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9 Triple F Rated Movies

Movies directed by a woman, written by a woman, featuring significant women on screen

By Wade WainioPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
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Let's look at 9 "Triple F" rated movies. What does "Triple F" mean? It denotes films directed by a woman, written by a woman, while featuring significant women on screen . You'll surely find some of these movie superior to others, but they all qualify as "Triple F." Don't worry: A few of these movies might be considered masterpieces.

1. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

The deadly "male gaze" from a female director? It definitely happens in Amy Holden Jones's The Slumber Party Massacre, which never shies away from creepily looking at the female body. In fact, this film probably out-sleazes the average Friday the 13th movie in that regard, and is hardly any better than those films in other respects, either. Nevertheless, this movie technically meets the 'Triple F" criteria, even though plenty of feminists would protest its maniacal violence, primarily against women.

Oddly enough, the screenwriter for this movie is Rita Mae Brown, a founder of The Furies Collective, a feminist group which maintained: "Lesbianism is not a matter of sexual preference, but rather one of political choice which every woman must make if she is to become woman-identified and thereby end male supremacy."

How is The Slumber Party Massacre actually feminist? Your guess is as good as mine. It's mostly just a run-of-the-mill, few-holds-barred, T&A-filled, 1980s slasher movie. If that's not enough, there's also no real mystery in the plot. In fact, even the first Friday the 13th had stronger elements of mystery to it! It really is just some random nutcase going around killing people, often with a drill (no spoiler alert needed).

In a way, though, slasher movies (whether feminist or not), significantly misrepresent murder. In actuality, a huge chunk of murder victims are male. "According to the data given by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, worldwide, 78.7% of homicide victims are male, and in 193 of the 202 listed countries or regions, males were more likely to be killed than females.” You probably wouldn't get that impression from most horror films (or standard feminist literature). That political stuff aside, The Slumber Party Massacre stars Michele Michaels, Robin Stille, and Michael Villella.

2. Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Far different from The Slumber Party Massacre, Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry remains a solid movie from 1999. It's based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a trans man who faced death threats, eviction, and ultimately rape and murder for being different in Humboldt, Nebraska. Hilary Swank is compelling as Brandon, and no doubt introduced many to the issues one may face as a transgendered person.

Frankly, if you were a genuinely transphobic person who watched this and feel the exact same way afterward, you're probably not that great of a person. Chloë Sevigny plays Brandon's love interest, Lana Tisdel, and the movie also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Jeannetta Arnette, Matt McGrath.

3. Monster (2003)

Patty Jenkins knocked it out of the park with Monster, as did Charlize Theron as prostitute-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Quite simply, she deserved her Academy Award for Best Actress. Like Boys Don't Cry, Monster is also based on a true story, although some elements were fictionalized. The film was (and still is) controversial for some because, honestly, it does depict Wuornos in a sympathetic light. Nevertheless, it never goes so far as to excuse all of her behavior. At most, it shows a few key moments that helped drive her over the edge into becoming a killer. Monster is a bleak film, but the life of Aileen Wuornos was itself bleak much of the time.

On that note, you may wish to watch Nick Broomfield's documentary, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, as a companion piece to get an inkling of how rough her past truly was. While not letting Aileen off the hook, it can act as a reminder that some monsters are at least partially crafted by society. One last note: In the Broomfield documentary, he actually visits Aileen's mother in Michigan, in a town that's 12 miles away from me. In other words, some true stories are oddly close to home! Honestly, when I first watched Monster, I had no idea of the significant local link to Aileen's story, yet I still found it a great film.

4. The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Mary Harron's The Notorious Bettie Page looks at ⁠— you guessed it ⁠— the "notorious" pin-up model, Bettie Page. Gretchen Mol does a great job performing as Betty, who was both a bondage model and a devout Christian. The movie also stars Chris Bauer as Irving Klaw, who ran a fetish photography side-business with his sister, Paula (Lili Taylor).

