# Any movies fail a reverse Bechdel Test? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630 "2013-09-25T06:48:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/81 "2014-04-03T16:32:10Z")
Going from memory, but don’t _Silkwood_ and _Agnes of God_ fail the Reverse Bechdel Test? ---
**Author:** ![RadekPSK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RadekPSK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadekPSK)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/82 "2017-12-17T02:15:16Z")
I’m pretty sure Black Swan fails the reverse test. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/83 "2017-12-17T19:08:01Z")
Pretty sure these fail the reverse test but I could be wrong: All About Eve The Neon Demon Under the Skin Moana Frozen It’s Such a Beautiful Day (maybe a gimmick) Maleficent My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) I’m much less confident about these but from my rusty memory seem like good candidates: May Melancholia Dancer in the Dark The Ring (American) Inside Out Kill Bill Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Kiki’s Delivery Service Silent Hill Ghostbusters (2016) Wonder Woman (2009) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/84 "2017-12-17T19:21:38Z")
There are so many anime series that fail a reverse Bechdel Test because they focus solely on the female character to the exclusion of everyone else. In **Puella Magi Madoka Magica** the only named male character I can think of is Madoka’s father and I don’t think he talks to any other male in the entire 12 episode series. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/85 "2017-12-17T21:29:22Z")
Just watched _[Ingrid Goes West](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5962210/)_ last night. Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid) stalks Ashley Olsen (Taylor) online then attempts to meet her IRL. There are 3 notable male characters: Dan\* (Ingrid’s neighbor/landlord), Ezra (Taylor’s husband) and Nicky (Taylor’s brother). Almost all of the 3 male’s interactions are brief with one exception. Two of them get into a rather heated dispute, shall we say. But there is not much real talking during the event and the cause/topic of the event revolves around the two main women. It’s an okay movie but not worth going to any trouble to see. It’s not a _[Safety Not Guaranteed](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1862079/)_ or a _[Wind River](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5362988/)_. - Played by Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. I am impressed by this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/86 "2017-12-17T22:04:56Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Pretty sure these fail the reverse test but I could be wrong: > … > Frozen > … Depends if you count Sven the reindeer as a male character 😃 Actually, pretty sure Frozen passes on quite a few scenes. I think _Rabbit Proof Fence_ fails the Ledhceb. It’s a while since I’ve seen it, so not sure though. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/87 "2017-12-17T22:06:00Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Kiki’s Delivery Service I think several of the Ghibli movies would fail. And a few other Disney/Pixar. There are quite a few that come to mind that I think would fail (or at least come really close) but can’t say for sure just based on my memories of them. The mention of _How to Make an American Quilt_ makes me think of _Girl, Interrupted_ and _Mermaids_. The mention of _Black Swan_ makes me think of other Natalie Portman movies that might possibly fail, including _Where the Heart Is_, _Anywhere But Here_, and _Free Zone_. Other possibilities include _Bring it On_, _In the Land of Women_, and _Girl Asleep_. And what about _Labyrinth_? How much time does David Bowie spend talking to Hoggle and how much of it isn’t about Jennifer Connelly? And what about some _Alice in Wonderland_ versions and movies of the same general theme, such as _Coraline_ and _Mirrormask_? ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/88 "2017-12-17T22:28:15Z")
IIRC, Polanski’s _Deat and the Maiden_ with Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley might fail. The film is a 3 hander with Weaver as the victim of torture at the hands of Kingsley many years earlier, and her husband who inadvertently invites Kingsley over for dinner, wants to believe his wife but isn’t sure. Very intense and interior. I can’t recall any chats between the men that did not at least obliquely involve the Weaver character. ---
