There aren’t that many famous female screenwriters or directors that make movies about men, since, let’s face it – there are enough movies about them as is. However, it’s important to note that some movies about men were made and written by women, and are vastly different from their male-written and directed counterparts. Where men’s writing embraces the machoism and heroism of action heroes, women’s writing might introduce a gentler side; this isn’t common, but it gives male characters on film a much more relatable, vulnerable, and different dimension.
Some of the best movies about men or with male protagonists were written and directed by women, and not those movies where the men are fictional and too good to be true. This deals more with stories like Kathryn Bigelow‘s Point Break, which she didn’t write, only direct, but it turned out relatable to men and women because of her approach. With more interest in stories about men from a woman’s perspective, the cinema world could have more relatable and enjoyable male characters.
8
‘American Psycho’ (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron, Written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner
While American Psycho was originally a novel written by Brett Easton Ellis, the story we all know now was adapted by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner for the screen. Harron and Turner set the novel in the 1980s to emphasize the rise of capitalistic consumerism and the yuppie culture; Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, is one of the best embodiments of this desire for high-rise, corner-office lifestyles any film has seen. Though Luca Guadagnino plans to remake the movie with Austin Butler as the lead, nothing could replicate the atmosphere, style, cinematography, and storytelling Mary Harron used to make American Psycho.
The main character in American Psycho is Patrick Bateman, an investment banker who spends time dining in fancy restaurants, keeping up appearances with his fiancée, and sitting in bars with cigars and whiskeys talking about nothing in particular with his colleagues. Below the polished and incredibly disciplined surface, Patrick forces himself to feel things with each passing event. His thirst for continuously getting and taking more embodies a similar sentiment to today’s men; even if the movie was set in the 80s, it has a lot in common with the current egotistical nature of living in exceptional comfort. Though this quality isn’t reserved for men only, they’re most commonly in positions of power and influence, directly reflecting Bateman’s desire to be in total control of himself and everything else. American Psycho is also satirical, a quality best depicted through Patrick’s inner monologue, and Mary Harron doesn’t portray him with awe; she makes him look like just another narcissistic ego-maniac women have to deal with. Roger Ebert noted it perfectly, saying, “It is their uneasy secret that they make enough money to afford to look important, but are not very important.”
In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. The cast is filled by the detective (Willem Dafoe), the fiance (Reese Witherspoon), the mistress (Samantha Mathis), the coworker (Jared Leto), and the secretary (Chloë Sevigny). This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster.
- Release Date
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April 14, 2000
- Director
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Mary Harron
- Runtime
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101 minutes
7
‘Le Bonheur’ (1965)
Written and Directed by Agnès Varda
Agnès Varda, one of the most influential French directors, always had a knack for creating compelling characters. She wrote and directed Le Bonheur (“Happiness”), a small but powerful movie that by its final (80th) minute feels like a visceral punch in the gut. The protagonist is François (Jean-Claude Drouot), a carpenter with a happy life – he has a wife, Thérèse, and two young kids, and life seems to go perfectly for them. One day, François meets Émilie and begins an affair with her; however, in his mind and emotions, he loves both women equally and can’t focus his attention on only one of them. He even goes to lengths to explain why and how he could enjoy life with Thérèse and Émilie to Thérèse and Émilie.
François’ worldview and attitudes about love are depicted in such a colorful and gentle way, that viewers can try guessing whether Varda is hinting at it all potentially being only a fantasy. The colors, cinematography, and directing are exceptional, with comfort in every frame, which only makes the final twist feel like emotional wreckage. François wants everyone to get along, without the awareness that his actions can, and likely will, cause pain. Not only that, but the movie ends without him understanding the impact of what he did, which hurts the most; it’s an emotional terror wrapped in flowers. Many consider this one of Agnès Varda’s best movies, while some critics have referred to it as horror because of its ending. It leaves things slightly open-ended, with the viewers having to think about what Le Bonheur‘s message really was.
6
‘The Outsiders’ (1983)
Screenplay by Kathleen Rowell, Novel by S.E. Hinton
S.E. Hinton wrote the coming-of-age novel The Outsiders when she was only a teen, and many credit her for originating the young adult genre, though this is still debated. The book was adapted for the screen by Kathleen Rowell, who managed to capture the same nuances of life in poor areas. The Outsiders was controversial upon its release, because of themes of gang violence, suicide, and abandonment; the book’s integrity was also frequently questioned because Hinton was only 16 when she wrote it. However, even today, The Outsiders is mandatory reading for most middle schools because of its empathetic approach towards disadvantaged boys. Hinton’s perspective is the best possible one since she was the same age as her protagonists when she wrote the book, observing boys and their intricate lives in a fight for dominance over other street gangs.
