Activeness movies have long been a male person-centric genre, yet in recent years women have steadily shown that they can kick butt with the all-time of them. Myriad memorable and thrilling female-driven films have made their way to the silver screen the last ii decades, inspiring and entertaining fans while reminding viewers that forcefulness and femininity are ane and the same. Ladies have bid adieu to being the helpless damsels in distress and instead crashed through the cinematic glass ceiling, rescuing themselves and looking mighty expert doing information technology.

Whether y'all're searching for a moving picture nearly an amnesiac security operative battling against a hoard of the undead like in Resident Evil or prefer to watch Uma Thurman strategically take out deadly assassins in Quentin Tarantino's nail hit Impale Pecker: Book 1, in that location are perfect activity flicks just waiting for you to binge. Some of Hollywood'southward most dynamic and impressive performers have emerged as badass heroines, with Sigourney Weaver from the Alien motion-picture show franchise leading the pack and setting the precedent for hereafter portrayals, and actresses like Margot Robbie picking up the proverbial baton as the wild and fierce Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey. These are some of the best activity movies with female leads.

9 Birds of Prey

Margot Robbie Says and the cast of Birds of Prey
Warner Bros.

The DC Extended Universe gave the candy-colored and chaotic Harley Quinn her very own picture with the 2020 daughter power superhero movie Birds of Prey, which follows the cheerfully unhinged character after she breaks up with the Joker and finds herself targeted by Gotham City criminal offense lord Roman Sionis. Quinn reluctantly teams up with superheroines Black Canary, Huntress detective Renee Montoya to salvage a young girl from the disturbed Sionis.

Margot Robbie produced and stars in the action moving-picture show, originally pitching the thought to Warner Bros. every bit "an R-rated girl gang film including Harley considering I was like, 'Harley needs friends.' Harley loves interacting with people, and then don't ever make her do a standalone picture show." The actress was adamant that Birds of Casualty have a female person director, ultimately choosing Cathy Yan to captain the projection; the filmmaker pitched for the job as "wanting to smash the patriarchy." The heady girl ability picture was praised for its fast-paced activity sequences and Robbie's bright performance, and several sequels are reportedly in the works.

8 Atomic Blonde

Charlize Theron holds a cigarette in red lighting in Atomic Blonde
Focus Features

The always extraordinary Charlize Theron headlines the 2017 action thriller Atomic Blonde, which is based on the graphic novel The Coldest City and revolves around top-level MI6 field amanuensis Lorraine Broughton, who has to detect a list of double agents that is being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The loftier-adrenaline picture was a passion project for Theron, who fought hard every bit both the star and producer to become the thriller made and defy industry expectations for female driven films, having told Variety, "I call back we would exist remiss not to admit Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton. We've had moments similar this, where women actually showcase themselves and kind of break glass ceilings. And then we don't sustain it."

To gear up for the demanding function, the actress hired eight personal trainers and even sparred with Keanu Reeves, who was preparing for his role in John Wick: Chapter two. The thriller was a slam dunk at the box office and with critics, with a follow-up in evolution at Netflix.

7 Underworld

Kate Beckinsale points a gun in Underworld Blood Wars
Sony Pictures International

Len Wiseman'due south 2003 action horror film Underworld focuses on the secret history of vampires and lycans while post-obit the vampire Death Dealer Selene, who finds herself entrenched in the ongoing battle between opposing forces and finds herself falling in dear with a human being the lycans are desperate to capture. The vivid Kate Beckinsale stars as the relentless hunter Selene, who was excited to become an activeness star and embraced the change of pace for her career (having previously washed romances and menstruum dramas), saying, "It was quite the challenge for me to play an action heroine and pull off all that preparation when in real life I can't take hold of a brawl if information technology's coming my style."

Despite mixed reviews from critics, Underworld resonated with audiences and was a surprise hit, launching a franchise and receiving appreciation for the actress' riveting portrayal, Gothic visuals and intriguing mythology and backstory. BBC wrote, "Perhaps it's the idea, the atmosphere, or the enthusiastic action, merely it maintains a mysterious watchability which suggests it could become a cult classic."

6 Kill Bill: Volume 1

Uma Thurman holds a sword in Kill Bill
Miramax

The renowned master of stylized violence Quentin Tarantino directed the 2003 martial arts classic Kill Nib: Volume 1, enlisting the talented Uma Thurman to star as the Bride, who swears revenge on a dangerous squad of assassins and their leader subsequently they endeavour to kill both her and her unborn child. Both Tarantino and Thurman conceived the grapheme of the Bride during product of 1994'southward Pulp Fiction, and would subsequently spend a year and a half penning the script in 2000 and 2001; the legendary filmmaker wrote the role specifically for her and cited her as his muse during the creative process.

