5 Films with strong Asian female leads you have to watch

huibing

28 Jun 2017

1/5
Tag (2015)
At first glance, Tag might seem like just a regular horror movie. It follows the adventure of a high school girl who, on a school bus, manages to survive a gust of wind that beheads everyone on it. Her identity begins to change over time and she experiences death countless times, and survives it, all until the end where the story begins unravelling. Just for the ending scene alone, this is a must-watch, even if it may be a little gory at times.
2/5
Angry Indian Goddesses (2015)
This 2015 film with Sarah-Jane Dias has to make it on our list. On a surface level, Angry Indian Goddesses talks about the goings-ons that happen during a bachelorette party but, it goes deeper than a party. Not only does it highlight the gender inequality issue within the country, it also discusses the rape problem, the caste system, skin colour differences, and more — all while balancing out the drama of it all.
3/5
The Flowers of War (2011)
Though it stars Christian Bale, The Flowers of War focuses on the relationship between a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes set during the Nanking Massacre of 1937. We aren’t going to spoil the movie for you, because it’s one that should definitely be watched, but the soul between the two groups of females brings a sense of warmth amidst the darkness of war, making this a movie like no other.
4/5
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)
The only Southeast Asian film featured in the Cannes 2017 film festival, Marlina takes the revenge genre and elevates it with a film that is co-produced in four different countries: Indonesia, France, Malaysia, and Thailand. Marlina starts out with the loss of her husband, leading to the appearance of men who plan to rape her. And, that sparks the tale that is accentuated by a roving cinematography.
5/5
The Assassin (2015)
The Assassin has been lauded as much more than a movie, but an intriguing cinematic masterpiece in its own class. Starring Shu Qi, the film follows the story of a young woman who was raised to be a killer. Despite its classification as a martial arts film, the action scenes do not dominate. Instead, the immense beauty of the cinematography tells its own tales, surrounding the protagonist in a veil of intrigue that makes this a work of art.

Strong female leads with beautiful cinematography, what’s not to like?

When news of Wonder Woman first hit the streets, people were hesitant, to say the least. After all, having a female-led superhero movie seemed risky, and critics were relentless in how lasting the flop would be. It’s not like it hasn’t been tried before: Elektra and Catwoman had both tried to breach the market, but to no avail. Yet, with Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, we’ve seen a wave of positive responses that poises it to be the most profitable DC Universe movie, garnering over US$600 million.

So, is there any better time than now to bring out a list of films that showcases incredibly powerful Asian female leads? Here are five of our favourites that have be released recent years (so, no, The Joy Luck Club isn’t making an entrance), but don’t let that stop you from finding more!

Lee Hui Bing

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