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Today is Veterans Day, a day where we celebrate those who lived and died serving the country. I joined the U.S. Air Force in 2008, and lived and traveled throughout Europe and Asia, and completed one deployment. I had some incredible experiences and made some lifelong friends. But one thing I cherish most is getting to cultivate an unmatched love of cinema in addition to honing my skills as an entertainment writer.
In 2013, I began writing for a site called Moviepilot while I was stationed in Virginia, and wrote my first film review for Riddick. Immediately upon publishing, I was bombarded with messages about how I don’t know sh*t about action cinema, and “women shouldn’t be reviewing action movies.” My first experience taught me a lot about audience interaction and internet harassment over opinions.
I continued to write for various smaller sites while serving in the military, but transitioning out was even harder. I considered turning entertainment writing into a career, but with little experience, no backing from large outlets, I had to take on freelance jobs for $50 a pop, not the most effective way to prevent homelessness. VA service did help a bit. I eventually went back to school, and used those resources to stay afloat. It wasn’t until 2017, that I got the hang of this profession. But without starting in 2013 on a whim, I would not be where I am today.
I have a thing for certain types of military-centric cinema, whether fictional, documentary, or fact-based. Glory and Inglourious Basterds are two of my favorite films of all time. Daughter from Danang, a documentary I adore, is about the effects of war on women and how it can affect families. In all of this, I noticed most films in this genre rarely focus on women in the military or female veterans. I get it: women only make up less than 20% of the Armed Forces, but still you would think a lot more portrayals of this should exist in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the representation just isn’t where it should be.
So it got me thinking, especially with the release of Jennifer Lawrence‘s new Apple+ film Causeway and the Netflix documentary I Am Vanessa Guillen. Both films hone in on the experiences of women in the American armed forces. I wanted to further highlight memorable military women in film characters in film, so I created this list. Hopefully, you can watch some of these movies and discover why they stick with me.
Causeway
The newest film coming from Apple+ stars Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, directed by Lila Neugebauger. Lynsey (Lawrence) is back home due to major injuries as a result of an IED detonation while on a convoy during deployment. She desperately wants to return to the field, but ends up making an unlikely friend in James (Henry), a local car mechanic with mobility issues of his own. Their shared traumatic experiences bring them closer together, leaving Lynsey with the choice to either rejoin the fight, or stay home and make a new life for herself.
Megan Leavey
Based on the true life story of Marine Corporal Megan Leavey (played by Kate Mara), this one is unique. As a young corporal, Leavey shares a close bond with a combat dog, Rex. Her unique discipline and bond with a military combat dog saved many lives during her deployment in Iraq. During their time together in the service, Megan and Rex completed nearly 100 missions, before both were injured by an IUD and honorably discharged from service. Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs.
The Hunt
Directed by Craig Zobel, the film centers around Crystal Creasey (Betty Gilpin), an Army veteran caught up in a case of mistaken identity, when she finds herself one of 12 strangers to wake up in a place unknown to them. As a target of these mysterious captors, Crystal uses her learned military skills to survive a heinous set of traps, manipulation and betrayal in order to get to the truth of why she was chosen to be hunted.
Annihilation
Natalie Portman is Lena, a former Army soldier and biologist who joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband Kane (Oscar Issacs) inside what scientists are calling The Shimmer — a quarantined zone of mutating plants and animals caused by an alien presence. Time and space become irrelevant as the group begins to change mentally and physically. With her smarts and armed forces training, Lena fights off humans and creatures alike to survive a dangerous new world.
Ridley Scott’s G.I. Jane chronicles the life of Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil (Demi Moore) on her journey to be the first female member of a military special ops team. The character endures chronic misogyny, grueling training, crippling self doubt and betrayal that might prevent her from completing the program. However, her expertise in topography helps to successfully complete a mission in Libya.
Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (Bree Larson) is a part of an intergalactic team that fights extraterrestrial threats. She looks like a human but exhibits extraordinary powers. The captain soon discovers that she is Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot who lost her memory and was integrated into the Kree alien nation due to a power she mistakenly obtained during a flight mission. Her goals in the military were no different from what she was doing in space as overcoming adversity and doing the right thing has always been in her DNA. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Jurassic Park Dominion
Kayla Watts (Dewanda Wise) is a cargo pilot and former officer in the U.S. Air Force who joins Owen and Claire’s rescue mission. While Wise is playing a supporting role, Kayla’s knowledge of planes and navigation is central to the survival of all involved.
I am Vanessa
The case of Vanessa Guillén shook America and the military world. At 20 years old, the U.S. Army soldier was murdered in cold blood by a fellow soldier who was afraid of being caught fraternizing with her because he was still married. The young woman had been missing for two months until her remains were discovered and identified. This documentary is important because it allows the audience to get an up close and personal look at who Vanessa was as a person, how the Army handled the case, and if her family will get the justice they deserve.
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