The promotional posters of (L)The Old Guard, (R)Lucy.

New Delhi:

In the mood for an action-packed binge-worthy watchlist? Netflix is just what you need right now. From Charlize Theron’s The Old Guard to Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy, Netflix has some mind-blowing women-centric action films that really pack a punch. Colombiana and Get Smart, headlined by female protagonists such as Zoe Saldana and Anne Hathaway, respectively, are also some of the perfect picks as total entertainers. These lead female characters can do it all – from taking risks and crushing their nemeses to saving the world. So, here’s a curated list of eight women-centric action films on Netflix that we are absolutely in love with.

A promotional poster of The Old Guard.

The Old Guard

Charlize Theron is the hero we deserve and need in The Old Guard. Charlize Theron as Andromache of Scythia, a millennia-old female warrior, is willing to take up every possible challenge that comes her way. She is a boss lady, a warrior and a superhero. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard is a must-watch.

Lucy

Lucy – enough said. This one-of-a-kind film caters to a variety of sensibilities. The 2014 high-octane action drama is still considered as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The impressive star cast of the film is headlined by Scarlett Johansson, followed by Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, and Amr Waked. Wouldn’t you love to see a female lead with telekinetic abilities (at times)? Shot across various locations, Lucy demands everyone’s attention.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

The film had our attention at Jennifer Lawrence. But then, who wouldn’t want to watch a film about a dystopian future, where one male and one female member from each of the twelve districts are selected to compete in an annual televised fight-to-the-death event titled ‘The Hunger Games’? In the fourth instalment of The Hunger Games film series, Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen, who, along with her squad, including Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), prepare for the final battle against ruthless Capitol. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence.

Ocean’s 8

When the women take over our favourite Ocean’s series, you can’t keep us away. Especially when it stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter and Awkwafina. It can’t get any better, can it? Another one of director Gary Ross’ masterpieces, Ocean’s 8 is a heist-comedy and a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean‘s trilogy. A group of women, led by Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the younger sister of the late Danny Ocean (from the trilogy), meets her former partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett) after being released from jail and convinces her to pull off a heist that she planned while serving her sentence in a prison. Debbie and Lou then assemble the rest of their team and prepare a masterplan to steal a precious necklace at New York City’s yearly Met Gala.

Colombiana

The Olivier Megaton-directed film is a rollicking revenge tale that will add up to your perfect weekend movie marathon. For those who fancy murder mysteries, Colombiana is the answer. The film shows Zoe Saldana as a ruthless assassin named Cataleya Restrepo who trains herself for several years to avenge the death of her parents, who were murdered in front of her by Bogota crime lord Don Luis (played by Beto Benites) and his gangsters. With the FBI on her tail for killing numerous people and the drug lord’s operatives hunting her down, Cataleya now has to fulfill her vow to kill Don Luis before getting caught. The classic action-thriller also stars Jordi Molla, Lennie James, Michael Vartan and Cliff Curtis.

The Bounty Hunter

We’ll give you three reasons to watch this one, right away. The first reason – Jennifer Aniston. Second – Gerard Butler and the third – a never-ending game of exes. In this action-comedy, bounty hunter Milo Boyd (played by Gerard Butler) gets excited after he finds out that, as part of his latest assignment, the bail-jumper he has to chase down is his ex-wife, Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston). However, for Milo, the job proves a lot tougher than what he thought initially, especially after Nicole, who is a reporter working on a murder case, starts chasing a lead in that case. The former couple, while trying to one-up each other, find themselves on the run for their lives after a horde of gangsters linked with the murder case try to kill them. The Andy Tennant-directed film also features Jason Sudeikis as Nicole’s creepy co-worker, Jeff Garlin as Milo’s employer and Dorian Missick as Milo’s best friend.

The Lovebirds

This 2020 film promises a full dose of entertainment served as a perfect blend of action and comedy. It revolves around the story of a couple (played by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani), who, on the brink of breaking up, get unintentionally involved in a bizarre murder case, which they are blamed for. As they try to clear their names and solve the case, the couple introspect their relationship and try to figure out how they can make amends. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film is also great because it shows some realistic moments about a couple coming apart combined with, of course, witty banter.

Get Smart

When a stellar star cast meets one helluva plot, the result has to be amazing and Get Smart provides just that. Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is an ambitious and self-confident agent for CONTROL, a secret US agency, which, one day, gets attacked by a terrorist organisation. As a result, the identities of several secret agents are exposed. To thwart the evil terrorist group, Maxwell teams up with far more capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) and embarks on a mission to Russia, where the duo are joined by Agent 23 (played by Dwayne Johnson). What make the American action-spy-comedy more interesting are Agent 99’s continuous efforts to carry out the mission successfully while dealing with bumbling Agent Smart. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Anne Hathaway dominates the screen without much effort in this film. The Peter Segal-directed film also stars Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp and James Caan.

Sit back, relax and grab a bowl of popcorn, because Netflix has got you covered.