14 Films About Female Friendship to Watch this Valentine’s Day
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Valentine’s Day is the most beloved and dreaded holiday of the year, loaded with the mixed emotions dependent on one’s relationship status. While there is an abundance of amazing romantic content out there right now – from the TV adaptation of One Day to the new steamy rom-com Upgraded – for many that’s the last type of film they’re in the mood for watching on cupid’s day.
So why limit the most loving day of the year to romance?
Yes, your partner may pay for your dinner, but will they do absolutely anything for you like your crew? Like help you cover up the murder of your boss? Or turn in a serial killer to break you out of jail the day before your high school graduation? I didn’t think so.
Iconic female friendships in film have boasted some of the most joyful, playful, and thoughtful movies for decades, and these films are no exception.
For the folks craving a more platonic vibe for a movie night-in, we’ve curated a list of the funniest, most tear-jerking, self-affirming, female-loving films from the ‘80s to last year.
Someone Great (Netflix)
Gina Rodriguez shines in this rom-com as Jenny, a music journalist who has just been dumped by her long-term boyfriend. Determined to have an epic send-off before she leaves New York City for her new job, she enlists the help of her two best friends, Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow), for a bender they’ll never forget. This film is surprisingly earnest despite its wild party backdrop, depicting the end of a romantic relationship in a refreshingly tender light. A major theme of the film is how necessary strong friendships are as we navigate not only our love lives in the early stages of adulthood but also our careers. It even takes a stab at the pains of growing up. I would have a tissue box ready for this one.
Bridesmaids (Prime Video)
An early 2000s comedy classic (anyone else suffering from the bathroom scene living rent free in their heads? No? Just me?), Bridesmaids follows Annie (Kristen Wiig), a single woman whose own life is already in shambles when her old friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) asks that she be the maid of honor at her wedding. Despite struggling romantically and financially, Annie travels cross-country and faces her responsibilities head-on, shelling out hundreds of dollars and putting up with old rivals. With laugh-out-loud moments and impeccable cast chemistry, this film is fun and festive and will always serve as an important reminder: don’t forget to thank the Annie in your life.
Girls Trip (Peacock)
Starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith – need I say more? – Girls Trip follows the Flossy Posse, a friend group composed of a lifestyle guru, a journalist, a nurse and single mother, and a party animal. Despite growing apart over the years, when Ryan the guru gets invited to be a keynote speaker at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, she invites the gang to join her and rekindle their wild side. From pregnancies to promotions to affairs, this film gets into the nitty gritty of what it really means and what it really costs to be a successful woman. Fun-loving and lively, this film does not take itself too seriously but closes out in a satisfying reminder that no one is there for you like your crew.
Frances Ha (Netflix)
If you’ve ever slept on a friend’s couch for a little longer than you think you should have, this film’s for you. Frances Ha follows a New York woman apprenticing for a dance company, hoping to make it in the city as an artist. Fearlessly, Frances (Greta Gerwig) is determined to follow her dreams, though she may not be exactly sure what they are. Relatable and at times cringeworthy, this film captures the complexities of simply living in your 20s, from awkward silences at dinner parties to growing into our long-term friendships.
Joy Ride (Starz)
This comic-studded rom-com follows four friends brought together by their various crossing paths as they venture to China for one friend to close an important deal for her boss. Unsurprisingly, almost everything that can go wrong goes wrong, leaving the women stranded in rural China. Stephanie Hsu, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu each bring a touch of their own comedic genius to this heartfelt story. While there are some silly moments like pretending to be a K-pop group or seducing a men’s basketball team, there are also moments of levity that dig into what it looks like to really support your friends’ dreams even if they’re not your own.
Steel Magnolias (Prime Video)
Set in the 1980s South in Louisiana and adapted from the play of the same name, Steel Magnolias follows an array of women, from a beauty salon owner to a soon-to-be mother of a bride. However, when the new bride has a scary diabetic spell, the women from the local community come together to support each other when they need it most, even if they butt heads at times. Plus, the cast is star-studded starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, and Daryl Hannah. There’s not much more to be said other than: be prepared for lots of laughter and lots of tears. Leave it to your best friend to let you cry on her shoulder one second and threaten to punch another one of your friends a minute later. Tissue box highly recommended.
