Subgenre Sampler
Action/Adventure > Girl-centric: 70 Films to Buy & Rent
- Fall (2022)
- Dir. Scott Mann
Feat. Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding…
- For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner), life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they…
- Black Widow (2021)
- Dir. Cate Shortland
Feat. Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour…
- Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow gets deserved time in the spotlight in this belated, but very much welcomed, Marvel movie.
Set before the events…
- Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
- Dir. Navot Papushado
Feat. Karen Gillan , Lena Headey, Carla Gugino…
- Navot Papushado (BIG BAD WOLVES) directs this neon–infused action thriller about a master assassin (Karen Gillan) who teams up with her…
- Suicide Squad, The (2021)
- Dir. James Gunn
Feat. Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena…
- The standalone sequel to SUICIDE SQUAD is this bold, bright and chaotic superhero movie based on the DC Comics characters.
Harley Quinn (Margot…
- Birds of Prey (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) (2020)
- Dir. Cathy Yan
Feat. Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez…
- Margot Robbie returns as the edgy anti–hero Harley Quinn in this follow–up to the DC Comics adaptation SUICIDE SQUAD. Full of wickedly…
- Charlie's Angels (2019)
- Dir. Elizabeth Banks
Feat. Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska…
- Third installment in the glamorous action comedy film series, with three new private detective "Angels" who work for the Townsend Agency. A more…
- Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)
- Dir. James Bobin
Feat. Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena…
- Live action adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series about the adventures of Dora, the daughter of Peruvian explorers. Now 16, Dora takes her…
- Kitchen, The (2019)
- Dir. Andrea Berloff
Feat. Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss…
- After their mobster husbands get locked up in prison, three housewives decide to take over the family business. Set in Hell's Kitchen in 1978, and…
- Miss Bala (2019)
- Dir. Catherine Hardwicke
Feat. Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova
- Mexican crime thriller which marks a gritty turn for director Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT), with Gina Rodriguez (JANE THE VIRGIN) playing a woman…
- Assassination Nation (2018)
- Dir. Sam Levinson
Feat. Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Abra …
- Stylish, witty and chaotic, this youth–centered thriller manages to blend exploitation and social commentary into something a bit derivative…
- Girls of the Sun (Les filles du soleil) (2018)
- Dir. Eva Husson
Feat. Golshifteh Farahani
- Powerful wartime film following a Kurdish female battalion who are fighting against ISIS extremists to take back control of their village. Stars…
- Ocean's 8 (Ocean's Eight) (2018)
- Dir. Gary Ross
Feat. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway…
- A star–studded ensemble cast deliver a slick heist caper in the vein of previous installments. A team of crooks go for a 150 million dollar…
- Atomic Blonde (2017)
- Dir. David Leitch
Feat. Charlize Theron, James McAvoy
- Pulpy, neon–lit thriller from the makers of JOHN WICK with a remarkable performance from Charlize Theron, giving real emotional depth to a…
- Megan Leavey (Rex) (2017)
- Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Feat. Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton…
- Heartfelt war drama based on the true events about the eponymous young female US Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with a military…
- Wonder Woman (2017)
- Dir. Patty Jenkins
Feat. Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright…
- Israeli actress Gal Gadot dazzles as the charismatic warrior princess who must leave her mythical island paradise and sail into WWI–embattled…
- Wynonna Earp (TV Series) (2016)
- Feat. Melanie Scrofano, Shamier Anderson, Tim Rozon…
- Canadian supernatural Western series based on the IDW Comic, that follows Wyatt Earp's great granddaughter as she battles demons and other creatures…
- Hot Pursuit (2015)
- Dir. Anne Fletcher
Feat. Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Matthew Del Negro
