19 most anticipated films by women in 2019

The Sun is Also a Star (May 17)

The Plot: Based on the YA novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon, the film follows Natasha (Yara Shahidi), a teenage girl whose undocumented parents are set to be deported back to Jamaica. Desperate to find a way to stay in New York City, her world collides with that of Daniel (Charles Melton), a high-school senior bound for Yale. The two end up spending the day together, contemplating the lives they’re set to lead.

The Sun is Also a Star has a great and talented cast of women behind and in front of the camera. For starters there’s Grown-ish star Shahidi in the lead, whose Natasha has to be pretty relatable for countless teens out there dealing with the US and its issues regarding immigration.

Behind the camera is director Ry Russo-Young, whose breakout hit was another YA adaptation, 2017’s Before I Fall. That film tells a similarly heavy story about teenage girls and their struggles with peer pressure and bullying. The script is by Tracy Oliver, who penned the script for another film on this list, the age regression comedy Little and is best known for penning Girl’s Trip. It’ll be great to see her write a more serious drama with romantic elements.

This movie sounds all sorts of incisive and heartwarming, with shades of Dirty Dancing depending on how the ending unfolds.