Hapless Men, Hypercompetent Women: A Fresh Cinematic Dynamic

Recent films center inept male leads while surrounding them with decisive, capable women, suggesting a shift in cinema’s gender dynamics. Movies like The Mastermind, It Was Just an Accident, and One Battle After Another place women in guiding, problem-solving roles, with male protagonists often unable to act or navigate crises, reflecting broader political and social contexts and highlighting a widespread archetype where the female characters drive the plot.