There are a surprising amount of films based on comic books and graphic novels that are directed by women. Traditionally women have been underrepresented in directing, and while there are still way more movies directed by men, we see more and more directed by female filmmakers. Here are some examples of movies based on comic books directed by women.
Tank Girl (1995)
Comic book movies were much rarer in the 1990s than they are today, much less movies based on an alt-comic like Tank Girl. Still, in 1995 director Rachel Talalay took the helm to make a movie based on the hit underground comic. Lori Petty starred as the titular character and while it’s not the best adaption ever made, it has its moments and at least it’s an early-sh example of a female-led comic book movie.
Captain Marvel (2019)
In 2019 one of Marvel’s most powerful superheroes joined the MCU with Captain Marvel. Brie Larsen stars as the titular character and the film was co-written and co-directed by women, because it just had to be, right? Directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck teamed up to direct it and co-wrote the script with Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
It’s always good to remember that not every comic book was from Marvel or DC and not every comic book movie is about a superhero. 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats is a great example of both and while it’s not high art, it’s still a really fun movie. Rachel Leigh Cook stars as Josie alongside Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson as her Pussycats.
Wonder Woman (2017)
2017’s Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins is the best installment in the now-defunct DCEU. Set during World War I, the movie follows the beloved DC character Wonder Woman as she does what she does best, save the world. Gal Gadot is wonderful as Wonder Woman, and it just wouldn’t feel right to have anyone but a woman like Patty Jenkins direct it.
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
As great as it is to see female superhero movies directed by women, it’s even better to see a woman at the helm of a movie based on a male villain/anti-hero like Venom in Venom: The Last Dance. The 2024 movie was directed by Kelly Marcel, who also directed the two previous Venom films starring Tom Hardy as well, but has said that the 2024 installment would be the final film in the series.
The Old Guard (2020)
The underrated 2020 movie The Old Guard had the unfortunate luck of being released in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. The Charlize Theron-led movie, based on a comic by Greg Rucka (who wrote the movie as well), was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Prince-Bythewood is not shy about directing movies about powerful women, including the great The Woman King from 2022.
Batman: Year One (2011)
It’s not just live-action films that women get in on the fun of. The excellent 2011 animated flick Batman: Year One was co-directed by Lauren Montgomery who has a long history in animated features and TV shows. She is also set to direct 2026’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is fantastic news.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
Appropriately, 2015’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a true female-led project. Starring Bel Powley as the lead, with support from Kristen Wiig, and Alexander Skarsgård, the film is written and directed by Marielle Heller. It’s all based on the graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. The movie wasn’t nearly as popular as it should have been and is definitely worth seeking out to check out if you’ve never seen it.
Madame Web (2024)
Writer and director S. J. Clarkson took the helm for 2024’s Madame Web starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney. The movie took a beating from critics when it was released, but it didn’t totally deserve the harsh comments. No, it’s not the best superhero movie, but the piling on by critics started to feel a little like bullying. It was like each critic was trying to out-snark the last one with their reviews and it wasn’t totally fair.
Radioactive (2019)
One of the most interesting graphic novels of the last couple of decades is Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss. The movie adaptation, called simply Radioactive starring Rosamond Pike and Anya Taylor-Joy and directed by Iranian director Marjane Satrapi is a mixed bag, but it’s really cool story and one worth learning about.
Eternals (2021)
Hiring a director like Chloé Zhao for a movie like Eternals is a no-brainer and you’d expect it to be fantastic. Sadly, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. it’s hard to say exactly what doesn’t work about it, other than the pacing being a bit of a mess. There are great things that happen in the story and the acting performances are great. We trust Chloé Zhao to make great movies, this one just missed.
Speed Racer (2008)
Based on a manga series from Japan in the 1960s, Speed Racer was also a beloved cartoon in the States in the 1980s after it was imported from its home country. In 2008 the Wachowskis adapted it for the big screen. Though it initially bombed with critics and at the box office, in classic Wachowskis fashion, over the years more and more people have come around to it and it is thought of much better today than when it first came out.
Birds of Prey (2020)
There is no way anyone could make a movie like Birds Of Prey and not have a woman direct it. In this case, that director was Cathy Yan. While the movie struggled as part of the overall disappointing DCEU, it’s really not a bad movie by any means, especially from a “grrl power” point of view. The writer was also female, Christina Hodson.
