30 People Share Movies Where The “Strong Female Lead” Was Actually Done Right
Contrary to what some screenwriters might believe, the strong female leads in their films don’t have to be the sexiest women on Earth, and they certainly don’t need to fall in love with the male lead. They can have their own agendas, their own minds and be capable of solving problems on their own, just like women in real life!
Reddit users have recently been sharing examples of the “strong female lead” trope in films that have actually been done well, so we’ve gathered some of their top replies below. From Clarice Starling to Elle Woods, enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote all of your favorite strong, independent women!
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Terminator 2
How could I have forgotten about this? Absolute perfection. If it wasn't for Aliens, this would be the best ever.
Laura Dern, Jurassic Park. Seeing a strong woman in science at such a young age had a profound impact on me, and I truly think it’s one of the reasons I am a scientist today.
Hidden Figures. Wonderful movie about the women working for Nasa in the 60's who were human computers; they calculated the numbers by hand for the first flight to the moon.
Furiousa in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Danielle in Ever After.
X files. I can't believe I haven't seen that yet.
She was highly intelligent with a strong confidence that couldn't be beaten down by the sexists in the early seasons nor the crushing but invisible power of the Syndicate.
The Silence of the Lambs
Her character was written to be too untested, too tentative. But Ms Foster's portrayal of that character was brilliant
"Fargo"
u/Mr_Saturn1 added:
Awhile back on twitter someone asked to name movies that features a female protagonist who is competent at her job, in an established relationship with a man (the relationship does not start during the events of the film) and her partner does not criticize her work or encourage her to give up. The only movie people could name that fully satisfied these requirements was Fargo.
She's also a rare example of a pregnant character who doesn't give birth by the end of the movie. (In fact I think the actress was pregnant for real while making the movie?).
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Not a movie, and I admit I haven't seen all episodes, but I think, Jennifer Love Hewitt's character in Ghost Whisperer might meet the requirements.
Last movie I saw with my father before he passed, and I will forever be a daddy’s girl…. Upvote just for that, but the point behind it as well.
To be fair, there aren't all that many movies that do these three things for a man, either. After all, job stress, relationship building, and relationship stress are three major plotlines for a main character.
Look at the next number. Morticia ticks these points too. Being a sahm is a job too, just not paid. If don't think Gomez would ever criticise her work if she had paid employment either.
Why does the character have to be in a relationship. This requirement is pointless. Is a strong confident female character only so due to having a relationship?
The point is that there was no love story involved.
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Rachel Weisz playing Evie in The Mummy.
"Take that, Bembridge Scholars!"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
It set the foundation for the TV series which did a strong female lead that didn’t have to take being a strong woman so seriously to make the point.
Not a movie, but Xena and Gabrielle deserve an honorable mention.
Brave. As a young girl it was very validating to seeing a princess who was competing as well as winning against men. I also really like the movie because Merida isn’t perfect, and you can definitely tell that she’s a 16 year old girl, especially watching it while I’m older. She’s a teen girl who’s doing her best to prove to her parents that she is strong and can take care of herself. I also really like this movie because Merida isn’t afraid to yell and strongly state her opinion. The women in my life are often very strong people as well as outspoken, and I really love seeing that represented in media, and Brave is really the “strong female” trope done right.
Legally Blonde.
I will forever love the scene where she questioned the murderer and got them to confess using her knowledge of perms.
Harry Potter
Hermione, Ginny and Luna are all completely different, but I would describe them all as strong female characters.
Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet but Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Steel Magnolias.
"Arrival"
The hunger games had an interesting perspective on it I thought.
Winter's Bone, if we're counting female characters who are strong in the sense that they take responsibility under adversity and not just a woman who acts like a macho dude and can beat up men.
Thelma and Louise
I have to dis agree slightly. This is not the feminist movie you think it is. It shows: women cannot count on authorities to treat them fairly, and they will choose to die rather than live in such a world. Being forced by societal pressures to end your life, even if its on your terms, is horrifying. It doesnt make the heros, it makes them martyrs.
The long kiss goodnight
Note: this post originally had 33 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Samantha Carter! SG-1. Strong and smart af! Oh! and half of female characters in battlestar galactica (newer one), especially Laura Roslin.
Yes to both of these. Sam is da woman, and I loved how BSG had boxing matches where it didn't matter what gender was fighting what gender, they just went all out at each other.
