Action The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked  

Ranker Film
2.7k votes 471 voters 14.9k views 41 items

List Rules Vote up your favorite action movies that have female characters in the lead.

This list contains information on the best female action movies, ranked from best to worst by user votes. The best female action films come in many forms. Some feature tough women trained in combat while other good female action films find everyday women fighting for their lives. A few of the best feminist action films even generated sequels.

What films will you find on this top female action movies list? Alien has to be at the top. Sigourney Weaver stars as Officer Ripley who comes face to face with a deadly extraterrestrial while traveling in space in this 1979 movie directed by Ridley Scott. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – featuring Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conner – is another good female driven action film.

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez released two of the all-time best female action films for their Grindhouse features Death Proof and Planet Terror. Other great feminist action movies include Hanna, Aeon Flux, and Wonder Woman.

Which female action film do you think deserves the top spot on this list? Give your favorites a thumbs up and please add any good movies we may have missed.

list ordered by

1
116 52
Kill Bill Volume 1 is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Quentin Tarantino Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. the Bride, who swears revenge on a team of bad guys and their leader Bill after they try to ...more

2
109 49
Wonder Woman is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright Wonder Woman is a 2017 American superhero film directed by Patty Jenkins, based on the DC Comics character. When a pilot (Chris Pine) crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana ...more

3
82 32
Aliens is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James Cameron, produced by his then-wife Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael ...more

4
80 35
Kill Bill Volume 2 is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Samuel L. Jackson Kill Bill Volume 2 is a 2004 martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the second of two volumes that were released several months apart. It was originally ...more

5
79 35
Resident Evil is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Isaacs Resident Evil is a 2002 German-British-French science fiction horror film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez. It is the first ...more

6
76 33
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, Linda Hamilton Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written, produced and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert ...more

7
59 21
Underworld is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
John Johns added Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen, Wentworth Miller Underworld is a 2003 action horror film directed by Len Wiseman about the secret history of Vampires and Lycans. It is the first installment in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves ...more

8
75 34
Salt is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor Salt is a 2010 American action thriller spy film directed by Phillip Noyce, written by Kurt Wimmer, and starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl and Chiwetel ...more

9
64 28
Alien is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm Alien is a 1979 science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. ...more

10
58 26
Atomic Blonde is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman Atomic Blonde is a 2017 American action spy thriller film directed by David Leitch and written by Kurt Johnstad. It is based on Antony Johnston's 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City, which ...more

11
45 22
The Long Kiss Goodnight is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
TimXeriland added Samuel L. Jackson, Geena Davis, Brian Cox The Long Kiss Goodnight is a 1996 action film directed and produced by Renny Harlin, written and produced by Shane Black and starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson.

12
54 35
The Hunger Games Franchise is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
The Hunger Games film series consists of four science fiction dystopian adventure films based on The Hunger Games trilogy of novels, by the American author Suzanne Collins. Distributed by ...more

13
54 36
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Jon Voight Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 action film based on the popular Tomb Raider video game series featuring the character Lara Croft portrayed by Angelina Jolie. The film was directed by Simon ...more

14
55 37
Star Wars: Episode VII - The F... is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill This film is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed by J. J. Abrams. Three decades after the Empire's defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Ex-stormtrooper Finn (John ...more

15
39 25
Hanna is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan Hanna is a 2011 action thriller film that contains prominent fairy tale elements, directed by Joe Wright. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as the title character, a girl raised in the wilderness of ...more

16
30 17
Colombiana is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Alvin O Vinz added Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Graham McTavish Colombiana is a 2011 American action film, co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoe Saldana in the lead role with supporting roles performed by ...more

17
42 29
Lucy is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Analeigh Tipton Lucy is a 2014 English-language French science fiction action film written and directed by Luc Besson and produced by his wife Virginie Silla for his company Europacorp. The film was shot in ...more

18
42 30
Serenity is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion Serenity is a 2005 American space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of Whedon's short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly and stars the ...more

19
31 20
Tomb Raider is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins Tomb Raider is a 2018 American action adventure film directed by Roar Uthaug. Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander), the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond ...more

20
41 31
Charlie's Angels is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency. The film is ...more

21
35 27
Spy is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
carlybobarly added Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne Spy is a 2015 American action comedy spy film directed by Paul Feig. A desk-bound CIA analyst (Melissa McCarthy) is assigned her mission as a field agent to foil the black market sale of a ...more

22
31 25
G.I. Jane is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Jim Caviezel G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures, distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring ...more

