When I first started making this list of my top five feminist films, I realized just how hard it is to find them. It isn't a secret that Hollywood favors the submissive female characters to dominant ones. Most of the times in movies, females become some sort of sexual object which makes it hard for me to find movies that I truly enjoy. The Bechdel Test (explained here) can help find better movies but, they do not indicate a film to be feminist. For example, "Fifty Shades of Grey" passes the Bechdel Test and that has to be one of the worst movies for women in the past year. So here are movies that I deem are appropriate for any feminist looking to find some faith in the film industry.

1. "Brave"

I'm going to be brutally honest. I don't really like Disney movies. Don't get me wrong, some of them remind me of my childhood, but they also rub me the wrong way. I get that they are old and outdated but a lot of the contain submissive women that would do anything to get with their prince. However, Disney has come out with a few films that make me believe that Disney is starting to go in the right direction. Brave is one of these movies. This movies has a confident female character that resists her family's wished for her to get married. Not only is this movies great because Merida, the main character, goes against society's expectations, it also gives a lesson about the value of family. Plus, this movies great for kids!

2. "Matilda"

This has to be one of my all time favorite movies. What is so great about this movie is that the plot is focused on Matilda and does not ruin her storyline by throwing in a love interest. Instead we get a movie about a girl who finds out she has these amazing powers that allow her to cope with her crazy family and school. Plus this movie is based off of Roald Dahl's Matilda, which is an amazing book to begin with. And so this film allows the viewer to witness a female character grow without thinking about a man or love interest. This fact may seem simple, but in actuality only a small amount of movies contain a female who is an independent and does not care about the male opinion.

3. "Legally Blonde"

Elle Woods is one of the most amazing female characters invented. She is strong, witty, smart, and also enjoys stereotypically "feminine" activities such as makeup and dressing up. The reason this is so important is because this movies shows that a female can be strong and also enjoy "girly" things. The movie follows Elle Woods on her journey of getting into law school just so she can show her ex- boyfriend that she can do whatever he does. It is a comical and heartwarming film that will make anyone's day.

4. "The Princess Diaries"

If you have never seen this movie, what have you been doing all your life? Not only is this movie great, there is an equally good sequel. If you are not familiar, The Princess Diaries is about a teenage girl who finds out she is a princess for a country in Europe. The movie contains two cinematic superstars: Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. Hathaway's character is a strong female role model that shows just how tough she can be even with the pressure of becoming a public figure. And don't even get me started on the second movie.

5. "She's the Man"

This movie's main plot is for the female main character to prove that she is just as good as her male counterparts. Amanada Bynes, the actress who plays the lead, pretends to her brother at his school. This includes playing on the male soccer team. All the while she has to juggle her family's attempt to make her into a "lady". This film is hilarious and has one of the best feminist endings a movie could have. What's not to like?

I hope you give these movies a watch! They might not be perfect but they are a start.