Thurman's chief inspiration behind her butt-kicking performance were the championship characters in 1973'southward blaxploitation film Coffy and 1980 neo-noir criminal offence thriller Gloria, declaring that both of them are "two of the only women I've ever seen be truly women while holding a weapon." Kill Bill: Volume 1 was both a disquisitional and commercial success, and led to the release of Volume 2 half-dozen months subsequently. Rumors are circulating that, two decades later on, Kill Beak 3 might be Tarantino's last motion-picture show.

v Aliens

Sigourney Weaver holds a child and a big gun in Aliens
20th Century Play tricks

The esteemed James Cameron directed the iconic 1986 sci-fi action classic Aliens, centering on Lieutenant Ellen Ripley who awakens from her hyper-sleep 57 years later surviving an apocalyptic set on aboard her infinite vessel; she sets out to warn a deep space relieve team that merciless space creatures are notwithstanding a terrifying threat. Sigourney Weaver reprised her role for the sensational flick, with Cameron taking over directing duties from Ridley Scott; the filmmaker believed in having a strong female person heroine to distinguish his projects from typical Hollywood action fare and wrote the screenplay with a film of Weaver on his desk-bound.

For her commanding operation, the star won the Saturn Accolade for Best Actress and too nabbed both Oscar and Gold Globe Award nominations. In a glowing review, the Associated Press commended Weaver, writing, "Sigourney Weaver is just terrific… When she straps on her armament to do battle with the aliens, she makes Sylvester Stallone look like a pipsqueak."

4 Wonder Adult female

Wonder Woman draws a sword from behind her back
Warner Bros.

Gal Gadot powerfully wielded the Lasso of Truth and Bracelets of Submission when she took on the ballsy role of Wonder Adult female in the 2017 Patty Jenkins superhero flick. Wonder Woman follows the eponymous graphic symbol equally she sets out to prevent World War I with the aid of American pilot Steve Trevor, believing the disharmonize was started by longtime enemy of the Amazons, Ares. Speaking virtually taking on the prestigious role of the dearest comic book hero, Gadot stated, "I feel very privileged that I got the opportunity to portray such an iconic, stiff female graphic symbol. I admire this graphic symbol and everything that she stands for and everything that she symbolizes."

With the release of Wonder Woman, Jenkins became the beginning female director to make a superhero movie, with the movie also making history for becoming the biggest domestic opening for a female managing director. Wonder Adult female earned a whopping $822 1000000 and was heralded past critics, earning praise for its activity sequences, stunning visuals, memorable performances and management. Its sequel Wonder Woman 1984 was released in 2020 and a third film is in development.

3 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Angelina Jolie with a light in Lara Croft Tomb Raider
Paramount Pictures

Based on the popular video game series of the same name, the 2001 action adventure Lara Croft: Tomb Raider stars the dynamite Angelina Jolie as the championship graphic symbol, which follows the cute and savvy heroine as she jetsets across the globe in search of ancient artifacts in contest with the mysterious Illuminati. The actress beat out fellow stars similar Denise Richards, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sandra Bullock for the part, with her casting initially causing a stir amongst fans of the video game serial, who felt she didn't physically fit the part.

Director Simon West dismissed these concerns, stating, "It was ever Angelina. I mean, Lara sleeps with knives and doesn't take shit from anybody. That's Angelina down to a tee." Defying naysayers, Jolie's performance went on to earn widespread acclaim, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was a knockout with moviegoers. She returned for the 2003 sequel Lara Croft: Tomb Raider—The Cradle of Life, cementing Jolie's action movie stardom.

2 Charlie's Angels

Charlie's Angels cast
Sony Pictures Releasing

Movie house superstars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu headlined the 2000 activeness comedy Charlie'south Angels, an adaptation of the '70s cult classic prove that depicts three unique and special women who work at a private detective agency in Los Angeles. In the tongue-in-cheek fun picture, the trio of aristocracy individual investigators set out with the help of their lovable sidekick Bosley (Bernie Mac) to stop a stray mastermind from destroying individual privacy.

Barrymore herself bought the screen rights to the hit testify prior to the movie being filmed, and insisted that unlike typical action films in which the "bad guys" utilise guns, the Angels would do their fight scenes without them. Diaz was personally called past Barrymore to join the flick, with the actress having told The Morning Telephone call, "She said, 'It will exist girls jumping out of helicopters, driving fast boats, doing Kung Fu and wearing tons of hot clothes.' And I said, 'Sign me up.'" Charlie's Angels was a blockbuster success and led to the 2003 sequel Charlie'southward Angels: Full Throttle.

1 Resident Evil

Milla Jovovich in a red dress holds a big gun in Resident Evil
Pathe Distribution

The first installment of the flick franchise loosely based on the video game series, 2002's sci-fi action horror motion-picture show Resident Evil follows amnesiac heroine Alice and a grouping of Umbrella Corporation commandos every bit they fight to incorporate the outbreak of the T-virus at a top secret cloak-and-dagger facility. Milla Jovovich delivers an incredible performance as Alice, the butt-kicking, highly trained private security operative who fights the legion of zombies created by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation; she accustomed the role due to her and her brother existence such big fans of the video game franchise.

Jovovich performed virtually all her stunts herself for the film, having trained in karate, kickboxing, and combat-training to prepare for the physically-demanding part of Alice. Resident Evil spawned five big-budget sequels with Jovovich returning for each; the Chicago Tribune wrote, "On its own terms, Resident Evil updates the zombie genre with an anti-corporate message while withal scaring its audience and providing centre-pounding action."

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