60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40

Elegant woman and man at a formal event, reflecting on classic movies for women over 40.

They say life begins at 40… but why not start living the life before you reach 40 and watch these fun, heartwarming and powerful movies?

Here are 60 of the must-watch movies that women who are nearly in their 40s have grown to be very familiar with and are worth watching.

1. The Godfather

  • Stars: – Marlon Brando, – Al Pacino, – James Caan
  • Genre: Crime, Mafia, Drama

The ageing patriarch of an organised crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

Why women should watch it:

This powerful movie is about family, friends and money – loving your family, keeping your friends, and organising your money.

“Great men are not born great, they grow great.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via wearepalermo.com

2. Reservoir Dogs

Stars: – Harvey Keitel, – Tim Roth, – Michael Madsen

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Drama

After a simple jewellery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.

Why women should watch it:

Simply because… it’s full of men… hot, hot men!

“Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?”

Hilarious parking note for kids: "Many 3-year-olds have trouble staying within lines.".
via proprofs.com

3. The Shawshank Redemption

  • Stars: – Tim Robbins, – Morgan Freeman, – Bob Gunton
  • Genre: Drama, Mystery, Crime

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Why women should watch it:

It could teach women about courage and determination to survive even in the most hopeless cases, having self-worth and dignity.

“Every man has his breaking point.”

Shawshank Redemption movie scene with rain, symbolising hope and freedom for women over 40.
via yuppee.com

4. American Beauty

  • Stars: – Kevin Spacey, – Annette Bening, – Thora Birch
  • Genre: Romance, Satire, Comedy

A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter’s best friend.

Why women should watch it:

It’s about insecurities in one’s self and relationships and how to deal with these.

“It’s a great thing when you realise you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you’ve forgotten about.”

Elegant woman covered in red rose petals, representing the film American Beauty.
via fanart.tv

5. Kill Bill

  • Stars:Uma Thurman, – David Carradine, – Daryl Hannah
  • Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime

The bride awakens from a four-year coma. The child she carried in her womb is gone. Now, she must wreak vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her – a team she was once part of.

Why women should watch it:

Never mess with a betrayed angry mumma.

“Some things, once you do, they can never be undone.”

Iconic Kill Bill Volume 1 movie poster featuring Uma Thurman in yellow jumpsuit.
via mentalfloss.com

6. Memento

  • Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
  • Genre: Thriller, Drama, Crime

A man juggles searching for his wife’s murderer and keeping his short-term memory loss from being an obstacle.

Why women should watch it:

It shows how people are willing to risk their lives to fight for the one they love.

“We all need mirror to remind ourselves who we are.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via youtube.com

7. Bridget Jones’s Diary

  • Stars: Ren’e Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

A British woman is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.

Why women should watch it:

The film tells women to love and be comfortable in your own skin.

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via thesaint-online.com

8. Bridesmaids

  • Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance

Competition between the maid of honour and a bridesmaid over who is the bride’s best friend threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.

Why women should watch it:

This fun movie could be your guide to actually being a good bridesmaid and a friend most of all.

“At first, I didn’t know it was your diary. I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.”

Elegant bridesmaids wearing pink dresses standing against a brick wall.
via phillyinlove.com

9. Gone Girl

  • Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
  • Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama

With his wife’s disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.

Why women should watch it:

The movie highlights the importance of trust in a relationship.

“When two people love each other and can’t make that work, that’s the real tragedy.”

Man speaking into microphone with blurred missing girl poster in background.
via filmshapes.blogspot.com

10. Into the Wild

  • Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener
  • Genre: Adventure, Drama

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Why women should watch it:

Sometimes, finding your soul and purpose in life can be found in the simplest of things.

“The core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences.”

Young man sitting on a bus, contemplating travel and freedom.
via thesportschief.com

11. My Best Friend’s Wedding

  • Stars: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

When a woman’s long-time friend reveals he’s engaged, she realises she loves him herself and sets out to get him, with only days before the wedding.

Why women should watch it:

Most women with guy best friends can relate to this romantic movie, but even those who can’t find this one a must-watch.

“If you love someone, you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise, the moment just passes you by.”

