Varun Patel
The trio of sexy, kick-ass femme fatales (luckily on the good side), ‘Charlie’s Angels’ is back. With a brand-new cast, the movie delivers yet another thrill ride. For those who don’t know, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ franchise started with a TV show way back in 1976.
The basic premise of the series revolves around a group of three beautiful female detectives who are hired by a wealthy man, Bosley for life-threatening missions. The 2019 movie makes some significant alterations to this concept. It depicts an agency that provides its clients with detective and security skills with several agents known as Angels, headed by a manager who is known as a Bosley.
Three Angels- Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), Elena Hughlin (Naomi Scott) and Jane Kano (Ella Balinska) are assigned a mission after a whistle-blower exposes a dangerous technology that could harm millions of people. Elizabeth Banks plays an Angel who has now been promoted to the position of a Bosley, apart from having directed, produced and written the movie. Apart from the main cast, several actors like Hailee Steinfeld and Lili Reinhart appear in brief cameos.
If you are a fan of the brand of deadly action undertaken by some stunning and capable divas, you should definitely check out this list of similar movies too. You can watch several of these movies like ‘Charlie’s Angels’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. Salt (2010)
This action -thriller which was released in 2010 saw Angelina Jolie play a CIA agent, Evelyn Salt who is wrongfully accused of murdering the Russian President. However, the movie takes a wild turn when she manages flee and tries to prove her innocence in a thrilling fashion. Amassing $294 million dollars, the movie was a commercial hit. Originally, Tom Cruise had been cast as the lead but the script was eventually rewritten to accommodate Angelina Jolie as a replacement.
The American actress’ slick performance had been praised by critics and her establishment as a seasoned performer is enough reason to expect the same level of edge-of-the-seat action delivered by a gorgeous actress just like ‘Charlie’s Angles.’ Talks of a possible sequence have been in the news ever since the release of ‘Salt’ but so far, they have only been speculations.
6. Atomic Blonde (2017)
Based on a graphic novel titled ‘The Coldest City’ this action-thriller is set in the historic year, 1989 when the Berlin wall was brought down. Charlize Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent who is hired to recover a list of KGB agents who are going to be smuggled into the West after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Grossing a total of $100 million at the box office, the movie was a commercial success, making a profit that was more than twice the movie’s budget.
The movie is directed by David Leitch who has helmed several successful action flicks like ‘John Wick,’ ‘Deadpool 2’ and ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.’ Charlize Theron’s hard-hitting performance did not miss being noticed by critics who were also impressed by the film’s stylish action sequences. With ‘Atomic Blonde’ which followed ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ Theron started to be counted as an A-list action star.
5. Red Sparrow (2018)
‘Red Sparrow’ saw Jennifer Lawrence take over the reigns of a spy agent. An agent of the Russian external intelligence organisation, SVR, Lawrence’s character, Dominika Egorova is hired by the Russian agency after an injury forces her to quit her dancing career. Her first mission, after her harsh training involves trapping a CIA agent by seduction. The movie is directed by Francis Lawrence who is known for projects like the ‘Hunger Games’ series, ‘Constantine’ and ‘Water for Elephants.’
The film is based on Jason Matthew’s novel of the same name, which had been praised for its authenticity of depicting actual surveillance techniques. The cinematic adaptation has been praised for its focus on the novel’s complex plotting and graphically stylish action. ‘Red Sparrow’ was Jennifer Lawrence’s fourth project with Francis Lawrence after the ‘Hunger Games’ series.
4. Spy (2015)
Like its straightforward title suggests, ‘Spy’ is a spy movie, although a hilariously satirical one. A spoof of the intelligence agent genre, the 2015 movie stars the extremely talented, Melissa McCarthy, an agent at the Central Intelligence Agency who has had a desk job for the entirety of her career. However, she has to enter the field when the identity of a couple of agents is compromised.
The A-list cast includes the likes of Jason Statham and Jude Law who deliver effective performances in this action-comedy. With a budget of $65 million, the movie managed to recover its costs with ease and ended up earning a total of $235.6 million. Paul Feig, the director-writer.
3. Hanna (2011)
This 2011 movie takes the wild concept of a fifteen-year-old assassin to another level. Saoirse Ronan plays Hanna, a teenage girl who is raised in the wilderness as an assassin by her father who used to work for the CIA. Then, she is assigned a deadly mission in Europe while a CIA agent chases her. It is directed Joe Wright who is known for movies like ‘Pride & Prejudice,’ ‘Darkest Hour’ and ‘Anna Karenina.’ Ronan was praised for her fierce acting skills along with Wright whose direction skills were revered and found to be surprising given the fact that his previous movies weren’t action flicks.
2. Haywire (2012)
Released in 2012, ‘Haywire’ boasts of an impressive cast which includes the likes of Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, and Channing Tatum. It revolves around Gina Carano’s character, Mallory Kane, a black op operative on the run from assassins. After being betrayed by her own agency that leaves her to die, Kane is forced to uncover a conspiracy to survive. With a healthy dose of twists and turns, the movie was praised for its immersive action and seamless production.
Read More: Best Female Action Movies
1. Kill Bill Vol. I (2003)
Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ is the ultimate and arguably the best action movie featuring a female lead. Extremely stylish and gorgeously violent, Tarantino is at the top of his game with this one and does not allow viewers a moment to blink. The action sequences are thoroughly entertaining and extremely well made. Not just another normal action movie, it pays homage to grindhouse cinema and anime movies, delightfully weaved into its story.
Uma Thurman pulls off her character of a deadly assassin seeking revenge with brilliance. The actress-director duo are a match made in heaven and we bet that you will not be able to keep your mouth closed when Thurman sports a motorbike in her stylish yellow jumpsuit that has become iconic. Its sequel was equally entertaining and the series, as a whole can serve as the perfect model for entertaining cinema that feels like an art film.
Read More: Movies Like Kill Bill
