Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's Day

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Brie Larson fronts superhero epic The Marvels - streaming now on Disney+ (Image: Marvel Studios)
Brie Larson fronts superhero epic The Marvels - streaming now on Disney+ (Image: Marvel Studios)

Today, (March 8), is International Women’s Day (IWD), as people around the world honour the social, cultural and political achievements of women. But if you’re unsure how to celebrate the day, why not kick back and enjoy one of the many female-focused stories streaming on Disney+.

The streamer from The House of Mouse boasts a stacked library of films and shows available to stream now that showcase a wide range of fascinating female characters for everyone to enjoy. Disney+ has everything you need to celebrate IWD, from fascinating and inspirational stories of real-life women, films and shows with female leads and shows created and helmed by women.

All of this content can be enjoyed with Disney’s new ‘Epic Movies, Epic Offer’ promotion, which lets members stream hit films and shows for the equivalent of 50p a week. Both new and returning users can sign up for Disney Plus’ Standard with Ads plan and lock in the £1.99 a month rate for three months – but you’ll need to be quick as the offer ends on March 14.

READ MORE:Disney+ warning as £1.99 a month deal ends in days – here's how to claim it

Here, we have compiled the biggest and best films and shows on Disney+ to watch this International Women’s Day.

Molly Mae's baby name's very simple meaning as fans divided on Disney moniker qhidddidziezinvMolly Mae's baby name's very simple meaning as fans divided on Disney moniker

Inspirational real-life women on Disney+

A Small Light

This National Geographic historical drama follows Miep Gies, the secretary of Otto Frank. With the help of the Dutch resistance, Miep and her husband protected the Franks and countless others from the Nazis during World War II.

Viewers may know the story of Anne Frank and her life in the annex, but this is what happened on the other side of the bookcase

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)

It may not be out for a few days, but it wouldn’t feel right if we left the record-breaking pop superstar off this list. From March 15, Swifties can experience the exclusive new and extended cut of the phenomenon concert film, Taylor Swift The Eras Tour, which contains four additional songs not shown in cinemas, plus an acoustic collection after the credits featuring four unseen performances.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayTaylor Swift's extended concert film is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from March 15

Jane

Drawing from more than 100 hours of previously unseen archival footage, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionised our understanding of the natural world. Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an intimate portrait of Goodall – a trailblazer who became one of the world’s most admired conservationists.

Mrs. America

Mum who called newborn Bambi like Molly-Mae hits back at trollsMum who called newborn Bambi like Molly-Mae hits back at trolls

This biographical drama tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, AKA “the sweetheart of the silent majority.” Through the eyes of the women of the era – both Schlafly and second wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus – the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the ‘70s helped give rise to the Moral Majority and forever shifted the political landscape.

I Am Greta

The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta in her rise to prominence and her galvanising global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayI Am Greta offers fascinating never-before-seen footage of the teenage climate activist (Garry F McHarg/Daily Record)

Hidden Figures

This Oscar-nominee recalls the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA – who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

Female leads on Disney+

Extraordinary

This award-winning British comedy follows Jen (Máiréad Tyers), an ordinary young woman struggling to find her place in a world where most people develop a random superpower once they turn 18. Season two has just dropped and follows Jen on her powers journey as she enrols as a client at the power clinic, but soon discovers that the process of finding her power isn’t as easy as she hoped and things in the rest of her life aren’t smooth sailing either.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayMáiréad Tyers fronts Extraordinary as powerless 25-year-old, Jen (Disney+)

The Marvels

In this Marvel epic, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) heads to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, but her powers become entangled with that of super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) – AKA Ms. Marvel – and Carol’s estranged niece, now astronaut Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, the unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as The Marvels.

Renegade Nell

From Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, this upcoming action-adventure series follows the quick-witted and courageous Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland) as she goes on the run with her sisters after being framed for murder. After turning to highway robbery to survive, Nell unexpectedly becomes the most notorious outlaw in 18th-century England.

Aided by her superpowered sidekick, Nell soon realises that fate has put her on the wrong side of the law for a reason, a reason much bigger than she could have ever imagined: to defeat a magical plot against the Queen of England.

