7 suggestions for a National Women’s Month movie marathon

National Woman's Month is coming to a close, but we shouldn't stop fighting the good fight for gender equality; our voices should be heard beyond this month and our contributions, accomplishments, struggles, and rights should always recognized.

And if films are portals to stories we can draw inspiration from, allow us to suggest a couple of titles for a movie marathon in celebration of women. Note that you don't have to be a woman to watch any of these.

"Hidden Figures" is a must-watch, of course, and so is the Disney classic "Mulan" and the newer, wonderfully feminist "Moana." The adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Matilda" remains a feel-good watch. In the realm of science fiction, there's "Ex-Machina" and "Arrival." For some action, "Mad Max: Fury Road" delivers.

But not all women are scientists and that's okay. Not all women find violence cool and that's okay. Not everyone can be like Mulan and save China.

Some women prefer less glamorous things typically regarded as boring, like being a wife and having a family or being a good employee. Some women struggle just to have a normal day, free of anxiety and dread.

Here are seven films that illustrate the silent struggle and strength of women.

"Patintero: Alamat ni Meng Patalo" (2015)

Meng loves patintero and she's going to keep playing, no matter what. Young girls watching this able and strong receive the message that they can also be able and strong...and when Meng makes a mistake, we're all told that there's room for it and you just have to keep on keepin' on.

"Tallulah" (2016)

Tallulah (Ellen Page) steals a baby from a woman named Carolyn. Carolyn is a terrible parent and she should be in this movie about motherhood, because it dispels the notion that all women have the motherly instinct. The characters are complex, as humans are in real life. Expertly woven into the plot is Margo (Allison Janney). Margo is a mother, too, but she's also a person and we see her grieve what she lost in the marriage—now over, because her husband pursued what he really wanted. Being a woman: It's hard.

"Tallulah" is streaming on Netflix.

"Audrie & Daisy" (2016)

This is a documentary about sexual assault and, to some degree, male privilege. If you find it too difficult to watch the film in its entirety, know that a sheriff in the town where a young woman was raped said that the victim should move on because the teenage boys who committed the crime are moving on and are trying to live better lives.

"Audrie & Daisy" is streaming on Netflix.

"Memories of Matsuko" (2006)

Matsuko is far from perfect. She's about a planet away from perfect. Maybe two. But that's the point: She's a human being, and women don't need to be perfect. She struggles and she doesn't succeed and her life is still valuable. Where others might judge her for being "boy crazy", the movie presents it as an enormous capacity for love—which men take advantage of. The movie also illustrates the very poor way women are regarded and treated. It's an acting tour de force for Miki Nakatani, who brings to life a compelling character.

"Christine" (2016)

Christine Chubbuck was a TV reporter in the '70s who shot herself during a live news broadcast. In the film, it was shown that Chubbuck felt lost at work and wasn't being taken seriously by her boss. She's a determined, intelligent woman—passed over for a male anchor and a prettier blonde reporter for a promotion. She was dealing with a lot and she needed help. Women everywhere can likely relate to her isolation and frustrations.

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"Blue Jasmine" (2013)

Quoting the great Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, "Marriage can be a great source of joy and love and mutual support"...but there's sacrifice there, for women in particular. There are plenty of movies about cheating husbands, but Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) raging against her husband (Alec Baldwin) for breaking her heart stands out as a powerful scene among a sea of bland interpretations of a woman's world crumbling around her.

Jasmine gave up a career, turned a blind eye to her husband's illegal business practices, and adored him; she was part of his team, she worked on it, and it was her life. To be punished for loving is just cruel. This movie does not offer the fantasy revenge against cheaters, but it paints a necessary portrait of what infidelity destroys. (Shout out to Ginger, Jasmine's sister, whose story is just as important.)

"Joy" (2016)

Why this won Golden Globe awards for comedy is a mystery, but it's a pretty great movie about why it's infuriating to be a woman trying to make it in business. People just look at you weird and you have to be twice as loud to be heard. Nobody even wanted to bother building a better mop, because who wants little improvements in domestic tasks? But Joy kept going. She didn't let her struggles be defined by her sex or other people and she eventually succeeded. She's a boss.

— BM, GMA News