From James Bond to Jason Bourne, men have long dominated the spy genre in film over the course of cinematic history. Thanks to the efforts of women in Hollywood, things have begun to change. While the first introduction of female spies was in Charlie’s Angels, a popular TV series that aired back in the 70s, the idea of a woman intelligence agent has changed from being a beautiful woman who looks sexy with a gun to showcasing the agents’ skills, both mental and physical, proving women to be just as skilled as men in their fields of work.
Over the past two decades, a number of women spy films have surfaced, hoping to give more representation to women in the action/ spy genre. From films like Salt to the true story historical drama A Call to Spy, women are now being shown as worthy adversaries and formidable foes, different from the sex appeal of Charlie’s Angels. These are the best women's spy movies of all time, ranked.
8 The 355
A group of international spies, led by CIA Agent Mace, come together to save the world from mercenaries who wield a dangerous weapon, putting an end to a potential World War III while also managing to evade those tracking them. The title of the film The 355 is derived from the term “Agent 355,” a real codename used for women spies during the American Revolution. The film stars big names in the women-led ensemble cast, including Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o. The 355 performed poorly both at the box office and with critics, putting it at the bottom of the list.
7 Red Sparrow
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When ballerina Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) suffers an injury that ends her dancing career, she turns her attention to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence training facility that helps young people to wield their bodies and minds as weapons. After a brutal and borderline sadistic training process, she comes out as one of the most dangerous “Sparrows” who is sent on a mission to uncover the identity of a mole within the CIA. Based on the novel of the same name, Red Sparrow is the ultimate woman spy film, as the main character Dominika goes from her time in the spotlight as a ballerina to a killing machine showing what women are truly capable of.
6 Charlie’s Angels
A modern remake of the original TV series Charlie’s Angels, this film follows three spies, Jane, Sabina, and new recruit Elena, a new generation of Angels, working for Townsend Agency as they must retrieve a deadly weapon before it causes mass destruction. While there was an original film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels created in 2000 starring Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz, the more recent adaptation starring Kirsten Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska shows off more of the Angels’ action and tactical skills, rather than seeing them as sex symbols as they were in the original series, creating the term “jiggle television.”
5 La Femme Nikita
This French film focuses on convicted felon Nikita who is abducted by the CIA who make her into a professional assassin. La Femme Nikita AKA Nikita in France was a commercial success and even saw a number of remakes made around the world, including Black Cat in Hong Kong and Point of No Return in Hollywood. This film even led to the highly popular TV series La Femme Nikita being made which ran for a staggering five seasons. La Femme Nikita was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and also won Anne Parillaud the César Award for Best Actress.
4 Salt
Accused of being a Russian sleeper agent, CIA officer Evelyn Salt becomes a fugitive who must use her skills to evade capture and prove her innocence, despite only looking more and more guilty. Salt was originally written to have a male protagonist to which Tom Cruise was originally attached, but the script was re-written specifically for Angelina Jolie. Salt was praised for the action sequences and Jolie’s performance. Ever since the film’s release in 2010, there has been a great deal of speculation about a potential sequel, with director Phillip Noyce stating that he was hoping a sequel would surface after only a couple of years. As of right now, no sequel has surfaced, leaving us to wonder if a sequel would ever arise.
3 Black Widow
Disney
Black Widow AKA Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is forced to confront her past as a spy when a conspiracy brings back some old demons. Natasha must face her dark past and the broken relationships she left behind in Black Widow. One of the first female-led movies within the MCU, Black Widow is a spin-off solo film that focuses on Black Widow and how she gained all the skills she has. Black Widow was met with open arms, becoming the fourth-highest grossing film of 2021 in the United States. Johansson’s performance earned her a People’s Choice Award for Female Movie Star of 2021.
2 Atomic Blonde
The most elite spy in MI6, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron), must use her skills to retrieve a dossier of double agents being smuggled to West Germany and take down an espionage ring. With the Berlin Wall ready to fall, Lorraine teams up with a station chief to navigate her way through every deadly corner of her mission. Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde has often been compared to the John Wick series, thanks to the precisely choreographed action sequences and the will and strength of Lorraine’s character. In 2018, Theron confirmed that a sequel was in development, and in 2020, it was announced that the sequel will be a Netflix exclusive. On top of this, there has been talk about a potential crossover with John Wick.
1 A Call to Spy
Based on the true stories of women spies during World War II, Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins, A Call to Spy tells the story of Winston Churchill ordering the new spy agency to train women for covert operations. Together, Hall, Khan, and Atkins must undermine the Nazi regime in France leaving behind a remarkable legacy. The film made its premiere on the 75th anniversary of D-Day and won the Audience Choice Award at Whistler Film Festival with a record 97% of audience members voting it as their favorite. The film is critically acclaimed and has received a number of accolades thanks to the performances of the actresses in the main cast accurately portraying the life of a woman spy during World War II.