The question is can women kick action movie This has already been answered, and besides, it’s silly to ask for a start. There are many great women who have graced the screen in genre-defining performances. But some are still largely ignored. Either this is a movie that hasn’t found an audience yet, or there’s a terrible marketing campaign behind it. There were and still are many underrated female-led films, especially in the action genre.
With last weekend’s release Miracle, all eyes are on the women of the MCU who are front and center of high thrills and incredible action. But in honor of the most recent female-led action film to hit the big screen, let’s take a look at some other underrated films that we may or may not have seen before.
10 The Glorious Warrior (1987)
illustrious warriorA film that can also be found under the name dynamite fightersis a 1980s Hong Kong action film about an adventurer named Fok Ming-ming (Michelle Yeoh) who goes on a mission to help rebels fight the Japanese during their occupation of China in the late 1930s. The Chinese comes to town.
What is it that undermines it?
For starters, it stars Michelle Yeoh, who is on top of Hollywood after winning an Oscar earlier this year everything, everywhere, all together, Like most Hong Kong action films, it has incredible stunts and fight choreography one after another, and let’s just say it is a hybrid film. It’s part martial arts action movie, and yet it feels like it’s being done in a way Indiana Jones Movies.
Stream on The Criterion Channel
9 Haywire (2011)

disturbance
- release date
- 1 November 2011
- director
- steven soderbergh
- mold
- Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton
- rating
- R
- Order
- 93
- main style
- action
disturbance Gina was one of Carano’s previous roles that helped launch her into the stratosphere. In it she plays a spy named Mallory Kane who gets double-crossed on a mission, but then ultimately seeks retribution for what was done against her. As she falls under the magnifying glass of an international investigation, it’s up to her to fight her way out and get back even.
What is it that undermines it?
Yes, Gina Carano is a polarizing figure to the public these days. But in 2011, it was her breakout role that made people want to know more about her. disturbance It’s directed by Steven Soderbergh, who blends elements of vintage 1960s spy thrillers with powerhouse mixed martial arts fight sequences. Plus, all of these supporting actors help make the film even better. Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and Channing Tatum. A fun fact about the film is that Carano’s voice was digitally altered to make her sound deeper.
Stream on Peacock
8 Revenge (2017)

Revenge
- release date
- 7 February 2018
- rating
- R
- Order
- 108
- main style
- thriller
Revenge is about a woman named Jane, who is enjoying a vacation with her rich boyfriend. The trip seems to be going well until his mean friends arrive. Tension rises between him and the group of men, and then eventually everything comes undone, and a terrible act occurs that leaves him for dead. But she returns to take revenge from those who have snatched away her dignity.
What is it that undermines it?
Just head up: Revenge You have been sexually harassed in the film. It is based on the story of a woman who commits a wrongdoing in that aspect, as she seeks retribution for that act. Most people now think that a woman being attacked and then having a plot to kill her is, frankly, outrageous. No logic there. Revenge However, he received much praise for the way he handled this material. It is a great blend of action, horror and suspense and also brings a strong commentary on gender norms, making it a strong story about survival.
Stream on Shudder
7 Underworld (2003)

underworld
- release date
- 19 September 2003
- director
- len wiseman
- mold
- Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Bill Nighy, Erwin Leder
- rating
- R
- Order
- 121
- main style
- action
Kate Beckinsale plays Celine in the film underworld, An orphan vampire who works for a clan of vampires as a type of assassin. She is caught in the middle of a war between werewolves and vampires, as she must rescue a doctor from the clutches of their enemies.
What is it that undermines it?
Complete underworld The franchise has been a bit neglected. The next two decades would see four more films emerge that were set around this world. Kate Beckinsale is known for her off-screen beauty, but the universe in which these movies take place definitely has the franchise on her back. Also, in this original film, the damsel in distress is the Doctor (Scott Speedman), so there’s some gender swapping in who saves whom. Although full of CGI from the early 2000s, underworld deserves some praise for its epic Gothic aesthetic.
Rent on Prime Video
6 The Killer (2015)
killer Takes place during the Tang dynasty of China. It is about a female assassin who is given a mission to kill a high-profile political leader. However, after failing in a mission, she is sent back to her hometown by her master, where she faces the ghosts of the past and the oppression that pursues her.
What is it that undermines it?
of course, killer One of the most beautifully shot films to come out of Asia in the last ten years. Shu Qi’s lead performance is mesmerizing, and the direction from Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien is pitch perfect. This movie is not your typical hitman (female) movie as it tells a lot about the mindset of a trained assassin and their patience, due diligence and duty.
Stream on Tubi
5 Death Proof (2007)

