentary about trying to make a feature film. That’s what makes it a hybrid since many of the scenes shown are explained as being shot for a feature film. But, of course, are now shown as part of a documentary instead.

Read more in our Us, Forever Ago review below.

A “Behind the Scenes” feel

Us, Forever Ago almost feels like a “Behind the Scenes” look at a movie that you’ve never watched. And never will watch since it doesn’t actually exist. Only this documentary about a feature film being made exists.

Are you with me so far? It might sound strange, but it does actually make sense when you watch it. In a weird and offbeat way that I found myself liking a lot more than I ever expected. I review a lot of horror movies for the website Heaven of Horror which means I watch a lot of indie and (sometimes very) low-budget movies.

Us, Forever Ago manages to have a gorgeous visual style while also having better audio than many low-budget movies. If you watch low-budget movies, you probably know that audio is often the one element that is hard to master. It also means you appreciate good sound that much more – especially the talent and effort that goes into it.

Female artist – or just “artist”

At the very beginning of Us, Forever Ago there’s this brilliant little introduction. Irina Varina is talking about the movie she was making – which is now part of the documentary – and she talks about its subject.

It’s quite simply a look at female artists. And since this introduction is supposedly made in 2030, Varina comments that it’s weird how we called them “female artists” back then instead of just “artists”.

Personally, I try to keep gender out of describing something. I will most certainly note when a director or a writer is a woman (because so few of them still are), but I tend to use the word “actor” whether talking about a male or a female performer. For this reason alone, this movie had my attention and heart from the very beginning.

Us, Forever Ago will not be for everyone. Then again, you probably won’t choose to watch a low-budget indie documentary-drama hybrid, if you’re not ready for something a bit different. Rather than a story, the progress in Us, Forever Ago is more about people and feelings.

This works for me, but I definitely recognize it doesn’t work for everyone. It doesn’t always work for me either.

Feature film debut of Irina Varina

This hybrid indie was written, directed, produced by and stars Irina Varina. Obviously, it’s a passion project for Irina Varina but it’s also her feature film debut. However, Irina Varina isn’t new to performing or even as a filmmaker. She had already made seven short films before Us, Forever Ago and another short film after making her first feature.

Up next for Irina Varina is a webseries in the making called Things I’d like to do instead of thinking about men. It’s described as a “playful and vulnerable exploration of cultural conditionings around romantic relationships and men”. There’s no release date yet but you can sign up for a newsletter on her website here or follow Irina Varina on Instagram here. 

While Us, Forever Ago might seem a bit difficult to get into at first, you need to just sit back and let it wash over you. Everything will and does make sense before the end credits.

Us, Forever Ago had its world premiere on June 9, 2018, at The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival. After this, it went on to have a successful run at indie festivals before being released to a wider audience now.

Us, Forever Ago is out on VOD now – you can find it on Amazon here >

Director: Irina Varina
Writer: Irina Varina
Cast: Irina Varina, Andrea Clinton, Emily McLoughlin, Chana Porter, Katie Frank

Official plot:

In the near future a woman recalls the years 2015-2017 when she was making her first feature film, in which she played a young woman who was making a documentary about female artists.

Trinkets is a new Netflix drama series where one of the three main characters is LGBTQ. Season 1 is a quick binge and definitely worth your time. Read more in our season 1 Trinkets review here.

Trinkets is a new Netflix drama series which also offers a lot of comedy. One of the three main characters is LGBTQ while the other two are both biracial.

Neither their sexuality nor their race, is why they end up becoming friends. Instead, it’s when they meet at SA which is Shoplifters Anonymous. They’re all there because they’ve been caught and forced to go and certainly not to stop shoplifting.

However, shoplifting itself is not the problem, which is why Trinkets is about finding and dealing with the actual problems each of them deal with.

Season 1 is just 10 half-hour episodes, so you can binge-watch it fairly quickly. Read more in our Trinkets review below.

Elodie, Moe and Tabitha

The three main characters in Trinkets are Elodie (Brianna Hildebrand), Moe (Kiana Madeira), and Tabitha (Quintessa Swindell). Each one of these characters and actors makes Trinkets worth watching. Well, obviously, the creators who wrote these characters have something to do with it as well, but more on them later.

You probably know Brianna Hildebrand from the Deadpool movies or maybe the dark horror-comedy Tragedy Girls (2017). She is perfect as Elodie who is gay. Or she’s definitely LGBTQ, I’m not sure exactly what she defines as, but she seems to be interested only in women.

