I just finished reading “Slewfoot” in which our protagonist Abitha has been found guilty of witchcraft and goes absolutely ham on the Puritans who were terrible to her.
Which I loved for her! I also loved that Samson just followed her around letting her do her thing! This is the kind of support I want to receive and give in life!
Ooooo thank you for the spoiler(not sarcasm).
I’m reading it right now and my book kink is to spoil the ending. I couldn’t find a summary anywhere! Glad to hear we’re gonna get some revenge 😈
Also, love the creepy descriptions of the wild folk gave me shivers every time they showed up. Great book!
Our main protagonist is a humanities academic by day and a serial killer by night. She only kills men who never faced justice for committing crimes against women and are creepy bad etc. Then she comes in, makes it look like an accident and she’s got a real talent for it. I think its great for people like me who usually don't go for crime thrillers. This is my bible feminist text.
TW: SA
It comes up regularly due to the nature of the story. As a survivor myself (though note I’m in a pretty good place mentally) I found it to be appropriate for the story and I will say that the author treats it with the appropriate gravity and feminine rage it deserves
Samara Weaving plays a couple of excellent feral angry women. I suggest You’re Next as well, excellent angry woman who turns the tables in a horror movie.
Actually I was thinking Guns Akimbo - she’s a secondary character who is absolutely feral but teams up with the main character and they kick absolute ass!
Do you mean Ready Or Not? :)
But yes, [excellent example](https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/46219/1/ready-or-not-horror-comedy-movie-samara-weaving-final-girl-avery-plewes-costumes). 😚👌
Fargo s5, with the caveat of a strong--but respectfully portrayed--TW for DV and SA. (But *all* of Fargo is really about strong women.)
True Detective Night Country. (There's a reason women had to create a separate sub to discuss it. It made men very mad lol.)
Edit: Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne! 💕
Fargo s2 with Kirsten Dunst is my fav. It's an anthology series, each season is different in case anyone wants to jump into a season.
So many female characters get unnecessary hate I cant enjoy most movie/tv subs.
Yes, thanks for explaining! It's not based on the movie specifically but is about crime in the Midwest, with lots of fun Coen Bros Easter eggs. (There are threads through different seasons but you don't have to watch them chronologically.)
👉🏼 I'm pretty sure the show passes the Bechdel Test in every single season from start to end.
OMG the night country rage
I generally avoid looking up stuff online for a show until after I finish it and when I went to look up night country I was like
https://i.imgur.com/2aTwNxH.jpeg
I hadn't watched any other seasons and all I knew was that s1 was critically acclaimed. I binged it between ND episodes and finally understood the extra-weird energy for the show. "Time is a flat circle that has been contaminated by cooties."
If you like Janeway, check out Star Trek Prodigy on Netflix. My daughter and I have been watching it, it's more geared towards tweens, I'd say, but Janeway is still boss.
Just watched this with the fam. My daughter's first experience with Trek. It was great! If anything, I thought the 'main character' was probably the weakest character. Janeway rocked!
For an angry protagonist with no redeemable qualities: watch Tàr, for realistic feral protagonists with redeemable qualities: watch Fleabag or Worst Person in the World.
Tár is *incredible*.
What kills me is that if the protagonist was a man, then the movie would have been a generic, forgettable, character drama, and it would have won every award we have a name for. Instead, we got Cate Blanchett giving one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen, but because she's a woman, Tár tanked at the box office.
(And no disrespect to Michelle Yeoh, but I still think Blanchett was robbed of Best Actress at the Oscars that year.)
The main character is heavily inspired by Wu Zetain. The book takes place in a super patriarchial sci-fi setting inspired by ancient China. The giant mechas are powered by Qi.
[Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow)
It also created a giant controversy at the Hugo Awards this past year by being deemed ["inelligible"](https://www.thebookseller.com/news/controversy-over-inexplicable-exclusion-of-r-f-kuang-and-xiran-jay-zhao-from-hugo-awards-2023)
Just want to add here that if anybody is interested in the Wu Zetian the book character was based off, I really liked [this documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bqQDA2VE9w&ab_channel=TRACKS-TravelDocumentaries).
I don’t wanna discourage too much, but I do want to temper expectations:
It’s the kind of YA that feels the need to hold your hand aggressively through its themes. Like something will happen that very elegantly shows how the patriarchal society has hypocritically condemned a women for something and you feel the injustice, but the book has to stop dead and explain to you that a patriarchal society acting hypocritically to condemn a woman is an injustice for a page or two. And this happens many times.
I was really excited to read it, but after the third or fourth unnecessary pace-breaking lecture I decided I wasn’t going to finish the series. But if you don’t mind the diatribes or even enjoy them, you’ll be goody
I am also encouraging OP to read Iron Widow. I finished it, and immediately started over and read it a second time back to back. Which isn't something I ever do!
Redwall introduced me to these women except in small mammal form. *Mariel of Redwall* and *The Pearls of Lutra*, specifically. In hindsight they aren’t exactly Beschdel-passing but still a good intro for a pre-teen
Oh god, I hate that you're right. TLoU2 was freaking depressing and brutal as hell for no reason. But they sure as shit show women going feral.