Booksmart (Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+)
Booksmart follows Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) as they go to their first party to prove that they’re more than the goody-two-shoes they appear to be – and what follows is a night they’ll never forget. Crushes are had, egos are bruised, and friendships are tested – all while being filmed by dozens of drunk high schoolers. Directed by Olivia Wilde, this film really captures the essence of what it’s like to be in high school in the late 2010’s. The friend group troupes are tackled with a surprising refresh, delving into that hyperspecific end-of-the-school-year energy where no lines are drawn between the social circles and everyone comes together for one amazing last night. This one’s for the nerds, the jocks, and the friends who carpool. Let’s be real, it’s for everyone.
Legally Blonde (Max)
An inspiration for fashionistas and law students everywhere, sorority girl Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) gets into Harvard Law school to follow her ex-boyfriend so that he’ll take her back. What? Like it’s hard? While Elle struggles to fit in and be taken seriously by her new peers and professors, she finds solace in her new unexpected girlfriends she meets along the way, including her nail stylist and her ex-boyfriend’s new fiance. Nothing screams female friendships more than becoming best friends and turning against the men that hurt you.
Waiting to Exhale (Hulu)
Celebrated as one of the first wide-release rom-coms featuring an all-Black female cast, including Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston, Waiting to Exhale follows four friends as they navigate the marriages, neighbors, and bachelors in their life. As each of the friends embarks on their own separate escapades, they all come together for the important moments, like birthdays, or New Years, or when they light their husband’s car on fire. Heartfelt but not too serious, this film also has an amazing soundtrack, inspired by the ‘90s R&B radio shows. The four friends spend drunk nights in, vent to each other over the phone, and make time for each other for the most important days of the year, and isn’t that what female friendships are all about?
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+)
In The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, four teenagers keep in touch by writing to each other and sending around a pair of jeans they found that inexplicably fit each of them perfectly. Lena (Alexis Bledel) is visiting her family in Greece; Bridget (Blake Lively) is going to soccer camp in Mexico; Carmen (America Ferrera) is visiting her neglectful father in South Carolina; and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) is staying home in Maryland. Each faced with their own challenges, the teens learn the virtue of independence while still keeping up with your friends. While many of us may not write as many letters these days, texting your friends, whether you’re about to hook up with your soccer coach or just met a hot man in Greece, is a must.
The Joy Luck Club (Paramount+)
Based on the novel by Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club follows four friends and their mothers as they grow up in San Francisco. The film centers around each of the women’s relationships with their mom, tackling themes like intergenerational disconnect and the difficulties of relating to your immigrant parents. All told against the backdrop of a mahjong game played amongst the older ladies, each of the daughters struggle with their careers, their boyfriends, and making their mothers proud. Acknowledged as one of the first major Hollywood films with a predominantly Asian American cast, this film also explores the uncomfortable and comedic blending of American and Chinese culture, like bringing your white boyfriend who can’t use chopsticks to a family dinner. From mothers to daughters to long-lost sisters, this film packs in every iteration of familial and female friendships.
Ocean's 8 (Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+)
A spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series, Ocean’s 8 follows the high-stakes heist of a con artist and her partner in crime who plan to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace during the Met Gala. The casting alone is reason enough to watch this film, starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. Glamorous, clever, and hilarious, this film scratches all the itches of a blockbuster heist with the refreshingly female spin on the sisterhood of con artists. The nuances of these characters make for great comedic moments like Paulson’s character’s children running in on them discussing how they’re going to steal millions of dollars or Bullock’s character conning her way through perfume stores and five-star hotels. They’re nothing short of inspiring; personally, I want to be them when I grow up.
Bend It Like Beckham (Disney+)
Bend It Like Beckham follows two young women who chase careers in professional football (soccer, to be clear) despite their parents’ wishes. Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, this film is light-hearted in tone but still tackles poignant commentary like the South Asian cultural norms amid prejudice the community faces. For those who have survived strict parenting, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching these teens pull off their own heists, not without a couple hiccups along the way. Whether or not you even like football, Bend It Like Beckham is the ultimate comfort watch, while still paying homage to the beautiful game.
9 to 5 (Rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+)
Despite not being as common in film, work friendships can be just as important as our day-to-day friendships, and 9 to 5 knows just that. Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 is a hilarious office satire consisting of a bunch of mishaps and what-ifs. As three women struggle to make their own way in their nine-to-five office job, they quickly bond over their shared hatred for their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigoted boss – a hatred they perhaps take a bit too far. With fun dream sequences and one of the most iconic smoking sessions in cinema, this film tumbled out of bed, tumbled into the kitchen, and tumbled right into our hearts.
