What movies would you like men to watch?

PuzzleheadedRow9896 · 2026-07-01T02:49:38+00:00

Big Fish - I'd hope they'd think about legacy and how a great legacy is often built on helping others for legitimately no real reason. Learning how to tell their own big fish story. And something about not being afraid because you get to tell your ending. Oh, and a solid representation of how most women wish to be "selected" by a man.

Meet Joe Black - I'm not sure there's anything this movie doesn't touch on. It's practically a treatise on both love and dying. I guess I would hope they'd take away that love has a lot of facets and sexual is the least compelling by far even if you get to see Brad Pitt's butt.

Ever After - Kind of a cheesy 90s feminism good time, I've yet to meet anyone that doesn't like this film. I think I want them to take from this that most women wish to be appreciated for the content of their character and ability to toil in the service of others. And that it is a genuine tragedy to have so much potential and capability to help others and not use it because of some sort of selfish, but what about me mindset.

500 Days of Summer - There's a lot here about how compatability works, not changing a person, there being something ethereal about love that you can't math your way to. And that love is the ability to see someone for their good and their bad.

Barbie (but they have to promise to watch it with a tabula rasa mind. Pretend you never heard any political opinion on it.) I honestly think this film got ruined by the political war on. There's so much here for how women can at times overlook and objectify men, the need for men to create an identity independent of women, and recognition that it's really really difficult to be a human and live in a society with so much put on us when just surviving the day is difficult enough. And yes, sometimes it frames itself through womanhood because it's Barbie, but I think the messaging is much more universal than it often gets credit for.

Joker 2 - I imagine people here pronably prefer Joker 1. I'm personally a bigger fan of Joker 2. I think it's important to see that this mindset attracts frightening and damaged women that you will deify while they use, abuse, and manipulate you. And I also think it importantly highlights that while you are on a self-righteous "justified" rampage it's incredibly likely you're going to end up hurting and damaging people even worse off than yourself. And none of it ends happily. Maybe it was never going to, but there were other choices than the ones made.

Mona Lisa Smile - I think this film is very revealing of the psyche of different women and the pressures they face and outcomes they often handle without particularly condemning men. And while it's clearly a film aimed at girls, I think it would humanize them greatly to men if they watched it with an open heart.

Mad Max Fury Road - We needed a fun and cool option and I actually think this film kills it symbolically in terms of showing the plight of womanhood controlled and confined by evil men...and all by inflicting it uncharacteristically on a man.

Pride & Prejudice - Insight into women's sexuality. Watch it. We aren't sorry. Fall in love and pine already. Where are my piners at? Plus some excellent insight about love as an action rather than words.

Little Woman (the Gerwig version): I think men here often fail to articulate what they like about women without falling to talking about erotic elements or servile elements. And I think maybe, watching this film would help them articulate better the draw of women without talking about chores they don't want to do or sex because this film puts it right there and all but says it: women are lively and they invite men to participate in the joyous drama that is life. I also think again, this would give them the image of different types of women because a lot really seem to struggle with the concept.

American Beauty - I think this is my favorite crisis of masculinity film. And I think it really is a punch in the face to the older man younger woman thing. I think it touches on some of the homoerotic issue. I think it shows how marriages can fall apart. And I think it's dynamic enough to leave you thinking if you go with it about it all.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I think a lot of men here are struggling with deeply felt romantic trauma that has left them in a defensive state because they don't even want to be hurt like that again...and obviously I think this film is capable of curing that even if it is with the truly obvious insight that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I also think it touches on the masculine tendency to assign woman their peace without giving the woman any.

Lars and the Real Girl - similar to eternal Sunshine, but I think may touch on the place of escapism and the need for community a little more.

Lost Highway - I think from watching this near men and them having such a wildly different interpretation from me, I've come to realize that a lot of men have to mourn their idea of what women are/ should be even though she never existed at all. And apparently this film helps with that so, get mourning, boys.

Wild At Heart - I really just want men to watch the rape scene in this so they can understand how petrifying an even obviously bad man can be to a woman and how easily you can end up near one. I want them to have their faces shoved in it until they feel sick inside. It's also a great film with some really interesting relationship dynamics, but yeah, I just basically want them to feel raped by Willhelm Dafoe for about ten minutes so that certain kinds of discourse never happen here again. And then if it did, at least I'd know I was dealing with a monster of some kind.

