Women have been making incredible contributions to cinema since the early days of film. From pioneering directors like Alice Guy-Blaché and Lois Weber in the silent era, to iconic actresses like Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis in the Golden Age of Hollywood, to modern-day powerhouses like Meryl Streep and Viola Davis – women have consistently delivered some of the most memorable and impactful performances in movie history.
In recent years especially, there has been a growing push for more women-led films across all genres. Studios are finally recognizing that movies with strong female protagonists can be just as commercially and critically successful as those centered around men. Audiences are hungry for diverse, authentic stories told from a woman’s perspective.
To celebrate the remarkable achievements of women in film, here are 25 of the best movies featuring unforgettable female lead characters. These women are complex, nuanced, and unapologetically powerful. They defy stereotypes and prove that female-driven stories deserve to be spotlighted.
1. Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic introduced one of the most iconic action heroines of all time – Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. As the sole survivor of an alien attack on her spaceship, Ripley relies on her intelligence, resourcefulness and sheer determination to defeat the deadly creature. With her tank top and cargo pants, she redefined what a female protagonist could look like and set the stage for a new breed of women warriors on screen.
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of Clarice Starling, an FBI cadet tasked with interviewing the infamous cannibal killer Hannibal Lecter in order to catch another serial murderer. Throughout the film, Clarice’s femininity is contrasted with the male-dominated world of law enforcement. But she never compromises her strength or loses sight of her mission, even while diving into the darkest depths of the human psyche.
3. Thelma & Louise (1991)
This groundbreaking buddy road movie, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as two friends who embark on a liberating journey of self-discovery after shooting a would-be rapist. Thelma and Louise reject the men who try to control them and the societal norms that limit their freedom. In one of the most discussed film endings ever, they choose to “keep going” on their own terms – driving off a cliff in a blaze of glory.
4. The Piano (1993)
Writer-director Jane Campion became the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes for this haunting period drama. Holly Hunter is mesmerizing as Ada, a mute Scottish woman sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage, with only her young daughter and beloved piano for company. Ada’s passion for music becomes a catalyst for her sexual and spiritual awakening. The film is a profound meditation on female desire and expression.
5. Fargo (1996)
Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her indelible performance as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a bizarre kidnapping scheme. Marge is the heart and soul of the Coen Brothers’ darkly comedic crime thriller. Warm, witty and whip-smart, she outsmarts the hapless male criminals at every turn, all while maintaining a cheery attitude. As one Redditor put it, “Fargo is a movie where nobody listens to the smart woman, and then they all die except for the smart woman and her cat.”
6. Erin Brockovich (2000)
Julia Roberts delivers a fierce, Oscar-winning turn as the real-life legal clerk who helped build a case against a California power company accused of polluting a city’s water supply. Erin is a single mother struggling to make ends meet when she stumbles upon evidence of a massive cover-up. Armed with moxie and a push-up bra, she convinces the townspeople to file a lawsuit and takes on the corporate big guns in court. It’s an inspiring true story of a woman fighting for justice.
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
Uma Thurman is a force of nature as The Bride, a former assassin seeking revenge on the team of killers who massacred her wedding party and left her for dead. Quentin Tarantino’s stylish, ultra-violent martial arts epic gives Thurman the role of a lifetime. She trained for months to perfect her swordplay and hand-to-hand combat skills. The result is a feminist revenge fantasy of epic proportions, as The Bride slices and dices her way through her enemies with unparalleled fierceness.
8. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank won her second Oscar for her heartbreaking performance as Maggie, a determined amateur boxer who convinces a hardened trainer (Clint Eastwood) to take her under his wing. Swank physically transformed herself for the role, packing on 19 pounds of muscle. But it’s the emotional depths she reaches that make Maggie such a devastatingly real character. Her rise in the boxing world is exhilarating to watch, which makes her tragic fall all the more painful.
9. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Streep is an icy, imperious delight as Miranda Priestly, the Anna Wintour-esque fashion magazine editor who terrorizes her new assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway). But beneath Miranda’s cutting barbs and impossible demands lies a shrewd businesswoman at the top of her game. Streep’s performance is a masterclass in subtle shading – watch how much she conveys with a pursed lip or arched eyebrow. Miranda is the boss lady to end all boss ladies.
10. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Charlize Theron is a revelation as Imperator Furiosa, the rogue soldier turned liberator in George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action masterpiece. With her buzz cut and mechanical arm, Furiosa is an instantly iconic figure – a woman warrior who risks everything to free a group of sex slaves from the clutches of a sadistic warlord. The entire movie is essentially one long, jaw-dropping chase sequence, with Furiosa behind the wheel. As one Redditor raved, “She is just a badass character that we love and respect.”
11. Room (2015)
Brie Larson won an Oscar for her heartbreaking turn as Joy, a young woman held captive in a garden shed for seven years, along with the son she bore from being raped by her abductor. Through sheer ingenuity and force of will, Joy plots their escape into the outside world that her son has never known. Larson captures every nuance of Joy’s journey, from hopeless despair to tentative healing. It’s a story of survival that highlights the unbreakable bond between mother and child.
12. Hidden Figures (2016)
This inspiring drama shines a light on the untold true story of a group of brilliant African-American women who worked as “human computers” at NASA during the Space Race of the 1960s. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe are wonderful as the three friends who shatter racial and gender barriers while making crucial contributions to America’s first manned orbit of the Earth. It’s a feel-good history lesson that celebrates the power of sisterhood.
13. Wonder Woman (2017)
After years of male-dominated superhero movies, Patty Jenkins’ exhilarating DC adaptation proved that women can be just as mighty on screen. Gal Gadot is perfectly cast as Diana, the Amazon warrior princess who ventures into the world of men to fight in World War I. With her bulletproof bracelets and golden lasso of truth, Wonder Woman is the hero we need – noble, compassionate and unwaveringly committed to justice. She’s an icon of female strength.
14. Lady Bird (2017)
Saoirse Ronan is dazzling as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a rebellious Catholic school senior desperate to escape her stifling hometown of Sacramento. Writer-director Greta Gerwig mines her own adolescence to create a funny, moving and painfully relatable coming-of-age story. At its core is the prickly but loving relationship between Lady Bird and her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf). Through their arguments and reconciliations, the film beautifully captures the messy complexities of the mother-daughter bond.
15. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Frances McDormand won her second Oscar for her searing performance as Mildred Hayes, a grief-stricken mother who publicly calls out the local police for failing to solve her daughter’s murder. Mildred is a woman consumed by rage and hell-bent on getting justice, even if it means alienating everyone around her. With her bandana and workboots, she’s an unlikely but unforgettable crusader. McDormand attacks the role with raw, riveting intensity.
16. Black Panther (2018)
While Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is ostensibly the main character in this groundbreaking Marvel movie, it’s the women of Wakanda who steal the show. Danai Gurira is fierce as Okoye, the head of the king’s all-female guard, who values her duty above all else. Lupita Nyong’o brings regal grace to Nakia, T’Challa’s love interest and a spy for the secretive nation. And Letitia Wright is a delight as Shuri, T’Challa’s genius little sister and the mastermind behind Wakanda’s futuristic technology. Together, these women help shatter stereotypes of African characters on screen.
17. Widows (2018)
Viola Davis leads the powerhouse ensemble of Steve McQueen’s stylish heist thriller about four women who attempt to pull off the robbery that killed their criminal husbands. As Veronica, the ringleader of the group, Davis is a steely vision of coiled intensity. She’s a woman with nothing left to lose, but everything to prove. The film is a slick, searing indictment of political corruption, racial injustice and the depths people will go to fight their way out of impossible situations. And Davis is the glue that holds it all together.