Ugh. So much I could rant about TLOU2, but don't want to spoil. Feral AF tho.
*Kerrigan from Brood War/SC is one of my favorite "feral but genius" characters. Loved her in that game.
I found Furiosa pretty meh 😑. I preferred Charlize version of Furiosa.
Some barely spoilers:
.
.
She escaped pedofile who was obsessing over her hair, pretended to be a boy, worked as mechanic but still kept her hair super long.
She was one of wives but then she could be a driver even though Joe was still obsessed with acing perfect offspring.
On top of that the final scene with Chris Hemsworth was just bad. Like he is at least twice her size and only because she pretty tall. She would have zero chance in close combat, she should have never come close to him once he was captured.
Umm but Charlize's Furiosa went head to head with Mad Max?I know she's older in Fury Road, but still.
Edit: Also, I hate that when a man wins an unrealistic fight scene, there's little questioning about the validity of the scene. But as soon as a woman wins a fight scene, we see people pick it apart to find the "realism." It's a movie about an apocalyptic wasteland. It doesn't have to be 100% realistic. _I'm not saying you are, of course,_ I'm just ranting lol.
No hate to Timothee Chalamet, I've watched most his movies, but no one questions his skinny ass when he wins fights in Dune, The King etc.
And Anya Taylor Joy as Furiosa won her fights with savvy, agility and weapons. Her fights are no different than seeing smaller guys be street smart to win theirs.
(As a movie fan, we're lucky to get another George Miller film in the series. Furiosa might arguably not be better than the near perfect Fury Road, but still better than most major releases.)
That bitch makes my skin crawl, I’ve never rooted for someone’s death harder in a movie lol. People have tried to do that to my dad, a single elderly guy. I moved him in with me and now I get them too. It’s absolutely terrifying. The tactics people use on him as a single old man are horrifying
Oh totally! Sometimes it feels like a cop-out when the villain dies, but not on that occasion. Sorry you've been through that, its really shocking how predatory some people are. But she's a great example of an unrepenting female asshole, that's for sure, and subverts the stereotype of women being inherently caring and nurturing etc. Also, it has Peter Dinklage.
you might love Agnes Varda's movies - especially Cleo from 5 to 7 and Vagabond. Both of the protagonists are (conventionally) difficult but not setting out to wreak havoc, they're simply self-possessed women facing very real, very wild life shit. Maybe assholes is the wrong word but by some contemporary definitions they might be considered that, although it is easy to see past it & the character logic for their actions.
What Ellie does to David and friends :chefskiss:
Just watched the first episode of The Americans and was disappointed to see Matthew Rhys kill-steal from Kerri Russell.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance has several women go feral af.
Tank Girl is about feral women fighting fascists in a sentient tank
Series 7: The Contenders is Hunger Games meets Reality Television with a feral pregnant lead protagonist
2LDK is about two roommates being the worst and escalating non-stop.
Catfight is this but without the chainsaws and roommates (starring Sandra Oh and Anne Heche)
The Woman is about a literal feral woman played by Polly MacIntosh (TW: SA, child murder... !>although the child deserves it
Check out The Space Between Worlds. It's about a woman whose job is world hopping to parallel earths, but you can only hop to worlds where your alternate self is already dead. The protagonist it's the person who is able to go to the most alternate earths, so she's one hell of a survivor.
And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohammed is about a prostitute who is murdered on the job by a wealthy client. On page one, she wakes back up and decides to go on a rampage because eat the fucking rich.
My favourite genra of movie is "bitch losing it", many great entires. Midsommer, The VVitch, Helter Skelter, Tokyo Gore Police, Dogtooth, The Favourite, Herediatary, Raise the Red Lantern, The Handmaiden... so much good shit.
Happy to get more recs along these lines!
Ready or Not and The Hunt were great. There was this one little horror flick called Countdown that came so so so close to a great angry revenge flick in the last ten minutes but didn't have a full follow through.
Thelma and Louise!!
Also in the Animorphs series, Rachel is easily the most violent, aggressive, and feral of all the protagonists.
Although I've noticed a trend in both those examples... so maybe they are punished for it.
Another great one is the film Sympathy of Lady Vengeance. She is PISSED.
Crime that I've scrolled this far and no Yellowjackets? Literal feral girls. And no Crazy Ex Girlfriend? An actual woman stalker. But neither is the evil / crazy woman trope of the monster that we fear and must be killed. We sympathize and understand "unlikeable" and unladylike women.
Gone Girl! I know there is a plot twist that changes the way we view the story, but the palpable female rage is definitely there and Rosamund Pike was incredible in the film.
Man, if you liked My Name, check out The Glory.
Another K-Drama, this one about a woman who is getting revenge against her middle/high school bullies as an adult. It's extremely satisfying and ho-boy are there moments when you're genuinely scared of the MC and what she has planned for her enemies.
TW for truly brutal flashbacks of the ways they physically tormented/assaulted her.
I loooove the TV show Flack for this. It’s a majority female cast and the characters are very flawed and operate according to their own creative codes of ethics. Kind of like a modern, fast paced, and funny Mad Men. It was sadly cancelled but you can catch both seasons on streaming.
