These lovely, positive, feelgood, often funny, often sweet, female-led films totally count as chick flicks, or romantic comedies.
And they are for everyone.
They are for all genders, and they are not inferior if their primary target audience happens to be women. They are not inferior if they have a female protagonist. It's 2025. Grow up already.
Also, animated movies can be chick flicks. Unlike my old list, I will not leave any out. I will not leave out animation in anything, unlike so many other film aficionados, critics and experts. Most Disney Princess movies are chick flicks - heck, a lot of Disney movies period are chick flicks. There are Studio Ghibli films that can qualify as chick flicks.
This is my personal favourite chick flick list, that count as such according to me, that anyone can enjoy, and feel nice, light, fluffy, uplifted, and teary when watching them. They have to have at least a bit of a feelgood romantic element to them (and it's not always hetero), as well, excepting a few... or several.
Like with my previous list from 2019, these double as films I find to be less problematic, harmful, lazy, clichéd, patronising, boring and tiresome than your average Hollywood hogwash and BS - in other words, products of systematic misogyny and cishet white supremacy fuelled by capitalism. The films on here don't aim to make women insecure and hate themselves and each other, and they don't make me want to kill myself.
So, enjoy!:
1. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
2. Ever After (1998)
3. Enchanted (2007)
4. Dumplin' (2018)
5. Erin Brockovich (2000)
6. How's Moving Castle (2004)
7. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
8. When Marnie Was There (2014)
9. Hairspray (2007)
10. Chicago (2002)
11. Hidden Figures (2016)
12. I Am Dragon (2015)
13. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
14. Last Christmas (2019)
15. Little Women (2019)
16. Mulan (1998)
17. The Sound of Music (1965)
18. Anastasia (1997)
19. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
20. Battle of the Sexes (2017)
21. Booksmart (2019)
22. Mirror Mirror (2012)
23. Barbie (2023)
24. A League of Their Own (1992)
25. Happiest Season (2020)
26. Turning Red (2022)
27. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
28. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
29. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
30. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
31. Nurse Betty (2000)
32. Lady Bird (2017)
33. Heathers (1989)
34. Selena (1997)
35. Emma (2020)
36. Waitress (2007)
37. Frozen (2013)
38. Cinderella (1950)
39. Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)
40. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
41. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
42. The Princess Diaries (2001)
43. Ice Princess (2005) (RIP Michelle Trachtenberg)
44. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
45. Saving Face (2004)
46. A Greyhound of a Girl (2023)
47. Bad Moms (2016)
48. The Cat Returns (2002)
49. What a Girl Wants (2003)
50. Clueless (1995)
51. Tangled (2010)
52. Charlie's Angels (2019)
53. Last Holiday (2006)
54. Dirty Dancing (1987)
55. Roman Holiday (1953)
56. 9 to 5 (1980)
57. Real Women Have Curves (2002)
58. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
59. Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
60. National Velvet (1944)
61. Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs (2019)
62. The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
63. Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
64. D.E.B.S. (2004)
65. Barbie movies - The Nutcracker (2001), The Magic of Pegasus (2005), The Three Musketeers (2009), The Diamond Castle (2008), The Princess and the Pauper (2004), The Secret Door (2014), Star Light Adventure (2016), and Princess Charm School (2011)
I wondered whether to put Chicken Run on here, to spite one of its taglines, "This ain't no chick flick" (urgh! Why!?). But consider it an honourable mention.
I'll leave off with these parting words from my old list:
The general consensus and attitude concerning what are termed "chick flicks" is: they are inherently inferior and not worth the effort to make any good, because they're for women. This is precisely why they are so many terrible chick flicks to begin with. Be positive, respect your audience's intelligence. Leave them a different person by your film's end, for the better. No stagnancy, no patronising. Filmmaking is filmmaking - gender shouldn't come into it. Gender doesn't matter; it shouldn't affect a story's quality.
Make a nice, comfy, feelgood film that all genders can enjoy.
That's my list. Hope you all have a lovely day.
