Entertainment
18 Badass Movies About Female Antiheroes You Can Stream Right This Minute
One of the buzzwords that's taken over Hollywood during the last few years is "antihero." The term is typically defined as a film or TV series' protagonist who may exhibit undesirable traits or make questionable decisions in order to achieve his or her goals. There have been a plethora of male antiheroes on television over the years, including Don Draper on Mad Men, Walter White on Breaking Bad, and Tony Soprano on The Sopranos But the movie world has also been delivering some great antiheroes — and many of them have been women. Female antiheroism on the big screen has been seen in everything from indie dramas to studio comedies to action franchises, and these 18 movies featuring female antiheroes can be streamed online right now.
Many of these "women behaving badly", so to speak, drink too much, hold on to past obsessions, and are either criticized for having too much ambition or not having enough. Sound familiar, ladies? In short, these characters are simply human beings trying to figure it out like the rest of us and sometimes falling short. And all of these complex women prove that there is still heroism to be found in the personal hiccups each and every one of us goes through.
1'Ingrid Goes West'
Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) takes Instagram creeping to a whole new level when she moves to California in order to emulate a hipster Elizabeth Olsen's perfectly curated lifestyle. Available on Hulu.
2'Young Adult'
Before Charlize Theron was unveiling the darkness that can follow motherhood in 2018's Tully, she was bringing her black magic to the character of Mavis Gray in Young Adult. Determined to reclaim her high school glory days, Mavis heads to her hometown to "reconnect" with her ex-boyfriend and new father Buddy Slade. She's unhinged, neurotic and wears Hello Kitty pajama tops in public. But, somehow she's also hard not to love. Available on Netflix.
3'Colossal'
Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is an alcoholic who has been recently fired and dumped. But those become of the least of her problems when a terrorizing creature begins attacking the people of Seoul, Korea — and she's to blame. Available on Hulu.
4'Frances Ha'
A black-and-white portrait of a women in her late-20s making mistakes and avoiding responsibility at all costs as the need for stability in her life looms. Available on Netflix.
5'Lady Bird'
Lady Bird is not your conventional teenage heroine. Adorned with a pink cast that reads, "F***k you Mom" and utter disdain for the Sacramento community she calls home, she's just trying to decipher where she belongs. Available on Amazon Prime.
6'Election'
If shady decision-making is a hallmark of an antihero, Tracy Flick fits the bill. Stopping at nothing to become student body president, Flick's ambition leads to her to some, shall we say, unfavorable choices. Available on Amazon Prime.
7'Blue Jasmine'
Cate Blanchett won an Oscar for playing this disgraced New York socialite who struggles to accept her new reality amidst a laundry list of internal hang-ups. Available on Netflix.
8'Heathers'
This cult teenage film about dismantling a group of popular girls through any means necessary made Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer an iconic female antihero. Available on Netflix and Hulu.
9'Marie Antoinette'
Writer-director Sofia Coppola brings to the screen the story of a real-life historical female antihero who many have argued was just the victim of her circumstances in aristocratic France. Available on Netflix.
10'Kill Bill: Vol. 1 And 2'
A trained assassin named "The Bride" is out for a revenge plot that spans years and continents. She yields a sword, trains in martial arts, and incites a whole lot of bloodshed. Available on Netflix.
11'The Edge Of Seventeen'
Any teen girl is bound to make some awkward missteps but Hailee Steinfeld manages to find wit and charm while navigating adolescence. Available on Hulu.
12'The Addams Family'
Morticia and Wednesday Addams are unapologetic, unfiltered and bring the flavor that has made The Addams Family such an unforgettable cinematic brood. Available on Amazon Prime.
13'Cruel Intentions'
This '90s film is anchored by Sarah Michelle Gellar's Kathryn, who lives to orchestrate a bet no matter the dangers. Available on Netflix.
14'Jackie Brown'
Jackie Brown, fresh off her release from jail, eyes her biggest con yet at the risk of her career and life. Available on Netflix.
15'The September Issue'
Anna Wintour is arguably the most powerful woman in the fashion industry, and this doc shows how she doesn't mind branding herself "difficult" in the name of publishing a successful issue of Vogue. Available on Amazon Prime.
16'Bad Moms'
These overworked mothers are finally unleashed to do as they please and the results are wickedly hilarious. Available on Hulu.
17'Welcome To Me'
Alice (Kristen Wiig), an Oprah Winfrey Show re-run devotee, commissions her own unconventional talk show after winning the lottery. Available on Netflix.
18'Uptown Girls'
When a 20something with a child-like mentality is tasked with nannying for an overly mature kid, these two fractured women find an unlikely friendship. Available on Amazon Prime.