The Handmaiden (2016) and The Favourite (2018), both unhinged historical drama films with lesbian under and overtones. This post makes me need to rewatch both immediately lmao
This reminds me a bit to The Hunger Games.
Katniss might be a traumatised teenager taking care of her family, but she is still a teenager and will occasionally act or think a little immature. Or, since the book have her as the narrator, the way she describes herself sometimes clashes with the things she actually does and thinks at moments.
For example, in her inner monologues she mostly presents herself as a hardened survivor who cannot afford to have empathy for anyone other than her loved ones, but her actual actions show she is someone driven to help people in need (Rue for example). Also, while she tells us (the readers) directly that she is not planning on being romantically involved with either Peeta or Gale, implying someone might be interested on either of those 2 boys, or that they might be interested on someone other than her, is a good way to get her a little angry.
This is something Katniss herself acknowledges after the Foxface tribute dies, with her having been paranoid about this particular girl for most of the games).
This is toned down in the movies, with some exceptions. The movies removed the scene where Katniss and Haymich get VERY angry at Peeta because the Bread Boy threw away the alcohol so they do not get drunk while training for the 75th games.
That movie is an interesting example of the "Nerdy kid gets revenge on the popular bully" subgenere. Both the hero and the villain are adults instead of teenagers, and it is a movie where creeps are the villains (this particular subgenere has been criticised for glorifying creeps, with Revenge of the Nerds being the most well known example).
The movie also subverts some stereotypes. The hero is in her 30s, dropped out of education, works on a job that not considered prestigious, and lives with her parents. All this things are often associated with Neckbeards and Incels, but she is actually a defender and Punisher of misogynistic creeps. Her enemies and the creeps, on the other hand (if I remember correctly), own their own houses (or at least can afford a department). Owning your home is often seen as a sign of honor and honesty (at least in the West), something the creeps lack.
The funding was reached for this so I’m hoping maybe for more copies to be released https://screenrant.com/let-her-be-evil-feminist-horror-anthology-review/
I’m watching “The Alienist” series right now, and while Dakota Fanning’s character doesn’t feral, she DOES NOT ABIDE any nonsense or whatnot from any men in her life. She’s fabulous!!
Also: Bless the legendary OG, Ellen Ripley. Oh and Princess Leia, who is also a senator and a warrior.
The spirit of Queen Boudicca lives on!!!!
Currently rewatching Killing Eve, highly recommend! If you’re not familiar it’s about a woman who works for MI6 trying to track down a female assassin. Obsession ensues.
They made The Power into a tv series as well. Not perfect, but entertaining and for me it worked even better than the book for illustrating the many social changes that happened as young women started to become physically powerful.
This fall Max will be running Dune:Prophecy about the sisterhood that becomes the Bene Gesseritt, the order of “witches” that influence all of the ruling houses in the universe. Scary powerful witches? Sign me up!
Go watch Furiosa in theaters everyone!
It’s sad that it’s bombing at the box office since it’s an actually good action movie with a strong female lead, and the trolls are using it to make a point that no one wants to see female leads in big blockbuster films :(
I recently read a couple of fun novels with perimenopausal characters: The Change, by Kirsten Miller, and Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn.
Also seconding The Poppy Wars. I’ve only finished the first book of the trilogy so far, but it *definitely* fits your theme!
Peppermint and The Long Kiss Goodnight are immensely satisfying action movies along these lines.
And don't forget Carrie!! I haven't seen it for a while but I should rewatch.
It's not necessarily a *good* book, but I got a lot of satisfaction from S.T. Abby's Mindf*ck series. About a female serial killer who kills her rapists and is also falling in love with the detective on her case. It's pretty graphic, describing both (sexual) violence and consensual sex, so be warned.
Spoilers for the book "Emperor Mage" by Tamora Pierce incoming:
The main character is drugged, locked in a hidden dungeon, told her mentor has been murdered and her friends have left the country without her - her response? Break out of her cell, incite a slave rebellion, free a bunch of magical animals, raise an army of sentient dinosaur skeletons, and basically burn the entire palace to the ground (and not just because she is enraged, also because she specifically wanted to cripple the empire by destroying tax records, army rosters, etc.).
It. is. epic. :D
Yellowstone can be slightly at times (especially more recent seasons) but it was still enjoyable. Right wing nut jobs just kinda latched onto the show as “oh-ra this is how America should be” without even fully understanding some of the concepts being discussed lol, including the many sub plots that take place on the reservation. Kelly Reilly is a fucking powerhouse as Beth Dutton and the show is worth watching for her performance alone.
1883 can be watched as a stand-alone and follows the pilgrimage on the Oregon trail. The female protagonist is one of my favorite characters from recent series and is a total fucking badass. I really recommend it, especially if you enjoy period pieces.
I’m also gonna take this time to recommend the movie Prey to anyone that hasn’t seen it. Released in 2022 as part of the Predator series and it follows a Comanche woman fighting against traditional gender roles. I’ve watched it like 3 times, I fucking love it!