- Reese Witherspoon headline this buddy–comedy as an uptight and by–the–book cop trying to protect the widow of a drug boss as they…
- Hanna (2011)
- Dir. Joe Wright
Feat. Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett…
- Saoirse Ronan plays a ruthless teenage assassin who is raised by her father (Eric Bana) in isolation and pursed by CIA operatives across Europe in…
- Sucker Punch (2011)
- Dir. Zack Snyder
Feat. Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone…
- The dir. of 300 helms this male adolescent fantasy based around a group of nubile young girls who reimagine the mental asylum they've been committed…
- This Girl is Badass!! (2011)
- Dir. Mum Jokmok
Feat. JeeJa Yanin
- Jija Yanin (CHOCOLATE) stars in this martial arts comedy about a girl whose family life is turned upside–down when she gets mixed up with…
- Bitch Slap (2009)
- Dir. Rick Jacobson
Feat. Erin Cummings, America Olivo, Julia Voth…
- Wickedly titled but low–grade fusion of Russ Meyer and Tarantino follows three ass–kicking bad girls as they plot to extort a drug…
- Raging Phoenix (2009)
- Dir. Rashane Limtrakul
Feat. JeeJa Yanin
- The female star of CHOCOLATE returns with break dancing moves to complement her sick martial arts skills, in this over–the–top kickboxing…
- Chocolate (2008)
- Dir. Prachya Pinkaew
Feat. JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
- Impressive newcomer Jeeja Yanin plays a butt kicking autistic girl (!) in this exhilarating revenge movie, a standout amongst Thailand’s recent…
- Female Agents (Les femmes de l'ombre) (2008)
- Dir. Jean-Paul Salome
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain…
- Substantial, exciting WWII espionage thriller following an all–female commando unit of the French Resistance recruited to rescue a British…
- Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TV Series) (2008)
- Feat. Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Busy Phillips
- Flashy sci–fi series set two years after TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY and centred on Sarah Connor and her son preparing for battle against the…
- Wanted (2008)
- Dir. Timur Bekmambetov
Feat. James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman
- A relentless rollercoaster ride on amphetamines, this breakneck graphic novel adaptation from the Russian director of NIGHT WATCH tracks the…
- Bandidas (2006)
- Dir. Joachim Roenning, Espen Sandberg
Feat. Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Steve Zahn…
- A spicy and saddled western vehicle for bosom buddies Hayek and Cruz, with the spunky duo turning to bank robbery in an effort to combat a marauding…
- Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006)
- Dir. Paul Verhoeven
Feat. Carice Van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman
- A Jewish singer goes deep undercover for the Dutch resistance in this splashy, larger–than–life WWII yarn set in Nazi–occupied…
- Domino (2005)
- Dir. Tony Scott
Feat. Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Delroy Lindo…
- Brash, hyperkinetic action rendition of the life and times of Domino Harvey (played by Knightley), the daughter of movie–star Laurence Harvey,…
- Elektra (2005)
- Dir. Rob Bowman
Feat. Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Terence Stamp
- Reprising her quasi–superhero role from DAREDEVIL, Garner dons a red supervixen outfit as a contract assassin pitted against a cabal of ninjas…
- Charlie's Angels - Full Throttle (2003)
- Dir. McG
Feat. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu…
- Charlie's most recent 'Angels' return for a second comic–action romp with all the bright colours, sexy costumes, hi–tech clowning and…
- Kill Bill - Vol. 1 (2003)
- Dir. Quentin Tarantino
Feat. Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox…
- A blunt revenge picture souped up as an over–the–top homage to 70s ‘grindhouse’ flicks, this “fourth film by Quentin Tarantino”…
- Naked Weapon (Chek Law Dak Gung) (2002)
- Dir. Ching Siu Tung
Feat. Maggie Q
- A quasi–homage to NAKED KILLER, this sleazily–violent actioner portrays the development of a three–women hit squad by the…
- So Close (Chik yeung tin sai) (2002)
- Dir. Corey Yuen
Feat. Shu Qi, Karen Mok, Vicki Zhao
- Presenting... a heroic trio of femmes for a new generation – a kind of high–octane "Asian Charlie's Angels".
