What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWomen Talking
Sarah Polley · Film · 2022
If you loved Women Talking, start with Godless (Scott Frank, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Women Talking across media.
What hooked you in Women Talking was the way it centers the collective voices of women navigating systemic patriarchal oppression.
Books on the same thread
Parable of the Talents
Octavia E. Butler · Book · 1998
Explores: Religious Fanaticism, Social Breakdown, Climate Change.
Much like the women in Women Talking, the characters here must forge new paths and community bonds while confronting the crushing weight of religious extremism and social collapse.
Men Explain Things to Me
Rebecca Solnit · Book · 2014
Explores: Gender Inequality, Patriarchy, Misogyny.
If the intellectual debates in Women Talking resonated with you, this essay collection provides the essential framework for understanding the systemic misogyny the characters are fighting to escape.
The Women's Room
Marilyn French · Book · 1977
Explores: Feminism, Marriage, Divorce.
This novel echoes the intimate, transformative journey of the women in Women Talking as they grapple with their identity and autonomy within a restrictive, male-dominated societal structure.
From Reverence to Rape
Molly Haskell · Book · 2016
Explores: Female Representation, Gender Roles in Film, Hollywood History.
To understand the cinematic power of Women Talking, turn to this study, which explores the same complex gender dynamics and female representation you witnessed on screen.
Series on the same thread
The Handmaid's Tale
Bruce Miller · Series · 2017
Explores: Oppression, Totalitarianism, Religious Extremism.
Both Women Talking and this series explore the harrowing reality of women living under the thumb of fundamentalist control and the desperate fight for their freedom.
Alias Grace
Sarah Polley · Series · 2017
Explores: Female Protagonist, Memory and Trauma, Social Class.
Directed by the same visionary behind Women Talking, this series shares a profound focus on female trauma, memory, and the struggle for justice in a rigid, historical environment.
Unbelievable
Susannah Grant · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Assault Investigation, Victim Blaming, Systemic Injustice.
This series mirrors the urgent themes of Women Talking by highlighting the systemic injustice and victim-blaming women face when seeking truth after experiencing sexual assault.
Godless
Scott Frank · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Women Talking: Female solidarity.
If you appreciated the female solidarity depicted in Women Talking, you will find a similar spirit of resilience and collective independence in this town of women.
Podcasts on the same thread
In Her View
Podcast
Explores: female empowerment, gender roles, social commentary.
This podcast continues the vital conversation started by Women Talking by providing a space for diverse female perspectives on the roles and societal pressures women navigate daily.
You're Wrong About
Podcast
Explores: Misconceptions, Public Perception, Historical Analysis.
Just as Women Talking challenges the way we view historical silence, this show reconsiders past events to reveal the truth hidden behind public misconceptions and systemic narratives.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Women Talking based on a true story?
Women Talking is a 2022 film directed by Sarah Polley. It depicts a fictional group of women in an isolated religious colony who struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the men in their community.
What is the central conflict in Women Talking?
The central conflict in Women Talking involves a group of women living in an isolated religious colony. They must decide how to respond after discovering that the men of their community have been committing a series of sexual assaults against them.
Does Women Talking focus on the religious community?
Yes, Women Talking focuses on the experiences of women within an isolated religious colony. The narrative centers on their internal struggle to reconcile their personal faith with the reality of the systemic sexual assaults committed by the men in their colony.
Who directed the 2022 film Women Talking?
The 2022 film Women Talking was directed by Sarah Polley. The story follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they confront the men of their community regarding a series of sexual assaults.