The Outsiders follows conflicts between the affluent kids called Socs (short for socials) and poor kids called Greasers. The protagonist is Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell), a teen greaser and one of three Curtis brothers. He spends time with Johnny (Ralph Maccio), Dallas (Matt Dillon), and Cherry (Diane Lane). However, Cherry is part of the Socs, so conflict arises whenever they’re seen together, with one instance resulting in death. The story focuses on the greaser boys: Johnny has a dysfunctional family life riddled with domestic abuse and often contemplates death; Ponyboy only has his brothers Darry (Patrick Swayze) and Sodapop (Rob Lowe); Dallas prefers to cause trouble and mayhem. This upbringing becomes detrimental for boys who must grow up into men and make decisions later. Their socio-economic status contributes to what they might become, which is hinted at in the novel and the movie.
Set in a small town, a group of underprivileged teenagers known as the Greasers constantly clash with the affluent Socs. The stark contrast in their socioeconomic statuses leads to a tragic chain of events, testing the bonds of friendship and the notion of loyalty among the Greasers.
- Release Date
-
March 25, 1983
- Director
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Francis Ford Coppola
- Runtime
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91 minutes
5
‘Aftersun’ (2022)
Written and Directed by Charlotte Wells
Charlotte Wells‘ directorial debut, Aftersun, is also an autobiographical story. Though many sources say it’s loosely based, Aftersun depicts a girl on the last vacation she had with her dad, and Wells infuses the movie with such emotion that it turns into a love letter to her dad and shows the impact it had on her since childhood. The story is set in the late 90s and follows 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) vacationing in a Turkish resort with her dad Calum (Paul Mescal), who turns 31 while they’re there. The movie is fragmented into dramatic sequences and excerpts from Sophie’s MiniDV recorder, focusing in some parts on Calum’s state of mind.
Though the movie is more about Wells trying to juxtapose Sophie’s memory of Calum with who he really was, this is something many people have in common. Fathers are especially enigmatic to so many of us, growing up and seeing them as stoic and tough men; in Aftersun, Calum is like that for Sophie, but the excerpts that focus on him show his insecurities, frequent ruminations about life, and balancing showing up for Sophie and himself. The movie’s devastating ending leaves a heavy emotion that makes the viewers understand not just how Calum must have felt, but how Sophie sees and feels his departure. Charlotte Wells’ stunning ode to family is also one of the best movies written about men, though Sophie is, for the large part, the real protagonist.
Aftersun
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t…
- Release Date
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October 21, 2022
- Director
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Charlotte Wells
- Cast
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Paul Mescal
, Frankie Corio
, Celia Rowlson-Hall
, Sally Messham - Runtime
-
96 minutes
4
‘You Were Never Really Here’ (2017)
Written and Directed by Lynne Ramsay
Lynne Ramsay is a very particular filmmaker. She understands the balance of horror and drama and has the power to go through those genres by exploring the inner turmoil of her main characters. This was exceptionally shown in You Were Never Really Here, which follows former agent and veteran, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), now a mercenary hired to save a politician’s daughter Nina from a trafficking ring. Joe also cares for his mother, has a traumatic past, and is frequently plagued with suicidal thoughts. With such commendable titles to his name, Joe’s life seems brave and heroic on the outside, but his innermost self is bruised and battered.
Dealing with an awful situation in which the weakest members of society – kids – are targeted, Joe’s past trauma of domestic violence, working as an FBI agent, and the horrors of war follow him everywhere. However, he is allowed to feel that pain, and his quest to save children from trafficking feels like a positive trauma-channeling method. Joe also has gentle moments with his mother, and even becomes a father figure to Nina. His somewhat forcibly created, intense macho persona is framed through the possibility that he can still feel all of his emotions and be gentle with others. This is Lynne Ramsay’s tribute to a man who can’t always handle everything thrown at him but tries his best to be redeemable.
You Were Never Really Here is a psychological thriller directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Joaquin Phoenix. The film follows Joe, a traumatized veteran who makes a living tracking down missing girls. As he becomes entangled in a conspiracy, Joe’s brutal methods and personal demons threaten to consume him. Adapted from Jonathan Ames’ novella, the movie delves deeply into themes of violence and redemption.
- Release Date
-
April 6, 2018
Watch on Amazon Prime
3
‘Leave No Trace’ (2018)
Directed by Debra Granik, Written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
Another movie that follows a father and daughter, Leave No Trace, is Debra Granik‘s exploration of the impact of PTSD on former soldier Will and how his mental health issues affect his daughter Tom. The movie was adapted from Peter Rock‘s novel My Abandonment, which was inspired by a true story about a veteran who lived in Portland’s Forest Park with his daughter. Debra Granik adapted the screenplay with Anne Rosellini, who worked together on Winter’s Bone, and though their screenplay gives both the father and daughter their inner turmoil, the performances by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie make the story a lot more powerful.
