Underseen action flicks continue to dominate the Netflix charts. The latest is Luc Besson’s 2019 action thriller film Anna. Besson is best known for writing and directing the ’90s sci-fi hit The Fifth Element, and while Anna doesn’t reach the same heights, a cast that features Helen Mirren and Cillian Murphy helps to elevate the story of a woman on the run from the KGB.
If you’re looking for more female-led action thrillers after Anna, there are plenty available on the streaming service of your choice. Finding a good one can be a bit more challenging, though, so we’ve done the work for you and rounded up five worth watching.
Kill Bill
I recently included Kill Bill on another list of great movies worth streaming, but it belongs here as well. Quentin Tarantino’s best movie (hot take?) stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, a woman who was nearly killed by the assassination squad that she was once a part of while preparing for her wedding. Years later, she awakes from a coma and vows to get revenge on her assailants. Best of all, the story continues with even more ass-kicking in Kill Bill: Volume 2.
Lou
- Where to watch: Netflix
Netflix’s original action films are more misses than hits, but you really can’t go wrong with Allison Janney as the lead character in your movie. In Lou, Janney plays the titular Lou, a loner living in Washington with her dog Jax. When her neighbor’s child is kidnapped, she calls upon the skills from her dark past to help bring the child back home safely.
The Old Guard
- Where to watch: Netflix
If you’re looking for something a bit more fantastical, check out Netflix’s The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron as a member of a group of centuries-old mercenaries with regenerative healing powers who take on odd jobs as mercenaries to save people.
Prey
- Where to watch: Hulu
After 2018’s The Predator received mostly negative reviews from critics, it was unclear where the franchise would go next. Four years later, we found out, as director Dan Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison pitched a prequel that would follow a young Comanche woman who encounters a Predator centuries before the original movie. It’s a thrilling standalone story that uses the trappings of an existing IP to great effect.
Salt
- Where to watch: Hulu
Angelina Jolie has starred in her fair share of action movies over the years, but few have been as successful at the box office as Salt. Tom Cruise was set to star, but the script was eventually rewritten for Jolie, who plays CIA operative Evelyn Salt. Salt ends up going on the run after the government accuses her of being a double agent. If you’re in the mood for some thrilling chase scenes, you could do a lot worse than the 2010 Phillip Noyce thriller.
