Women’s History Month Movies to Watch

If you’re looking for a movie to mark Women’s History Month in March, look here. We’ve got recommendations for movies that tell the stories of women who’ve broken barriers, lived large, and, time and again, proved their kickass credentials.

All but one of the movies on our curated list is based on, or depicts, the true story of a truly remarkable woman. Every film featured here is streaming now on Paramount+, and is culled from our Women Who Move Mountains Collection, featuring women-fronted and/or women-led movies and shows.

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Must-watch movies for Women’s History Month

1. Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA

What it’s about: Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA is everything its title says it is. It’s the story of actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022). It’s the story of her breakthrough role as Lt. Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series. And it’s the largely untold story of her role in recruiting women and minority groups to NASA’s Space Shuttle program.

Why it matters: A lot of documentaries make the case that they’re telling a story that changed the world, but Woman in Motion, through its interviews with scientists, astronauts, engineers who were inspired to pursue NASA careers because of Nichols, definitively proves its argument. This is a great movie about a great woman.

WATCH NOW: Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA

EXPLORE NOW: The Star Trek Collection

2. Frida

What it’s about: Frida is the Oscar®-winning 2002 biopic of the singular Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).

Why it matters: A passion project of Salma Hayek, who produces and plays Kahlo, Frida is a Hollywood stunner, visually and emotionally. Hayek’s team, led by director Julia Taymor, is top-notch. Their work earned six Oscar® nominations, including one for Hayek’s performance, and brought home wins in two categories (for makeup and original score).

WATCH NOW: Frida

3. June

What it’s about: June is a revelatory documentary about June Carter Cash (1929-2003), the singer, songwriter, and lifelong entertainer by way of the Carter Family whose story has been obscured by the long shadow of the “Man in Black,” her third husband Johnny Cash.

Why it matters: After Walk the Line and so many other hagiographies about Johnny Cash, June does a great job at training the spotlight on the country-folk legend that was June Carter Cash. Like any great film about a musician, June doesn’t just tell it’s subject story, it shows you her creative process.

WATCH NOW: June

4. The Eternal Memory

What it’s about: A decorated favorite on the film-festival circuit, The Eternal Memory is an intimate 2023 documentary about a prominent couple in Chile: Augusto Góngora, a journalist, is the husband who’s slipping away from Alzheimer’s disease; Paulina Urrutia, an actress and former state minister, is the wife who’s taken on the role of constant caregiver.

Why it matters: The Eternal Memory is a meditation on love, devotion – and the hard, unrelenting work that Urrutia does, that so many women do.

WATCH NOW: The Eternal Memory

5. Babylon

What it’s about: Though the only film on our list not based on a true story, writer/director Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is inspired by many real Hollywood stories during the industry’s transition from silent films to “talkies.” It’s no stretch to see Margot Robbie’s Nellie LaRoy as a stand-in for the likes of Clara Bow, the silent-film star who lost her voice as a pop-culture force when the sound era began.

Why it matters: In a film filled with epic set pieces, Robbie delivers an epic performance – of ambition, determination, and desperation. Her Nellie LaRoy is the very loud voice for every actress of any era who’s been silenced by Hollywood.

WATCH NOW: Babylon

Bonus picks: Shows to watch for Women’s History Month

Don’t stop at watching five movies for Women’s History Month. When you have an active Paramount+ subscription (any plan), you can stream women-led shows like Matlock starring Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall, Lioness starring Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, The Good Fight starring Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald. When you have a subscription to the Paramount+ Premium plan, you can stream all seasons of the SHOWTIME® drama Yellowjackets. (You can stream select seasons with any plan.) Explore the Women Who Move Mountains Collection year-round to find more shows and movies.