The Social Network - I want nerd and so called losers to understand they can be assholes too because they're trying to be assholes because their culture also has a version of masculinity predicated on being an asshole. It's just more verbal and manipulative. Basically, I'd make them watch the break up scene a lot so they can understand what it is like to deal with someone who is very arrogant and pedantic at the same time due to insecurity. And that there's nothing you can achieve or money you can make that is going to change a girl's mind about you unless she's absolutely fucking insane.

Mad Men - it's well it is all there. All of it. Watch it. It will solve something in you. I don't know what. But it will.

Instigated- · 2026-07-01T07:35:00+00:00

I wouldn’t phase this as “I wish men would watch” however suggestions that might expand men’s insight into diversity amongst women in experiences, thoughts, feelings, relationships, hoping to foster greater understanding and empathy.

(Women already are raised consuming a lot of books, movies, tv made by, for, and about men so we understand the diversity, however men often are not as exposed or open to women orientated content and some perhaps come to believe women are 2 dimensional simply because so much male oriented content depicts women as 2 dimensional).

When Harry Met Sally - romantic comedy that explores how people and relationships change over time and both men and women are just trying to work it out.

The Notebook - romantic tear jerker period drama about obstacles due to social pressures/expectations and enduring love. It connected unexpectedly with lots of men I know (despite not being one they would have sought out themselves).

Normal People - gritty romance tv series that explores the messiness, insecurity, and confusion of relationships, both men and women carry emotional baggage and make mistakes, and even if you love someone sometimes the right choice is to let them go. You’ll feel the ache.

The Hunger Games - action/sci-fi (?), strong female lead character and supporting male characters who don’t conform to stereotypes, confusion of love, what it looks like, means, all packaged in an entertaining film.

Alien trilogy - horror/action/sci-fi. Great entertaining films, with strong female lead, and no need for romance. Like, women can have other shit to deal with.

The Kids Are Alright - comedy/drama about an imperfect lesbian couple raising a family and the every day challenges to keep it all together.

Bend it like Beckham - coming of age comedy/drama about two best friend teen girls playing soccer against social pressure and judgement. One is from a conservative Indian migrant background, the other is a closeted lesbian with a somewhat homophobic ultra feminine mother.

The Handmaids Tale - dystopian tv series adapted from a novel. This is “speculative fiction” which differs from “sci-fi” because every core underlying concept in it has actually been done before in the world either in the past or in a different country, but now pulled together into a fictional story set it the future where rights have been stripped from women. Men who are trying to remove women’s rights and bodily autonomy fantasise about a world that looks like this. Perhaps seeing it from a female perspective they’ll realise it is grim to both men and women.

The Color Purple - drama, period piece, the life of a black Southern woman during the Jim Crow era. Directed by Steven Spielberg, won lots of awards.

Thelma & Louise - buddy movie about two women on a road trip who end up on the run from the law.

My Brilliant Career - period drama adaption, loosely based on the authors own life, depicts realistically what is was like for an ambitious woman in an era (early 1900s) where she was expected to marry or serve others and had to publish under a man’s name. More gritty than Little Women.

Dancer in the Dark - musical tragedy, probably the only Lars von trier movie I would recommend. is both beautiful and original and terribly dark and sad. About an immigrant factory worker with a degenerating sight condition trying to save money for her son. Original songs by Björk who also plays the main character.

Mama Mia - musical, multigenerational, friendship and romance.

Legally Bond - campy comedy, not at all realistic however a lot of fun.

Clueless - romantic comedy. This was a modern reinterpretation of Emma (by Jane Austen) when it was made (though it’s about 30yrs old now). Teen girl who thinks she knows how life works and what she wants but gets it all wrong (is the clueless one), but figures it out in the end.

I’d also give a +1 to many films that u/PuzzleheadedRow9896 gave. Eternal Sunshine is one of my all time favourite movies. Lars & The Real Girl, Pride & Prejudice, 500 Days of Summer, Barbie, Little Women, American Beauty, Social Network, Mad Men…

Theawkwardmochi · 2026-07-01T04:42:25+00:00

I genuinely think the world would be a lot better place if more men and women watched everything Monty Python, so I'm gonna go with that.