Woman smiling at wedding with man, celebrating friendship and love.
via uk.newonnetflix.info

12. Cold Mountain

  • Stars: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Ren’e Zellweger
  • Genre: Romance, History, War

In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina, to reunite with his sweetheart.

Why women should watch it:

It’s a story about love and war and how love conquers all.

“What you lost will not be returned to you. It will always be lost. You’re left with only your scars to mark the void. All you can choose to do is go on, or not. But if you go on, it’s knowing you carry your scars with you.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via youtube.com

13. Clueless

  • Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Teen

A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil’s popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way.

Why women should watch it:

I have watched this one a gazillion times (I have actually memorised some of the lines lol!), but this movie is one you shouldn’t miss.

“I’m not prude. I’m just highly selective.”

Clueless movie scene with three women on staircase.
via themoviedb.org

14. The Help

  • Stars: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, History

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids’ point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Why women should watch it:

This moving movie is about hate, hope and perseverance and it would help educate people about the effects of racism.

“I can’t just leave you two here when things are getting bad from the mess that I created.”

Women sitting on a park bench, discussing, with two standing women nearby, in a sunny outdoor settin.
via weheartit.com

15. Gone with the Wind

  • Stars: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, War

A manipulative woman and a roguish man conduct a turbulent romance during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods.

Why women should watch it:

It is the greatest movie of all time!

“After all, tomorrow is another day.”

Funny parking note with bold message and rude humor.
via moviepostershop.com

16. 13 Going on’30

  • Stars: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

A girl makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday, and wakes up the next day as a 30-year-old woman.

Why women should watch it:

When you’re young, you want to fast forward your life, but will you be ready to face it? This movie shows the lessons why it’s still great to be young.

“Well, Jenna, I know I made a lot of mistakes, but I don’t regret making any of them.”

Woman smiling with shopping bags, celebrating her 30th birthday.
via netflix.com

17. Chicago

  • Stars: Ren’e Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
  • Genre: Music, Crime, Comedy

Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.

Why women should watch it:

For love song and dance musical lovers, this one is for you.

“No, I’m no one’s wife. But, oh, I love my life and all that I am.”

Hilarious parking note for kids: "Many 3-year-olds have trouble staying within lines.".
via youtube.com

18. Notting Hill

  • Stars: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

The life of a simple bookshop owner changes when he meets the most famous film star in the world.

Why women should watch it:

It’s amazing how this movie can speak right to your heart.

“It’s as if I’ve taken love heroin, and now I can’t ever have it again.”

Funny parking note about using two spaces for a small car.
via onedio.co

19. Romi & Michelle’s High School Reunion

  • Stars: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo
  • Genre: Comedy

Two dim-witted, inseparable friends hit the road for their ten-year high school reunion and concoct an elaborate lie about their lives in order to impress their classmates.

Why women should watch it:

This fun movie is simply teaching you to just be yourself.

“Why don’t you just go back to ignoring me like you did in high school?”

Two women in colourful dresses celebrating reunion.
via amazon.com

20. The Sweetest Thing

  • Stars: Cameron Diaz, Thomas Jane, Christina Applegate
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance

A girl finds she is forced to educate herself on the etiquette of wooing the opposite sex when she finally meets Mr Right.

Why women should watch it:

For singles who want to fall in love now, watch this.

“50% of what people say when they’re joking is true.”

Iconic movies every woman should see before turning 40 for inspiration and entertainment.
via sonypictures.com

21. Bad Moms

  • Stars: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell
  • Genre: Comedy

When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.

Why women should watch it:

This is just what every overworked mum needs in her life!

“In this day and age, it’s impossible to be a good mom.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via askdads.com

22. Me Before You

  • Stars: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer
  • Genre: Romance, Drama

A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralysed man she’s taking care of.

Why women should watch it:

A story about unconditional and selfless love, this movie will melt your heart.

“You are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the morning.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via youtube.com

23. The Devil Wears Prada

  • Stars: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Adrian Grenier
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

A smart but sensible new graduate lands a job as an assistant to Miranda Priestly, the demanding editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine.

Why women should watch it:

This film will teach you how determination, skill, and positive attitude can make you stand above the rest.