Elodie coming-out is very calm and matter-of-fact even though she’s still new to being out as LGBTQ. It’s all very sweet and heartwarming. Especially the way Moe and Tabitha support her immediately. In fact, if anything, it only makes them even closer.

Kiana Madeira (Moe) is someone you might recognize from The Flash or Sacred Lies. Also, she was in an episode of Wynonna Earp, so all you “Earpers” should find her familiar as well. The character of Moe lives alone with her white mom and her estranged dad (who is Latino) is in jail.

Finally, we have Quintessa Swindell as Tabitha Foster who comes from a very fancy home. Her mom is black and very focused on her career as an influencer, while her white dad seems to always be working. She is, however, very much a daddy’s girl and he clearly adores his little girl. 

Trinkets is the first acting credit for Quintessa Swindell but she has two movies on the way. Also, she will be in the upcoming HBO series Euphoria which stars Zendaya.

What’s with the shoplifting in Trinkets?

Look, I’ll be quick to admit that I did not like the focus on shoplifting when Trinkets first begins. Episode 1 of Trinkets seems to almost be showing us tricks to use while shoplifting.

However, and this is important, Trinkets does in no way seem to endorse nor recommend shoplifting. The fact that some people shoplift stuff to feel a rush, is hardly a new concept. This Netflix series simply takes a look at why some people do this.

So, if you’re considering not watching Trinkets on Netflix because you think it glorifies shoplifting, then you can check those concerns at the door. Trinkets is about dealing with the underlying reasons why people would steal stuff they don’t even want or need. Not the actual shoplifting. 

Also, this is why the three girls begin forming a friendship; They understand and respect one another. A fun detail is the fact that their friendship (which is very positive and real) is a secret to everyone else at their high school. It’s almost like an affair but this is something they all agree on to make it work. And they are always there for one another.

Watch Season 1 of Trinkets on Netflix now!

Trinkets was created by Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer, and Kirsten Smith. Obviously, these three offer something of a perfect storm in terms of writing young women. 

Kirsten Smith has one hell of an impressive resume. She co-wrote the screenplays for Legally Blonde (2001), Ella Enchanted (2004), and She’s the Man (2006). To mention just a few. All of these were co-written with Karen McCullah and the two will also co-author the screenplay for the “Untitled Female Expendables”.

Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer wrote the screenplays for Step Up 3D (2010) and Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List (2015). This is the third writing credit for both of them.

Season 1 consists of just 10 episodes that are less than 30 minutes each, so Trinkets is a very quick binge-watch. And just go ahead and surrender to this little gem. Both for the story and the wonderful characters.

Season 1 of Trinkets was released on Netflix worldwide on June 14, 2019.

Creators: Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer, Kirsten Smith
Stars: Brianna Hildebrand, Kiana Madeira, Quintessa Swindell, Brandon Butler, Odiseas Georgiadis, Henry Zaga, Jessica Lynn Skinner

Official plot:

A grieving teen finds an unexpected connection with two classmates at her new high school after they all land in the same Shoplifters Anonymous group.

Wine Country is a new Netflix comedy directed by Amy Poehler. The movie has an all-star cast of Saturday Night Live alumni women and it just works. Even if you’re not a fan of SNL, you should enjoy this one. Read why in this review or just go watch it on Netflix now!

Wine Country is a new Netflix comedy which is all about its female characters. In fact, you don’t really see two men talking to one another, so it’s like the opposite side of the Bechdel test. And I love it!

The Netflix movie is directed by Amy Poehler who finally has her feature film debut. And it’s about damn time. Of course, this does also feel like the perfect way to begin. I don’t dare to hope for a sequel but I really don’t see why not. 

You could easily make a franchise out of Wine Country just like they did with The Hangover. Oh yeah, and in case you wondered, the ladies do manage to get quite drunk.

Read more about the new Netflix movie in the rest of this review…

Wine Country is a beautiful SNL reunion

This new Netflix movie does feature one hell of an all-star cast. Every single one of the lead actors is a woman from Saturday Night Live. Also, this movie is supposedly based on an actual trip taken by the SNL alumni ladies.

Of course, we have the director of the movie, Amy Poehler, as one of the main characters. We do also have Tina Fey, but she has a smaller role as the Airbnb host of the house they live in. Due to scheduling issues, Tina Fey wasn’t able to be in the main cast, but she does have quite a few scenes via this supporting role.

