Beyond Bechdel

Just like buses, not a peep for years and then two episodes come along at once! Join Contrarah, Jen and Chris as they assess the huge number of films that came out in 2025 and how their Top Ten lists may not reflect what the Academy nominated as Best Picture. We bet you'll find something here that you like. beyondbechdelsite.wordpress.com

Do not adjust your headphones, we are back in your feed! Beyond Bechdel returns in a time of need, we think the Academy has it wrong about the best films of 2025! Join Contrarah, Jen and Chris as they rank their top lists of 2025 movies, and make the case for why these films should have been nominated for Oscars.

OH NO WHITE MAN PRIVILEGE ALERT! Correct, this is an episode about a TV show produced by a white, straight, male showrunner, BUT it's different, we promise. The Premise is a new comedy anthology on Disney+ (shocking) looking at our pre-conceived ideas about gender, morality, race and sex and turning them on their heads to hopefully bring empathy, education and thought to our polarised times. Contr...

We're back! And here with a look at the new age of Hard Sci-Fi . Is it new? Is it good? Is it female-friendly? How hard, is hard?  We answer all these questions and a whole lot more in the episode focused on Denis Villeneuve's new movie and Apple TV's new series, based on not-so-new IP.  Please rate, subscribe, review and always USE THE VOICE!

We invite back the delightful and witty Courtney Hodgkiss (https://twitter.com/courtneyishere) to talk movies that are so awe-inspiring, breathtaking, maddening and emotional that you can't stop yourself shouting about them to anyone who'll listen. We came up with ten, count em, TEN movies that fit the bill - using various weird sub-categories and went to town talking about the joy and pain of the...

You're minding your own business, watching classic movies, movies that won Best Picture at the Oscars, and then you stop, and think...does this film glamourise child prostitution?! Nick and Contrarah take a look at three classic films from yesteryear examining them through a 2021 lens. They are well-made and were financially and critically successful, but the plots and focus on social convention d...

We are back in the cinema with a big, bold action movie that celebrates sound and champions hearing loss - A Quiet Place: Part 2 .  Join Contrarah for an episode about what the film represents, if it's any good and how Millicent Simmonds is its runaway star. This episode contains SPOILERS in certain places, so please consult the running order below if you don't want to be spoiled. 00:00 - 01:...

This episode delves into Hollywood history and the fascinating back story surrounding the 1977 Oscar-winning movie Julia . Based on the memoirs of playwright Lillian Hellman and starring Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, Julia is a strange and thrilling story about Hellman's real life brush with espionage and German fascism...or is it?  After the film was released and won 3 Oscars (including f...

Filmmaker Ella Greenwood packed in a lot in the last couple of years. She made an award-winning short film about her struggles with teenage mental health issues ( Faulty Roots ), she made an animated film to bring those discussion topics to a younger audience ( Dreary Days ), she started working on her next film Self Charm with the award-winning Bukky Bakray and she was announced as one of the For...

Ah 2020, a great year for health, positivity, movies.... in the immortal words of Thor, is it, though?  Contrarah researched what movies we went to see at the cinema and on streaming services, and some interesting trends emerged.  Did we choose movies to watch because they were the best? Or because they were the best available? Or because they were simply, available?  Let us know wh...

This is a real treat of an episode for anyone wanting tips on how to find work in cinema, and for anyone who loves Paris (that's everyone, surely?) Contrarah is joined by director, actress, writer and film festival producer Jenna Suru to talk about the Paris International Film Festival and her film career, including her feature L'Age D'or (The Golden Age), and film reviewer, content creator a...

Now that we have your attention... In honour of (and a little bit in spite of) IWD we made an episode about the women who inspire us  - every day - across the arts. Contrarah asked filmmakers Becky Lima-Matthews (Becky-matthews.com) and Jen Francis (Sassy Jam Productions) to come talk, champion and celebrate women in multiple fields and they delivered! Our choices cover producing, writing, gaming,...