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No Princess Leia? (OK, forget about Return of the Jedi; I'm only talking Star Wars.) ... she was the original Hollywood warrior princess, absolutely overturning the princess trope. She took command of her own rescue, and then of the remnants of the Republic. Consider every good Harrison Ford role consisted of him humorously responding to tropes, from "why did it have to be snakes" to taking a gun to a sword fight. But despite his comments, it's not *funny* when the damsel-in-distress becomes kick-a*s; she just assumes command so effectively, even Han falls in line (until he completely bails and returns). The movie itself fails the Bechtel rule (is that the right name?), but that has little to do with Leia being anything less than boss.
Come to think of it, how about Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark? Jones never quite yields to her like Solo did, but she was doing a damned good job of getting out of trouble on her own, especially considering Jones himself needed the most literal case of God-from-a-box ever. Compare to how cringy the "dumb blonde" schtick from Temple of Doom was.
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Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathrine Janeway in ST Voyager. Kerri Russell as Jenna in Waitress.
I always remember, in the pilot episode, Janeway telling Harry Kim that she prefers to be simply called "Captain" and not ma'am or sir. That always struck me as a very firm but gentle power move.
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Also if we're allowing Anime, Major Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell.
Annihilation. A team of scientists and doctors facing the unknown. All of them are women. The Expanse - Drummer, Draper, Naomi, Madam Secretary-General Avasarala...
Yes, to The Expanse! One of the many reasons I love it so.
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Pride and Prejudice, both book and movie, portray a smart and independent woman in a restricted society. The Suffragette is great. The Old Guard is great (Charlize Theron AND Kiki Layne. Brilliant casting). Barbie (obviously).
Elizabeth Bennett is a great example. The telling off she gave to Lady Catherine at the end was epic!
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Show, not movie, but Leverage! Parker and Sophie are so cool, and they carry the team imo. (No hate on the boys, but they're not as cool as the girls)
That iswhy Nate left Parker in charge. She was a leader.
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That's a nice one, I enjoyed this read! Please next do one for the other side with male characters that aren't portrayed as the typical Rambo but still good.
Not a movie, but all 3 female leads in Firefly. Zoe was a warrior and wasn't influenced by her gender in any way. Kaylee was a brilliant mechanic but so sweet. And Inara took her sexuality and turned it into a superpower.
I also saw a rare exception in the action movie genre that didn't turn the wife of the protagonist into an enemy behind the lines: Nobody. It's really enjoyable to watch because the main character is strong without having to portrait his wife as the btch holding him back. I liked it a lot because it also had a great male character for a change
These are all crappy modern movies. How about looking at the "real" movie stars of the 1930s and 40s ? There were so many strong and believable women in them.
Helen Mirren, Red "The CIA used to be tougher than this" as she FAFOs a bunch of them. Come to think just about any alpha female she's played.
While not a hero per se (quite the opposite actually), I think Tina Turner as Aunty Entity showed a classic example of girl bad-assery while at the same time, questioned whether the girl ran the world (or at least Bartertown) way too hard. To me it shows that anyone, man or woman, can die a hero or live long enough to be a villain.
Great list. I’ve seen a lot of them, going to make sure I get around to seeing the others
More recent ones: 9 to 5 (Tomlin, Parton & Fonda), Chicago (Zeta Jones & Zellweger), TV: Veronica Mars (Bell)
There are some classics with powerful leads: Casablanca (Ingrid Bergman), To Catch a Thief (Grace Kelly), The Desk Set (Katherine Hepburn), What's Up Doc (Barbara Streisand), Gentleman Prefer Blondes (Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe), Love Me or Leave Me (Doris Day).
World of Warcraft (the game, I heard differently from the books) does strong female characters well. Draka, Talanji, Alextrasza, even Jaina, though I don't like her much, is a very strong character.
YESSSSSSSS BETH IS SUCH A BADASS I LOVE HERRRRRRRRR
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Jo from Nymphomaniac. she is very open to her sexuality and has sex on her own terms. also, nearly all the female leads in Kelly Richardt's films.
Not a movie, but Emily Blunt's character in "The English" (an amazing, but heartbreaking miniseries) fits this real well.
I'm surprised suits isnt on here. if anyone hasnt watched it already i reccomend they do. it is honestly amazing, and jessica is so iconic.
Oh! I have another one! I've been watching For All Mankind and the character Molly Cobb, played by Sonya Walger, is a favorite of mine. No nonsense, "I'm going to be the best damn astronaut I can be."
No love for Cynthia Rothrock? That make me feel sad. And old. Very old.
Samantha Carter! SG-1. Strong and smart af! Oh! and half of female characters in battlestar galactica (newer one), especially Laura Roslin.
Yes to both of these. Sam is da woman, and I loved how BSG had boxing matches where it didn't matter what gender was fighting what gender, they just went all out at each other.