Also, we have Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Emily Spivey, and Paula Pell. For me, Paula Pell was a real treat in so many ways. Not only does she portray an LBGTQ character, but she is also the very positive and loving heart of this group.

Okay, maybe I’m just projecting, but my point (and I do have one) is that I loved Paula Pell’s character, Val. Trust me, you will too!

Amy Poehler as a director? Yes, please!

Wine Country is the directorial feature film debut of Amy Poehler. And it’s about damn time! Of course, Amy Poehler should be directing comedies featuring awesome female characters. Or drama, if that’s what she wants, obviously.

This isn’t the first time ever that Amy Poehler has directed anything. She did direct three episodes of her TV series Parks and Recreation. Also, she directed an episode of Broad City and the TV movie Dumb Prince from 2016.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long for her next time directing. The TV movie Moxie is in pre-production and features a story about a “Texas teenager organizing a feminist revolution at her high school”. Yep, sounds perfect!

Watch Wine Country on Netflix now!

The script for Wine Country was also written by two women (of course), Liz Cackowski and Emily Spivey, who are SNL alumni. Also, the two women are part of the movie in front of the camera as well.

Emily Spivey plays one of the main characters while Liz Cackowski has a rather funny smaller role.

I know not everyone is a fan of SNL [Saturday Night Live] and that particular brand of humor. In no way is Wine Country as over-the-top as SNL can be. But still, if you enjoy the style of comedy in SNL, you should enjoy Wine Country.

Womentainment recommendation: Wine Country is perfect for fans of these SNL women!

Honestly, if you don’t care for SNL at all, then this probably won’t be the funniest experience for you. However, you should still be able to enjoy this Netflix movie for many other reasons.

The characters are interesting and complex while their relationships in the group of friends feel very realistic. And with a cast like that, you really can’t lose. Plus, one of the women in the group of friends is a lesbian and you should definitely love her!

Wine Country is out on Netflix worldwide where it premiered on May 10, 2019.

Director: Amy Poehler
Writers: Liz Cackowski, Emily Spivey
Stars: Paula Pell | Emily Spivey | Maya Rudolph | Rachel Dratch | Amy Poehler | Tina Fey | Ana Gasteyer | Maya Erskine |  Jason Schwartzman

Official plot:

When longtime friends meet up for a wine-soaked birthday getaway in Napa Valley, their perfectly planned weekend turns messier by the minute.

The Booksmart trailer is here and you do not want to miss it. Honestly, it. is. AWESOME! This is the directorial debut for Olivia Wilde and I’m so ready for this movie. Watch the trailer for Booksmart here!

The trailer for Olivia Wilde’s movie Booksmart is finally here. Before you watch it, here’s a little about the movie itself.

The movie is directed by Olivia Wilde and yes, this is her first (but hopefully far from last) time directing a feature film. She has already done a few short films, so she’s hardly new to this job.

The supporting cast is chock full of familiar faces; Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte play the parents of Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Jason Sudeikis (husband of Olivia Wilde) is the High School principal.

Also in the cast are Jessica Williams (The Daily Show), Billie Lourd (Star Wars), Skyler Gisondo (Santa Clarita Diet), Molly Gordon (Animal Kingdom), and Diana Silvers (Ma).

The stars of Booksmart

Booksmart stars Kaitlyn Dever who co-starred with Captain Marvel‘s Brie Larson in Short Term 12 (2013) before being on TV series such as Justified and Last Man Standing. Also, we know from the trailer that Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) is gay.

So Booksmart already has that going for itself. As far as I’m concerned anyway!

As the best friend of Kaitlyn Dever’s character, Amy, we have Beanie Feldstein as Molly. You may know Beanie Feldstein from Greta Gerwig’s brilliant movie Lady Bird. Also, she’s in the upcoming TV series version of What We Do In the Shadows, which is a horror comedy by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement.

With these two whipsmart and charming young women leading the shenanigans, I’m definitely ready for Booksmart!

The plot of Booksmart

While the plot of Booksmart may not sound very new or innovative, it actually is. This type of plot usually revolves around young men heading off for college. This time, we follow two young women. And they are every bit as flawed and charming as their previous male counter parts.