death Proof
- release date
- 22 May 2007
- director
- Quentin Tarantino
- mold
- Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamia Poitier, Tracy Thomas
- rating
- R
- Order
- 113
- main style
- action
death Proof are two separate films that center around a group of women stalked by a cunning, handsome, yet dangerous serial killer named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell). The first half of the film is a slow-paced slasher film that tries to feel like an old exploitation film of women being murdered. But in the second half of the film the targeted women take it to stuntman Mike.
What is it that undermines it?
death Proof It’s Quentin Tarantino’s biggest flop to date, and yet he continues to find his audience year after year. With an all-star cast that includes Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Kurt Russell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and many more. death Proof It’s clearly inspired by those 1970s car chase movies you saw at the drive-in, mixed with the exploitation slasher films of that era, plus it’s a great girl team-up movie. is where we remember something like this switchblade sisters Or Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.
Stream on Tubi
4 Atomic Blonde (2017)

atomic blonde
- release date
- 26 July 2017
- director
- David Leach
- mold
- Sofia Boutella, Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Bill Skarsgård, John Goodman, Toby Jones
- rating
- R
- Order
- 115
- main style
- thriller
atomic blonde It’s about an MI6 agent who is sent to Berlin right in the middle of the fall of the Berlin Wall. His mission is to uncover a list that contains the names of several double agents. While in Berlin, she partners with an officer who helps her through spy games in Germany.
What is it that undermines it?
atomic blonde One of the most recent films on this list was a box office hit for the studio that produced it, as well as the respect of moviegoers. Charlize Theron is in one of her best roles here, and James McAvoy is a fantastic number two on the cast list. It’s a great Cold War spy thriller based on a great graphic novel that really captures what’s happening at the time. fingers crossed for one John Wick/Atomic Blonde Foreigner
Rent on Prime Video
3 Run Lola Run (1998)
run lola run is the German-made thriller from the late 1990s that changed the way some of us look at movies in the new millennium. The film centers on Lola, a woman who has 20 minutes to get 100,000 German dollars to her lover, who is in danger of being killed by the man from whom she owes the amount. We see Lola work through this heartbreaking issue through three different scenarios and how they play out.
What is it that undermines it?
run lola run Teaches you a lot about filmmaking and storytelling in its eighty-one minute runtime. It’s a heart-wrenching story that forces you to lean forward, clenching your sweaty palms. Franca Potente is unforgettable as Lola. The film is much more than its title; This is a rallying call for the audience to shout at the screen during the movie. run lola run In the eyes of American audiences, it may be one of the best international films of the 1990s.
Rent on Prime Video
2 The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

long kiss goodnight
- release date
- 11 October 1996
- director
- Renny Harlin
- mold
- Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Yvonne Zima, Craig Bierko, Tom Amandes, Brian Cox
- rating
- R
- Order
- 120
- main style
- action
long kiss goodnight is about an amnesiac suburban woman (Geena Davis) whose past begins to haunt her more and more, until one day she has no choice but to uncover the harsh realities of her double life. She enlists the help of a private investigator (Samuel L. Jackson) to help her uncover the conspiracies of her past.
What is it that undermines it?
Shane Black was making a splash with screenplays in the late 1980s and early 1990s. his writing long kiss goodnight This is another great addition to your resume. Geena Davis goes from housewife to action star in this movie in thirty minutes or less. The chemistry between him and Samuel L. Jackson is unique. long kiss goodnight It was largely forgotten upon its release, but is now considered by many to be one of the greatest hidden gems of the decade in which it was released.
Rent on Prime Video
1 Lady Snowblood (1973)
lady snowblood This is the story of a woman who has had the feeling of vengeance in her mind since birth. Based on the manga series by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura, the film is about a woman whose mother is sexually assaulted and left to die in prison. As the child grows up, she searches for the people responsible for her difficult upbringing, which she never asked for.
Why is this the lowest rated movie on the list?
In terms of underrated, it may be the most underrated on this list, and yet it inspired many films and pop-culture themes in storytelling for years to come. Quentin Tarantino was heavily inspired by this while making it kill Bill, This is a film that blends genres like noir, horror, martial arts, and great drama incredibly well. There is no bad frame in the film. And commanding the screen is the performance of its lead Meiko Kaji. this is a great opportunity lady snowblood It has also had an impact on some of the films included in this list.
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