🚩 The Male Gaze Starter Pack: a cautionary screening list

"It's just a movie", "you shouldn't take it to heart", "you're being too sensitive" — these are the LIES that are spewed when you criticize a basic man's favourite movie. You know the ones that must be a basic man's guide to films as they seem to like all the same films and chastize you if you do not like it. Films such as: The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Top Gun..., all named with absolute reverence and are always defended as "raw", "deep" classics. These seem to always figure on a man's top films list which is SO predictable of them. At least they are consistent lol? But let's be honest, how often is that adoration actually about the film's complexity and how often is it about glamorizing violence and the objectification of women? I feel that often films deemed as classics by many men are actually just them following the herd and them just worshipping blindly.

So, in the spirit of decolonial and feminist film criticism, my friends and I have curated a list of RED FLAGS  🚩 films. This list isn’t just about taste — it’s about the gaze. These are films that are too often misunderstood, misquoted, or misappropriated by men who see themselves reflected not as cautionary figures, but as icons. And in doing so, they expose more about their politics (or lack thereof) than they might realise. Therefore, those who by liking these films defend that morality does not have its place in films are to be wary of.

PS: Have a red-flag film in mind that makes you internally scream, “Oh no, not this again” ? Drop your suggestions in the comments, or send them via the contact form!

I’d love to feature community contributions in a follow-up post. Let’s build this collective archive of 🚩 cinema, not to shame (well, maybe a little), but to reflect, critique, and reclaim the gaze together.

📝 Note: This is by no means an exhaustive list and I have not seen some of the films listed as they were added by friends. Film culture is vast, and red flags come in many genres and aesthetics. What’s most important isn’t just what someone likes, but how and why they engage with it. Context matters and so does self-awareness.

The Wolf of Wall Street (Scorcesse, 2013)	Money, Drugs and Margot Robbie fully nude ... need I say any more? I truly doubt that beyond these things, there is no true critical appreciation.
The GodFather (Coppola, 1972)	the most basic answer, like have your own opinion honestly.
Last Tango In Paris (Bertolucci, 1972)	The most disgusting and distressing behind the scene stories. The rape scene is pure evil and horribly sensationalised. For this reason I hate Marlon Brando. The plot is stupid. Justice for Maria Schneider, this film ruined her by objectifying her so much.
Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1971)	So much sensiationlised violence for what? I don't believe that it is possible to showcase this much violence without romanticizing and sensationalizing it. And to what end? What was the intent?
American Psycho (Harron, 2000)	12 year old boys favourite movie. A real incel movie. Vulgar and violent movie. Only wanna-be sigmas like this film.
Her (Jonze, 2013)	another incel movie my favourite comment on letterboxd by Jovanna (27/07/2025): "well i thought id watch a life changing movie about loneliness and not a narcissist, manipulative, incel who cant deal with emotions and be mature so he turns to AI to satisfy his only emotion, horniness and then imagine even AI needing a break from you and you still stay that imbecile you were from the beginning i wish i watched paint dry for 72 hours straight than this male loneliness epidemic movie " - need I say more