Here’s the official plot for Booksmart:

The script is written by Katie Silberman, who also co-wrote the Netflix movie Isn’t It Romantic. Isn’t It Romantic came out on Netflix in February 2019 and stars Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth along with Adam Devine, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, and Jennifer Saunders as Rebel Wilson’s mom. 

Finally, here’s the first trailer for Booksmart below

The movie just premiered at SXSW on March 10, 2019. Booksmart will be out in US theaters from May 24, 2019.

Now, here’s the trailer for Olivia Wilde’s upcoming movie Booksmart.

The Enemy Within is a new NBC spy thriller series. Created by Ken Woodruff, the writer/producer of The Mentalist, Gotham, and Reverie. The show stars Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut, but only Carpenter really delivers. You should give this a chance for her!

The Enemy Within is a new thriller drama series on NBC, but this story could just as well have been told a decade ago. Maybe even two or three. After all, we’re back to the enemy being Russian and it’s all about spies and terrorists on US soil.

I wanted to watch this because of Jennifer Carpenter, who I have always adored. She absolutely makes The Enemy Within worth watching and her title character (or is she?) has been pushed heavily during its promotion.

However, the character portrayed by Morris Chestnut is the big hero of this new NBC series. And, unfortunately, his character seems straight out of an average 1990s action thriller.

You know every single thing he’ll do or say before the thought even occurs to him.

Jennifer Carpenter to the rescue

If you’ve read the plot for The Enemy Within – or just watched the trailer – then you know exactly what to expect from the first episode. You won’t be surprised by anything really, but Jennifer Carpenter makes it worth watching anyway.

In character as Erica Shepherd, she doesn’t even have to utter a word to convey what’s going through her mind. 

Honestly, I cannot remember ever seeing Jennifer Carpenter give a bad performance. She’s been in movies and TV Series that weren’t all that great, but she is always good!

Of course, she’s also been in awesome movies. She played the title role in The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), but many people will probably know her as Debra Morgan. This was her character on Dexter and such an awesome character for her. Or rather, because of her.

Erica Shepherd has the potential to be an equally badass character. But as of episode 1 and episode 2 of The Enemy Within, she is the only thing this show has going for itself!

The forced fear and drama

While The Enemy Within does have its moments (mostly thanks to Jennifer Carpenter), it also has a real issue with pushing the fear and drama. Sure, this is a spy thriller drama hybrid series, but everything just feels too forced.

Even the score is giving me heart palpitations while trying the follow the plot developments. It’s the equivalent of having a robot yelling “Danger, Will Robinson” on a continuous loop. And with the same instant fever no matter how drastic the situation is – or isn’t.

Sure, I get it, things are tense, but could you give me a minute to watch the characters deal with the situation. Without having the “thrills and action” beat going a million miles per minute?!

You do actually have a rather interesting (if not very innovative) plot going on, so please, allow us to get into it.

Season 1 of The Enemy Within airs Mondays on NBC

The Enemy Within was created by Ken Woodruff who wrote several episodes of the shows The Mentalist, Gotham, and Reverie. He also worked as a producer in some capacity on all these shows. It seems an obvious next step that he tries his hand as creator. 

With The Enemy Within, Ken Woodruff has made a show that is probably most like The Mentalist (which I really liked). We just need the characters to get more time to develop for it to really work. And the story feels more like The Blacklist (which I also liked) but is currently a bit too stereotypical.

Hopefully, the story will get better as the season progresses, but currently, I’m just not that into it.

Womentainment recommendation: Once again with feeling, watch The Enemy Within for Jennifer Carpenter

After the first two episodes of The Enemy Within, I can only recommend watching this NBC series for Jennifer Carpenter. Her character, Erica Shepherd, is intriguing and smart. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and will stop at nothing.

I like watching her and not knowing exactly what she’ll do next. Especially because there is nothing surprising from the character played by Morris Chestnut, who is the hotshot FBI Agent, Will Keaton.

The Enemy Within airs Monday on NBC. The Season 1 premiere was on February 25, 2019.

Creator: Ken Woodruff
Cast: Jennifer Carpenter, Morris Chestnut, Raza Jaffrey, Kelli Garner, James Carpinello

Official plot:

FBI Agent Will Keaton enlists the most notorious traitor in American history, Erica Shepherd, to help catch a spy.

Her Smell stars Elizabeth Moss as a punk rocker and she is awesome! But really, every single character in this little indie gem is simply brilliant. You should love every second of its 2 hours and 14 minutes runtime. Read why in this review!

