Anti-Heroine 101
Let’s start with the basics—what is an anti-heroine?
An anti-heroine is a protagonist who doesn’t embody traditional heroic traits, as they have been defined by a patriarchal, white supremacist and capitalist society. Anti-heroines challenge the status quo, whether for personal or collective gain. Their inherent Otherness makes them all the more threatening to existing power structures. They do not have to be likeable, nice, or possess stereotypically feminine traits (although they can). They simply disrupt and dismantle.
Chances are you’ve heard of the anti-hero—our Tony Sopranos, Walter Whites or Jordan Belforts. These characters have become ubiquitous in popular culture, celebrated for their amoralism and ruthlessness in the pursuit of the American dream. In doing so they tend to embody traditionally masculine traits, operating seamlessly within a system in which they already have immense privilege. Their whiteness plays a key role in their ability to be anti-heroes, to challenge authority without immense state repression. While racialized anti-heroes absolutely exist, they do not exist in the same numbers as white cis-gender heterosexual anti-heroes. In many ways they fall more in line with conceptions of anti-heroine characters in their propensity to upset oppressive power structures. For the anti-heroes that we are most familiar with, to pursue capital, power and prestige—even through illegal or unethical means—does very little to challenge the status quo. When anti-heroes embody self-serving desires within a patriarchal, white supremacist and capitalist system, it’s pretty par for the course.
Not so when it comes to anti-heroines. When women characters are self-serving or immoral—daring to take up space or prioritize their wants and needs over the desires of others—it’s kind of revolutionary. It challenges not only conceptions of gender roles in which women and non-binary folks are expected to compress themselves, to not take up space, be demanding or unlikeable; but also threatens the very fabric of power as we understand it, and in doing so, gender itself. If women are not innately caring, nurturing, maternal or self-sacrificing, then what might they be capable of?
History of the Anti-Heroine
Let’s backtrack a bit. The modern anti-hero emerged in his current iteration post-World War One. Generally, these characters challenge the state in some way, a reflection of mistrust in the values of traditional heroes used as propaganda throughout the period. They rebel against the system as an attempt at individualistic freedom, a sentiment which has only become stronger in current late-stage capitalism.
This coincides with the rise of film noir in the 1940s—hard-boiled detectives drinking, smoking, stealing, and skirting procedures to catch the “bad guys”. Yet the audience still roots for them, understands what they’ve been through and why they view these methods as necessary. Their brooding demeanours and the violence they commit, may make them complicated, challenging, but not necessarily unlikeable. We can put ourselves in their shoes and understand the decisions they make, even if we don’t actually agree with them ourselves.
A precursor for the anti-heroine figure arose during the same period in the femme fatale. She can also be viewed as an embodiment of post-war anxieties, using seduction to lure men into dangerous situations. She herself is an example of the monstrous feminine, exaggerated notions of femininity used to manipulate men for personal gain. This is especially significant in the context of women moving into the workforce with men away at war, in turn transforming traditional family values. She embodies the danger of a society in which women might think of themselves as equal.
These characters are almost always punished for their behaviour, either with violence or subjugation. They function quite similarly to their masculine counterparts, but they are clearly coded as villains. Yet just a slight shift in perspective and everything changes. Bad women are nothing new, we see them all the time. We just aren’t asked to identify with them, to understand their realities, or to offer them empathy in the ways that we have with characters portrayed by men. If we did, we might also implicitly identify with their struggles. We might root for her, and want to see her succeed at dismantling the structures which oppress her—and, yet, these structures are the state itself.
Why we ❤️ Anti-Heroines
Anyone who’s even slightly aware of the state of the planet knows that our current structures aren’t working. Just a cursory glance at the news or scroll through Twitter is a scary endeavour. In order to imagine new possibilities, to think outside of the present, to build something different, we must first challenge the oppressive systems in place to maintain the status quo. The anti-heroine figure can be used as a stand-in to question and upend our current conceptions of power and gender, to reach outside of our prescribed roles, and to resist.
The reality is that heroes don’t make lasting change, movements do. People are fallible, beautifully imperfect creatures—and that’s why we love them—but, it’s only through building bonds and working together that we can create the biggest impact. Stories, no matter who the characters, are an invaluable tool to shift perspectives and bring us together to challenge existing power structures. We see this in films, books, oral traditions, and digitally—to name a few. This is how we approach communications work at Anti-Heroine Media, as movements-based and action-oriented.
Also who doesn’t love watching Harley Quinn pass a hair tie to Dinah Lance (Black Canary) before beating up a bunch of gangsters in a fun house? That’s true solidarity.
We’ve put together a primer to get you started on your anti-heroine movie journey (stay tuned for a TV edition later this year).
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Could be the title of a very different movie, but alas, Ana Lily Amirpour isn’t here to indulge in victim-narratives—she’s here to upend them. The titular “Girl” (played by Sheila Vand) is the predator, not the prey. And she’s also just super fucking cool. A vampire who rolls around on her skateboard in a neo-Western monster movie? Sold.
Birds of Prey
Ditch your toxic clown boyfriend and trade him in for a group of badass women criminals and vigilantes to share burritos and margaritas with. This far superior spin-off of the gross male gaze-y Suicide Squad follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as she tries to carve out an identity for herself separate from the Joker—teaming up with a superior squad, defeating a gangster and forming a super sweet bond with a young pick-pocket in the process. Bonus, there are no Jared Letos in this film!
Ex Machina
Ex Machina follows a young computer programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleason), who wins a trip to the compound where his tech company’s founder, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), lives and works. After signing a non-disclosure agreement, he is told that he will be conducting a top-secret Turing test on Ava, the android Nathan has created. While it is unclear at the beginning who we are meant to identify with, as the film progresses Ava becomes most worthy of our sympathy. We begin to formally and narratively occupy her point of view as a prisoner in constant fear of the threat that she might be turned off. She does what she does to survive.
Gone Girl
Gone Girl tells the story of Amy (Rosamund Pike) and Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck). When Amy goes missing on the morning of their anniversary, Nick is suspected of her murder. To say more would get us into spoiler territory, but rest assured that Amy is a deeply complex and rich anti-heroine character. She is the centre of the narrative whether she is present in the story or not (hence the Gone). As the image of the perfect couple starts crumbling, it’s up to us to decipher how much is real and what’s been constructed for our benefit.
Heathers
The Heathers are the coolest girls in school. Our protagonist of this dark-as-hell comedy may be a part of their crew, but she’s a Veronica (who’s also a Winona Ryder, an AHM favourite!). After an embarrassing incident at a frat party threatens to ruin her reputation, Veronica and the new guy, J.D. (Christian Slater), “accidentally” poison the top Heather, setting off a series of murders staged as suicides of the popular kids in town. With Veronica the only one aware of the true nature of these deaths, it’s up to her to stop J.D. before it’s too late.
Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown doesn’t entirely hold as a whole (yes there are one too many unnecessary Quentin Tarantinoisms), but truly no one is cooler than Pam Grier. Flight attendant Jackie Brown is caught for smuggling, putting her in a very compromising position—become an informant and risk getting killed, or stay quiet and go to prison! But if anyone is savvy, smart, and resourceful enough to get out ahead, playing everyone else in the process, it’s Jackie Brown.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
After Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) serves 13 years in prison for a horrific crime she didn’t actually commit, who do you think stands by her to seek vigilante justice on the true culprit? The friends she made in prison, that’s who. Trigger warning, this is a brutal and extremely violent revenge story. But if you have the mental capacity, it’s worth your time.
Thelma and Louise
Best friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) were just trying to head out of town for a relaxing fishing trip! It was supposed to be fun! But when Thelma is attacked by a man at a bar who attempts to sexually assault her, Louise shoots him dead. Their quaint little getaway turns into an actual getaway as they attempt to flee the police hot on their tail.
Widows
Widows follows a group of women whose husbands were killed during a heist, leaving behind many loose ties. In order to pay their debts, the women—led by the legendary Viola Davis, with an incredible supporting cast including Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, and Elizabeth Debicki—team up to execute their husbands’ final job. But the heart of the story is how these women bond and come together after being royally fucked over by the men in their lives.
Honourable Mentions
The Babadook
Carrie
Colossal
The Craft
Election
The Favourite
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hard Candy
Hustlers
Ingrid Goes West
Kill Bill
The Lost Daughter
The Nightingale
Us
Young Adult
The Nightingale