Action movies aren't just for men. Many of the most acclaimed butt-kicking features of all time disavow conventions and cast strong, dynamic females in leading roles. From swords to fists, these women employ brute power and intellectual dexterity to save the day in their respective films.
While genre greats like Sigourney Weaver and Pam Grier paved the way, a new wave of female action stars has arrived on the scene. Whether flexing their muscles in a dystopian sci-fi franchise, a gritty assassin thriller, or a DC comics reboot, these women give the genre a much-needed boost of estrogen and style.
10 The Old Guard (2020): Netflix
The Old Guard combines supernatural characters with assassin tropes in exciting ways. This Netflix ensemble thriller stars Charlize Theron as Andy, the leader of a mercenary team with regenerative abilities that is targeted by a pernicious CIA agent.
As the agent joins forces with a pharmaceutical executive to figure out how to harness and profit from the group's power, Andy joins forces with the title group's newest members, KiKi Layne's character Nile Freeman, to fend off their latest threat. With its female director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and leading femme fatales, The Old Guard screams girl power.
9 Lady Snowblood (1973): HBO Max & Shudder
The ultimate revenge tale unfurls in Lady Snowblood, a Japanese period drama that contains some serious slasher movie vibes. Toshiya Fujita brings the manga of the same to life in the film in his film, which follows a young woman named Yuki as she searches for the three men who assaulted and murdered her family.
An inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, Lady Snowblood's narrative is fueled by feminine rage and skilled fighting abilities on behalf of the eponymous character. Meiko Kaji, who portrays Yuki, gives a nimble and mesmerizing performance very similar to what Uma Thurman accomplishes in Tarantino's aforementioned films.
8 Hanna (2011): HBO Max
Joe Wright's gritty action flick, available on HBO Max, stars a young Saoirse Ronan as a girl raised in the Finnish wilderness who is trained by her father to be an assassin. As Hanna's title character, Ronan departs from genre tropes with her whimsical, yet hard-hitting, performance.
Eric Bana co-stars as Hanna's father, a former CIA agent. Father and daughter are hunted by Cate Blanchett's character Marissa Wiegler, a high-level CIA operative who wants them both eliminated.
7 Haywire (2011): Netflix
Haywire begins with a woman and a man meeting in an upstate New York diner. The woman, Mallory Kane, turns out to be a trained operative; the man, Aaron, is an associate of Mallory's who is part of a large conspiracy to take Mallory out.
In this film directed by Stephen Soderbergh, the plot quickly evolves into a fast-paced action flick full of unexpected twists and turns. Gina Carano plays Kane, who is supported by Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, and Antonio Banderas – to name a few.
6 The Hunger Games (2012): Amazon Prime
Jennifer Lawrence made a name for herself bringing The Hunger Games' protagonist Catniss Everdeen to life on the big screen. In the first entry of this popular dystopian franchise, Lawrence's character is chosen to participate in her Orwellian government's deadly Hunger Games – a yearly televised event that ends with just one survivor.
The stakes become higher as Lawrence's character Katniss Everdeen and her fellow competitors get closer and closer to the game's finale. Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen in the follow-up films, Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2.
5 Alien Resurrection (1997): HBO Max
Sigourney Weaver set the standard for action movie heroines with her performance in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror gem Alien. This fourth installment in the Alien franchise, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and written by Joss Whedon, sees Weaver sharing the screen with Winona Ryder.
In Alien Resurrection, Weaver's character Ellen Ripley is cloned 200 years after her death, where a group of scientists uses her as part of an experiment with alien Xenomorphs. Every Alien film is currently available on HBO Max.
4 The Assassin (2015): Amazon Prime
Hou Hsiao-hsien is considered one of the most important directors to come out of Taiwan, and The Assassin is a testament to his moviemaking skills. This elegant, Mandarin action feature is anchored by Shu Qi's performance as the eponymous assassin, Nie Yinniang.
The Assassin's events unfold during the Tang Dynasty, where Qi's character is tasked with dispatching her cousin, a man she was supposed to marry before making an oath to her master. From its visually stunning settings to its detailed martial arts action sequences, Hsaio-hsien's film is a near-perfect addition to the martial arts subgenre.
3 V For Vendetta (2006): HBO Max
Natalie Portman made her feature film debut in Luc Besson's grimy and intense 1994 assassin thriller The Professional, and she returns to her raw action roots in V for Vendetta. Adapted from Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name, V for Vendetta occurs in an alternative, fascist Great Britain where an anonymous mercenary named V transpires against the authoritarian government.
Hugo Weaving plays the Guy Fawkes mask-wearing V, and Portman co-stars as his new accomplice Evey Hammond. After saving Evey from the secret police, V train her to help him in his mission.
2 Wonder Woman (2017): HBO Max
Patty Jenkins, who directed Charlize Theron in 2003's Monster, updates the DC character Wonder Woman for modern audiences with her 2017 film, which stars Gal Gadot in the title role. Jenkins's film jumps through time as it explores the life of Princess Diana, an Amazonian warrior goddess who is the crown princess of Themyscira and the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus.
Wonder Woman stands apart from many other superhero blockbusters thanks in large to Gadot's charismatic, believable performance. Instead of adopting a dark tone, this feature takes a more positive route.
1 Coffy (1973): Tubi
Pam Grier is the star of this classic blaxploitation film, cited by Quentin Tarantino as one of his favorites. As Coffy in Coffy, Grier plays a nursed turned vigilante who goes after the drug dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.
Tarantino loves this film so much, as well as Grier's work in other low-budget black action films like Friday Foster and Foxy Brown, that he asked her to star in his 1997 feature Jackie Brown. Grier remains a standout among early cinematic efforts to center female performers.
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