To celebrate and commemorate LGBTQ History Month (in the UK) we take a look at lesbian cinema, focusing on movies that put gay relationships front and centre. Join Contrarah and Nick as they discuss what's good and bad about films made in the 1960s, the 2010s and right now in 2021, and the complexities of putting queer stories about women on screen. 

We turn our attention to Wandavision, the mystery box show that everyone is talking about and nobody fully understands. If you have a passing interest in the new Disney+ show but don't have the energy to find out what's happening, let Contrarah do the hard work for you. She sets out why it's such a female-friendly show, then gives an episode by episode recap for the first five episodes (both parts...

Welcome to a new era...of (hopefully) better, kinder government.  The film industry has seen its fair share of political scandal and Contrarah wonders if we can learn lessons from movies, especially those made many years ago. We discuss 5 movies spanning a period of worldwide political upheaval from the 1940s all the way to end of the last century, and find an uncanny resonance with what's ha...

2021! A new year and a renewed opportunity to get excited about the Academy Awards! Kinda... Soon the Academy will be implementing a new set of diversity and inclusion rules, which can't come soon enough.  Kristin Janssen - podcast host of So...I'm Watching this Show joins Contrarah to break down the rules and talk about the films she loves and loathes, many of which wouldn't be eligible for...

This is part 3 of a now 4-part series (screw chronology) because Mank is a movie with so many layers it demands its own episode!  While David Fincher is definitely not the greatest closet feminist of all time, Mank says a lot about Hollywood hierarchies, gender roles, politics and numerous power battles. It's a masterpiece, and requires an explainer. So Contrarah and Nick watched both Mank and Cit...

Yeah, yeah 2020 is a living hellscape...but...is it though?   The prestige TV world is booming and this year we were able to enjoy some of the best shows around. Also, we could finally concentrate on listening to the music behind these big shows.  Music can be very subjective, as Contrarah found out, when a tweet called one of her favourite 2020 TV songs THE MOST ANNOYING! (she hasn...

In Part 2 of this series, we're still to determine whether David Fincher is the greatest closet feminist of all time?  In this period Fincher starts to utilise a range of female characters, takes a view on disability and even hires some (read: a few) people of colour.  But we cannot deny that the brilliantly dark auteur treats people as people, and that's to be commended.  Come list...

Is David Fincher the greatest hidden feminist of all time? Unlikely, but his movies appeal to all of our darker desires. Join us on a poorly lit but beautifully sounding journey through the director's back catalogue, and then decide for yourself: Fincher - friend or foe of film feminism?

This episode is devoted to the superhuman acting capabilities of Cush Jumbo . It's also a teaser for our London Film Festival 2020 coverage - this year's festival is full of thought-provoking movies made by filmmakers with something to say. Clips in the episode are from: Herself - Dir. Phyllida Lloyd Undine - Starring Paula Beer Reggae music doc (which inspired Lovers Rock - Dir. Steve McQueen) In...

We have a legal theme for this episode, asking: how is the law serving women on screen?  Contrarah analyses a new Netflix show that might be doing more harm than good, followed by a quick retrospective of a legal titan . You want to lay down the law? Contact us at  beyondbechdel.com Tweet us  Send us an email   "You can disagree without being disagreeable."

You know when you feel all the feelings, including thinking two alternative beliefs at the same time? Like.... Me : I hate this show, it's so trashy/horrifying/boring! Also me : I love this show it's the best ever, I can't look away!! That's what this episode is about. Send us your conflicting opinions: https://twitter.com/Beyond_Bechdel and beyondbech@gmail.com and beyondbechdel.com

A special bonus episode about the film that is going to 'save cinema'. Contrarah has braved TENET twice so she and Nick (a one-time slightly confused viewer) review and breakdown Christopher Nolan's latest complex and controversial spy caper.  NOTE: The episode is broken down into a 1) non-spoiler section, 2) a full detailed plot analysis and 3) spoiler-filled discussion. See time codes below: 00:...

While we work on season 3, let's look at some things we love, and some that we loathe. In this episode: reading matter!