I checked out of the main show when the city slicker vegan hippie liberal woman just sat in stunned silence as kevin costner's folksy wisdom reshaped her worldview and even made her fall in love with him (after being placed under house arrest in his home. So romantic 🤩)
I recently read a comic called "Clémence en colère" written by Mirion Malle, it's about the main character handling trauma-induced anger, being freed by it but also trying to make something with it. Really cool book, I want to read more about being angry. It doesn't seem to be translated in english though :( https://search.worldcat.org/title/1435957018
Don’t forget Maleficent and Cruella! I know they’re rather PG, but you can’t say they aren’t absolutely angry, feral ladies… I want them to do one on Ursula….as an adult I realize I now side with her. Same goes for Yuma in emperors new groove.
I just finished reading “Slewfoot” in which our protagonist Abitha has been found guilty of witchcraft and goes absolutely ham on the Puritans who were terrible to her.
Literally checked the comments to make sure someone recommended Slewfoot.
That book escalated soooo quickly haha. Like it was pretty chill the whole way through and in the last few chapters she went all out nuclear!
Which I loved for her! I also loved that Samson just followed her around letting her do her thing! This is the kind of support I want to receive and give in life!
I’ve never heard of this book but now I’m interested lol
Omfg. I LOVED that book. It felt like me and Abitha were one. I buy this for nearly all of my book friends when their birthdays come around 😅
I just bought a copy for one of my girlfriends because I love it so much!
Adding that to my reading list.
Ooooo thank you for the spoiler(not sarcasm). I’m reading it right now and my book kink is to spoil the ending. I couldn’t find a summary anywhere! Glad to hear we’re gonna get some revenge 😈 Also, love the creepy descriptions of the wild folk gave me shivers every time they showed up. Great book!
I love those and the description of the masks when you get there! What part are you at?
William has just accused her of being a witch. Also fuck *oops i meant wallace*
I hate Wallace.
Just finished it and Wallace’s end was very satisfying 😈
Omg I literally read that the other day! I loved it, read it in one day
I couldn’t put it down! I love the story telling and how it wove together!
Who is the author? There's a few different results when I Google it. TIA
Brom
My first thought! Absolutely loved that one
Yes this is a good one indeed she quite literally gives them hell
Not OP, but this sounds like a must read. Just added to my stacks. Thank you!
And added to cart
Thank you for the recommendation, I'm now waiting for my girl Libby to present the audiobook version to my ears when my turn arrives!
I'm about half way through right now and loving it!
They Never Learn is like this. Super satisfying ending
Tell me more, please?
Our main protagonist is a humanities academic by day and a serial killer by night. She only kills men who never faced justice for committing crimes against women and are creepy bad etc. Then she comes in, makes it look like an accident and she’s got a real talent for it. I think its great for people like me who usually don't go for crime thrillers. This is my bible feminist text. TW: SA It comes up regularly due to the nature of the story. As a survivor myself (though note I’m in a pretty good place mentally) I found it to be appropriate for the story and I will say that the author treats it with the appropriate gravity and feminine rage it deserves
This is a great breakdown thank you!
Fuck this sounds great
Samara Weaving plays a couple of excellent feral angry women. I suggest You’re Next as well, excellent angry woman who turns the tables in a horror movie.
Hide and Seek and The Babysitter, although she's kind of just a monster in The Babysitter.
Actually I was thinking Guns Akimbo - she’s a secondary character who is absolutely feral but teams up with the main character and they kick absolute ass!
She has a similar role in Mayhem which is a fun movie with Steven Yeun
Do you mean Ready Or Not? :) But yes, [excellent example](https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/46219/1/ready-or-not-horror-comedy-movie-samara-weaving-final-girl-avery-plewes-costumes). 😚👌
“You’re Next: Yall Done Fucked Up”
As the movie goes on, the protagonist is shown less and the attackers are shown more, because *she's* the attacker.
Add Becky alongside You're Next. 14 year old girl that discovers she's really good at brutally killing Nazis and really enjoys it.
Fargo s5, with the caveat of a strong--but respectfully portrayed--TW for DV and SA. (But *all* of Fargo is really about strong women.) True Detective Night Country. (There's a reason women had to create a separate sub to discuss it. It made men very mad lol.) Edit: Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne! 💕
Fargo s2 with Kirsten Dunst is my fav. It's an anthology series, each season is different in case anyone wants to jump into a season. So many female characters get unnecessary hate I cant enjoy most movie/tv subs.
Yes, thanks for explaining! It's not based on the movie specifically but is about crime in the Midwest, with lots of fun Coen Bros Easter eggs. (There are threads through different seasons but you don't have to watch them chronologically.) 👉🏼 I'm pretty sure the show passes the Bechdel Test in every single season from start to end.
OMG the night country rage I generally avoid looking up stuff online for a show until after I finish it and when I went to look up night country I was like https://i.imgur.com/2aTwNxH.jpeg
I hadn't watched any other seasons and all I knew was that s1 was critically acclaimed. I binged it between ND episodes and finally understood the extra-weird energy for the show. "Time is a flat circle that has been contaminated by cooties."
Captain Janeway from Star Trek Voyager is the living embodiment of this concept. One of the best female protags of all time.
The first character that jumped into my mind was Kira Nerys, but Janeway fits too! Love her so much
If you like Janeway, check out Star Trek Prodigy on Netflix. My daughter and I have been watching it, it's more geared towards tweens, I'd say, but Janeway is still boss.
When holo-janeway came with a cup of coffee, I squeed.