Her Smell is all about Elizabeth Moss’ character, Becky Something. On the surface anyway. Because really, it’s as much about all the people trying to exist in her orbit. It is one hell of a crazy life this girl is living. 

She’s strung out on drugs and nearly impossible to get on stage. Once she’s there, however, she is brilliant!

The casting of Her Smell is in a league of its own. It’s full of familiar faces who are giving very honest and raw performances. No matter how big or small. It’s a tour de force for Elizabeth Moss but also serves as a perfect vehicle for all the supporting actors.

Elizabeth Moss as a Punk Rocker

It seems there’s nothing Elizabeth Moss can’t do these years. After the initial success of having a supporting role on Mad Men to the title role in The Handmaid’s Tale, this is her time.

As Becky Something, Elizabeth Moss gets to strip back everything to reveal a person you will be irritated with. Especially on behalf of those around her. One second she will make perfect sense and the next she will act like a spoiled brat.

After all, she is a star and she damn well knows it. Also, she’s a punk rocker and people better accept that this means she’s a bit out there. Both in terms of drugs and overall attitude. And still, she is good once she gets on stage.

Her Smell features a supporting cast of stars

While Her Smell revolves around the character played by Elizabeth Moss, the supporting cast is absolutely stellar as well. We have Dan Stevens (Apostle on Netflix) as her ex. He has given up the crazy musician life to focus on raising their daughter.

This is such an important portrayal of a devoted father and Dan Stevens nails it! Also, the always amazing Lindsay Burdge (Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation) is the new girlfriend who helps take care of the little girl.

Her partners in crime, as far as music goes, are played by Agyness Deyn and Gayle Rankin.

Agyness Deyn recently starred in Hard Sun on Hulu along with Ji Sturgess. And if you’ve watched the 80s themed female wrestling show GLOW on Netflix, you’ll probably recognize Gayle Rankin as Sheila the She-Wolf. Ironically, the name of her character in Her Smell is actually “Ali van der Wolff”.

Also, there’s Virginia Madsen in a smaller role and Eric Stoltz is their manager. Not an easy task!

The other punk rockers in Her Smell

Her arch nemesis, who actually really likes both Becky and the rest of the band is Zelda E. Zekiel. She’s played by Amber Heard who is simply divine as this character. That’s right, I said divine! Hell, I’d love to watch a movie featuring her character as well.

As the up-and-coming punk rock girls, who adore Becky Something (Elizabeth Moss), we have a trio of “It Girls”. There’s Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) as Roxie Rotten and top model turned actor Cara Delevigne as Crassie Cassie with Dylan Gelula as Dottie O.Z.

We also get to follow both the Amber Heard and the younger punk rockers as their careers’ evolve. Both in contrast and tribute to the career of Becky Something. 

Her Smell shows the dangers of enabling

It might not look like it from the trailer, but this really is a full-fledged biopic. We follow the character of Becky Something (a stage name, of course) from the beginning of her career to the height of it and towards a possible ending. 

During this time we also see what happens to the people around her. They all love and support her – despite the way she treats them most of the time. Of course, drugs do play a big part in how she treats people.

It’s a wonderful look into a world few people know. Her Smell is never trying to excuse the behavior of Becky Something, but it does show how it’s enabled. Until it isn’t and this is almost more dangerous.

Womentainment recommendation: Watch Her Smell for the real and complete character portrayals

Alex Ross Perry wrote and directed Her Smell. He has worked with Elizabeth Moss on most (if not every) project he’s done so far. And I must admit, it does seem like a match made in heaven.

At another point in time, Her Smell would have gotten a lot more attention than it has. It has been a film festival darling since it premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2018. Since then, it has played at so many film festivals in North American and Europa especially.

We were fortunate enough to catch a screening at AFI Fest back in November 2018.

Now, Her Smell will finally be out in US theaters from April 12, 2019.

Do. Not. Miss. It!

Director: Alex Ross Perry
Writer: Alex Ross Perry
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Gayle Rankin, Ashley Benson, Dylan Gelula, Eka Darville, Lindsay Burdge, Lindsay Burdge, Eric Stoltz, Amber Heard, Hannah Gross, Agyness Deyn

Official plot:

A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.

The Favourite is a crazy movie experience – in the best way. It could easily be described as a royal lesbian drama because, well, it is! 