Only Murders in the Building

Starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, this crime-comedy follows three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one as they investigate the mysterious death of a neighbour in their New York City apartment building.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DaySelena Gomez stars in Only Murders in the Building

Echo

The latest TV project from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Echo spotlights Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by crime Kingpin Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal empire. When the journey brings her home to Oklahoma, Maya must confront her own family and legacy.

The Little Mermaid

Disney’s live-action film reimagines the beloved story of Ariel (Halle Bailey), a curious mermaid who longs to experience life on land and – against her father’s wishes – visits the surface. Ariel finds herself on an unexpected journey of self-discovery as she encounters a prince, a sea witch and an incredible new world.

Culprits

Starring Gemma Arterton, this crime-thriller centres on family man Joe Petrus (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who is living the American dream with his fiancé and stepchildren. However, unbeknownst to them, Joe was involved in a mysterious crime three years ago and now his dangerous past is about to catch up with him.

When a killer starts targeting the crew behind the crime, Joe realises it’s only a matter of time before his family is targeted. He returns to London to track down his old gang and find out who is coming after them.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayGemma Arterton stars in Disney Plus crime-thriller, Culprits

Disney+ shows created by women

Abbott Elementary

Created by Quinta Brunson, this workplace comedy follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers – and a slightly tone-deaf principal – as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do.

Grey’s Anatomy

Shonda Rhimes’ long-running, high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. Over 19 seasons, they seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayAmanda Seyfried as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout (Disney Plus)

The Dropout

From executive producer Elizabeth Meriwether, this biographical drama is the story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and Theranos, an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye?

Fleishman is in Trouble

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s drama is the story of recently divorced 41-year-old Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), who dives into the brave new world of app-based dating with the kind of success he never had dating in his youth, before he got married at the tail end of medical school. But just at the start of his first summer of sexual freedom, his ex-wife Rachel (Claire Danes) disappears, leaving him with their two young children and no hint of where she is or whether she plans to return.

Ms. Marvel

Marvel Studios and Bisha K. Ali’s Ms. Marvel is an original series that introduces Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a superhero mega-fan with an oversized imagination.

Yet Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home – that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to.

Best Disney+ films and shows to watch on International Women's DayIman Vellani is young superhero Kamala Khan - AKA Ms. Marvel

Tiny Beautiful Things

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling collection, Liz Tigelaar’s Tiny Beautiful Things centres on Clare (Kathryn Hahn), a woman whose marriage is on its last legs, whose daughter barely talks to her and whose writing career is non-existent. So when a friend suggests taking over an advice column, Clare thinks she’s the last person for the job – when she may be completely qualified.

Tell Me Lies

Meaghan Oppenheimer’s romantic drama follows a tumultuous but intoxicating relationship as it unfolds over the course of eight years. When Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) meet at college, they are at that formative age when seemingly mundane choices lead the way to irrevocable consequences.

Although their relationship begins like any typical campus romance, they quickly fall into an addictive entanglement that will permanently alter not only their lives but the lives of everyone around them.

The Golden Girls

Susan Harris’ classic US sitcom is the story of four single middle-aged women who share a house in Miami Beach, Florida. Bea Arthur is Dorothy, a divorced school teacher, with a sardonic wit; Rue McClanahan plays Blanche, a man-hunting Southern Belle; Betty White plays Rose, a very sweet woman who is somewhat spacey; Estelle Getty is Dorothy's outspoken mother, Sophia.

Click here to join Disney+. Alternatively, a host of new films and shows are streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Jake Hackney

International Women's Day, Disney Plus, Happy Valley, Documentaries, National Geographic, The Walt Disney Company, Martin Short, Jane Goodall, John Glenn, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Anne Frank, Philip Glass, Gemma Arterton, Taylor Swift, Gloria Marie Steinem, Phyllis Schlafly, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Eisenberg, Otto Frank, Ellen Pompeo, Amanda Seyfried, Taraji P. Henson, Brie Larson, Octavia Spencer

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