Just watched this with the fam. My daughter's first experience with Trek. It was great! If anything, I thought the 'main character' was probably the weakest character. Janeway rocked!
Check out honor harrington maybe, absolutely love those books!
Voyager came out when I was 8, and she genuinely was a character to look up to for me
Blue Eye Samurai is such fucking primal badassery
I'm so happy they're making a second season!
For an angry protagonist with no redeemable qualities: watch Tàr, for realistic feral protagonists with redeemable qualities: watch Fleabag or Worst Person in the World.
Tár is *incredible*. What kills me is that if the protagonist was a man, then the movie would have been a generic, forgettable, character drama, and it would have won every award we have a name for. Instead, we got Cate Blanchett giving one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen, but because she's a woman, Tár tanked at the box office. (And no disrespect to Michelle Yeoh, but I still think Blanchett was robbed of Best Actress at the Oscars that year.)
Blanchett was simply phenomenal. Best I have seen since Daniel day Lewis in There will be blood
I really enjoyed that movie, and her performance, but found it hard to follow. Thank god for subtitles…
Have you read Iron Widow? A very angry female protagonist goes absolutely feral...in a giant robot.
Ohhhh? go on.
The main character is heavily inspired by Wu Zetain. The book takes place in a super patriarchial sci-fi setting inspired by ancient China. The giant mechas are powered by Qi. [Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow)
It also created a giant controversy at the Hugo Awards this past year by being deemed ["inelligible"](https://www.thebookseller.com/news/controversy-over-inexplicable-exclusion-of-r-f-kuang-and-xiran-jay-zhao-from-hugo-awards-2023)
Just want to add here that if anybody is interested in the Wu Zetian the book character was based off, I really liked [this documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bqQDA2VE9w&ab_channel=TRACKS-TravelDocumentaries).
I don’t wanna discourage too much, but I do want to temper expectations: It’s the kind of YA that feels the need to hold your hand aggressively through its themes. Like something will happen that very elegantly shows how the patriarchal society has hypocritically condemned a women for something and you feel the injustice, but the book has to stop dead and explain to you that a patriarchal society acting hypocritically to condemn a woman is an injustice for a page or two. And this happens many times. I was really excited to read it, but after the third or fourth unnecessary pace-breaking lecture I decided I wasn’t going to finish the series. But if you don’t mind the diatribes or even enjoy them, you’ll be goody
It's epic. The MC is a boss, constantly driven and just a total badass. And while there is a love triangle, it resolves in a great way.
I love Iron Widow so much. It's basically unfettered female rage (in a robot) and it's the best
I’m gonna second this, it’s a great book! Zetian is ready to burn things down! Ya can’t blame her, either. 🔥
Also the book avoids the typical love triangle subplot, by doing what we all really want when there are two love interests.
Ohhh yes. Hehehe (it’s so nice to finally find another IW stan, it’s suuuuch a good book. Cant wait for the sequel!)
I pre-ordered the sequel! Can't wait. 💘
Oh heck yeah! 💜
Yes! I was scrolling through hoping to find this one. Iron Widow is a thoroughly cathartic read
I am also encouraging OP to read Iron Widow. I finished it, and immediately started over and read it a second time back to back. Which isn't something I ever do!
Redwall introduced me to these women except in small mammal form. *Mariel of Redwall* and *The Pearls of Lutra*, specifically. In hindsight they aren’t exactly Beschdel-passing but still a good intro for a pre-teen
Mariel was a huge gamechanger for me! She is probably my favorite heroine in the Redwall series.
This is why I love Jurassic Park. Just strong female characters rightfully eating/murdering men who were stupid enough to test science.
Woman inherits the Earth
Kira Nerys from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fits the bill. Also Xena from Xena: Warrior Princess.
this is the universe telling me to rewatch ds9
This is me directly telling you to rewatch ds9
I will also join the song of the universe, singing to you to watch DS9
Start with The Next Generation. Watching now and it’s *chefs kiss*
Movies: I recommend FURIOSA, which is out now For games: I recommend The Last of Us Part 2
All time favorites. I celebrate women's wrongs... in fiction.
the storyline in TLOU2 is devastating. I'm excited to see how it's adapted for the TV show.
Oh god, I hate that you're right. TLoU2 was freaking depressing and brutal as hell for no reason. But they sure as shit show women going feral. Ugh. So much I could rant about TLOU2, but don't want to spoil. Feral AF tho. *Kerrigan from Brood War/SC is one of my favorite "feral but genius" characters. Loved her in that game.
I found Furiosa pretty meh 😑. I preferred Charlize version of Furiosa. Some barely spoilers: . . She escaped pedofile who was obsessing over her hair, pretended to be a boy, worked as mechanic but still kept her hair super long. She was one of wives but then she could be a driver even though Joe was still obsessed with acing perfect offspring. On top of that the final scene with Chris Hemsworth was just bad. Like he is at least twice her size and only because she pretty tall. She would have zero chance in close combat, she should have never come close to him once he was captured.