18. Captain Marvel (2019)
Brie Larson suits up as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot turned intergalactic superhero, in the first female-led movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Amnesiac and struggling to control her powers, Carol must uncover the secrets of her past while battling an alien race on Earth. Larson brings a wry humor and steely determination to the role, as Carol learns to embrace her full potential. With Ben Mendelsohn’s scene-stealing turn as Talos and an adorable cat named Goose along for the ride, Captain Marvel is an empowering blast of sci-fi action.
19. Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig puts a modern spin on the beloved Louisa May Alcott classic with this heartfelt adaptation. Saoirse Ronan shines as the spirited Jo March, an aspiring writer who bristles against the confines of traditional womanhood in Civil War-era New England. Florence Pugh is also wonderful as Amy, the youngest March sister who dreams of being a great artist. Gerwig’s clever script jumps back and forth in time, drawing parallels between the girls’ childhood memories and their very different lives as adults. It’s a warm, richly textured family drama that celebrates the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
20. Promising Young Woman (2020)
Carey Mulligan delivers a scorching performance as Cassie, a med school dropout who seeks to avenge her best friend’s rape by posing as a drunk party girl and luring “nice guys” into revealing their predatory nature. Writer-director Emerald Fennell’s audacious debut is a candy-colored, deceptively provocative thriller that grapples with the insidious realities of rape culture and society’s failure to protect vulnerable women. Mulligan is mesmerizing as a woman on a righteous mission, even as Cassie’s quest threatens to destroy her.
21. Nomadland (2020)
Frances McDormand won her third Oscar for her understated performance as Fern, a widow who loses everything in the Great Recession and embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. Director Chloé Zhao immerses us in the vast, rugged landscapes that Fern traverses in her search for seasonal work and human connection. It’s a poetic character study of a woman forging a new path and finding beauty in the simple things. McDormand disappears into the role, imbuing Fern with quiet dignity and resilience.
22. The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Anya Taylor-Joy captivates as Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy struggling with addiction in this acclaimed Netflix miniseries set in the 1950s and 60s. Orphaned at a young age, Beth discovers her incredible talent for the game while developing a dependency on the tranquilizers given to sedate children at her orphanage. As she rises through the male-dominated world of competitive chess, Beth fights to control both her genius and her demons. Taylor-Joy is riveting in a complex portrait of brilliance and obsession.
23. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
While Daniel Kaluuya won an Oscar for his electrifying turn as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, it’s Dominique Fishback who provides the movie’s beating heart as Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s partner and the mother of his child. Through Deborah’s eyes, we see the human side of the revolutionary icon – his tenderness, his humor, his hopes and fears. Fishback brings a quiet strength and dignity to a woman who stands by Hampton’s side even as the FBI conspires to destroy him and the movement he built. It’s a performance of grace under fire.
24. CODA (2021)
Emilia Jones is wonderful as Ruby, the only hearing member of a deaf family, who discovers a passion for singing that pulls her between duty and dreams in this heartwarming coming-of-age drama. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ruby has always served as the interpreter for her parents (Oscar winner Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) and brother (Daniel Durant), working on their fishing boat. But when her choir teacher (Eugenio Derbez) encourages her to apply to music school, Ruby must decide her own future. It’s a lovely story of a young woman finding her voice.
25. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Michelle Yeoh dazzles in a mind-bending sci-fi adventure about a Chinese-American woman who must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to save the multiverse from destruction. Evelyn Wang is a harried laundromat owner neglected by her husband (Ke Huy Quan) and at odds with her daughter (Stephanie Hsu). But when she discovers she has the power to access the skills and memories of her alternate selves, Evelyn becomes a superhero tasked with a reality-altering mission. Yeoh grounds the film’s wild ambition with her deeply felt performance. It’s a dizzying showcase for an actor of her talents.
These 25 films offer just a small sampling of the incredible work women have done on both sides of the camera throughout cinema history. From screwball comedies to sci-fi epics, from quiet character studies to pulse-pounding
