7 best Netflix shows and movies to watch that celebrate women

Best Netflix shows: Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

Rating: TV-14

Gilmore Girls is without a doubt one of the best shows ever made. The seven-season series, along with its miniseries revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, are available to stream on Netflix.

The show follows the mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel), two fun-loving ladies living in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Growing up with wealthy parents, Lorelai had always been the black sheep of the family, getting pregnant with Rory as a teenager and raising her as a single mother. Lorelai wants to be independent from her parents, and is determined to create a new, successful life for herself.

Throughout Gilmore Girls, we get wonderful moments between Lorelai and Rory as they navigate through friendships, romances, and the beauty of growing up. It’s a feel-good show that also has its emotional moments, carried by the relationship between the two women.

Best Netflix shows: Maid (2021)

Rating: TV-MA

Based on the memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land, Maid is a miniseries that debuted on Netflix in 2021. The show follows main character Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother who’s found herself in an abusive relationship with the father of her child, Sean (Nick Robinson). Alex courageously decides to leave Sean in the middle of the night, deciding she needs a better life for her and her daughter.

But of course, it’s easier said than done. After moving into a women’s shelter, Alex struggles to find work and support. She has a complicated relationship with her parents, and Sean is determined to win custody of their daughter in court. Alex finds work as a maid, often traveling by ferry to the fictional town of Fisher Island to clean homes of the wealthy.

Maid is an incredibly inspiring look at the lengths a mother will go to take care of their child. Qualley gives an outstanding performance, highlighting how strong women are. At this year’s Golden Globes, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series.