Inspiring or irritating, empowering or exploitative, maternal or manipulative—female mentorship takes center stage in some of the most captivating stories of 2024. These narratives explore the complexities of relationships between women, ranging from heartfelt camaraderie to intense competition, and from mutual support to uncomfortable self-reflection.
Films such as All We Imagine as Light, Babygirl, Emilia Pérez, The Girl With the Needle, Inside Out 2, The Last Showgirl, My Old Ass, and The Substance delve deep into the nuances of female dynamics, often blurring the line between harm and help, rivalry and respect. These stories resonate with audiences, offering rich insights into intergenerational connections, personal growth, and the bonds women share through mentorship and shared struggles.
Complex Mentorship Across Generations
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light follows the lives of three nurses in Mumbai—Prabha, Anu, and Parvaty—navigating generational and societal differences. Each woman finds herself inspired and challenged by the others’ choices, creating a delicate web of envy, admiration, and transformation. “When there is a lot of difference in the generations, there is a sort of conflict that, for me, brings about a change in both people,” Kapadia explains.
Kapadia views the nurses’ relationships as one person’s chronological journey: “It’s like meeting this person at different stages of her life—when she was like Anu, then like Prabha, and later like Parvaty.”
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Dark Bonds and Empowerment
Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With the Needle examines a twisted mentorship between a factory worker, Karoline, and a manipulative serial killer, Dagmar. Loosely based on real events, their relationship becomes a mirror of empowerment and destruction. “Dagmar needs Karoline to share the burden of what she’s doing,” says actress Trine Dyrholm. Vic Carmen Sonne, who plays Karoline, describes the relationship as a Faustian mix of admiration and repulsion, with both women finding strength and weakness in each other’s influence.
Career, Family, and Female Rivalry
The Last Showgirl, directed by Gia Coppola, sees Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a veteran Vegas dancer juggling the reemergence of her estranged daughter alongside the challenges of mentoring younger performers. “Shelly fosters her work family more than her blood relationships,” says Coppola. Anderson adds, “Shelly is a flawed character who realizes the limits of her giving nature when she’s confronted with her past.”
Redefining Female Mentorship
Sandhya Suri’s Santosh explores the dynamics between an Indian widow-turned-police constable and her senior officer, Geeta. Their mentorship grows complicated by an ambiguous romantic chemistry and the weight of ethical dilemmas. Suri notes, “Geeta’s eventual sacrifice for Santosh had to come from a deep love — a connection that surprises even her.”
Megan Park’s My Old Ass presents a unique twist on mentorship. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella portray different versions of the same character, 18-year-old Elliot and her older self, navigating cryptic advice during a hallucinogenic trip. The film captures the naivety of youth through a humorous yet reflective lens, with Park stating, “We aimed for a tone that felt nostalgic and evergreen.”
Animated Mentorship Meets Emotional Growth
In Inside Out 2, Joy (Amy Poehler) and Anxiety (Maya Hawke) clash over how best to guide 13-year-old Riley through her evolving emotions. Co-writer Meg LeFauve suggests the relationship is a metaphor for self-compassion: “Joy learns to accept that not every moment has to be the best, while Anxiety learns to live in the moment. Together, they teach Riley — and us — to love all parts of ourselves.”
A Cinematic Celebration of Female Dynamics
Whether through uplifting connections or darker entanglements, these films highlight the many shades of female mentorship. In 2024, storytelling continues to shine a light on the transformative power of women’s relationships, reflecting the complexities of real-life bonds.
