Now more than ever, film and television audience are in love with thrillers and shows that revolve around strong-willed women, who project fierceness and sassiness in their on-screen dealings.
Throw it back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, where iconic starlet Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell played showgirls and best friends, who took their destinies into their own hands by marrying rich men in the 1953 classic ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. The film’s well laced layers about survival, reinvention, remorse and fun transcend into modern day feminism.
In the Shirley Frimpong-Manso directed series ‘Shampaign’, Joselyn Dumas triumphs above the regular order of resistance and opposition to become the first female president of Ghana, while battling her own personal demons. Trademarked as one her best roles yet, the character, Naana Akua Quansah stationed Dumas into the halls of strong-willed female leads admirable to watch.
On a similar footing in ‘Lionheart’, Genevieve Nnaji’s stealing performance as Adaeze, heir apparent to the Lionheart Group of Companies very well intercepted the blinds of male dominance in the corporate circle, while echoing female power making it a more relatable piece of work. This led to the purchase of the film by Netflix. The excitement of the deal was not just linked to the fact that an international body such as Netflix has come to Africa, but also on the basis that a woman spearheaded such negotiation. The move marked a momentous moment for all in the Africa Movie Industry.
Lots of pictures and shows continue to showcase the force and resilience that female characters wield on screen. Their impactful roles spark national conversations, while calving the girl-child’s ambition on a much appreciative level.
On standby for a big release is Kemi Adetiba’s ‘King of Boys’ sequel and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s ‘The Woman King’, which stars Oscar winners Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o.
On our watch list this weekend, we celebrate some of the bold, fierce and captivating female leads that made our films and shows binge-worthy.
FILMS
‘THE IRON LADY‘
SYNOPSIS: An aged Margaret Thatcher gets nostalgic as she empties her late husband Denis’s wardrobe. She struggles to come to terms with her husband’s passing while also recollecting her political journey.
DIRECTOR: Phyllida Lloyd
POWER WIELDER: Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Hulu
‘LIONHEART’
SYNOPSIS: Looking to prove her worth, a woman steps up to the challenge to work with her crude and eccentric brother when her father, Chief Ernest Obiagu is forced to take a step back due to health issues.
DIRECTOR: Genevieve Nnaji
POWER WIELDER: Genevieve Nnaji (Adaeze Obiagu).
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘WIDOWS‘
SYNOPSIS: Following the loss of their respective husbands in a police shootout, the widows of these criminals come together to execute a robbery that their partners were planning.
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen
POWER WIELDERS: Viola Davis (Veronica Rawlings), Cynthia Erivo (Belle), Elizabeth Debicki (Alice) and Michelle Rodriguez (Linda)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime Video
‘GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES‘
SYNOPSIS: Lorelei, a showgirl, decides to go out on a trip to Paris with her friend Dorothy, before her wedding with the rich Gus Esmond. Her father-in-law sends a private detective to keep an eye on her.
DIRECTOR: Howard Hawks
POWER WIELDERS: Marilyn Monroe (Lorelei Lee), Jane Russell (Dorothy Shaw)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+
‘KING OF BOYS’
SYNOPSIS: King of Boys follows the story of Alhaja Eniola Salami, a businesswoman and philanthropist with a checkered past and a promising political future.
DIRECTOR: Kemi Adetiba
POWER WIELDER: Sola Sobowale (Eniola Salami)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘LEGALLY BLONDE‘
SYNOPSIS: Elle’s boyfriend breaks up with her for a smarter girl as he plans to become a politician and joins Harvard law school. Elle gets enrolled in the same school in an effort to teach him a lesson.
DIRECTOR: Robert Luketic
POWER WIELDER: Reese Witherspoon (Elle Woods)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
TV SHOWS
‘SUITS’
SYNOPSIS: Mike Ross, a talented young college dropout, is hired as an associate by Harvey Specter, one of New York’s best lawyers. They must handle cases while keeping Mike’s qualifications a secret.
SHOW STEALER: Gina Torres (Jessica Pearson)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
‘MRS. AMERICA‘
SYNOPSIS: As feminists from all across the American subcontinent rally to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, Phylis Schlafly, a conservative activist, opposes it.
SHOW STEALER: Cate Blanchett (Phyllis Schlafly)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Hulu
‘SHAMPAIGN’
SYNOPSIS: A young and single mother of an eighteen year old boy seeks to run for the highest office in the country, and to be Ghana’s first female President.
SHOW STEALER: Joselyn Dumas (Naana Akua Quansah)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Sparrow Station
‘HOUSE OF CARDS‘
SYNOPSIS: Frank Underwood is a Democrat appointed as the secretary of state. Along with his wife, he sets out on a quest to seek revenge on the people who betrayed him while successfully rising to supremacy.
SHOW STEALER: Robin Wright (Claire Underwood)
AVAILABLE TO WATCH: Netflix
