15 Films to Watch in 2026 That Are Not Directed By Men
Subtle agendas are for cowards.
Make watching more movies from woman and non-binary directors one of your resolutions in 2026. Here are fifteen films coming this year to put on your calendar.
Not to be dramatic, but in my humble opinion it’s kind of your civic duty. Actually, let’s be dramatic about it. Most importantly, films from women and non-binary directors dipped in 2025, and I’d like to avoid that happening ever again.
The state of the world is dire. Making sure to diversify your viewing habits is kind of the least you can do and one of the more enjoyable ways to stay on the right side of history. You don’t have to like every one of these movies. You probably won’t! But you might.
The Chronology of Water
Director: Kristen Stewart
Release date: January 9
Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut had oodles of festival success and a limited release in 2025, but will reach more eyeballs in 2026. So let’s count it as the first of the year to watch out for! The film is based on the life and memoir of competitive swimmer and writer Lidia Yuknavitch, portrayed by Imogen Poots. Stewart won the Rising Star Director Award at the Savannah Film Festival and the Maverick Award at the IndieWire Awards among other accolades including two nominations at Cannes Film Festival.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director: Nia DaCosta
Release date: January 16
Little Woods, Candy Man, and The Marvels director Nia DaCosta, who received critical acclaim in 2025 with Hedda, is already back with the continuation of the sequel to this zombie franchise. The film centers around a post-apocalyptic cult lead by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell. The members all call themself “Jimmy” or some variation of dear their leader’s name, and their look is inspired by Jimmy Savile, a real person with a deeply harrowing history that the folks in this story likely never uncovered. Isn’t it great how movies like this find ways to make the zombies the least creepy element?
“Wuthering Heights“
Director: Emerald Fennell
Release date: February 13
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is definitely up to stuff. We just won’t know what exactly until midway into Q1. Your milage may vary with Fennell’s films. Promising Young Woman, Saltburn, and her tenure showrunning the second season of Killing Eve were divisive in their own ways. Personally, I can’t wait to see what she has up her frilly sleeves with this adaptation of Emily Brontë’s tempestuous novel. I need to know what Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Shazad Latif, Hong Chau, and Alison Oliver get into.
Undercard
Director: Tamika Miller
Release date: February 27
Wanda Sykes stars in this sports drama as a former boxer and current trainer seeking to reconnect with her son. Undercard was co-written by director Tamika Miller and Anita M. Cal. The film has won several audience awards at film festivals already, including the Newport Beach Film Festival and the St. Louis International Film Festival. In addition to commercials, shorts, and music videos, Miller also directed a few episodes of Station 19 and The Equalizer.
The Bride!
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Release date: March 6
There are a few reasons to be hyped for this. First, this is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second feature film after 2021’s Academy Award-nominated The Lost Daughter. Second, it stars The Lost Daughter‘s own Jessie Buckley who is *knock on wood* very likely to be nominated for an Oscar again in 2025 for Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. Third, it’s a friggin’ musical about the Bride of Frankenstein with Christian Bale as the creature and… dare I say it… Harley Quinn vibes. Folie à WHO?!
For Worse
Director: Amy Landecker
Release date: March 6
*Ahem* as a former theatre kid, I absolutely have my eye on this romantic comedy about a divorcee who enrolls in an acting class that leads to a relationship with a younger man, an epic crashout, and then presumably enlightenment. Zip zap zop will do that! Landecker stars in the film as well alongside her IRL husband, Bradley Whitford and an impressive ensemble cast that includes Nico Hiraga, Gaby Hoffman, Ken Marino, Kiersey Clemons, Carlos Valdes, Liv Hewson, Simon Helberg and Missi Pyle.
Reminders of Him
Director: Vanessa Caswill
Release date: March 13
This is one of two Colleen Hoover adaptations coming in 2025, but the only one with a woman director. Hoover also co-wrote the screenplay with Lauren Levine. The romantic drama revolves around a grieving ex-convict (to put it… maybe a little too succinctly) and stars Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, and Rudy Pankow. You might also be interested in tuning in to Country music singer (and Yellowstone actor) Lainey Wilson’s film acting debut.
Slanted
Director: Amy Wang
Release date: March 13
A “careful what you wish for” body horror comedy about a Chinese-American teenager who wants to be prom queen. She undergoes a medical procedure that transforms her into a blonde white girl in order to achieve that goal. Amy Wang’s film won the Grand Jury Prize in the Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW in 2025. Without giving too much away, the film stars Shirley Chen (Dìdi) as the protagonist Joan Huang as well as Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Mckenna Grace, and Amelie Zilber.
