Medicine has been a constant theme in cinema. A few months ago, we reviewed some of the most notable TV series on this topic. Now comes a selection of films — from among hundreds — with a plea to filmmakers to make movies about medicine with female leads.

Contagion (2011). Stephen Soderbergh anticipated the pandemic by almost a decade with a star-studded cast, detailing zoonotic spillover, how viruses can travel the globe during rush hour in hours, and the key role of vaccines in resolving a public health crisis. Paradoxically, it was one of the most-watched films on streaming platforms during lockdown. Available on Prime Video. 

Sachs’ Disease (1999). A delicate French film, written and directed by Michel Deville, that portrays the quiet work of rural physicians. It won the Silver Shell for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 47th San Sebastián Film Festival. Available on acontra+ (a Spanish streaming service). 

Gattaca (1997). This science fiction film — named after the four DNA nucleotides — perhaps best addresses the challenges of biotechnology and genetics: set in a future where most children are conceived in vitro, one of the last children conceived naturally fights to change his fate and achieve his dream of going into space. Strong performances by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, and an outstanding score by Michael Nyman. Available on Prime Video. 

Philadelphia (1993). Tom Hanks won the first of his two consecutive Oscars for his portrayal of a lawyer who is fired after his AIDS diagnosis becomes known. The film marked a turning point in the fight against disease-related stigma. Bruce Springsteen wrote and performed the film’s theme song, which also earned an Academy Award. Available on Prime Video. 

Awakenings (1990). Penny Marshall, director of Big, brought together Robert De Niro and Robin Williams to adapt Oliver Sacks’s book, with a screenplay by Steven Zaillian, who 3 years later wrote Schindler’s List. That combination of talent produced a warm, humanistic film based on the true story of Sacks, a British neurologist, who tried an experimental treatment for patients with encephalitis lethargica, with initially hopeful results. Nominated for three Academy Awards. Available on Prime Video.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). A masterpiece that exposed the terrible conditions of mental-health institutions in the mid-1970s. It is one of the few films to win the top Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Milos Forman), Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), and Best Adapted Screenplay, based on Ken Kesey’s novel. Available on Prime Video. 

M*A*S*H (1970). The acronym for "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" provided Robert Altman with a vehicle for a sharp critique of the Vietnam War. To avoid censorship, he set the action during the Korean War, which resonated with audiences and critics. The film, based on a novel by Richard Hooker, won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and spawned one of television’s most successful series. Available on Prime Video. 

Drunken Angel (1948). Akira Kurosawa tackled the thorny topic of physicians with substance-use problems — in this case, alcoholism — and the unusual relationship between a doctor in postwar Tokyo’s underworld and a distinctive tuberculosis patient played by the great Toshiro Mifune. Available on Prime Video.

The Citadel (1938). The great King Vidor directed the now rarely seen Robert Donat in an adaptation of A.J. Cronin’s novel that tells the story of an idealistic physician who takes his first job in a Welsh mining town, where he must care for ill workers. Nominated for five Academy Awards. Available on Prime Video. 

The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936). The Spanish title replaced the word “story” with “tragedy,” but the film recounts how the French microbiologist changed the course of medicine — and humanity — with his discoveries. Paul Muni, the film’s lead, won an Academy Award and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for his performance. The film also won Oscars for writing and for its screenplay. Available on YouTube.

This article was translated from El Médico Interactivo on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.