This super–flash…
- Alias (TV Series) (2001)
- Feat. Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Michael Vartan…
- Depicts the adventures of a college student (Garner) who moonlights as a special agent – fulfilling dangerous covert operations for the CIA and…
- Lara Croft - Tomb Raider (2001)
- Dir. Simon West
Feat. Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight, Noah Taylor
- Hugely silly fantasy–action is never a bore, despite all the odds, with an oiled Angelina Jolie filling the kit of the pneumatic…
- Princess Blade (Shurayuki-Hime) (2001)
- Dir. Shinsuke Sato
- Post–apocalyptic Japanese samurai action adapted from a graphic novel, employs a stark visual style to convey its tale of a disturbed young…
- Charlie's Angels (2000)
- Dir. McG
Feat. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu…
- TV's favourite female crimefighters get the big screen makeover. Not quite the phenomenon that were Farrah and co., contemporary imposters Drew…
- Joan of Arc (The Messenger) (1999)
- Dir. Luc Besson
Feat. Milla Jovovich, Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich…
- The French heroine gets the big–budget splurge with a religiously inspired Milla Jovovich leading the French peasantry against the Brits, only…
- Run Lola Run (1998)
- Dir. Tom Tykwer
Feat. Franke Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu
- Runaway foreign–language hit clocks up mileage from a simple conceit – flame–haired punkette Lola has twenty minutes to go like the…
- GI Jane (1997)
- Dir. Ridley Scott
Feat. Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft
- A staunch, suede–headed Demi Moore is enlisted in a US Army commando squad in a call for equal–opportunity by stylist dir. Ridley Scott. …
- Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness (1996)
- Dir. Masaru Tsushima
Feat. Yuka Ohnishi, Tetsuo Kurata, Rina Kitahara
- Snappy example of the Martial Sex–Arts sub–genre, with a gang of 'Lady Ninjas' hired by a lascivious Emperor to wipe–out his royal…
- Long Kiss Goodnight, The (1996)
- Dir. Renny Harlin
Feat. Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson
- Heroic chemistry between Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson fuels this spectacular actioner, with more than a few eyebrows raised sardonically along…
- Set It Off (1996)
- Dir. F. Gary Gray
Feat. Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox…
- An exciting black crime movie with a twist – the bankrobbing gang are all women. Kicking out against economic crisis, these chicks don't wait…
- D'Artagnan's Daughter (Revenge of the Musketeers) (1995)
- Dir. Bertrand Tavernier
Feat. Sophie Marceau, Philippe Noiret
- This gleefully French swashbuckler checks in as a loose sequel to the Three Muskeeters. The magnetic Sophie Marceau stars as the feisty titular…
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (TV Series) (1995-1999)
- Feat. Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst
- Hugely popular fantasy series starring Kevin Sorbo as the classic half God/half man who travels through a fantastical ancient Greece in search of…
- Xena - Warrior Princess (TV Series) (1995-1996)
- Dir. Charles Siebert, Anson Williams, Gary Jones
Feat. Lucy Lawless
- Spinoff to the iconic 1990s 'Hercules' series, that became a cult in its own right.
Mixing slapstick action and snappy one–liners into a…
- Bad Girls (1994)
- Dir. Jonathan Kaplan
Feat. Madeleine Stowe, Andie MacDowell, Mary Stuart Masterson…
- Saddle up with four popular Hollywood femmes for this enjoyably silly Western – easier on the eye than most.
- Heroic Trio 2 - Executioners (1994)
- Dir. Johnnie To, Ching Siu Tung
Feat. Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung…
- Downbeat sequel returns the trio of feisty femmes to combat the evil mega–corporation that taken a stranglehold on the world's…
- Wing Chun (1994)
- Dir. Yuen Woo Ping
Feat. Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen
- Martial–arts star Michelle Yeoh lends some charisma to a cotton–sugar tale of remote villagers plagued by robbers. In the title role Yeoh…
- Heroic Trio (1993)
- Dir. Johnnie To
Feat. Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh
- An invisible criminal is stealing babies for a sewer–dwelling villain and it's up to three dazzling super–chicks. Hugely entertaining…
- Moon Warriors (1993)
- Dir. Sammo Hung
Feat. Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui
- Flashy feudal martial arts adventure features the high kicks of Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui, in a battle of noble siblings to regain the…
- Dragon Inn (New Dragon Gate Inn) (1992)
- Dir. Tsui Hark
Feat. Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung (Kar-fai)…
- Gory Ming Dynasty–set epic in which forces of good and evil clash swords over the fate of feudal China. An extravagant climax, featuring…
- Naked Killer (1992)
- Dir. Clarence Fok-Yiu
Feat. Chingmy Yau, Simon Yam, Carrie Ng
- Sex and violence potently combust in a tale of nubile assassins and a love–struck, traumatised cop. The plot may typically wander but it…
- Saviour of the Soul (1992)
- Dir. David Lai
Feat. Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok
- Breathtaking camerawork and special effects combine with hallucinatory plotting as two city–dwelling mercenaries do battle with the silver fox,…
- Black Cat (1991)
- Dir. Dickson Poon
Feat. Jade Leung
- The Hong Kong industry could not resist a crack at French action fave Nikita, the foxy misfit trained as an assassin for the secret service. A…
- Blue Steel (1990)
- Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
Feat. Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver
- A predatory psychopath stalks rookie cop in rare action from a female perspective. The genre is assaulted by the director with unequivocal flair.