“Details of your incompetence do not interest me.”

Elegant women in fashionable outfits at a movie scene.
via filmaffinity.com

24. Mr and Mrs Smith

  • Stars: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Adam Brody
  • Genre: Comedy, Action, Drama

A bored married couple is surprised to learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other.

Why women should watch it:

The film shows how secrets can either ruin a relationship or make it better.

“There’s this huge space between us, and it just keeps filling up with everything that we don’t say to each other.”

Movie poster of Mr & Mrs Smith featuring a man and woman standing confidently.
via screenertv.com

25. Muriel’s Wedding

  • Stars: Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Hunter
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Muriel finds life in Porpoise Spit, Australia, dull and spends her days alone in her room listening to Abba music and dreaming of her wedding day.

Why women should watch it:

This romantic comedy that’s about female friendship, empowerment, and respect.

“That’s because now, my life’s as good as an Abba song.”

Elegant wedding dress with confetti and flowers, ideal for celebrating a special wedding day.
via astortheatre.net.au

26. Dirty Dancing

  • Stars: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach
  • Genre: Music, Romance, Drama

Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances “Baby” Houseman falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle.

Why women should watch it:

Fall in love with love and dancing (and the dance instructor too) in this classic romantic movie.

“There are a lot of things about me that aren’t what you thought.”

Classic 1980s romantic dance film featuring a couple's passionate dance scene.
via riotheatre.ca

27. Mean Girls

  • Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams
  • Genre: Comedy, Teen

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Why women should watch it:

Rumours, betrayal, secrets. This movie shows how a mix of those could ruin high school.

“On Wednesdays, we wear pink.”

Lindsay Lohan stars in "Mean Girls," a popular comedy film about high school social dynamics.
via aminoapps.com

28. Sweet Home Alabama

  • Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

A young woman who’s reinvented herself as a New York socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband, after seven years of separation.

Why women should watch it:

Indeed, “home” is where the “heart” is.

“Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via her.ie

29. Thelma and Louise

  • Stars: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel
  • Genre: Comedy, Crime, Adventure

Two best friends set out on an adventure but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the American police as these two girls escape for the crimes they committed!

Why women should watch it:

It’s about female revenge and women empowerment.

“No, you’ve always been crazy. This is just the first chance you’ve ever had to really express yourself.”

Iconic movie poster of Thelma & Louise with desert background and smiling faces.
via kritzerland.com

30. Juno

  • Stars: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

Why women should watch it:

This movie teaches you how to handle teen pregnancies (if you happen to be a parent of a pregnant teen).

“I don’t really know what kind of girl I am.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via streamondemandathome.com

31. The Princess Bride

  • Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Adventure

While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride.

Why women should watch it:

It’s perhaps every 90s woman’s favourite movie!

“You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via filmonpaper.com

32. The Fault in Our Stars

  • Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff
  • Genre: Romance, Drama

Two teenage cancer patients begin a life-affirming journey to visit a reclusive author in Amsterdam.

Why women should watch it:

This touching movie left me in tears as two young cancer-stricken lovers beat the odds.

“That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.”

Funny parking note with bold message and rude humor.
via tvguide.com

33. Julie & Julia

  • Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Julia Child’s story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book.

Why women should watch it:

This movie shows that dreams can be achieved with inspiration and determination.

“All I think about all day is food and then I dream about it all night.”

Cooking movie poster featuring women preparing meals and sharing joyful moments.
via moviereviewland.blogspot.com

34. Overboard

  • Stars: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy

A cruel and beautiful heiress mocks and cheats over a hired carpenter. When she gets amnesia, he decides to introduce her to working-class life by convincing her they’re husband and wife.

Why women should watch it:

A cute but twisted movie that will make you fall in love.

“Andrew, are you going to bring me my lemon or do I have to squeeze it from my hat?”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via mhslionsroar.com

35. Stepmom

  • Stars: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

A terminally ill woman has to settle on her former husband’s new lover, who will be their children’s stepmother.

Why women should watch it:

This heartwarming movie about an unusual relationship between a mum and her children’s stepmum teaches you how to accept things as they are.

