Film and Media

Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Joy Mangano in the 2015 biopic, slaying it on the red carpet. (Credit: Mingle Media TV/ CC) Think about the last movie you watched. It could be one of Netflix’s newest originals or a mainstream Hollywood flick currently showing in theaters. Now think about whether the women portrayed — if any even were. Were they the bosses of companies, or girlfriends to male leads? The movies on this list feature not just female leads, but female entrepreneurs and bosses who had to pull themselves up by their high-heel straps to navigate a man’s world. For every Mark Zuckerberg, there’s a Joy Mangano; for every Jerry Maguire, a J.C. Wiatt. Some of these women are based on real people, while others are completely fictional. But every single one broke gender barriers in the workplace, and they all continue to inspire the next generation of strong and powerful women. Read on for the flicks that'll give your next movie night a serious feminist upgrade. (And, don’t worry — no spoilers will be revealed.) This post, updated for 2026, was first published in April 2019. Candice Helfand-Rogers contributed to the creation of this list.

Film and Media

13 Movies With a Female Lead Who’s a Badass Entrepreneur

The Story Exchange

Film and Media

13 Movies With a Female Lead Who’s a Badass Entrepreneur

The Story Exchange

Follow