This article presents the analysis of discussions about 36 historical film productions on an online forum whose central focus is the Bechdel test. This test consists in three criteria: the film must include two named female characters (1); these two women must talk with each other at least one time during the movie (2) and their discussion must about something other than men (3). The analysis shows that the online debate platform leads users to discuss gender constructs, the relevance of the test itself, and the historical agency of women. By questioning the presence or absence of the elements of the test, internet users discuss obstacles and enablers to the understanding of the active role of women in history as well as the constraints and complex context they have had to face (historical agency). Our analysis reveals that the obstacles and enablers identified vary according to the type of historical films discussed (military, biographical, social struggles). The article illustrates the potential for this type of discussion to reveal gender and develop critical thinking in high school history classrooms.