Best Movies About Domestic Violence

Updated May 1, 2024

Multiple directors have talked about Best Movies About Domestic Violence. Here are 12 of our favorites.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Jon Avnet, starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker
Rated PG-13

Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 American comedy-drama directed by Jon Avnet and based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. Set in the 1980s, the film tells the story of the unlikely friendship between two women in the small town of Whistle Stop, Alabama: Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) and Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy). Evelyn is an unhappy housewife whose marriage is in trouble. She meets Ninny while visiting her cousin's nursing home in search of a distraction. Ninny tells Evelyn stories about the past of Whistle Stop, including the tale of two best friends, Idgie Threadgoode (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker). Idgie and Ruth are two strong-willed, independent women who run a cafe in the town. The stories of Idgie and Ruth's friendship and their struggles against racism and sexism inspire Evelyn to take control of her own life. With the help of Ninny, she learns to stand up for herself and break free from her unhappy marriage. Fried Green Tomatoes is a heartwarming story about female friendship

The Color Purple (1985)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Steven Spielberg, starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery
Rated PG-13

The Color Purple is a 1985 American coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel. Set in rural Georgia during the early 1900s, the film follows the life of a young African-American woman named Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and her struggles with racism, sexism, poverty, and abuse. Despite the abuse she suffers, Celie is determined to survive and live an independent life and find her voice. Along the way, she finds friendship and love in the form of her sister Nettie (Akosua Busia) and blues singer Shug Avery (Margaret Avery). With the help of these two women, Celie is able to find strength and the courage to stand up for herself, and find redemption and joy in the end.

I, Tonya (2017)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson
Rated R

I, Tonya is a biopic/black comedy about the life of American figure skater Tonya Harding. Through a combination of archival footage and interviews, the film follows Harding's rise in the world of figure skating, as well as her involvement in the 1994 attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan. The story follows the tumultuous and often chaotic life of Tonya, from her abusive childhood and her marriage to Jeff Gillooly, to her troubled relationship with her mother and her passion for figure skating. Despite the negative publicity surrounding the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya faced adversity and continued to pursue her dreams of becoming a champion skater. The film offers an insightful look into the life of a controversial figure as she attempts to reclaim her own legacy.