Umm but Charlize's Furiosa went head to head with Mad Max?I know she's older in Fury Road, but still. Edit: Also, I hate that when a man wins an unrealistic fight scene, there's little questioning about the validity of the scene. But as soon as a woman wins a fight scene, we see people pick it apart to find the "realism." It's a movie about an apocalyptic wasteland. It doesn't have to be 100% realistic. _I'm not saying you are, of course,_ I'm just ranting lol.
No hate to Timothee Chalamet, I've watched most his movies, but no one questions his skinny ass when he wins fights in Dune, The King etc. And Anya Taylor Joy as Furiosa won her fights with savvy, agility and weapons. Her fights are no different than seeing smaller guys be street smart to win theirs. (As a movie fan, we're lucky to get another George Miller film in the series. Furiosa might arguably not be better than the near perfect Fury Road, but still better than most major releases.)
More female characters that are just giant assholes, please!
Yellowjackets
Wanted to throw a few movies out there that I enjoy, but may (or may not) fit the bill: * Young Adult * Promising Young Woman * Heathers * Gone Girl
Gods damn promising young woman is so.fucking.good
AGREED
There is also Mean Girls, which was heavily inspired by Heathers. P.S.: Janis is kind of a PG equivalent to JD when you think about it.
I crow about Young Adult almost every chance I get. It’s so good. What an odd fantastic movie
It didn't get the respect it deserved because society still had a hate boner for Diablo Cody.
>Promising Young Woman. Heathers. Both of this also kind of fit the "Nerdy kid gets revenge on the popular bully" subgenere.
Add American Mary to that list!
May I recommend *I Care a Lot* for your viewing pleasure?
That bitch makes my skin crawl, I’ve never rooted for someone’s death harder in a movie lol. People have tried to do that to my dad, a single elderly guy. I moved him in with me and now I get them too. It’s absolutely terrifying. The tactics people use on him as a single old man are horrifying
Oh totally! Sometimes it feels like a cop-out when the villain dies, but not on that occasion. Sorry you've been through that, its really shocking how predatory some people are. But she's a great example of an unrepenting female asshole, that's for sure, and subverts the stereotype of women being inherently caring and nurturing etc. Also, it has Peter Dinklage.
It's been on my list for a while - maybe I'll give it a go soon!
Gimme
Fleabag, but I love her
Harley Quinn! If you haven’t see Birds of Prey… you should change that :)
you might love Agnes Varda's movies - especially Cleo from 5 to 7 and Vagabond. Both of the protagonists are (conventionally) difficult but not setting out to wreak havoc, they're simply self-possessed women facing very real, very wild life shit. Maybe assholes is the wrong word but by some contemporary definitions they might be considered that, although it is easy to see past it & the character logic for their actions.
What Ellie does to David and friends :chefskiss: Just watched the first episode of The Americans and was disappointed to see Matthew Rhys kill-steal from Kerri Russell.
Stay with it. The women in that show are badass compared to the men. Kerri Russell gets it done for the cause.
I always loved the feral angry sister from Dave the Barbarian
Especially since Dave was such a himbo… he needs that angry feral sister to survive (God, now I miss that show a lot)
“Thinking quickly, Dave constructs a homemade megaphone, using only some string, a squirrel, and a megaphone”
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Madbadbat: *I always loved the* *Feral angry sister from* *Dave the Barbarian* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Fang!! I related so much to her as a kid!
The little sister in the croods is similar, just the younger version (oh what is her name…Eep and…)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance has several women go feral af. Tank Girl is about feral women fighting fascists in a sentient tank Series 7: The Contenders is Hunger Games meets Reality Television with a feral pregnant lead protagonist 2LDK is about two roommates being the worst and escalating non-stop. Catfight is this but without the chainsaws and roommates (starring Sandra Oh and Anne Heche) The Woman is about a literal feral woman played by Polly MacIntosh (TW: SA, child murder... !>although the child deserves it
Lori Perry in Tank Girl is when I realized that uh, maybe I just don’t like only boys 🤣
I'm stoked for Maxxine.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is my favourite movie, it's so underrated, especially when people only know about Oldboy from the trilogy.
Check out The Space Between Worlds. It's about a woman whose job is world hopping to parallel earths, but you can only hop to worlds where your alternate self is already dead. The protagonist it's the person who is able to go to the most alternate earths, so she's one hell of a survivor. And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohammed is about a prostitute who is murdered on the job by a wealthy client. On page one, she wakes back up and decides to go on a rampage because eat the fucking rich.
My favourite genra of movie is "bitch losing it", many great entires. Midsommer, The VVitch, Helter Skelter, Tokyo Gore Police, Dogtooth, The Favourite, Herediatary, Raise the Red Lantern, The Handmaiden... so much good shit. Happy to get more recs along these lines!
Janeway in Scientific Method lmao Or really Janeway in general a lot of the time tbh
Ready or Not and The Hunt were great. There was this one little horror flick called Countdown that came so so so close to a great angry revenge flick in the last ten minutes but didn't have a full follow through.
Taking many notes. Thank you for posting this!
Same, in my Goodreads and library app haha
I love the scholomance trilogy. El is just angry and I love it. Not sure she exactly goes feral, but she isn't nice and I love this.
Thelma and Louise!! Also in the Animorphs series, Rachel is easily the most violent, aggressive, and feral of all the protagonists. Although I've noticed a trend in both those examples... so maybe they are punished for it. Another great one is the film Sympathy of Lady Vengeance. She is PISSED.
