Rebellious Women, Feminist Existentialism, and Film: Psychological Perspectives

Anas Ahmadi

doi:10.35516/Hum.2025.8197

Authors

Anas Ahmadi Department of Indonesian Language and Literature, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2583-2703

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2025.8197

Keywords:

Film, psychology, rebellion, feminism, existentialism, sexuality.

Abstract

Objectives: This study explores the theme of rebellious women in existential feminist theory, analyzing how female rebellion for freedom and truth is depicted in film. Specifically, it aims to examine the representation of such rebellion in Poor Things, a 2024 Oscar-winning film, through an existential feminist lens.

Methods: A qualitative-interpretive approach is employed, using Poor Things as the primary data source. Data analysis involves identification, extraction, interpretation, and presentation of themes related to feminist rebellion.

Results: The study identifies three primary contexts for female rebellion: sexuality, marriage, and death. Central to this rebellion is a symbolic act in which the female protagonist undergoes a brain transplant with a goat's brain in response to harm inflicted by a man, illustrating her psychological and physical reclamation of power. This narrative highlights women's empowerment over male dominance. The film's experimental form utilizes a non-linear, flashback-driven plot, with characters portrayed in dualistic terms: humanism and freedom on one side, and evil and exploitation on the other. The setting oscillates between past and present, rendered in both black-and-white and full-color aesthetics, underscoring the absurdity of modern life.

Conclusions: The film presents female rebellion as a path to freedom and truth, revealing the impact of male oppression and the enduring strength of women who resist it.

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