Load More Replies... No Princess Leia? (OK, forget about Return of the Jedi; I'm only talking Star Wars.) ... she was the original Hollywood warrior princess, absolutely overturning the princess trope. She took command of her own rescue, and then of the remnants of the Republic. Consider every good Harrison Ford role consisted of him humorously responding to tropes, from "why did it have to be snakes" to taking a gun to a sword fight. But despite his comments, it's not *funny* when the damsel-in-distress becomes kick-a*s; she just assumes command so effectively, even Han falls in line (until he completely bails and returns). The movie itself fails the Bechtel rule (is that the right name?), but that has little to do with Leia being anything less than boss.
Come to think of it, how about Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark? Jones never quite yields to her like Solo did, but she was doing a damned good job of getting out of trouble on her own, especially considering Jones himself needed the most literal case of God-from-a-box ever. Compare to how cringy the "dumb blonde" schtick from Temple of Doom was.
Load More Replies... Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathrine Janeway in ST Voyager. Kerri Russell as Jenna in Waitress.
I always remember, in the pilot episode, Janeway telling Harry Kim that she prefers to be simply called "Captain" and not ma'am or sir. That always struck me as a very firm but gentle power move.
Load More Replies... Also if we're allowing Anime, Major Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell.
Annihilation. A team of scientists and doctors facing the unknown. All of them are women. The Expanse - Drummer, Draper, Naomi, Madam Secretary-General Avasarala...
Yes, to The Expanse! One of the many reasons I love it so.
Load More Replies... Pride and Prejudice, both book and movie, portray a smart and independent woman in a restricted society. The Suffragette is great. The Old Guard is great (Charlize Theron AND Kiki Layne. Brilliant casting). Barbie (obviously).
Elizabeth Bennett is a great example. The telling off she gave to Lady Catherine at the end was epic!
Load More Replies... Show, not movie, but Leverage! Parker and Sophie are so cool, and they carry the team imo. (No hate on the boys, but they're not as cool as the girls)
That iswhy Nate left Parker in charge. She was a leader.
Load More Replies... That's a nice one, I enjoyed this read! Please next do one for the other side with male characters that aren't portrayed as the typical Rambo but still good.
Not a movie, but all 3 female leads in Firefly. Zoe was a warrior and wasn't influenced by her gender in any way. Kaylee was a brilliant mechanic but so sweet. And Inara took her sexuality and turned it into a superpower.
I also saw a rare exception in the action movie genre that didn't turn the wife of the protagonist into an enemy behind the lines: Nobody. It's really enjoyable to watch because the main character is strong without having to portrait his wife as the btch holding him back. I liked it a lot because it also had a great male character for a change
These are all crappy modern movies. How about looking at the "real" movie stars of the 1930s and 40s ? There were so many strong and believable women in them.
Helen Mirren, Red "The CIA used to be tougher than this" as she FAFOs a bunch of them. Come to think just about any alpha female she's played.
While not a hero per se (quite the opposite actually), I think Tina Turner as Aunty Entity showed a classic example of girl bad-assery while at the same time, questioned whether the girl ran the world (or at least Bartertown) way too hard. To me it shows that anyone, man or woman, can die a hero or live long enough to be a villain.
Great list. I’ve seen a lot of them, going to make sure I get around to seeing the others
More recent ones: 9 to 5 (Tomlin, Parton & Fonda), Chicago (Zeta Jones & Zellweger), TV: Veronica Mars (Bell)
There are some classics with powerful leads: Casablanca (Ingrid Bergman), To Catch a Thief (Grace Kelly), The Desk Set (Katherine Hepburn), What's Up Doc (Barbara Streisand), Gentleman Prefer Blondes (Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe), Love Me or Leave Me (Doris Day).
World of Warcraft (the game, I heard differently from the books) does strong female characters well. Draka, Talanji, Alextrasza, even Jaina, though I don't like her much, is a very strong character.
YESSSSSSSS BETH IS SUCH A BADASS I LOVE HERRRRRRRRR
Load More Replies... Jo from Nymphomaniac. she is very open to her sexuality and has sex on her own terms. also, nearly all the female leads in Kelly Richardt's films.
Not a movie, but Emily Blunt's character in "The English" (an amazing, but heartbreaking miniseries) fits this real well.
I'm surprised suits isnt on here. if anyone hasnt watched it already i reccomend they do. it is honestly amazing, and jessica is so iconic.
Oh! I have another one! I've been watching For All Mankind and the character Molly Cobb, played by Sonya Walger, is a favorite of mine. No nonsense, "I'm going to be the best damn astronaut I can be."
No love for Cynthia Rothrock? That make me feel sad. And old. Very old.