David Strathairn also appears as Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver, who investigated the (real or imagined) deleterious effects of pornography on the youth. The Notorious Bettie Page is by no means an intense picture. It does not seek to exaggerate itself for social or political effects. In that sense, it has the feel of a realistic documentary, despite being a fictionalized portrayal.

5. Persepolis (2007)

Based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, Satrapi and Paronnaud's Persepolis is a one-of-a-kind tale. It's about Marjane's coming-of-age during the Iranian Revolution. Its animation style is also striking. To me, it's a letdown that this movie was defeated by Ratatouille during the 2007 Academy Awards. Still, one supposes a story about a rat chef is more captivating and meaty than one girl facing the startling changes imposed by Islamic fundamentalists.

As I've stated about this film before: "It’s impressive that someone in Michigan (like me) can almost feel transported to Iran (and beyond) through animation. I almost felt...like I was there, seeing the world through her eyes, understanding her unique concerns. Not every film can manage that."

6. Winter's Bone (2010)

Debra Granik's Winter's Bone isn't the easiest movie to understand, let alone describe. Even weirder, it's not a particularly mysterious movie. However, it's conveyed in a manner that exposes the epic nature of a girl, Ree (Jennifer Lawrence), looking for her criminal father, Jessup. It's rumored that Jessup either skipped town or was killed, due to his involvement in meth.

The problem is, Jessup put their house up as part of his bond deal. Basically, Ree ends up having to prove that her father is dead in order to keep the house! While some people criticize this movie, it's actually a rather compelling look at poverty and the uniquely epic events which shape real people's lives, perhaps forever. Basically, Ree becomes an almost epic adventurer in an environment not often portrayed as grand. This makes Winter's Bone a truly unique and unconventional film.

7. The Babadook (2014)

Like The Blair Witch Project or It Follows, Jennifer Kent's The Babadook almost seems designed to be polarizing. It's an exploration of a mother (Essie Davis) and son (Noah Wiseman) increasingly at odds with each other. It's either due to a haunted pop-up book called The Babadook or the mother's declining mental health — provoked by the continual strain of her son's own annoying and increasingly dysfunctional behavior (and trust me, that kid is annoying as hell). Of course, these are just a few possible interpretations. The Babadook is one of those movies you'll either love or hate, with few finding a point in between. You may want to give this one a chance, though, just to see where you stand.

8. Raw (2016)

Julia Ducournau's Raw explores the descent of vegetarian Justine (Garance Marillier) into meat-eating, and beyond. The result is a bizarre, gross-out horror film that examines different appetites a person might have. Though this movie has substantial acclaim, it's guaranteed to not be for everyone, as there are themes of psycho-sexual cannibalism scattered throughout. There are also plainly implausible story elements here and there, which are best appreciated as non-literal (or symbolic). Raw also stars Ella Rumpf and Laurent Lucas.

9. Revenge (2017)

Before playing Simonetta Vespucci in the series Medici: Masters of Florence, you might have seen Matilda Lutz play Jen in Coralie Fargeat's Revenge. Accurately described as a "rape and revenge action horror film" by Wikipedia, this movie is like "Raw" in that it's best to regard it non-literally. Why?

Frankly, there are a few key moments where suspension of disbelief is highly necessary, if not mandatory. Could Jen have really survived the initial murder attempt against her? Probably not. Still, as she does her absolute best to enact vengeance upon her victimizers, she becomes more of a symbol of all such victims fighting back. In that sense, Revenge is a valiant effort, even if ultimately far-fetched. Is it a dish best served cold? I don't know, but I know it also stars Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, and Guillaume Bouchède.

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About the Creator

Wade Wainio

Wade Wainio writes stuff for Show Snob, Undead Walking, Pophorror.com, Vents Magazine and Haunted MTL. He is also an artist, musician and college radio DJ for WMTU 91.9 FM Houghton.

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