Kaleidoscopetide · 2026-07-01T02:09:20+00:00

Portrait of a lady on fire is good for guys who have trouble conceptualizing women’s desire. Directed AND shot by women about how women have fire in the loins sometimes.

AngeAware · 2026-07-01T03:11:17+00:00

Disney has a new anime-ish show called Dragon Striker that's surprisingly good. I've seen some people comparing it to The Last Airbender. I started watching it out of curiosity with my fiancé one evening and we started binging it.

Long story short, kids use magical powers to play soccer at magic school. The source of the magical soccer power differs from student to student. It can be an emotion like fear or anger. The male lead is very obviously inspired by typical energetic and happy anime protagonists with the catch that his power appears to be linked to his anger and this terrifying blue dragon that lives inside of him.

It's cool. Lots of discussion about feelings and how to deal with them, since the magical powers can be linked to feelings. Definitely moments that'll make you do a double take for a show ostensibly targeted at kids (like certain other French animated shows which are notorious for that).

DMmeClownPics · 2026-07-01T01:56:27+00:00

It’s a miniseries, but Unbelievable on Netflix. Also Welcome to the Dollhouse.

IcyTrapezium · 2026-07-01T03:25:08+00:00

I watched the Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert recently with my man. It was his idea and I’d never seen it. I’m gonna say that. Homophobia is never attractive in a man.

b_berry458 · 2026-07-01T04:54:17+00:00

Some of the ones I thought of have been suggested but akira was an interesting recent watch that has lots of male frustration themes.

AnimalLoose2402 · 2026-07-01T05:40:48+00:00

Boys in the hood

Secret_Entry1840 · 2026-07-01T07:01:27+00:00

Pump Up the Volume is my favorite movie. Teen angst. Shy guy. Feeling like there’s nothing new in the world. Not fitting in.

Ronniebbb · 2026-07-01T07:29:13+00:00

My favs: train to Busan (the symbolism and character development is amazing. And I was crying at the end), Scooby Doo zombie island(1st one not the 2nd. The second is such crap), cloverfield, national Lampoon's Christmas vacation and elf

-Shes-A-Carnival · 2026-07-01T18:41:01+00:00

clockwork orange, predator, terminator, full metal jacket, fight club, american history x, reservoir dogs, pulp fiction, repo man, patton, goodfellas

anomalocarus · 2026-07-01T02:11:20+00:00

It would be nice if they could watch chick-flicks without making a big deal of it

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baby_sociologist · 2026-07-01T20:46:28+00:00

Dismantling the white picket fence dream/when motherhood doesn't make her happy: - Revolutionary Road (USA 2008) - A Happy Event (France/Belgium 2011) - The Lost Daughter (Greece/USA/GB/Israel, 2021) - A Million Minutes (Germany 2023, only English subtitles)

RelativeCondition915 · 2026-07-02T01:32:18+00:00

(TV) Sex and the City - this is sort of a joke but seriously, it might give any humanity to the dating process for women whatsoever

Perfect Blue - an exploration of being on a pedestal

Literally any college undergraduate literary journal. Why? Because they're filled with tortured undergrad unrequited love poems written by young women who are having a terrible time with dating.

half_avocado33 · 2026-07-02T01:34:45+00:00

Gilmore Girls

Icy_Ad_4544 · 2026-07-01T03:58:17+00:00

I love silly raunchy comedy.

TheCounsellingGamer · 2026-07-01T04:39:42+00:00

Wicked. Elphaba was a headstrong and outspoken woman, and she was silenced for it. The book goes into more...graphic depth, but the movie still has that theme.

As an added bonus they could also watch the stage show, and I could go with them because it's my favourite show. We could sing the songs together. My partner has seen the film and he quite likes it, but he won't sing the songs with me.

Shrimptank_mom · 2026-07-01T02:29:56+00:00

Old movies and shows. Nothing made after about 2005. Nothing that's on streaming services. And in adfition, foreign films (not anime).

Title	What movies would you like men to watch?
Author	AlarmingToe8503
Upvotes	1
Comments	93
Date	July 1, 2026 1:40 AM UTC (2 weeks ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/1uk83e6/what_movies_would_you_like_men_to_watch/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/what-movies-would-you-like-men-to-watch.1584017 https://theredarchive.com/post/1584017

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