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Modern films take a more subtle approach to these archetypes. In the past thirty years, femme fatales have become more than just objectified women. These modern female characters might be the best examples of femme fatales in all cinema.
Updated on June 26, 2022, by Blaise Santi: Oftentimes, femme fatales in modern movies are portrayed in a way that criticized female representation throughout film history. Rather than be limited to their roles as sexual objects who seduce and manipulate male protagonists, many femme fatales instead act as moral compasses for certain heroes, as well as more interesting antagonists for others. Whether it be a spy movie, a superhero action film, or an intense thriller, these female characters redefine the idea of a strong, empowered woman on screen. These additional femme fatales not only fit the age-old trope, but also subvert it in surprising, and sometimes comedic, ways.
14 Pussy Galore - Goldfinger
The James Bond franchise has seen its fair share of femme fatales in the form of “Bond girls.” These characters are often romantic interests of the secret agent, though sometimes they’re antagonists to Bond’s various missions. Over the years, they’ve been played by actresses like Michelle Yeoh, Ana de Armas, and Jane Seymour.
One of the most famous Bond girls is Pussy Galore, who appeared in the 1964 film, Goldfinger. She has a contentious relationship with Sean Connery’s Bond, who forces himself upon her in one pivotal scene. Despite this obvious crossing of boundaries, she falls for Bond and helps him thwart the evil plans of the titular villain.
13 Vanessa Kensington - Austin Powers Films
The Austin Powers franchise star Mike Myers as a parody of James Bond. In each film, Powers pairs with a seductive female sidekick, such as Heather Graham’s Felicity Shagwell or Beyonce’s Foxxy Cleopatra. However, Elizabeth Hurley’s Vanessa Kensington is the franchise’s most iconic femme fatale.
Vanessa is an intelligent, respected agent of the British government, who is often the straight man to Austin’s sexually-promiscuous antics. Like Pussy Galore, she inevitably falls for his charms, despite her reservations at the start. However, it’s revealed in the second film that she’s a Fembot programmed to kill Austin.
12 Mystique - X-Men Films
Marvel Comics feature many femme fatales, like She-Hulk or the Enchantress. However, few are as popular as Mystique, who first appeared in the 2000s X-Men. She was played by Rebecca Romjin before the role was taken over by Jennifer Lawrence in the most recent X-Men series of films.
Mystique, a.k.a. Raven Darkölme, is a shapeshifter and frequent enemy of the X-Men. She usually serves Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants, although the Jennifer Lawrence iteration of the character has more of a heroic role as of X-Men: Days of Future Past. She’s not only a master of disguise but seduction as well.
11 Cruella - Cruella
Cruella de Vil is one of the most iconic villains in film history. She appears in 1956’s The Hundred and One Dalmations, as well as the live-action adaptation from 1996. However, her most recent portrayal by Emma Stone in Cruella outlines her origin as a fashion designer turned femme fatale.
While Cruella foregoes seduction in this Disney film, she does become an adversary of Emma Thompson’s Baroness, a rival fashion designer. She utilizes her beauty as a weapon against this tyrant of the fashion industry, ultimately dethroning her. This depiction of Cruella is an example of a femme fatale that’s easy to empathize with.
10 Catherine Tramell – Basic Instinct
Sharon Stone set the bar for the femme fatale in 1992’s Basic Instinct. She stars opposite Michael Douglas, who plays a homicide detective investigating a rock star’s murder. Catherine Tramell, the victim’s boyfriend, is the obvious suspect, but her flirtations with Douglas’s Nick Curran steer him off the path.
Eventually, Catherine and Nick begin an intense affair, forcing Nick to question Catherine’s innocence. By the end, Nick has completely fallen for Catherine’s ruse, even when it’s revealed that she was the killer all along. This character is a classic example of the twisted mind games of femme fatale characters.
9 Xenia Onatopp – GoldenEye
Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp is another of the James Bond franchise’s many femme fatales. She appears alongside Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye, released in 1995. She’s smart, violent, and sexy: all of James Bond’s greatest weaknesses. Unlike most Bond girls, however, the 007 doesn’t fall victim to her advances.
Xenia and Bond get into several fights during the movie. In one example, she attempts to crush Bond’s head between her thighs. Unfortunately, Xenia meets her demise at the hands of Bond himself after he shoots down her helicopter. Xenia is an example of a femme fatale whose methods of seduction fail against the hero.
