First appearing in 1985, cartoonist and writer and her friend devised the Bechdel Test as a straightforward evaluation method used to explore the representation of gender in entertainment. Three rules must be satisfied for a work to pass the test.(1) at least two women are named and featured, (2) these women talk to each other, and (3) they discuss something other than a man.

The Bechdel Test is not a measure of the quality of work but rather a way to raise awareness about the prevalence of male-centric stories and encourage the inclusion of more complex and diverse female characters. Even with how far the film industry has come, there are still many great movies that fail the Bechdel Test. , with these films being the most egregious and surprising examples in recent memory.

One of the strangest and most chaotic high-budget passion projects of recent memory, attempted to be the rousing return of legendary filmmaker , with a gargantuan cast filled with A-list talent. However, similarly to the director's other highly acclaimed films like the first two films and , the .

This isn't to say that the film doesn't have exceptional female talent, as the likes of and provide exceptional standout performances; it's just that these characters rarely connect on-screen. With so much focus being placed upon the character dynamics of key players like 's Cesar Catalina and 's Franklyn Cicero, there just isn't enough time in the already gargantuan runtime to support the Bechdel test. Some audiences will be quick to tout this as yet another reason why the film fails on a fundamental level while others may be quick to point to Coppola's other exceptional work not needing to pass the test to find strengths.

The movie features therapist Paul Safranek () and his wife, Audrey (), after they partake in a procedure in which scientists shrink people down to live in miniature communities. As Paul gets to know his new neighbors, he soon discovers that living in a tiny suburb has its own set of massive problems.

Even though none of the women in this dystopian dramedy speak to each other, . was particularly memorable as the nonconformist political activist from Vietnam who was shrunk to be silenced, with her character driving much of the film's plot. However, since none of the women speak to each other, Downsizing still fails the test.

is undoubtedly one of . A huge reason for that is the sci-fi action movie sees Cruise play the part of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cage, a slippery and initially quite cowardly public affairs officer while 's Sergeant Rita Vrataski resembles the more traditional notion of an action hero.

As the time-loop narrative unfolds, Vrataski becomes an increasingly important figure in the film, not only serving as Cage’s mentor but an invaluable warrior as well. It makes Edge of Tomorrow one of the more surprising movies that don't pass the Bechdel Test, as while appears in a supporting role as well.

An in-depth portrait look into the vast and chaotic work of Midwestern biker gangs during the 60s and 70s, follows the rise in popularity and abundance of the region's premiere motorcycle club, the Vandals. As the club grows larger and larger, it begins to demand more of its members, creating a notable divide between young member Benny () and his wife, Kathy, forcing Benny to choose between his identity with the club and his life of love.

The Bikeriders isn't necessarily devoid of female characters, as 's Kathy plays one of the primary roles as one of the main characters of the film, but nearly every other female character is tied to a male biker character. These characters don't even get the chance to talk with Kathy in a meaningful way during the film, as The Bikeriders is . Even if the other female characters got a scene to talk with Kathy, it's likely that all they would talk about are the issues and ventures surrounding the male characters.

A mixture of alien horror and revisionist Western genres all wrapped in a beautiful, -esque bow, was a suitably engaging film from loaded with social themes. It follows OJ () and his sister Em () as they uncover a terrifying phenomenon in the skies above their horse ranch, a phenomenon a neighboring entertainer seeks to monetize.

While it offered plenty in the realms of cinematography, nuanced story, and thematic allure, arguably the strongest aspect of the film was its characters, with Em being particularly magnetic. .

While the first two entries in the audience-favorite managed to pass the Bechdel Test, changes to the pacing and focus caused to not pass the test. A great deal of the blame that caused the third film in the series to fail while previous entries succeeded was taking the focus away from human characters, a change that mostly made for a better film, but had an unexpected consequence of failing the test.

Even with the introduction of new female characters like 's Director Rockwell and the long-awaited Maria Robotnik, the film misses out on the component that made the previous films pass the test: the characters of Rachel and Jojo. While appears in the film to reprise her role as Rachel, it is entirely utilized as a method of transformation for 's Maddie, not allowing them the chance to communicate on-screen. However, with the film's end-credits tease of Amy Rose, it's easy to see the franchise passing the test in the upcoming .

