Moxie (2021)

Director: Amy Poehler

Rated: PG-13

Where to watch: Netflix

I believe everyone should see Moxie before leaving high school simply because of the important and powerful message it sends. Moxie centers around Vivian (Hadley Robinson), a junior who is just trying to get by and go unnoticed at school. When a new girl, Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Peña), comes to school, Vivian’s perspective changes. Lucy gets harassed by football team captain Mitchell Wilson (Patrick Schwarzenegger), but after talking to the principal about it, it becomes clear that the school cares more about censoring girls and glorifying boys than it does about the safety and well-being of the students. Inspired by Lucy’s outspokenness and her mother’s (Amy Poehler) teenage feminist rebel past, Vivian anonymously publishes a zine called “Moxie” and spreads feminist messages around the school, ultimately creating a club with the same name. The group exposes sexist students and policies found throughout the school and creates a revolution.

High schools should not be policing girls and placing boys on a pedestal, but rather uplifting the girls’ voices and holding boys accountable. It’s about time for a change, and Moxie will inspire viewers to break out of the mold and speak up in the name of gender equality.