Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is the ultimate ‘girl power’ movie we all needed! Going beyond the cotton candy pink extravaganza, the Margot Robbie starrer made us realise that the Mattel doll’s life is so much more than being stuck in a ‘fantastically plastic’ world. When Barbie leaves her utopian ‘Barbie Land’ to enter the real world, it takes viewers on a thought-provoking journey of self-discovery.
Barbie is presented in a fully complex and human form, capturing exactly and authentically what it feels to be like a woman navigating her way in the 21st century patriarchal world designed by and for men. Barbie is a joyful ode to all women, making them heard and seen and more importantly echoing that in the end, we’re all Barbies! If you enjoyed Gerwig’s live-action wonder, let’s take you through similar movies like Barbie that champion girl power like no other!
If you’re looking to hype your spirits with some major on-screen feminism, there are plenty of titles revolving around women, for women (and some of them even by women)! From Reese Witherspoon’s classic rom-com Legally Blonde, Sandra Bullock’s sexist-stereotype-shattering flick Miss Congeniality to another Greta Gerwig masterpiece, Little Women – there’s so much to add to your weekend binge list. Keep reading!
10 movies like Barbie that scream girl power
1. ‘Legally Blonde’ (2001)
Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods has been compared to Barbie ever since the film was released more than two decades ago. While Legally Blonde appears to be a ‘chick flick’ on the surface, our fashionista-turned-lawyer protagonist, Elle Woods, proves there’s so much more than meets the eye as we see her evolve and grow as an individual during the movie.
We’re introduced to Woods, initially shown as a ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype. Things come crashing down for the woman when her boyfriend dumps her before entering law school as he believes she isn’t ‘fit’ to be a politician’s wife. What does Elle do? She enrolls in the same coveted college, Harvard Law School, only to win back her ex-boyfriend.
While her journey begins to win back this ex-flame, we find her soaring high in the world of law with her intelligence and brilliance. The ‘rom-com’ even drops the romantic element halfway through the movie when Elle realises she no longer wants a man who doesn’t respect her. Legally Blonde echoes an important message that just because a woman’s pretty, feminine or ‘blonde’, it doesn’t make them dumb or mere objects to ridicule. It’s a must-watch for all Barbie fanatics!
2. ‘Little Women’ (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s movie adaptation of the acclaimed 1868 novel Little Women demonstrates true girl power with her impeccable female protagonists. While the movie doesn’t boast its signature pink Barbie world, the ensemble cast of Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Meryl Streep and more will light up your day with their blazingly good performances.The movie revolves around the March sisters – four young women striving to lead a life on their own terms.
Facing poverty, with their dad away serving in the Civil War, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth must fend for themselves in the male-dominated world. It’s interesting to see each sister’s different notion of womanhood, the effervescent female spirit, the joy of family and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood interspersed throughout the movie.Additionally, if you love Timothée Chalamet (just like us), you have to watch Little Women ASAP!
3. ‘Miss Congeniality’ (2000)
While Miss Congeniality faced its share of scrutiny for a ‘questionable and problematic’ approach to feminism, the movie beautifully encapsulates the power of female friendships and helps shatter sexist stereotypes. Don’t get us wrong, it’s definitely difficult to gloss over Miss Congeniality’s faults. However, the protagonist’s journey to self-discovery somehow reminds us of Margot Robbie’s character development throughout Barbie.
The movie follows Sandra Bullock’s Gracie Hart, an FBI agent who has to go undercover as a beauty pageant contestant when a terrorist threatens an attack on the event. Our protagonist not only manages to save the day by tossing the bomb-riddled crown away from the crowd but transforms immensely from within. From being an insecure woman filled with anger, Gracie turns into an accepting, confident female who learns how to embrace her body. Her newfound feminism towards the end of the movie is a treat to witness.
4. ‘Mean Girls’ (2004)
Without getting much into the amazingly similar aesthetics of Barbie and Mean Girls, let’s dive into how the latter talks about embracing who you truly are.
Cady is the new girl at North Shore High School, where our ‘supposed’ antagonist and the head of the infamous ‘Plastics’ gang, Regina George, dominates the alley. Regina attunes Cady to her materialistic standards initially and our protagonist falls prey to it leaving her reality behind. However, after the duo’s massive fallout, Cady is struck with epiphany, realising how she has truly harmed herself and those around her by being deeply consumed with a superficial persona that was never meant for her!
Mean Girls strongly put across the message – ‘you do you’. It stresses that you should stop comparing yourself to others, feel ashamed about your flaws and most importantly, support other women rather than elbowing them down!
5. ‘The Princess Diaries’ (2001)
Let’s face it, many of us wanted to be Anne Hathaway‘s Princess Mia growing up! A regular girl who discovers she’s a princess, living a dream life full of sparkly tiaras, endless wardrobes, magnificent palaces and whatnot, leaving us all envied! But is this really at the core of The Princess Diaries? Absolutely not!