**Author:** ![Annoying\_Buzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Annoying\_Buzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoying_Buzz)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/89 "2017-12-18T03:29:12Z")
IIRC, **The Joy Luck Club** would fail, as all the relationships followed are woman-woman or woman-man (and even then, the wife-husband relationships are framed in terms of the mother-daughter ones). I don’t think there are any scenes of males characters interacting. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/90 "2017-12-18T03:50:14Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I’m much less confident about these but from my rusty memory seem like good candidates: > […] > Ghostbusters (2016) > Wonder Woman (2009) _Ghostbusters_ (2016) definitely passes the looser version of the test without the name and duration requirements. There’s a scene where two male cops are talking to each other about laundry, then the (possessed) Chris Hemsworth character shows up and they have a brief exchange. But the cops are unnamed so this wouldn’t pass the stricter version of the test. I’m pretty sure the Chris Hemsworth and Bill Murray characters (both named) also exchange lines, but IIRC that’s only a few seconds and so wouldn’t pass the stricter test either. The Zach Woods and Ed Begley Jr. characters both have names and are in a scene together, but I can’t remember if they speak to each other or just to the female Ghostbusters. There are a lot of male characters in _Wonder Woman_, and I’m pretty sure they have conversations about the war, etc., that aren’t about WW. I don’t know how long any of them last, though. The IMDb quote section has this brief exchange between three named men: > [@](#): > > **Charlie:** May we get what we want… > **Steve Trevor:** …and may we get what we need. > **Sameer:** But may we never get what we deserve. which is enough to pass the looser test but not the stricter test unless the full conversation was considerably longer. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/91 "2017-12-18T14:12:36Z")
I made a mistake. Instead of _It’s Such a Beautiful Day_ I meant to say _The World of Tomorrow_. > [@Lamia](#): > > There are a lot of male characters in _Wonder Woman_, and I’m pretty sure they have conversations about the war, etc., that aren’t about WW. I was referring to [the animated Wonder Woman movie](https://youtu.be/fyuCigMaMuQ), hence the (2009). I was wrong on that, though, because Hades and Ares have a long conversation about halfway through. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/92 "2017-12-18T16:23:58Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I was referring to [the animated Wonder Woman movie](https://youtu.be/fyuCigMaMuQ), hence the (2009). I was wrong on that, though, because Hades and Ares have a long conversation about halfway through. Sorry, I obviously skimmed over the year! :o Unless you’re actually watching a movie with the Bechdel test (or reverse test) in mind, it’s easy to forget scenes that would cause a movie to pass. As I mentioned [upthread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16697090&postcount=36) (several years ago!), even though _Sister Act_ is set largely in a convent and the main character is a woman, there’s still at least one scene where two named men have a conversation that’s not about a woman. Since this scene isn’t crucial to the plot, it wouldn’t necessarily stick in one’s mind afterward. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/93 "2017-12-18T17:59:11Z")
A guess that I didn’t see listed yet: [Now and Then](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Now_and_Then_(film)) It’s been forever since I saw it, so I can’t say for sure, but it’s a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/94 "2017-12-18T21:24:46Z")
Just watched _The Edge of Seventeen_. Very solidly failed the reverse Bechdel. (Also failed the reverse cowgirl, FWIW) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/95 "2017-12-19T05:47:32Z")
I recently watched Miele (Honey)(2013) by Valeria Golino and I don’t believe there’s even one word exchanged between two men throughout the entire movie. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/96 "2017-12-19T17:22:59Z")
_Nine and A Half Weeks_ fails the reverse Bechdel test. _The Fly_ fails the reverse Bechdel test. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/97 "2017-12-19T17:50:26Z")
What about _The Help_ with Emma Stone? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/98 "2017-12-19T18:40:17Z")
Now I have to watch _Salmonberries_ again, to see if it passes the RBT. Got to be a close call. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/99 "2017-12-19T20:55:21Z")
As someone noted earlier, [The Women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Women_(1939_film)) had no male characters whatsoever. > [@](#): > > The film continued the play’s all-female tradition—the entire cast of more than 130 speaking roles was female. […] > > Throughout The Women, not a single male is seen — although the males are much talked about, and the central theme is the women’s relationships with them. […] The attention to detail was such that even in props such as portraits, only female figures are represented, and several animals which appeared as pets were also female. The only exceptions are a poster-drawing clearly of a bull in the fashion show segment and an ad on the back of the magazine Peggy reads at Mary’s house before lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630/100 "2017-12-19T22:09:31Z")
**Lamia** , doesn’t the most important conversation in _Sister Act_ pass the reverse test? The reason they’re in the convent is because they’re in Witness Protection, because they witnessed a conversation between a couple of mobsters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-fail-a-reverse-bechdel-test/669630.md?page=6)