There still aren't enough women behind the lens in Hollywood, but women in front of the camera are coming under closer scrutiny than ever. Which may actually be a good thing.To see weather a film features well-rounded female characters, you can run it through the Bechdel test, which aims to count the number of times at least two female characters talk about topics other than men. To see if LGBT characters have been well-represented in a movie, there's the Russo test. Now, thanks toThe New York Times' Manohla Dargis, we have the DuVernay test.
Named for Selma director Ava Duvernay, it's a test to see if a movie presents substantive depictions of people of color. While the Bechdel test has certain boxes that need to be checked off, the DuVernay test is broader. Dargis explained that, in films which pass the test, "African-Americans and other minorities have fully realized lives rather than serve as scenery in white stories."
While there's a definite need to increase diversity so more movies can pass the DuVernay test, there are great films you can watch right now that feature people of color as fully rounded characters driving the narrative, not tokens. We've collected a few for you to enjoy while you wait for a year when there's no need for an #OscarsSoWhite hashtag. From period pieces to comedies to contemporary dramas, it's a perfect streaming watch list.
Dear White People (2014)
Dear White People works as a classic college comedy (will the guy get the girl who's too smart for him, but likes him anyway?), but more importantly, the film does a great public service in explaining away the idea of reverse racism.
Belle (2013)
In Gugu Mbatha-Raw's breakout role, she plays a real woman born in England in the 1700s, caught between the privileges her money provided her and the place in society she held based on the color of her skin. Belle is the only lead played by a person of color, but this is very much her story and her film.
Sister Act 2 (1993)
Whoopi saves the kids, and Lauryn Hill saves a previously dull hymn in a film that clearly shows that teens in a failing inner-city school don't need a heroic white teacher to rescue them.
Beyond the Lights (2014)
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, best known for Love and Basketball, this story is part forbidden romance, part nightmarish stage-mother saga.
Dreamgirls (2006)
Passing the DuVernay test easily, Dreamgirls is also an incredibly feminist film, with the Dreams realizing their talent is their own, and doesn't depend on the greedy men around them.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Before Jaden Smith was Twitter's New Age quote generator, he was an adorable kid making you cry in at least 50% of this movie — based on the true story of a single father who, while homeless, worked for free in a competitive internship to make a better life for his son.
The Color Purple (1985)
A truly gorgeous and heartbreaking film about sisterhood, powerlessness, and finding a way to move past your past.
Top Five (2014)
Chris Rock proved he didn't need to call in a lot of behind-the-scenes help to make this hit, writing, producing, and co-starring in it himself. He did call in what seems like half of all big-name comedians, including quite a few who play themselves in the film.
Fruitvale Station (2013)
When looking back at what's likely to be a long and bright career, people will probably point to Creed as Michael B. Jordan's breakout performance. But his very first movie role as Oscar Grant, a young unarmed Black man who was killed by police in 2009, is where he made his mark.
Dope(2015)
Dope is a film that should have blown up after its awards-show buzz, but remained a fairly quiet summer flick. It features normal teenage hijinks, with some very accidental drug complications.
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