Bechdel Test Movie List

/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

[[3]] Logan (2017) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests (although dubious). It was entered by Phildog on 2017-03-03 04:46:13.

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Phildog said:
\\\\\\\SPOILERS///////

There are only two named female adult female characters, and one named child female character. Both do BRIEFLY speak to the child about something other than a man. Barely a more than a few lines. Both die soon after being introduced. pretty quickly, and the other is silent for 80% of the movie. Pretty much every other character for the entirety of the film is also a man, including all of the soldiers/guns-for-hire.

So it barely passes. The real problem with the film is it tries to tell the origin story of X-23, but without focusing on X-23 who should be the actual protagonist. It also takes a story that in the comics was a beautiful tale about a mother and her daughter and turns it into another father daughter film. This is frankly unforgivable.

Also, while the original X-23 origin-story comic was full of feminist themes of women empowering and enabling each other, obviously none of that exists in Logan. The original also explored themes of inherent humanity, ptsd, child abuse and self harm. None of which are in the movie, but that's not very relevant.

All in all, sort of a pass, but for a movie co-staring a little girl it's their least female character inclusive X-Men movie to date. It is somewhat more ethnically diverse film, but again, not as ethnically diverse as her original story.


A quick note: There were some other female children who's names are mentioned, but it's never made clear which is which they and get no lines.
Message posted on 2017-03-03 04:46:13
c disagreed with the rating and said:
I wouldn't say it passes the test. Laura never responds back to the women. It's not actual conversation. I was shocked by the lack of females in this movie.
Message posted on 2017-03-28 03:46:44
Hecate said:
So disappointed that in a dialogue rich X men movie the female characters don't converse. It seems to be almost obtuse editing to achieve the tiny level of female to female dialogue especially when the main female character is electively mute for most of it you would think they would be sensitive to the increased need for other female dialogue . It's also surprising that officially it passes the test as the inter female dialogue was fleeting if you could even call it that.
Message posted on 2017-03-29 22:40:06
drymo disagreed with the rating and said:
Because no two female characters ever actually speak to each other (no dialogue mutually exchanged), I don't believe this qualifies. The adult female characters do speak AT the child, but I don't believe she ever audibly reciprocates.
Message posted on 2017-04-03 19:31:04
ayy lmao said:
I agree that this movie passes the Bechdel test but as a big X-23 fan I want to point out that "Also, while the original X-23 origin-story comic was full of feminist themes of women empowering and enabling each other" is wrong, and that X-23 origin just involves her being used as a weapon by a research program. Her handler is a woman as well.

BUT, this quote does describe her current comic book series. Just not her origin.
Message posted on 2017-04-13 02:59:01
J said:
I would say that the problems that you bring up about the film focusing on a father daughter rather than mother daughter, while entirely valid also defeats the purpose of the film which was at heart to put Logan as a character to rest, whereas in the comics he only features as a small part at the end of her origin story and is dead at the current point, Dr. Kinney plays a small part and is not completely benine (due to her effectavely standing by while Rice conducts the tests). While I was disappointing with Logan for it's ostensive lack of named female roles, i can almost see why this is (while i am not condoning it), as the two characters that they were putting to bed were both male, and they needed to present the damage in Laura's past (Hence having her silent for the main part of the film). Wile this silence technically means that is does not pass the test, it could be argued that because of Laura's anomalistic traits through the film her body language could easily be interpreted as dialogue.
Message posted on 2017-07-02 15:57:02
Vikki said:
Sorry but the people saying here that the X-23 comic was 'feminist' is incorrect. It was an incredibly violent comic and violence is not what feminism is about.
Message posted on 2018-01-21 04:01:18
Michael disagreed with the rating and said:
It fails because the rules state that two women (adult females) must speak to each other. This never happens in the film.
Message posted on 2018-02-03 07:25:05

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