One of the most prominent and infamous superhero releases of recent memory, had fans and critics largely divided upon its initial release, yet even aside from all the tensions surrounding the film, it still couldn't manage to pass the Bechdel test. While many female characters are present within the film, such as Barry's mother Nora, Iris West, Supergirl, and even an appearance from Wonder Woman, .

While on the one hand, it would make sense that there would be an increased focus on Barry Allen's ventures in what is his first theatrical venture, it's still a surprise that a film with this many notable female characters didn't have them interact even once. One can only hope and assume that in the many various rewrites and , there was a version of this film that did pass the Bechdel test.

When Remy (), a rat with ambitions of becoming a renowned chef, moves to Paris, he meets the unlucky busboy Linguini () in the Pixar movie . Remy works with Linguine for a possibility to demonstrate his culinary abilities to a distinguished food critic, all while trying to stay hidden.

With an unlikely yet charming culinary rat and an awkwardly endearing young chef, Ratatouille is as engaging as it is wholesome. . There are only two named women in the entire movie - Colette () and food critic Solene LeClaire (), who has just one scene - and since they never interact, Ratatouille fails the Bechdel Test.

One of the most prominent and fan-favorite video game movies of recent memory, based on the iconic franchise of mascot horror games that dominated the internet during the 2010s, was an unprecedented and unexpected success. However, despite all of the film's various successes and abilities to please fans of the franchise, one area which it managed to miss the mark was in failing the Bechdel test.

The film certainly gets close to passing the test, having a multitude of human characters in prominent leading roles, such as Abby, Vanessa, Aunt Jane, and even one of the animatronics in Chica. The film even goes a step further by having the occasional conversation between these characters, such as conversations between Abby and Aunt Jane as well as Abby and Vanessa. However, , resulting in the film coming just short of passing the Bechdel test.

While the Bechdel test is often used as a symbol and indicator of a film's abilities when it comes to female characterization and messaging, this doesn't mean that striking female stories don't sometimes fail the test from time to time. This proves to be the case for , that uses its wild concept and stylish execution to further amplify themes of bodily autonomy and unconditional love. Part of this has to do with the film's relatively small cast, primarily focusing on the two characters of Alexia () and Vincent ().

Titane proves that , commenting and creating a story that deeply ties itself to themes of female autonomy and gender as a whole. Many of the other female characters outside of Alexia are given minimum focus and depth, allowing for the growing relationship and dynamic between Alexia and Vincent to prosper and evolve as a result.

An Oscar-winning drama telling the story of British mathematician Alan Turing () who decrypted Germany’s enigma code, was quite a male-dominated film. While this isn’t unusual for WWII films, it was something of an anomaly considering it was set in Bletchley Park, which was the workplace of thousands of women throughout the war.

Their efforts and their value are represented in the film by ’s Joan Clarke, who also serves as a romantic interest for Turing despite his gender identity, which is a dominant theme in the film. , meaning The Imitation Game fails to pass the final step of the Bechdel Test.

The latest box-office smash hit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sees Deadpool traveling across the multiverse in able to save his own universe from being wiped away by the TVA. Accompanied by an alternate version of Wolverine, the duo soon find themselves sent away to a wasteland universe where all the abandoned Marvel characters are sent to, hoping to find a way back to their original universe before it ends up being destroyed.

While neither of the previous films were able to pass the Bechdel test, the added potential of being a part of the MCU provided new possibilities and avenues to how the film could feasibly pass all three tests. However, . These range from characters originating , cameo characters from previous non-MCU films, and new characters created for the film, yet none of them even talk to one another, only talking with Deadpool, Wolverine, or another male character.

While the film may feature one of the most exceptional and acclaimed leading female performances of recent years from , still manages to fall short of the requirements of the Bechdel test. The story of greed and widespread genocide among the Osage people during the 1920s certainly , though much of this is perceived through singular performances played against a multitude of male characters.

While the film features other notable and named female characters, the vast majority of female focus is placed upon Gladstone's performance as Mollie Burkhart, a deeply complex and powerful performance that elevates the film. The connection and simultaneous love and pain that she shares for 's Ernest is the emotional cornerstone of the film and serves to centralize and compound all the pain and betrayal that the film features.

