The photographs in Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills series (1977–1980) mimic the aesthetic of typical 1950s black-and-white movies, television shows, and fashion magazines. Sherman created seventy-five different self-portraits to explore and challenge traditional female stereotypes, inviting viewers to build narratives around her evocative poses and disguises. Because many 1950s films lacked nuanced female characters, Sherman’s subjects represent the range and depth of possible female protagonists missing from the canon of popular cinema.