Have you ever gone into a doctor’s clinic only to feel like your words are just bouncing off the sterile walls?
While you struggle to name your problem, it seems as if the doctor has no clue either. Worse yet are scenarios where the pain is altogether dismissed for something innocent. Deep down, our bodies give us irrefutable proof that something isn’t right.
However, if only we could make others (especially those in healthcare) see it like we do, right? Welcome to the universal struggle of being a woman, particularly. The fairer sex has often been marginalized as far as health goes.
No wonder a plethora of movies had to be made as an attempt to wake people up and force them to act. This article will share five such films and series on women’s health that should be given their due attention.
Unbelievable (2019)
With this series, you won’t be able to cruise through a binge without confronting some uncomfortable truths. Do you enjoy detectives and unexpected twists? Then, it’s your classic gripping crime drama.
However, what truly sets it apart is the way in which the aftermath of trauma is treated with respect. The storyline begins with a young woman reporting a sexual assault. The investigation that follows turns out to be more aggressive than the crime itself.
At the heart of the show is the bitter reality of what happens when those who should be believed are met with skepticism. Victims must replay their memories and undergo invasive exams.
Even in disguise, the story echoes a tragic real-world pattern. Over 370 million girls and women were raped or sexually assaulted before turning 18 (2024). The possibility that the real numbers are probably higher because of underreporting is even more depressing.
Unbelievable reveals how systemic disbelief only exacerbates damage, displayed with astute detail and unexpected tenderness. This series is more about respecting the complexity of the actual human experience than it is about solving puzzles.
The Bleeding Edge (2018)
An investigative thriller that is also a medical conspiracy drama? That’s exactly what The Bleeding Edge is all about. This Netflix documentary sheds light on perhaps one of the least talked-about worlds of medical devices.
There’s the shock factor, wherein you get to witness how ‘miracles’ can sometimes behave as landmines once they’re inside the human body. As you deep dive into the billion-dollar medical industry, discover gut-wrenching personal stories and expert testimonies.
The Bleeding Edge takes us into the lives of people who were harmed by medical devices designed to “help them.” The way the products meant to assist women can go terribly wrong is one of the most interesting themes.
With skilled precision, it is a reflection of contemporary concerns, such as those detailed in the transvaginal mesh lawsuit. Although promoted as a successful treatment for urinary stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, the device caused serious complications.
As per TorHoerman Law, plaintiffs claimed that the manufacturers neglected to test the device and alert the public to possible hazards. Questions surrounding patient safety and manufacturer responsibility can be found in both the lawsuit and the movie.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
If a road trip is imagined from the lens of clinical paperwork and emotional honesty, the result is Never Rarely Sometimes Always. This movie follows a driven adolescent and her cousin through the bureaucratic maze of reproductive healthcare.
There won’t be any dramatic confrontations in this one. It’s more about the little annoyances that add up. So, buckle up for long queues and the pain of feeling invisible in places meant to be helpful.
That feeling of being ‘ordinary’ matters because the world this film portrays isn’t rare fiction. Many women spend years moving through the maze of reproductive health systems that weren’t designed with their needs in mind.
As per a 2024 study, 82% of women of reproductive age used some form of contraception in the past year. Nearly half even used more than one method. This is a reminder that managing reproductive health is a complicated reality for most women.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always doesn’t need dramatic explorations to arrest your attention. The hook lies in the way it shows how women realize early on that their bodies are both mysterious and politically charged.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
This film deserves an equally unvarnished description because of how unpolished it is. It conveys, in a sentence, the sensation of walking on Lego in the dark, only 10x more intense.
Pieces of a Woman begins with an unapologetically personal home birth scene that keeps you staring. What comes next is an unexpected revelation of how a single moment can simultaneously shatter a body and a future.
No, this isn’t your typical montage on ‘overcoming adversity.’ You will find yourself tossed into the weird spaces in between. Get ready to witness firsthand the awkward hallway walks between hospital rooms and the bleeding edge of a person trying hard to breathe.
Maternal health challenges, as depicted in this movie, are far from being rare. In the US alone, about one in five new mothers experiences conditions like postpartum depression. Even then, as many as 75% receive no treatment for it.
In the movie, the medical system is not shown as a supportive backdrop. You can almost sense it as the main character, with its own mind and limits. Keep some tissues ready! You could get swept by the emotional gash of knowing how women are expected to carry on as if there wasn’t a human story written across their bodies.
Call the Midwife (2012)
Well, if Call the Midwife were a person, they would be the warm-hearted aunt who shows up with chicken soup. Set in post-war East London, this long-running series welcomes you with cozy accents and breezy streets.
Gradually, you’ll be whacked with powerful stories of childbirth and women’s health. From traumatic deliveries to painful infertility, this show isn’t afraid to portray anything. Each episode wraps viewers in the hum of a crowded clinic or a home visit.
By the time it’s all over, you might feel like the kids in the neighborhood, peeking over the midwife’s shoulders. Call the Midwife reminds viewers that pregnancy and childbirth are serious events with high stakes.
Despite decades of maternal health advancements, nearly 260,000 women still die during childbirth annually. Women’s health is no textbook concern. At least this series keeps it 100% human.
If it highlights the pain of mothers waiting to be heard, it also celebrates tough midwives who trek across muddy lanes just to help bring life into the world. “Childbirth? No big deal!” This statement becomes both a casual humor and a dark reality in Call the Midwife. What’s more? Part 2 of the Christmas special has also arrived!
In total, all these movies spanned across a decade. Even today, the situation for women is far from improved.
If there is one thing that each of these films has in common, it’s how women are not easily believed. None of the women protagonists is portrayed as uninformed or hysterical. The conflict doesn’t arise from ignorance, but from not being taken seriously.
More than health, these films are also about credibility. Why is it that women must pay a heavy price each time before they’re heard? Here’s to hoping that it doesn’t take another train of harrowing films to get the word out.