The Marvels (2023)
Following in the footsteps of the first Captain Marvel movie, The Marvels also has a great female director, Nia DaCosta. DaCosta has made a quick name for herself in Hollywood with her first three films, Little Woods, Candyman (2021), and, of course, this one.
Superman: Doomsday (2007)
Superman: Doomsday kicked off the DC Universe Animated Original Movies in 2007. That series, a direct-to-video/streaming franchise has proven far more successful than the doomed DCEU. Based on the comic series The Death of Superman, Superman: Doomsday is a must see for any DC fan. Like others in the series the animated film is directed by artist Lauren Montgomery along with Bruce Timm.
American Splendor (2003)
Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar was a different kind of writer than most and the movie based on his life and autobiographical comics, American Splendor is a different kind of movie. Paul Giamatti is fantastic as Pekar in this cartoon/live-action hybrid directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.
Black Widow (2021)
The most famous female superhero in the MCU is Scarlett Johasson’s Black Widow and when she finally got her own stand-alone movie, it made all the sense in the world to bring in a female director. Australian Cate Shortland was hired to make the movie with a screenplay by Eric Pearson.
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
it may seem a little weird to bring in a woman to direct a movie like Punisher: War Zone based on one of the most testosterone anti-heroes in comics. But director Lexi Alexander is no wallflower. The former stunt performer and martial artist isn’t afraid to mix it up with the boys, and she was actually kind of perfect for this imperfect adaptation from the Punisher series.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
Director Lauren Montgomery has been a mainstay in the DC animated universe, getting the call for some of its most ambitious works like Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths in 2010. She might just be the best animation director working on DC movies at this point.
The Kitchen (2019)
It’s really too bad 2019’s The Kitchen from first-time director Andrea Berloff didn’t work, because it’s a cool comic and a great story. Unfortunately, Berloff’s film missed the mark in a lot of ways. She will hopefully get another film because she’s a great writer and deserves another chance to get one right.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
After the huge success of Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins teamed up again for Wonder Woman 1984. The critical response was mixed and it’s hard to gauge the success of the film with audiences as the movie was released simultaneously on streaming with its limited box office release due to the pandemic in December of 2020. It’s not as good as its predecessor, but it’s still a really fun movie.
The Demon Stirs (2005)
It’s not often you see a rom-com come from a graphic novel, so we had to include the 2005 French film The Demon Stirs directed by veteran French director Marie Pascale Osterrieth. It turns out there are a few examples of rom-coms based on graphic novels, it’s not all superheroes.
Gemma Bovery (2015)
French director Anne Fontaine helmed the 2015 comedy Gemma Bovery starring Gemma Arterton and Jason Flemyng. The movie is based on a graphic novel of the same name by English cartoonist Posy Simmonds.
Father Of Four (1953)
Way back in the 1950s, Danish director Alice O’Fredericks started a series based on a comic in Denmark called Father Of Four. Over the next eight years, O’Fredericks would write and direct seven more films in the series that have become staples for Danish kids for decades.
Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High (2018)
Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High may not be on your radar screen unless you are the parent of girls, but it was a pretty popular series for a minute there in the mid-teens. This movie, based on the series was directed by Elsa Garagarza.
Falcon Lake (2022)
In the English-speaking world, we don’t often hear about French-Canadian films, but Falcon Lake is one worth seeking out. Directed by Montreal native Charlotte Le Bon, this movie, adapted from a graphic novel by French writer Bastien Vivès is a wonderful coming-of-age story that translates to any culture.
Aya of Yop City (2013)
Aya of Yop City is another kind of French animated feature based on a graphic novel Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie, who also directed the feature. It takes place in the Ivory Coast and tells a story of young love that anyone can understand,
Persepolis (2007)
2007’s Persepolis, directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, and based on the graphic novel by Satrapi is a powerful autobiographical film about her life growing up in Iran during the turbulent 1970s. It’s a movie from a female director with a strong voice and something to say.
Ninjababy (2021)
Norway may not be the first place you think of when it comes to graphic novels or, frankly, films, but Ninjababy might just turn you around on both. Yngvild Sve Flikke directed this fascinating take on a young girl’s struggle with her unwanted pregnancy. It’s a story only a woman could tell.
The Hunters (2013)
Did you know that the Hallmark Channel has dabbled in sci-fi? That’s what they did in 2013 with the Nisha Ganatra-directed The Hunters based on the graphic novel Mirror Mirror by Joshua Williamson. It’s about what you would expect, so if you love sci-fi/fantasy and Hallmark Christmas movies, this may be right up your alley.
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