Charlize’s hair apparent to her Furiosa character in Mad Max: Fury Road is Atomic Blonde, as she inhabits a new badass creation with a license to break bones and drub clowns across ’80s Germany. We could go Theron and on but let’s cut to the chase: Here’s 24 more female action movies, ranked by Tomatometer!
Lady Snowblood (1973, 100%)
Added to the Criterion Collection last year, this influential Japanese film starring Meiko Kaji transform blood, guts, and revenge into pure poetry.
Aliens (1986, 94%)
While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Wonder Woman (2017, 92%)
Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot’s charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.
La Femme Nikita (1990, 88%)
Paris by night: Crooked Anne Parillaud is trained to become the ultimate assassin in this Luc Besson joint.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, 85%) Lady Snowblood‘s most famous fan Quentin Tarantino pays homage to the film, transforming Uma Thurman into a new millennium action goddess in the process.
Haywire (2012, 80%)
MMA star and first-time actress Gina Carano displays ample action-movie chops in Haywire, a fast-paced thriller with a top-notch cast and outstanding direction from Steven Soderbergh.
Chocolate (2008, 73%) Chocolate is a bizarre martial arts flick, with a slushy plot, an unusual protagonist (played by JeeJa Yanin), and breathtaking stunts.
Hanna (2011, 71%)
Fantastic acting (Saoirse Ronan stars) and crisply choreographed action sequences propel this unique, cool take on the revenge thriller.
Blue Steel (1990, 71%)
Before Point Break and well before Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow directed Jamie Lee Curtis as a rookie beat cop fending off a psycho stalking killer.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996, 68%)
Geena Davis goes from brunette mom to killer blonde in this bloody blitz of mixed identities, knife fights, and water wheel torture.
Lucy (2014, 67%)
Enthusiastic and silly, Lucy powers through the movie’s logic gaps with cheesy thrills plus Scarlett Johansson’s charm — and mostly succeeds at it.
Salt (2010, 62%)
Angelina Jolie gives it her all in the title role, and her seasoned performance is almost enough to save Salt from its predictable and ludicrous plot.
Foxy Brown (1974, 60%)
The ’70s called for a new breed of Hollywood action and Pam Grier answered the call: her Foxy Brown remains one of the sterling efforts of the blaxploitation era.
Doomsday (2008, 50%) Doomsday is a pale imitation of previous futuristic thrillers, minus the cohesive narrative and charismatic leads. Sorry, Rhona Mitra!
Underworld (2003, 31%)
Though stylish to look at (just look at Kate Beckinsale’s leather combat onesie!), Underworld is tedious and derivative.
The Assignment (2017, 30%)
Tough guy director Walter Hill goes off the deep end with Michelle Rodriguez, who stars as a hitman out for revenge after he’s captured and wakes up a new woman.
Barb Wire (1996, 28%) Barb Wire could’ve been fun camp, but Pamela Anderson can’t deliver her lines with any dramatic or comedic impact.
Colombiana (2011, 27%)
Zoe Saldana has the chops but she’s taken out by erratic and sloppy filmmaking.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001, 20%)
Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can’t save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact.
Aeon Flux (2005, 10%)
Charlize Theron kicks back! Aeon Flux lacks the gravity-defying pace of its animated predecessor, and, despite some flash, is largely a dull affair.
Elektra (2005, 10%)
Jennifer Garner inhabits her role with earnest gusto, but Elektra‘s tone deaf script is too self-serious and bereft of intelligent dialogue to provide engaging thrills.
Catwoman (2004, 9%)
Halle Berry is the lone sorta bright spot, but even she can’t save this laughable action thriller.
Ultraviolet (2006, 9%)
An incomprehensible and forgettable sci-fi thriller, Ultraviolet is inept in every regard despite all the time Milla Jovovich spent at the gym.
BloodRayne (2006, 4%) BloodRayne is an absurd sword-and-sorcery vid-game adaptation from schlock-maestro Uwe Boll, featuring a distinguished (and slumming) cast.