- She Shoots Straight (Huang jia nu jiang) (1990)
- Dir. Corey Yuen
Feat. Joyce Godenzi, Sammo Hung
- Taut and melodramatic, this HK policier concerns a decorated and ultra–competent female police officer (Godenzi) who arouses jealousy in her…
- Fatal Beauty (1987)
- Dir. Tom Holland
Feat. Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott, Ruben Blades
- Whoopi Goldberg stars in this action–comedy thriller as a tough narc cop with a wig for every occasion. Clearly modelled after the BEVERLY…
- Peking Opera Blues (1986)
- Dir. Tsui Hark
Feat. Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh
- One of prolific Hong Kong director/producer Tsui Hark's most celebrated films is a genre–blending romp set around the Peking Opera in 1913. A…
- Police Assassins (Yes Madam) (1985)
- Dir. Corey Yuen
Feat. Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, Tsui Hark
- Cheesy but fun outing has two hard–as–nails policewomen Michelle Yeoh (in her first lead role) and Cynthia Rothrock turning in their…
- Calamity Jane (1983)
- Dir. James Goldstone
Feat. Jane Alexander, David Hemmings, Talia Balsam…
- Gutsy western adventure centred on the west's ultimate tomboy 'Calamity Jane,' (realistically portrayed by Jane Alexander) renowned for her ability…
- Wonder Woman, The New Adventures of (TV Series) (1977-1979)
- Feat. Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner
- Charles Moulon’s 1940s comic strip updated to the feminist 70s, his superheroine fighting terrorist and subversive elements for undercover…
- Foxy Brown (1974)
- Dir. Jack Hill
Feat. Pam Grier, Peter Brown, Terry Carter…
- Badass Pam Grier vehicle from director Jack Hill, the "Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking" according to Tarantino.
When mobsters murder her…
- Female Yakuza Tale (Yasagure anego den: sôkatsu rinchi) (1973)
- Dir. Teruo Ishii
Feat. Reiko Ike
- A scorned Reiko Ike returns in this remarkably trashier sequel to SEX AND FURY, ready to unleash another roaring rampage of revenge on sadistic…
- Lady Snowblood 1 (Shurayukihime) (1973)
- Dir. Toshiya Fujita
Feat. Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa, Masaaki Daimon…
- A classic samurai B–movie made in the heyday of 'Wu Xia' influence, with Kaji playing a bereaved young woman who seeks revenge on the gangsters…
- Sex and Fury (Furyô anego den: Inoshika Ochô) (1973)
- Dir. Norifumi Suzuki
Feat. Reiko Ike
- Japanese exploitation cinema proves itself unrivaled with this slice of 70s celluloid anarchy, trailing a mostly nude Reiko Ike as she slashes and…
- Boxcar Bertha (1972)
- Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Barbara Hershey, David Carradine
- Dir. Scorsese's first 'for hire' effort, constructing an atmospheric and reasonably sturdy period gangster film, set in the Depression. Produced by…
- Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972)
- Dir. Shunya Ito
Feat. Meiko Kaji, Fumio Watanabe, Kayuko Shiraishi
- A classic of Japanese 70s exploitation cinema, this charts the grim road to freedom for a gaggle of women escaped–convicts with a feverish…
- Hannie Caulder (1971)
- Dir. Burt Kennedy
Feat. Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, Christopher Lee…
- Raquel Welch dons poncho and six–shooters in this violent quasi–spoof Western, playing the victim of a gang rape who, with the help of a…