Whilst male-centered action movies like the James Bond franchise dominate the spy genre, some of the best spy movies ever made are based around women spies. Unfortunately, female-centered spy movies sometimes get overlooked despite being just as action-packed and tense as any Bond offering.
Luckily for fans interested in seeing great movies about female spies, the movie buffs on Ranker got together to vote on the best titles out there. These movies are bound to satisfy anyone's taste for action and espionage while putting women at the forefront.
Red Sparrow (2018)
Based on a novel of the same name, Red Sparrow stars Jennifer Lawrence as a ballerina turned "Sparrow", a term for soviet spies who were often tasked with seducing their targets. After excelling in the brutal conditions of the Sparrow training regime, Lawrence's character, Dominika, is sent to gain the trust of a CIA agent played by Joel Edgerton.
Violent and disturbing at times, Red Sparrow makes good use of the acting talent of its leads and especially Jennifer Lawrence, who excels as the most dangerous Sparrow Russia has ever produced. Although it only garnered mixed reviews, for fans of dark, lurid thrillers, Red Sparrow is a must-see.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Directed by one of the best action directors around in the form of Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty is a gritty, realistic political thriller based on the real-life hunt for Osama bin Laden. Rather than a hyper-fictionalized spy figure, Jessica Chastain stars as a CIA intelligence analyst called Maya who feels strikingly real.
At the center of the investigation into bin Laden's whereabouts, Maya contends with the messy, dangerous world of modern espionage, including the unethical practices of her organization. Featuring one of the most brutal torture scenes in movie history, Zero Dark Thirty received universal acclaim for its uncompromising picture of a real-life intelligence operation.
Point Of No Return (1993)
A remake of the 1990 action-thriller Nikita, Point of No Return stars Bridget Fonda as Maggie Hayward, a drug addict found guilty of the murder of a police officer and sentenced to death. In exchange for allowing her to live, she is informed that she must become an assassin for the government.
Full of twists and turns, Point of No Return ramps up the explosive violence compared to the original while Bridget Fonda makes for a great action hero. Hollywood remakes of foreign movies can have questionable results but Point of No Return is one of the most watchable efforts by far.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
With an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson and Academy Award winner Geena Davis in the lead role, The Long Kiss Goodnight is arguably a forgotten 90s action movie that deserved a sequel. The movie tells the story of an amnesiac schoolteacher whose mission to rediscover her identity leads her into the middle of a dark conspiracy.
Realizing that she possesses combat skills and reflexes far beyond what any ordinary schoolteacher should be capable of, the main character, Samantha Caine, soon grows into a compelling protagonist as her mission takes her into the heart of a world of twisted espionage. The Long Kiss Goodnight is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller.
Salt (2010)
One of Angelina Jolie's best movies according to IMDB, Salt stars the Oscar-winning actress as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is forced to go on the run after she is accused of being a sleeper operative for Russia. With a plot that is full of twists as well as satisfying action, Salt provides the perfect background for Jolie to show off just how good she is at these action-movie leads.
The movie itself is a solid spy thriller offering that, despite drawing some criticism for its confusing and unlikely story, is one of the better titles of the 2010s. Chiwetel Ejiofor is also worth looking out for as the counterintelligence agent determined to personally capture the fugitive Salt himself.
Haywire (2011)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, who has a track record for suspenseful action films including the Oceans franchise as well as a record for great female-led drama like the biopic Erin Brockovich, Haywire is a well-executed spy thriller. Its central character is Mallory Kane, an American black ops operative who is betrayed by her employers.
With a cast that includes the likes of Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas, Haywire is a star-studded movie. However, it's the direction and choreography that drew the most praise from critics in this tense and slick thriller
Hanna (2011)
With a soundtrack composed by EDM duo The Chemical Brothers and an opening set in rural Finland, Hanna is not a movie that does everything by the books. Saoirse Ronan stars as the title character, a girl who has been trained as an assassin from a young age by her former CIA operative father.
Hanna is tasked with bringing down the CIA officers who wish to eliminate her father and she uses her young age to ensure she is constantly underestimated despite her incredible combat skills. The movie was recently turned into an Amazon Prime series of the same name, which was able to develop Hanna's intelligent main characters.
Red Joan (2019)
Spy movies almost always come in the form of over-the-top thrillers that put high-octane action at the forefront so Red Joan is perfect for viewers looking for something different. Based on a novel of the same name that is rooted in real-life events, Red Joan is a British Spy drama set during the Cold War.
Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson, who is best known for playing Roxy in the Kingsman series, star as older and younger versions of Joan who finds herself caught between allegiances as Britain pursues its nuclear program in the wake of World War 2. Red Joan drew some criticism for its safe and risk-averse style but its fascinating story and purposeful acting carries it.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde is a stylish all-out action thriller that is probably the closest thing out there to a female equivalent to the John Wick series. This comparison is appropriate, as Atomic Blonde's director David Leitch was involved in the latter action series.
It's no surprise then that the movie delivers fast-paced sequences that will satisfy any action movie connoisseur. Charlize Theron also seems to relish playing Lorraine Broughton, an elite MI6 agent operating near the end of the Cold War, and it makes her performance all the more memorable.
Nikita (1990)
Also known as La Femme Nikita, Nikita is a movie that did such a successful job at refreshing the spy action-thriller formula that it inspired a Hollywood remake and, more recently, one of the best TV shows spies of recent years in a similarly titled CW show. In the movie, Anne Parillaud plays the teenager who is forced to become a government assassin to avoid a life behind bars.
What follows is an extremely slick and stylish affair that is perfectly suited to the conflicted central character as she is caught between her ruthless employers and her personal life. Over thirty years after its release, Nikita's impressive and compelling action means it's still the best movie about a female spy.