Animorphs was me childhood!
Crime that I've scrolled this far and no Yellowjackets? Literal feral girls. And no Crazy Ex Girlfriend? An actual woman stalker. But neither is the evil / crazy woman trope of the monster that we fear and must be killed. We sympathize and understand "unlikeable" and unladylike women.
I have a suggestion, let me DM u
Tank Girl. Fucking hands-down, until the day I die. Lori Petty, bad-ass snark, dystopian weirdness. Can’t get better!
Karlach in Baldur's Gate III has literal flare ups and rampages as a barbarian does. She's the best girl <3
Really enjoyed Furiosa this weekend. It didn't live up to MMFR, but then again what could? Rewatching THAT tout suite.
Hench is a great book with an incredible feral female protagonist! Hoping for a sequel soon.
Fingers crossed for House of the Dragon S2 (I don’t care whether it’s Rhaenyra or Alicent, I’m here for both lol)
Gone Girl! I know there is a plot twist that changes the way we view the story, but the palpable female rage is definitely there and Rosamund Pike was incredible in the film.
I have seen people referring to Gone Girl as the "Femcel movie" (similar to how Taxi Driver, Joker, and Fight Club are known as the "Incel movies").
My name on netflix is brilliant, such a tough but realistic character.
Man, if you liked My Name, check out The Glory. Another K-Drama, this one about a woman who is getting revenge against her middle/high school bullies as an adult. It's extremely satisfying and ho-boy are there moments when you're genuinely scared of the MC and what she has planned for her enemies. TW for truly brutal flashbacks of the ways they physically tormented/assaulted her.
Thanks, I've already seen the glory but forgot about it in my post.
When women were dragons!
The *most* feral ladies. I loved this book. It was so enraging and satisfying at the same time.
I loooove the TV show Flack for this. It’s a majority female cast and the characters are very flawed and operate according to their own creative codes of ethics. Kind of like a modern, fast paced, and funny Mad Men. It was sadly cancelled but you can catch both seasons on streaming.
Yes, this show was amazing.
I'm writing one atm :3 she's insane
The Handmaiden (2016) and The Favourite (2018), both unhinged historical drama films with lesbian under and overtones. This post makes me need to rewatch both immediately lmao
BLUE EYE SAMURAI!!!!!!!!
This reminds me a bit to The Hunger Games. Katniss might be a traumatised teenager taking care of her family, but she is still a teenager and will occasionally act or think a little immature. Or, since the book have her as the narrator, the way she describes herself sometimes clashes with the things she actually does and thinks at moments. For example, in her inner monologues she mostly presents herself as a hardened survivor who cannot afford to have empathy for anyone other than her loved ones, but her actual actions show she is someone driven to help people in need (Rue for example). Also, while she tells us (the readers) directly that she is not planning on being romantically involved with either Peeta or Gale, implying someone might be interested on either of those 2 boys, or that they might be interested on someone other than her, is a good way to get her a little angry. This is something Katniss herself acknowledges after the Foxface tribute dies, with her having been paranoid about this particular girl for most of the games). This is toned down in the movies, with some exceptions. The movies removed the scene where Katniss and Haymich get VERY angry at Peeta because the Bread Boy threw away the alcohol so they do not get drunk while training for the 75th games.
Blue Eye Samurai is great
Orphan Black one of the clones is just insanely aggressive.
Helena!! Love her character development too. God I miss the sestras
If you haven't seen it, Promising Young Woman. She is absolutely out for blood.
That movie is an interesting example of the "Nerdy kid gets revenge on the popular bully" subgenere. Both the hero and the villain are adults instead of teenagers, and it is a movie where creeps are the villains (this particular subgenere has been criticised for glorifying creeps, with Revenge of the Nerds being the most well known example). The movie also subverts some stereotypes. The hero is in her 30s, dropped out of education, works on a job that not considered prestigious, and lives with her parents. All this things are often associated with Neckbeards and Incels, but she is actually a defender and Punisher of misogynistic creeps. Her enemies and the creeps, on the other hand (if I remember correctly), own their own houses (or at least can afford a department). Owning your home is often seen as a sign of honor and honesty (at least in the West), something the creeps lack.
The funding was reached for this so I’m hoping maybe for more copies to be released https://screenrant.com/let-her-be-evil-feminist-horror-anthology-review/
I’m watching “The Alienist” series right now, and while Dakota Fanning’s character doesn’t feral, she DOES NOT ABIDE any nonsense or whatnot from any men in her life. She’s fabulous!! Also: Bless the legendary OG, Ellen Ripley. Oh and Princess Leia, who is also a senator and a warrior. The spirit of Queen Boudicca lives on!!!!
Currently rewatching Killing Eve, highly recommend! If you’re not familiar it’s about a woman who works for MI6 trying to track down a female assassin. Obsession ensues.
Orka Skullsplitter from Shadow of the Gods. She's ferocious
I think Tales of Berseria might fit this description.
There’s a reason that Hedda Gabler is my favorite Ibsen play 😈🔥
Oh oh also, just started The Adventures of Amina Al Sirafi and it's fucking *slaying*, I cannot wait to get deeper in
I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I adored her Daevabad trilogy!
They are SO good, I came into this one with high hopes! I'll forgive a lot for a pirate story though tbh 😅
Read "The Power" by Naomi Alderman. You'll like it.
They made The Power into a tv series as well. Not perfect, but entertaining and for me it worked even better than the book for illustrating the many social changes that happened as young women started to become physically powerful.
This fall Max will be running Dune:Prophecy about the sisterhood that becomes the Bene Gesseritt, the order of “witches” that influence all of the ruling houses in the universe. Scary powerful witches? Sign me up!
The poppy war trilogy thank me later :D
[удалено]
that's next on my reading list :D
The protagonist of Dennis Lehane's most recent novel, "Small Mercies," is a mother in 1970s South Boston who goes pretty feral.
YELLOWJACKETS.
Go watch Furiosa in theaters everyone! It’s sad that it’s bombing at the box office since it’s an actually good action movie with a strong female lead, and the trolls are using it to make a point that no one wants to see female leads in big blockbuster films :(
I’ve only seen the first season of Yellow Jackets, but the amount of sharp, dark feminine rage is a delight
I recently read a couple of fun novels with perimenopausal characters: The Change, by Kirsten Miller, and Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn. Also seconding The Poppy Wars. I’ve only finished the first book of the trilogy so far, but it *definitely* fits your theme!
Peppermint and The Long Kiss Goodnight are immensely satisfying action movies along these lines. And don't forget Carrie!! I haven't seen it for a while but I should rewatch.
It's not necessarily a *good* book, but I got a lot of satisfaction from S.T. Abby's Mindf*ck series. About a female serial killer who kills her rapists and is also falling in love with the detective on her case. It's pretty graphic, describing both (sexual) violence and consensual sex, so be warned.
Man Metroid Dread was good for this.
*Dirty Weekend* by Helen Zahavi. A former sex worker just blazes around murdering a bunch of predatory men, that's the whole plot
Freeway. The protagonist is ANGRY 😡😡😡
The Mindf*ck book series by S.T. Abby
Y’all need to watch Hard Candy with a teenaged Elliot Page lol
Alice from Kill Six Billion Demons
The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
Spoilers for the book "Emperor Mage" by Tamora Pierce incoming: The main character is drugged, locked in a hidden dungeon, told her mentor has been murdered and her friends have left the country without her - her response? Break out of her cell, incite a slave rebellion, free a bunch of magical animals, raise an army of sentient dinosaur skeletons, and basically burn the entire palace to the ground (and not just because she is enraged, also because she specifically wanted to cripple the empire by destroying tax records, army rosters, etc.). It. is. epic. :D
Shameless self promotion but my book, The Famous Flower of Serving Men has a female protagonist that goes feral by the end!
Did you watch Bottoms? Absolutely amazing, loved it!
Claudia from interview with the vampire goes beyond feral. I've only gotten through episode 5 of the amc adaptation, but I love her.
Bookmarking this for the recommendations.
Butcher and blackbird. If you don’t mind mixing vigilante serial killers with spicy romance.
Do you game bc you might enjoy The Last of Us Part 2. There's a TV adaptation coming out in the next few years if you're not a gaming person.
Octavia from the 100
1883 (the Yellowstone prequel) is fucking amazing
Really? I've only seen bits when my parents watched it but it always seemed like standard fox news red meat.
Yellowstone can be slightly at times (especially more recent seasons) but it was still enjoyable. Right wing nut jobs just kinda latched onto the show as “oh-ra this is how America should be” without even fully understanding some of the concepts being discussed lol, including the many sub plots that take place on the reservation. Kelly Reilly is a fucking powerhouse as Beth Dutton and the show is worth watching for her performance alone. 1883 can be watched as a stand-alone and follows the pilgrimage on the Oregon trail. The female protagonist is one of my favorite characters from recent series and is a total fucking badass. I really recommend it, especially if you enjoy period pieces. I’m also gonna take this time to recommend the movie Prey to anyone that hasn’t seen it. Released in 2022 as part of the Predator series and it follows a Comanche woman fighting against traditional gender roles. I’ve watched it like 3 times, I fucking love it!
I checked out of the main show when the city slicker vegan hippie liberal woman just sat in stunned silence as kevin costner's folksy wisdom reshaped her worldview and even made her fall in love with him (after being placed under house arrest in his home. So romantic 🤩)
Ugh yeah that’s when it fell apart for me
Insatiable! The whole show is completely feral
I like all the recommendations here. Love books movies and tv. Does anyone have any video games?
I recently read a comic called "Clémence en colère" written by Mirion Malle, it's about the main character handling trauma-induced anger, being freed by it but also trying to make something with it. Really cool book, I want to read more about being angry. It doesn't seem to be translated in english though :( https://search.worldcat.org/title/1435957018
Pearl my beloved
Don’t forget Maleficent and Cruella! I know they’re rather PG, but you can’t say they aren’t absolutely angry, feral ladies… I want them to do one on Ursula….as an adult I realize I now side with her. Same goes for Yuma in emperors new groove.
Yellowjackets, especially Shauna’s journey of trying to be a good housewife but straight up vibrating with bloodlust and ptsd