Vishnu Warrier
Miss Bala is an action thriller film directed by Catherine Hardwicke based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name. The film stars Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Matt Lauria and Anthony Mackie.
The film revolves around Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) who trains to take down a drug cartel after they kidnap her friend. In the process, she finds a power and will she never knew she had. While the film benefits from Rodriguez’s lead star turn, it also suffers from a predictable storyline. The fact that it is a female-led action film is its biggest selling point. So, if you are into such films and are looking for movies that are similar to Miss Bala, here are our recommendations. You can watch several of these movies like Miss Bala on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
10. Haywire (2011)
Steven Soderbergh again proves his aptitude in multiple genres by transitioning smoothly from the neo-noir crime austerity of ‘The Limey’ and high-class virtuoso drama of ‘Traffic’ to a straight-forward action flick. He’s a director who has the balls to experiment and spends every second of his career evolving as an artist. ‘Haywire’ is not as profound as his finest work, nor as fascinating as his most explorative, but it hits a tight genre pedigree a lot of action flicks simply cannot hold a candle to.
9. Colombiana (2011)
Zoe Saldana is an actress forced into supporting the majority of the time and it’s fantastic to see a throttled performer allowed to flex the best of their abilities in a stand-alone work, particularly someone as enigmatic in their power to perform as Saldana. Her work in the recent ‘Columbiana’ is by no means transformative, though it’s always refreshing to see a star afforded an opportunity like this and the film itself does well in holding our attention.
8. The Quick and the Dead (1995)
A shamefully underseen western from the ‘90s, fun, fast and quite honestly more worth your time than the languid repetitions that plague Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven’ — the Quick & the Dead has been shrouded by time but its intriguing take on the genre with a woman’s touch (this time resting behind the barrel of a gun, rather than at the mercy of it like in Once Upon a Time in the West).
7. Salt (2010)
Evelyn Salt is a CIA Agent who lives with her arachnologist husband in New York. One fine day she is accused of being part of a ruthless Russian spy program, and her husband is brutally murdered. Let me get this straight. A deadly CIA Agent Evelyn Salt who is famous for apprehending criminals with sheer violence is thought to be a cunning Russian spy. And the CIA plans to catch her and kill her using their dumb agents. Well, good luck with that.
6. Red Sparrow (2018)
When Dominika Egorova, the prima ballerina of Russia, suffers a career-ending injury she becomes hopeless and homeless. To care for her old mother, Dominika reluctantly accepts her uncle’s offer to attend the sparrow school which trains its students to use their body and mind to any end possible. Once there Dominika passes at the top of her class and soon enchants an American agent. The question that remains is: will Dominika stay faithful to the country that ended her dreams or believe the handsome stranger who only wants to bed her and get her to spill her secrets?
5. Oldboy (2003)
Do revenge action films get better than this? An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for fifteen years without explanation. Oh Dae-Su is then released, only to find out that he must find his captor in five days. “Oldboy” is one of the smartest action thrillers out there. Masterfully directed by Chan-wook Park and with Min-sik Choi playing the main lead, this one will surprise you completely. The screenplay is brilliant; the characters are developed very well and are extremely complex, The plot is not only ingenious, but mind-blowing and memorable. Don’t miss this.
4. Assassination (2015)
“Assassination” is an action drama set in 1933, when Korea is occupied by the Japanese army. Many members of the resistance were obliged into exile in China. Despite that, they are still willing to fight for the freedom of their country, so they form a plan to kill the Japanese Commander. However, Japanese forces start hunting them down while the plain is threatened by a traitor. This movie is an excellent introduction to the history of South Korea since it is mainly about the Japanese oppression that occurred during four decades. Besides, more than an action movie this is an emotional one about relationship, patriotism, and family.
Read More: Movies Like The Shape of Water
3. Atomic Blonde (2017)
Lorraine, an MI6 Agent, has been sent to Berlin to get back a stolen list of MI6 field operatives. Should Lorraine fail and the list gets out it can be horrible for the nation. Lorraine is betrayed at every point as she tries to complete her mission and find the mole called Satchel responsible for the loss of the list. Trying to survive blows after blows of betrayal from her own people, and attempts on her life by the KGB this master assassin’s days seem to be numbered. Or do they?
Read More: Movies Like Memento
2. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Maybe about 30 years from now, watching ‘Fury Road’ would make us all proud because this is the movie of our times. I have to admit that when I first set out to watch it, I was expecting a decent entertainment at best with some pretty visuals to look at but by the time it ended I thought to myself, “Boy, that was an experience of a lifetime!”. The world seems to have destroyed and civilization is brutally wrecked and where gasoline and water are treasured resources and survivors struggle to battle the tyrant ruling over the land. George Miller’s vision of a dystopian future is dark and deranged and the film fully realizes his vision as it transcends the genre barriers to create something truly profound, something that would live with us for many, many years.
Read More: Movies Like Mad Max
1. Kill Bill (Vol 1&2) (2003)
Of course. The best female revenge action thriller ever made. Quentin Tarantino’s fourth directorial project after his not-so-appreciated (though critics differ) Jackie Brown is a stylish female revenge flick that goes on to show that even showcasing violence on-screen can be an art in itself. The story follows Beatrix Kiddo or The Bride (Uma Thurman) who has been betrayed and shot by Bill and his gang members right before her wedding and how she exacts revenge. As much as it is a normal revenge story, it is more about Tarantino’s treatment of the material as he pays homage to probably every martial art movie out there. As she sets on her path of vengeance, she leaves hundreds of bodies in her wake and kills each of her wrong doers. It almost feels like The Bride is in a video game where she defeats a boss at the end of each level only to face a more powerful one at the end; in this case – Bill.
Read More: Movies Like Kill Bill