“I keep telling everybody that I’m fine, but the truth is, I’m not fine.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via netflix.com

36. Meet Joe Black

  • Stars: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy

Death, who takes the form of a young man, asks a media mogul to act as a guide to teach him about life on Earth, and in the process, he falls in love with his guide’s daughter.

Why women should watch it:

To meet Brad Pitt.

“Don’t wait till Death shows up before you start learning how to live.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via fanart.tv

37. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

  • Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
  • Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.

Why women should watch it:

Because it’s Brad Pitt! I just love the scenes when his age and Daisy Fuller’s (Cate Blanchett) age meet! H.O.T!

“It’s funny how sometimes the people we remember the least make the greatest impression on us.”

Close-up of Benjamin Button and Daisy from the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
via lemonwire.com

38. Legends of the Fall

  • Stars: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn
  • Genre: Romance, War, Drama

In the early 1900s, three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of Montana are affected by betrayal, history, love, nature, and war.

Why women should watch it:

We just can’t get enough of Brad Pitt, that’s why!

“Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.”

Woman carrying a child during sunset in a scenic outdoor setting.
via virginmegastore.ae

39. Kramer vs Kramer

  • Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander
  • Genre: Drama, Legal, Family

Ted Kramer’s wife leaves her husband, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple’s son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.

Why women should watch it:

This is for every mother in the world who wants the best for herself and her child.

“There’s a lot you wish you could change but can’t.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via movie.tipsfromexperts.org

40. August Rush

  • Stars: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
  • Genre: Music, Romance, Drama

A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.

Why women should watch it:

A story that will touch your heart to the core.

“Music is all around us, all we have to do is listen.”

Young musician with guitar overlooking city skyline at sunset.
via movie.idevcreations.com

41. Good Will Hunting

  • Stars: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
  • Genre: Romance, Drama

Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Why women should watch it:

You’ll find different important life lessons in this movie.

“You don’t know about real loss ’cause it only occurs when you’ve loved something more than you love yourself.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via miramax.com

42. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

  • Stars: Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Matt McCoy
  • Genre: Thriller, Drama

After her humiliated husband kills himself, an embittered pregnant widow loses her child, and embarks on a mission of vengeance against a woman and her family.

Why women should watch it:

While this movie could create fear among working mothers, it’s still a remarkable film that every mother should watch.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via scaredstiffreviews.com

43. Single White Female

  • Stars: Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steven Weber
  • Genre: Thriller, Drama, Suspense

A woman advertising for a new roommate finds that something very strange is going on with the tenant who decides to move in.

Why women should watch it:

It’s a dark thriller sure to give you the creeps.

“You know, identical twins are never really identical. There is always one that is prettier, and the other does all the work.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via johnrieber.com

44. Girl, Interrupted

  • Stars: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall
  • Genre: Drama

Based on writer Susanna Kaysen’s account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the 1960s.

Why women should watch it:

It makes you understand how important mental health is.

“You changed the scenery but not the f*cking situation.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via guestlist.net

45. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

  • Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

Why women should watch it:

As I said, life begins at 40… and there are more things to discover about yourself. This movie gives you some clues as to how.

“But it’s also true that the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing. All we know about the future is that it will be different. But perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via wearemoviegeeks.com

46. Vacation

  • Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca
  • Genre: Comedy, Adventure

The Griswold family’s cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.

Why women should watch it:

It teaches you that family should always come first.

“This is no longer a vacation. It’s a quest. It’s a quest for fun.”

Funny parking note about using two spaces for a small car.
via pinterest.com

47. Now and Then

  • Stars: Christina Ricci, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, Teen

Four 12-year-old girls grow up together during an eventful small-town summer in 1970.

Why women should watch it:

This coming of age movie is about friendships and relationships.

“Things will happen in your life that you can’t stop, but that’s no reason to shut out the world.”

Family movie night with women and girls watching together.
via abcnews.go.com

48. The Family Stone

  • Stars: Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

Why women should watch it:

It’s about family tensions and misfits and how to deal with those.

“But, you know, I don’t care whether you like me or not.”