One of the biggest and most successful animated movies in recent memory, while made massive waves among fans, it completely floundered in terms of the Bechdel Test. The film only features a singular named character, Princess Peach, with every other female character either being a background character or not having a name, as is the case with "Mario's Mom." of the original video game series.

While this initial introductory look into the mushroom kingdom failed to pass the Bechdel Test, there are more opportunities to pass if the film received a sequel, and could draw more female characters from the series. As is the case with the initial film, however, its focus is tightly knit on bright colors and to be able to dedicate time to passing the Bechdel Test.

is set in the 1930s and follows concierge Gustave H. () and Zero (), a junior lobby boy who is Gustave's friend and protégé. When one of Gustave's lovers mysteriously dies, Gustave finds himself the main suspect in her murder and must evade police and vengeful family members acting in self-interest to prove his innocence.

. The film passes the first rule; in fact, it includes three named female characters: Agatha (), Clothilde (), and Madame D (), but these women never hold conversations with each other.

A romantic sports film filled to the brim with high-stakes, eroticism, nail-biting tension, and everything in between, has made massive waves as one of the defining sports films of the 2020s. The film follows the decade-spanning rivalry and love triangle between tennis stars Tashi Duncan (), Art Donaldson (), and Patrick Zweig (). When a new tournament sees Art and Patrick competing against each other in the finals, old blood finds itself coming to the surface as their battle on the court proves to be over much more than simply tennis.

While Challengers may have an undeniable female presence in the form of Zendaya's Tashi Duncan, . The only other notable named female character in the film is Lily, the daughter of Tashi and Art, who is too young to have a meaningful conversation with Tashi about anything other than Art. Still, even despite the film failing the Bechdel test, its distinct feminist themes and vision are undeniable with Zendaya working wonders in the film.

Following the King of Rock 'n' Roll's rise to fame and unparalleled superstardom, the movie highlights the problematic life that () lived. in the Academy Awards history, receiving eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Elvis is stunning to watch, and Austin Butler is fantastic in the leading role. There are even several unique female characters in the movie, including as Priscilla Presley and as Gladys Presley. Yet, .

One of many notable crime biopics that attempted to make it big during the awards circuit, 's unbelievable story of corruption and assassination plots made it an instantly memorable experience. Part of what made the film work as well as it does is 's emphatic lead performance as Patrizia Reggiani, in a deeply layered and powerful performance that elevates the entire film. However, despite its prominent female lead character and performance, this film shockingly manages to fail the Bechdel test.

The only other prominent female character in the film is 's Pina Auriemma, a psychic that Patrizia often goes to in search of guidance for her plans to manipulate Maurizio. While one would immediately assume that these scenes would be able to pass the Bechdel test, all of the conversations between Patrizia and Pina are about Maurizio and how to navigate around him. .

The latest film in the acclaimed sound-based horror franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One took the franchise to the initial impact and beginning days of the terrifying alien invasion that forever changed Earth for the worse. When these sound-seeking killer aliens land and run rampant throughout New York City, it follows young, terminally ill cancer patient Sam who is forced to fight for survival alongside her pet cat. She soon finds refuge and friendship with a lonesome outcast named Eric, as they traverse the silent city in search of answers as they wait for an escape refuge.

While the previous entries in A Quiet Place managed to pass the Bechdel test, A Quiet Place: Day One does not have this luxury. Lupita Nyong'o's Sam is one of the only named female characters in the film, which, when combined with the film's increased notions of silence and minimal communication, makes it easy to fail the Bechdel test. Still, it's interesting that this third film in the franchise ended up failing the Bechdel test while the previous entries succeeded, even with a massively increased number of on-screen characters.

Many modern blockbusters and action films have done a good job of passing the Bechdel test in recent years, yet one of the strangest and most unexpected failures of a modern blockbuster comes from Ryan Reynolds and Shaun Levy's Free Guy. In such a vast, online world of infinite possibilities and a high number of players, it seems so simple to have two female characters interact with one another about the game itself.

While the film certainly doesn't shy away from having a prominent female character in Jodie Comer playing both Millie Rusk and her in-game character Molotovgirl, this is about the extent of named female characters in the film. The other female characters in the film either fall into the category of having a name, yet not interacting with Millie, such as with the player character Bombshell, or having a conversation with Millie but not being named, such as the unnamed barista character.