The Favourite can’t really be explained. It has to be experienced first hand. As soon as you start talking about elements of it, this movie sounds either very strange or completely crazy. 

In reality, it’s a little bit of both. But mostly, it’s just a deliciously royal lesbian drama. Not because everybody is a lesbian, but everybody in The Favourite does seem to be kinda gay.

Also, every sexual encounter with any real meaning or intensity is between two women. Any kind of sexual interaction between a man and a woman is of a more umm “practical” nature. Men are literally pawns in this game played by women.

And talking about the women of this movie, you really could not wish for more. We get Olivia Colman as Queen Anne, Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah, and Emma Stone as Abigail. All three performances are worthy of all the awards!

Mean Girls as a period piece

The comparison to Mean Girls is almost undeniable. Well, if Mean Girls has been a lot gayer. As in Orange is the New Black or The L Word gay. Yes, that gay. 

But in terms of the attitude and overall shenanigans, it’s pretty spot on. The women of The Favourite are definitely the original Mean Girls.

Olivia Colman is so absolutely brilliant as Queen Anne. I can’t even begin to explain how and why this is, but even before she has spoken one word, you will be in awe of her.

And when she does speak, she offers up some very quotable lines. Like her reasoning for wanting to keep Abigail (Emma Stone) on staff: “I like it when she puts her tongue inside me”.

Before any men throw a hissyfit from all this female adoration, please remember that the director, Yorgos Lanthimos, is a man. Not since Todd Haynes’ Carol have I been so pleased with a man directing a female-centered movie.

This alone should make every woman run to the nearest screening of The Favourite.

The most delicious trio

To me, the best intensity is between Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) as lifelong friends. Well, friends with very honest and sexual benefits.

Lady Sarah seems to be the only one who talks very frankly to the Queen and gets away with it. Something this piece of dialogue between them demonstrates perfectly:

Queen Anne: They were all staring, weren’t they? I can tell even if I can’t see, and I heard the word fat. Fat.
Lady Sarah: And…
Queen Anne: And ugly.
Lady Sarah: No one but me would dare, and I did not.

She’s the favorite for this very reason and she knows it. Well, that and the sexual elements.

But this is also the reason why Abigail (Emma Stone) sees an opportunity to swoop in. All Abigail needs to do is offer love and compassion (and yes, sexual elements). And it works like a charm.

Also, because I know many of you want to know this; Yes, there are quite a lot of women kissing women in this movie.

Or rather, there are several scenes of Rachel Weisz kissing Olivia Colman. Their relationship is the most physical whereas Emma Stone’s Abigail is working more on the Queen’s heart and mind.

Well, that and then the whole business about sticking her tongue inside the Queen.

The Favourite is all about women

It’s very difficult to explain exactly why you should watch The Favourite. But you definitely should and certainly not because it’s a typical period piece.

For one, it’s very much a lesbian drama, which is hardly the norm for this genre. Though, let’s be honest, it would make most movies better. 

Also, it’s crazy and edgy in various unexpected ways. From the very modern dance moves being incorporated at a Royal Ball to completely the female-centered story.

Men do not really matter in The Favourite. They play their part, of course, but mostly based on what the women want them to do. Every single thing these women do is to serve their own end goal.

Whether that be an attempt to make England stronger or simply retain the title of “Lady” is the only question. 

And FYI, both involve two brilliant female characters trying to get into bed with the Queen. Yes, literally!

Womentainment recommendation: Do not miss The Favourite

After watching this movie, I found out that Lady Sarah had the last name”Churchill”. And yes, Winston Churchill is a descendant of Lady Sarah. When you watch The Favourite (and, of course, you will) remember that Rachel Weisz portrays a relative of Churchill and you’ll see where he got his skills from. 

Actually, Diana, Princess of Wales, also descended from Sarah. Amazing what you can learn from watching a movie and getting curious about the real-life people in it.

For months, The Favourite has been screening at film festivals worldwide after its world premiere at Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2018. We caught a screening at AFI Fest [American Film Institute film festival] in November 2018.

The Favourite will be out in select US theaters on November 23, 2018. And then it will expand weekly – check out the release schedule on the Facebook page for the movie >

By the end of January 2019, it will also be released in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, most of Europe, and many other countries globally. When you get the chance to watch this, you really should jump at the opportunity!

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
Cast: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn

Official plot:

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.