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Hollywood at Home is a weekly column by filmmaker, writer, and critic Keith Hodder that highlights the variety of films and television programs that Netflix has to offer, along with recommendations of what to watch next and his opinions on the world of entertainment.[/caption]

Over the last couple of years, entertainment journalists have been flooding the web with articles detailing the lack of a significant female presence both on and off the screen. Their words have merit. This is a problem that Hollywood has been struggling to rectify. Ask even the most avid cinephiles and they will struggle to list 10 prominent female directors in the film industry.

Ask general audiences and most will fail to come up with one. This is not to say that there isn’t a slew of female filmmakers and producers making notable content. The problem lies in the fact that they simply are not being granted the same amount of attention and support as their male counterparts. This needs to change.

Here’s a few names to stir the pot – Kathleen Kennedy, who has produced over 93 films, beginning with E.T. and who now runs LucasFilm Ltd, Gale Ann Hurd, who has produced Terminator, Aliens, and currently The Walking Dead, and Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Academy Award for directing The Hurt Locker. These names, and these amazing women, are just a very small percentile of women who contribute to the entertainment industry with their immense amount of talent.

These behind-the-scenes statistics matter because it directly influences what we, as audience members, see on the big and small screen. Based off Rotten Tomatoes’ Top 10 TV shows over the past 4 years, roughly 18 out of 40 shows are led by female characters.

On paper, those numbers don’t seem that bad, but it should be noted that, on some occasions, the same show was listed more than once in different years, such as Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black, Girls, and The American. With that said, many of the titles, with a few exceptions, still have a significant male presence, and it is rare to come across a predominantly female-led show that reaches beyond a majority female audience.

Enter Jessica Jones, Marvel and Netflix’s newest entry in their small screen superhero universe. Krysten Ritter (Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) stars as the titular character, a former superhero turned alcoholic private eye who seeks out Kilgrave (David Tennant – Doctor Who), the man who ruined her life, and the lives of others, with his dangerous telepathic abilities. Don’t let the comic book premise fool you, there’s a lot to like here. Jessica Jones unapologetically tackles issues that many shows shy away from.

Jones, for example, was a past victim of Kilgrave, a twisted and evil villain whose vocal commands compels his victims to do whatever he pleases. For Jessica, that meant she became his gun for hire, his mistress, and a woman who, against her will, was forced to love and sleep with him. Yes, you read that right. Jessica Jones was raped. Repeatedly.

The word is never said, but it’s evident, and both Marvel and Netflix tackle the issue in stride, showcasing a very real character that, despite his superhuman abilities, is dealing with a very sensitive and often closeted human issue.

In many ways, Jessica Jones is thematically about control. It tells the stories of characters that wish to assert it, of some who have lost it, and of others who have had it taken from them and struggle to reclaim their former selves. In most ways, this theme is a carefully and respectfully orchestrated veil that encapsulates the difficulties and tragedies that face victims of rape.

Where Jessica, and many other victims of Kilgrave, deal with the post-traumatic stress that is a direct result of their victimization, one in particular doles out the punishment due to a similarly traumatic childhood event. The tortured become the torturers – both of others and of self.

Each episode is supported by a cast of characters who are dealing with this issue in some form or fashion, and that’s what drives Jessica Jones, as each character copes with it differently – defining their actions. Performances from Krysten Ritter and David Tennant are particularly strong, with most, if not all, of the other supporting cast contributing without failure.

This goes a long way, as not only can a noir-ish premise and atmosphere threaten to throw the cheesiness scales off the charts, but its blend with the superhero motif in the hands of an inexperienced writer could have sunk the show completely.

Fortunately, this ship didn’t sink, and its captain was forever in control. Similar to Netflix and Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe into much darker territory.

After all, they’re not looking to sell toys that can compete with the oversaturated and glossy Avengers; no, this is a much more somber world, rife with alcoholism and brutal murders.

There’s no room for Saturday morning cartoons here. Jessica Jones will shock you, but it doesn’t feel gratuitous or without sufficient motivation. Many of the horrors surround Tennant’s Kilgrave, but in doing so, the creators have finally given life to a Marvel villain that is both threatening and flawed. Take note, Joss Whedon.

Though rape is a tragic issue that stretches beyond the female sex, Jessica Jones proves that creators must take more risks in the characters and stories they bring to the screen – both male and female.

By doing such, by allowing more creatives to have a voice and to have a say in the entertainment industry, we are granting control to the silent, to the oppressed, and to those that have something profound to share. By highlighting female creators, we are opening the floodgates of stories that have been held back for far too long.