Family movie night with diverse characters celebrating Christmas together.
via foxmovies.com

49. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

  • Stars: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg
  • Genre: Comedy, Romance

Benjamin Barry is an advertising executive and ladies’ man who, to win a big campaign, bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Andie Anderson covers the “How To” beat for “Composure” magazine and is assigned to write an article on “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.” They meet in a bar shortly after the bet is made.

Why women should watch it:

This fun and romantic movie has all the components of what and what not to do when in a relationship.

“You can’t lose something you never had.”

Movie poster for "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" featuring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
via amazon.com

50. Sleeping with the Enemy

  • Stars: Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson
  • Genre: Drama, Mystery, Suspense

A young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.

Why women should watch it:

Another suspense thriller movie that speaks about empowering women to stand up against abuse.

“People never really know each other.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via amazon.com

51. Memoirs of a Geisha

  • Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh
  • Genre: Drama, Melodrama, Romance

Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan’s most celebrated geisha.

Why women should watch it:

This heartbreaking movie speaks about a woman’s determination to fight to get the love of her life.

“When life goes well, it’s a sudden gift. It cannot last forever.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via jw-webmagazine.com

52. 10 Things I Hate About You

  • Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

A pretty, popular teenager can’t go out on a date until her ill-tempered older sister does.

Why women should watch it:

Apart from loving Heath Ledger on this one, it’s about how love can be found in the most unlikely ways.

“Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via austinparks.org

53. Coyote Ugly

  • Stars: Piper Perabo, Adam Garcia, John Goodman
  • Genre: Music, Romance, Comedy

Aspiring songwriter Violet Sanford, after getting a job at a women-run NYC bar that teases its male patrons, comes out of her shell.

Why women should watch it:

This film speaks about a woman’s drive to fulfill her passion.

“I’m not lost. Somebody just moved my street.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via netflix.com

54. Where The Heart Is

  • Stars: Natalie Portman, James Frain, Ashley Judd
  • Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy

A pregnant 17-year-old rebuilds her life after being abandoned by her boyfriend at a WalMart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma.

Why women should watch it:

It’s a touching movie about friendships and trust.

“You tell them we’ve all got meanness in us, but we’ve got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. That’s why we’ve got to make sure we pass it on.”

Children dressed in colourful book character costumes with playful blue hats.
via steamcommunity.com

55. My Sister’s Keeper

  • Stars: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin
  • Genre: Drama

Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive.

Why women should watch it:

This is the story of a true love for a sister.

“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via sowalede.gq

56. Under the Tuscan Sun

  • Stars: Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Sandra Oh
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

A writer impulsively buys a villa in Tuscany in order to change her life.

Why women should watch it:

For women who had been hurt and wanted to fall in love and love life again, include this in your list.

“Life offers us a thousand chances, all we have to do is pick one.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via nicholasjv.blogspot.com

57. School of Rock

  • Stars: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack
  • Genre: Comedy, Music, Family

After being kicked out of a rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of a strict elementary private school, only to try and turn it into a rock band.

Why women should watch it:

If you’re a parent, it would make you realise that your child’s potentials can sometimes be found outside the four corners of the classroom.

“You’re not hardcore, unless you live hardcore.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via eventfinda.co.nz

58. The Sixth Sense

  • Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
  • Genre: Horror, Drama, Suspense

A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.

Why women should watch it:

This movie really creeped me out but it has a great twist you will never expect.

“How can you help me if you don’t believe me?”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via horror.media

59. Romeo and Juliet

  • Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo
  • Genre: Romance, Drama

Shakespeare’s famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue.

Why women should watch it:

Because it’s the greatest love story of all time… whoever plays the role… but I especially love this one because it’s Leo!

“Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via metro.co.uk

60. Pretty Woman

  • Stars: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere
  • Genre: Romance, Comedy

A rich businessman falls in love with a prostitute after hooking up with her and hiring her to be with him for the weekend.

Why women should watch it:

This movie has to be on this list. I rewatched this over and over again and it never fails to make me fall in love over and over again!

“I’m gonna treat you so nice you are never gonna let me go.”

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40
via pinterest.com

Which among these movies every woman should watch is your favourite?

60 Movies Every Woman Should Watch Before She Turns 40

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Clare Whitfield Chief Editor
Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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