8 Lara Croft – Tomb Raider
This film franchise is based on the popular video game series of the same name. The first film, Tomb Raider, was released in 2001 and starred Angelina Jolie as the iconic Lara Croft. Jolie has portrayed her fair share of femme fatales, such as Jane Smith in the romantic action film Mr & Mrs. Smith alongside Brad Pitt.
Lara Croft is perhaps Angelina Jolie’s best femme fatale role. The character’s an iconic sex symbol in the video game world, and Jolie doesn’t disappoint die-hard fans. Recently, the character made a return to film, portrayed by Ex Machina star Alicia Vikander, who brings the character to a more grounded world.
7 Jennifer Check – Jennifer’s Body
Jennifer’s Body did not receive the best praise upon its initial release in 2009. The film’s writer, Diablo Cody, attributed its lack of success to the marketing, which was skewered towards male fans of lead actress Megan Fox. However, in recent years the horror-comedy film has gained a cult following online.
In the film, Fox portrays Jennifer Check, a cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon. She begins killing and eating her male classmates, putting her at odds with her best friend, played by Amanda Seyfried. This film is a must-watch for femme fatale fans, although it may be hard to stomach at times.
6 Mal Cobb – Inception
Marion Cotillard has many femme fatales in her filmography, from Isabelle Kruger in The Black Box to Lady Macbeth in 2015’s Macbeth. However, her role as Mal Cobb in Christopher Nolan’s Inception earned her a spot on Harper’s Bazaar’s list of “Best Film Femme Fatales.” That’s likely due to this character being an odd example of one.
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In the film, Mal is the deceased wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Dom Cobb. She only appears as a manifestation of Dom’s guilt surrounding her suicide. In a nice subversion of the femme fatale trope, Mal gets her qualities of mystery and seduction from Dom’s unconscious and unwanted projections of her.
5 Amy Dunne – Gone Girl
David Fincher’s Gone Girl made many strides for both the femme fatale trope and the psychological thriller genre. The film stars Ben Affleck as the husband of Amy Dunne, played by Rosamund Pike, who goes missing. Later, it’s revealed that Amy is the mastermind behind her capture, proving she’s one of film history’s greatest villains.
After her marriage with Affleck’s Nick deteriorated, Amy fabricated diary entries that incriminated him of domestic violence. As evidence piles up, he discovers her ploy but can’t get the FBI on his side. Nick is forced to stay with Amy and keep their charade of a happy family going in the public eye.
4 Lorraine Broughton – Atomic Blonde
Charlize Theron stars in this 2017 film as Lorraine Broughton, a spy tracking down a list of double agents in 1989. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the character is the definition of a femme fatale. Not only is she also the hero of her story, but Lorraine is unique in terms of whom she saves her seductions.
Atomic Blonde received acclaim for its inclusion of bisexuality into Lorraine’s story. In one scene, Lorraine seduces another French agent in a nightclub after the latter saves her from the KGB. This sets Atomic Blonde apart from other femme fatales, who usually toy with male protagonists.
3 Natasha Romanoff – Marvel Cinematic Universe
Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a the Black Widow, made her a stand-out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her first appearance in Iron Man 2 is classic femme fatale: tight suits and flirtations with Tony Stark. However, her future appearances become more layered as they go on, relying less on seducing enemies.
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In 2019’s Avengers Endgame, Romanoff sadly met her demise. Johansson got to portray the character one last time in a prequel film, Black Widow, released in 2021. In this film, Romanoff’s tactics are more clever than outright sexual. One example is when she outsmarts Dreykov’s pheromone lock by breaking her nose.
2 Cassie Thomas – Promising Young Woman
Promising Young Woman was divisive upon release in 2020. The film stars Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a young woman whose life was derailed by the sexual assault of her best friend from college, who later committed suicide. In the present, Cassie takes out her revenge on men by luring them into some pretty dangerous situations.
In the early parts of the film, Cassie pretends to get drunk at bars, lets herself be taken home by male strangers, then reveals her ruse, cornering them and questioning their actions. It’s noticeable that her traps never involve violence, but as the film progresses, it’s clear that Cassie is hungry for more than just humiliation.
1 Catwoman – Batman Films
Many actresses have taken on the role of Selina Kyle in film adaptations of the Batman franchise. Famously, Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed her opposite Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne. The role has also been taken on in recent years by Anna Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises and Zoë Kravitz in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Kravitz also voiced the character in 2017’s The Lego Batman Movie, making her the most frequent portrayer of Catwoman in a Batman film. The character is the quintessential femme fatale, especially for her seductive and playful relationship with her adversary, Batman. However, sometimes she and Batman team up (in more ways than one).
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