23
29 24
The Heat is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans The Heat is a 2013 American buddy cop comedy film written by Katie Dippold and directed by Paul Feig. The plot centers on Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn ...more

24
30 26
Kick-Ass is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
John Johns added Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lyndsy Fonseca Kick-Ass is a 2010 British-American superhero action comedy film based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. The film was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who ...more

25
18 16
La Femme Nikita is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner ...more

26
29 29
Æon Flux is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jonny Lee Miller Æon Flux is a 2005 American science fiction spy action film directed by Karyn Kusama. The film is a loose adaptation of the animated science fiction television series of the same name, ...more

27
37 39
Elektra is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Jennifer Garner, Jason Isaacs, Terence Stamp Elektra is a 2005 Canadian-American superhero film directed by Rob Bowman. It is a spin-off from the 2003 film Daredevil, starring the Marvel Comics character Elektra Natchios. The story follows ...more

28
26 30
Death Proof is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson, Kurt Russell This film is a 2007 American action-exploitation film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man, Stuntman Mike played by Kurt Russell, who stalks ...more

29
21 26
Planet Terror is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Bruce Willis, Rose McGowan, Fergie Planet Terror is a 2007 American action horror science-fiction film directed by Robert Rodriguez, about a group of people attempting to survive an onslaught of zombie-like creatures as they feud ...more

30
4 6
Azumi is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
ანგელოზისალესია added Aya Ueto, Shun Oguri, Joe Odagiri

Azumi (Japanese: あずみ) is a manga series created by Yū Koyama in 1994. Its story concerns the title character, a young woman brought up as part of a team of assassins, charged with killing the warlords that threaten the uneasy peace in Feudal Japan in the aftermath of its long Sengoku civil war period.

Azumi was originally published by Shogakukan and serialized in Big Comic Superior, and received an Excellence Prize at the 1997 Japan Media Arts Festival and the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1998.[1] The manga was later adapted to two feature films starring Aya Ueto (2003's Azumi and 2005's Azumi 2: Death or Love), and a video game and a stage play in 2005.

 Azumi is a manga series created by Yū Koyama in 1994. Its story concerns the title character, a young woman brought up as part of a team of assassins, charged with killing the warlords that ...more

31
10 15
The Brave One is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Jodie Foster, Zoë Kravitz, Terrence Howard The Brave One is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Neil Jordan, produced by Joel Silver, and starring Jodie Foster. It was released in the United States on September 14, ...more

32
23 31
Snow White and the Huntsman is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth Snow White and the Huntsman is a 2012 American dark fantasy action film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. In the film's retelling of the tale, ...more

33
12 18
The River Wild is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly The River Wild is a 1994 adventure crime-thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, Benjamin Bratt and Joseph Mazzello as ...more

34
23 32
Divergent Franchise is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
The Divergent Series is a feature film series based on the Divergent novels by the American author Veronica Roth. Distributed by Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate Films, the series consists of ...more

35
2 8
Young Adult is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Bulbul Sarwar added Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, J.K. Simmons Young Adult is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman, from a screenplay written by Diablo Cody, and starring Charlize Theron. Reitman and Cody worked together previously on ...more

36
8 19
Foxy Brown is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Pam Grier, Sid Haig, Peter Brown Foxy Brown is a 1974 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Pam Grier as the title character, described by one character as "a whole lot of woman" who ...more

37
10 22
Lady Snowblood is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Meiko Kaji, Kō Nishimura, Miyoko Akaza Lady Snowblood is a 1973 Japanese film directed by Toshiya Fujita and starring Meiko Kaji. It is based on a manga called Shurayukihime. It is the story of Yuki, a woman who seeks vengeance upon ...more

38
1 7
Adult World is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Bulbul Sarwar added Emma Roberts, John Cusack, Cloris Leachman Adult World is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Scott Coffey and written by Andy Cochran. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013 and stars Emma Roberts, Evan ...more

39
10 23
Bandidas is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Salma Hayek, Penélope Cruz, Sam Shepard Bandidas is a 2006 French/Mexican/American Western action comedy starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and ...more

40
2 13
Momentum is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
AnkitBishnoi added Teri Hatcher, Louis Gossett, Jr. Momentum is a July 26, 2003 television movie that premiered on the U.S. Sci Fi Channel. The movie was directed by James Seale.

41
25 58
Catwoman is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Female Action Movies, Ranked
Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Missy Peregrym Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Pitof Comar and stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy and Alex Borstein. The film is loosely ...more