You, Me, & Tuscany
Director: Kat Coiro
Release date: April 10
While Marry Me was Kat Coiro’s third feature film as a director, it earned her a permanent place on my list of favorite comedy directors. Helming She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and the pilot episode of Girls5Eva sealed the deal. Her new film stars the very buzzy and charming Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page as two young people who fall in love on an Italian villa. It’s got impulse decisions, mistaken identity, and all the other trappings of a good old-fashioned romantic comedy.
Is God Is
Director: Aleshea Harris
Release date: May 15
Kara Young won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play two years in a row: first, for Purlie Victorious and then for Purpose. You might know her from the Boots Riley series I’m A Virgo, the Kirby vehicle We Strangers, and two episodes of The Punisher. But this film adaptation of Aleshea Harris’ play could potentially help the world see what the New York theatre world has known for years. She’s a killer! The film, which incidentally is a thriller, is about twin sisters who receive a daunting order. Is God Is also stars Mallori Johnson as the other sister, Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox, and more.
Girls Like Girls
Director: Hayley Kiyoko
Release date: June 19
Hayley Kiyoko expanded the viral music video (pictured above) for her song “Girls Like Girls” into a feature film. Expect it to be both musical and romantic. The song is about a girl who steals a dude’s girlfriend. In the music video, the guy got violent; it’ll be interesting to see how the movie expands that part of the story. Girls Like Girls stars Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy as the couple from the song and the video. Other than that, we don’t know too much!
Sense and Sensibility
Director: Georgia Oakley
Release date: September 11
If Wuthering Heights is not your speed, there’s another woman-directed literary adaptation coming in the fall of 2026: Wuthering Heights from indie filmmaker Georgia Oakley. (I’ve also got my eye on Tina Gharavi’s Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day.) The 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, directed by Ang Lee, is pretty dang perfect. Emma Thompson won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay! However, it’s not a competition. The cast, including Daisy Edgar-Jones, George MacKay, Fiona Shaw, Caitríona Balfe, and Frank Dillane is so charming that I will be sat with high expectations.
Practical Magic 2
Director: Susanne Bier
Release date: September 18
It’s been almost 30 years since original movie (pictured above) was released. That’s harrowing news to its cultish fanbase, myself included, because it means we’re all way too old and because a sequel is overdue. Susanne Bier, the director, has received all but the T in EGOT. She is the first woman to win those three awards and a European Film Award to boot. Her films include Bird Box, In A Better World, and Serena. Her television work includes mini-series The Night Manager, The Undoing, and The Perfect Couple.
The Legend Of Aang
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Release date: October 9
Lest we forget animated films, there’s going to be a new Avatar (not that one, obviously) movie this year. The director, Lauren Montgomery, was a storyboard artist on the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender and both a storyboard artist and a supervising producer on the entire Legend of Korra series. She has worked in producing and storyboard roles on countless other animated projects and was the show-runner on the Netflix series Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
Director: Greta Gerwig
Release date: November 26
We get to go back to/see a new take on the cozy fantasy world of Narnia. It’s Greta Gerwig’s follow-up to Barbie. The story is the never-before-adapted-for-the-screen prequel to The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Meryl Streep, who worked with Gerwig in Little Women (pictured above), is potentially the voice of the messianic lion, Aslan. This doesn’t not sound like the makings of a major hit/obsession.
Moonglow
Director: Isabel Sandoval
Release date: TBD
There’s a chance that this film won’t get released this year, even though it will have its film festival premiere in February. That’s just kind of how it goes with independent films. Distribution can sometimes take an annoying amount of time. However, I’m so eagerly looking forward to Sandoval’s latest feature film, a 70s noir romantic thriller, that I want to flag it juuuuuuust in case it gets released at some point in 2026. In the meantime, please watch her lush, pro-yearning romantic drama Lingua Franca.
I also have my eye out for an ensemble comedy from director Kay Cannon and writer Taylor Jenkins-Reid called My Ex-Friend’s Wedding. It will star Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose, Liza Koshy, Meg Stalter, and Chloe Fineman. It’s about four old friends who, following the advice of a drunken voicemail they all received, team up to break up their former bestie’s wedding. Could be fun! There’s a lot to look forward to in 2026 when it comes to women in film. We just gotta lock in and pay attention.
(featured image: Warner Brothers)
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