Over the years we’ve had a lot of movies based on women in business and industries that are meant to inspire or to show the struggle that still happens day by day. From Nine to Five to the Devil Wear’s Prada or even some based on real people like Joy. But the last few years the movies seem to be more focusing on a lot of the women who used industries and other people to cam them out of their money. From The Big Swindle, Apple Cider Vinegar to series like The Dropout, it seems like the last few years the stories weren’t there to inspire as much as it was to show the negative cases that can happen as well.
But, it seems like we’re starting to circle back. To find the empowering stories for women again, to show that they can overcome even some of the worst misogynistic work spaces and come out on top. And that is exactly what Swiped is about – how Whitney Wolfe went to the pits of hell and back, to find herself on top of an industry that she helped shape.
Swiped brings to the screen the story of Whiney Wolfe, a young woman in the tech field with big dreams. After a chance meeting with the owner of a tech up company, she quickly joins his team as the head of marketing and gets in on the ground floor for the creation of Tinder. And while being the only woman in the upper management of the company has its perks, it quickly becomes apparent that her accomplishments are overshadowed, and any complaint that she and other female coworkers bring up are quickly ignored. She’s a woman playing in a man’s field, but even on the same level isn’t given the same respect or consideration as the men around her who aren’t contributing as much.
The idea that the movie is about the creation of Bumble, a dating app that has a bit of a fluffy feeling to it – you’d think the movie would follow the same feeling. But instead, while it may start off with meet cutes and positive energy, it quickly becomes darker, and a story that many women can relate to. From controlling and abuse at the hands of a lover, to careers sidelined and online harassment. It perfectly encapsulated what it can be like to be a woman in a male dominated field and just existing on the internet. It highlights just how hard women have to work to get even considered half as good as the men in their same field, let alone if they want to take on an executive level position.
It’s nice to see a success story be brought to the screen, even if it wasn’t as easy as everyone would like to see it be. But that’s the reality of the industry and really, any male dominated field that a woman wants to be included in. It’s part of the battle, and one that likely wont change any time soon. But Swiped does show that despite the hardships and the battle along the way, there is still a path to success, and it makes it a great inspirational story to watch when you need that reminder.
20th Century Studios’ SWIPED releases on Hulu on September 19, 2025.
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About Swiped
Inspired by the provocative real-life story of the visionary founder of online dating platform Bumble, 20th Century Studios’ new feature film “Swiped” introduces recent college grad Whitney Wolfe (Lily James) as she uses extraordinary grit and ingenuity to break into the male-dominated tech industry, launch an innovative, globally lauded dating app—two, actually, and pave the way to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire.