7 Action Movies On Netflix With Captivating Female Leads

Jessica Chastain leads this tense action movie as Ava, an elite assassin who must go on the run after a hit goes wrong. Though the film’s plot may not be the most original in the Netflix queue, Jessica Chastain brings movie star gravitas to the role that, makes it worth the ride.

Joining her are Colin Farrell and John Malkovich, delivering cheesy lines and loving every moment of it, along with Geena Davis and Common.

Ava had a troubled start when the film had to unexpectedly replace its director. The project eventually came together, giving Chastain her moment to shine as an unlikely action hero who pulls off the part with style.

Interceptor is an action movie that goes nuclear. Elsa Pataky leads this Netflix original as an Army captain on a supposedly boring assignment aboard a missile interceptor station. The position gets interesting quickly when terrorists board the station to take control of nuclear weapons. Pataky must defend the control center at all costs in order to prevent a nuclear incident.

Elsa Pataky trained extensively for the film with the help of her husband, fellow action star Chris Hemsworth. The Thor actor also served as an executive producer on the film and even makes an uncredited cameo appearance.

Defending the interceptor station, Pataky proves that she is an action force to be reckoned with.

This action movie goes way back. The Old Guard is a Netflix original based on the graphic novel of the same name. It stars Charlize Theron as the leader of an immortal mercenary group that has been together for hundreds of years. When a new member joins their team, the group’s identity is put at risk.

The Old Guard is hunted down to be captured, and the immortal warriors find themselves in an unexpected fight for survival. This action movie was a hit for Netflix thanks to its gripping fight sequences and powerful performances led by Theron. Netflix approved a sequel in 2021; it is expected to hit the streamer next year.

Gunpowder Milkshake is not a traditional shake flavor, but it should be. This action movie is a Netflix original with more than one female kicking ass. Karen Gillan leads the film as an assassin who deviates from a job in order to save a young girl. When a network of assassins descends upon her, she must team up with her estranged mother, played by Lena Headey, and a team consisting of Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, and Carla Gugino.

This fun, stylish action flick shows the Guardians of the Galaxy star in a new light as she headlines a star-studded roster of female action stars making their presence known.

There’s not much fresher than Peppermint. This revenge thriller stars Jennifer Garner as Riley North, a wife and mother whose family is killed in a drive-by shooting by drug cartel members. After a corrupt system fails to incarcerate the killers, North disappears for five years and reemerges as an avenging angel.

She hunts down criminals on a quest to kill the people responsible for robbing her of her family. This action movie from Taken director Pierre Morel features Garner at her deadliest as she rattles off a streak of no-nonsense kills. The killer action of Peppermint is a tasty addition to the Netflix action catalog.

For a time capsule of early 2000s action, look no further than Underworld. In this supernatural action film, Kate Beckinsale is a vampire hunting werewolves in a modern, bleak, gothic, leather-clad world of perpetual night and rain.

Her allegiance is tested when she falls in love with a human named Michael, who is being hunted by werewolves. As it turns out, Michael’s unique genes make him able to be a werewolf and a vampire at the same time, and such a hybrid could turn the tide of the war between the species.

This stylish action movie grossed over $95 million when it was released in 2003 and sparked an entire franchise. Sexy, sleek, and spooky, Underworld is a Netflix gem that shouldn’t be missed.

Kate is an assassin thriller soaked in blood and neon. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as the titular Kate, a hit woman who is poisoned by the Yakuza while on a hit. She then has 15 hours to scour the streets of the Japanese criminal underworld and take vengeance on her killer before the poison claims her.

This 2021 action movie is a Netflix original that delivers gritty action and punchy one-liners. Though critics did not give the film much love for its plot, Winstead’s performance and the vicious action sequences in Kate make this action flick well worth its tight hour and 46-minute runtime.