The Princess Diaries follows the journey of Mia Thermopolis, a shy and awkward high school girl who always goes unnoticed. As fate would have it, Mia discovers she’s the heir to the throne of a fictional country Genovia. What happens next? We enter the world of royalty and charm, with Mia undergoing a Barbie-like makeover before taking up her royal duties. But she’s not getting swayed away by this superficial world of riches.
Just like in the Barbie movie, we see Mia locking horns with the patriarchal setup. Refusing to enter a loveless marriage just to ensure her ascendency to the throne, Mia changes the entire system by fighting for a change in legislation. She deeply cares for the Genovian people and abides by her duties with full commitment.
The Princess Diaries shatters the notion of a ‘perfect and polished’ princess as we see Mia’s flaws and clumsiness that make her as common as all of us. Mia isn’t the epitome of perfection and well, she doesn’t try to be. She’s a daredevil leader who knows what she’s doing and how she’s doing it.
We’re definitely channelling this energy!Beauty & GroomingTransform into Ken with Ryan Gosling’s ‘Barbie’ workout and diet planBeauty & GroomingChanel your inner Barbie vibes with these top pink lipstick shades
6. ‘Enchanted’ (2007)
Just like how Barbie ventured on a self-discovery journey by entering the real world, Enchanted’s Princess Giselle also starts her soul-searching journey after being pushed out of the dreamy fairyland of Andalasia. Transported to New York City, Giselle finds herself lost in the fast-paced modern life when a divorce lawyer named Robert comes to her rescue.
A (not-so) unexpected romance brews between the two and in a true Disney style, the movie culminates in ‘happily ever after’. Apart from the Disney charm, Enchanted beautifully showcases Giselle’s character development and she sweeps the audience away with her wit, intelligence and bubbly charisma.
7. ’13 Going on 30′ (2004)
Adulting isn’t as rosy and glamorous as our teenage selves imagined, right? That’s exactly what our protagonist, 13-year-old Jenna Rink, realises when she finds herself in the body of a 30-year-old woman. Struck with the reality of adulthood, Jenna realises it’s not so much about what you have, but who you are! Despite having everything her younger self desired – a gorgeous body, dream apartment, envious job, an athlete boyfriend, influential friends and whatnot, Jenna simply wants to go back to her childhood best friend, Matt. Luckily, she tracks him down with hopes of figuring out what has really happened. However, he’s now a grown-up and definitely not the person she knew.
Like in the Barbie movie, Jenna too has to face the real world with nobody to guide her. Will she find her way out of this labyrinth?
8. ‘Aquamarine’ (2006)
A mermaid comes ashore at a Florida beach resort to run away from a forced arranged marriage and prove to her father that true love does exist. Here, she befriends two 13-year-old girls, and they forge a heartwarming bond that sheds light on female friendships and solidarity. Our mermaid, Aquamarine, is forced to adjust to the real world and leave her territory under the sea. Her teenage girl gang makes the transition to the real world easier and even sets out to help her find a worthy mate.
Aquamarine’s poignant message about female friendship makes it more than just a sleazy girl-meets-boy rom-com. Just like Barbie, our protagonist finds her ‘new normal’ and owns it.
9. ‘Bring It On’ (2000)
The fact that a teenage sports comedy can shed light on gender and economic inequalities as well as racism so effortlessly is impressive. The movie is about two rival cheerleading teams toiling hard to take home the national championship trophy.
Both teams have their own battles to overcome. However, they face constant mockery from their peers, partners and family for their cheerleading passion. After all, cheerleading is all about girls rooting with short skirts and crop tops, right?
The movie takes away from this skewed notion and dives into the exemplary skills these women possess. Bring It On reminds you that strong women are to be celebrated and cheered on! It’s also one of the earliest teen flicks that’s ‘woke’ and doesn’t shove the takeaways down your throat.
10. ‘Life-Size’ (2000)
A ‘Barbie movie before Barbie’? Well, that’s what people on social media are calling Life-Size. But why? Let’s take you through the plot. The movie revolves around a young girl Casey, who has recently lost her mom.
Extremely confused and astray in life, the girl decides to try something out of the blue – an attempt to resurrect her mother. However, in a classic case of the spell gone wrong, she brings her doll, Eve, to life.
Eve’s transition to real life is filled with challenges and she tries hard to wrap her head around the drastic differences between the real and the utopian world. Barbie enough? You’ll find many similarities between Barbie and Eve as they struggle to fit into reality. Life-Size will hit you right in the feels with its deep human connection. You can also hop onto the 2018 sequel of Life-Size as the doll comes back to life again.
Hope these Barbie-like movies give you the girl-boss power you needed!