Leave No Trace follows Will (Ben Foster) and Tom (Thomasin McKenzie), father and daughter who live in Portland’s Forest Park. Tom is a well-educated girl thanks to her father Will, who is a PTSD-riddled war veteran surviving on welfare checks. When an accidental runner sees them living in nature, Social Services picks up Will and Tom, taking them to a community where they can live and Will can work. However, Will’s trauma doesn’t allow him to spend time among people or exist within societal confines. His major instinct is to run, which disallows Tom from having a fairly normal and social life; his issues reflect on her, which is something she notes to him later on. The life of so many veteran men is often pushed aside. Leave No Trace questions how much people are willing to reject someone like that, and how far mental health issues can push people into self-isolation. Ben Foster performs a career-best in his role as Will.
A father and his seventeen-year-old daughter are living an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon when a small mistake derails their lives forever.
- Release Date
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June 29, 2018
- Runtime
-
109 Minutes
2
‘Enough Said’ (2013)
Written and Directed by Nicole Holofcener
Less traumatizing and more heartwarming, Enough Said has one of the most likable and realistic male protagonists in any romantic comedy. Nicole Holofcener covered more than just a likable romantic interest; she also wrote a movie about dating in middle age and after a divorce. She based Enough Said on her own life, partially, and got James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus to star. The movie follows a divorcee and mother, Eva (Louis-Dreyfus), who is a masseuse and has regular clients, one being the chatty poetry writer Marianne (Catherine Keener). Eva and Marianne become fast friends, but when Eva is set up on a date with divorced, teen-girl father Albert (James Gandolfini), she realizes he is Marianne’s ex-husband.
Nicole Holofcener manages to create realistic characters who are very easy to slip into for actors. They have self-doubts and insecurities, but are ultimately good people who want to connect; this imperfect portrayal is a perfect way to introduce one of the best male characters on film. James Gandolfini plays Albert, and though this movie technically isn’t about him, it does focus on him as the object of desire and scrutiny. Eva is just a woman who doesn’t want to be alone or hurt again, so she analyzes and compares this man who doesn’t seem to have many faults. Gandolfini’s Albert is sensitive and vulnerable when he has to be, showing a soft heart underneath a harsh stature. Gandolfini shines in what many critics referred to as his best movie role; he also died just before the movie was released, so Holofcener dedicated Enough Said to him.
Enough Said
A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she’s interested in learns he’s her new friend’s ex-husband.
- Release Date
-
October 11, 2013
- Director
-
Nicole Holofcener
- Runtime
-
93 Minutes
Watch on Amazon Prime
1
‘Beau Travail’ (1999)
Directed and Screenplay by Claire Denis
Beau Travail isn’t only a movie about deconstructing masculinity, but it’s also a rhythmic, visually stunning masterpiece that moves at a hypnotic pace. Claire Denis directed and co-wrote the screenplay for Beau Travail, though the movie was loosely adapted based on a Herman Melville novel. This adaptation lets Denis observe the masculine traits of its characters as a forced construct while showing them off in poetic, somewhat fragile scenery. The movie follows the French Foreign Legion officer Galoup (Denis Lavant) reminiscing about his time as a legionnaire in Djibouti.
Galoup remembers the soldiers in his former squad, their dynamic with the charming Commander Forestier (Michel Subor), and his own irrational anger towards one of the recruits, Sentain (Grégoire Colin). Beau Travail depicts each of its characters as suppressed and emotionally distant, as societal standards instruct. With so many men suffering from mental health issues in silence, this theme manages to take that point seriously, evoking vulnerability from its characters through choreographed training sequences that are gentle, yet sharp and strict. Everything in Beau Travail is at a distance, but fueled by emotions; these emotions are especially tough on Galoup, who can’t seem to understand himself. The army setting furthers the idea of suppressed masculinity, where discipline is integral and often stifling. Claire Denis’ movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to its arthouse style, but it’s a great story about men directed from a pure female gaze.
A former French Foreign Legion officer reflects on his past experiences in Djibouti, focusing on his intense jealousy and rivalry with a younger recruit. As he grapples with his emotions, the tension builds, leading to a dramatic and haunting conclusion.
- Release Date
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May 3, 2000
- Director
-
Claire Denis
- Cast
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Denis Lavant
, Michel Subor
, Grégoire Colin
, Richard Courcet
, Nicolas Duvauchelle
, Adiatou Massudi
, Mickael Ravovski
, Dan Herzberg - Runtime
-
92 Minutes
