15 Best Movie Femme Fatales

Femme fatales shape crime stories and thrillers with sharp planning, cool timing, and a talent for turning the plot on its head. These characters draw investigators, lovers, and rivals into risky choices that drive the action forward. You will find them in noir landmarks and modern psychological thrillers alike, where every choice has a cost. Here are standout examples from films that gave them room to move and a stage to change the stakes.

Phyllis Dietrichson

Barbara Stanwyck’s character in ‘Double Indemnity’ draws an insurance salesman into a murder plan that hinges on policy details and a tight alibi. Director Billy Wilder builds the case through confessions and contingency talk between the leads. Paramount Pictures distributed the film to theaters, helping cement the story’s reputation in classic noir circles. Much of the tension comes from how signatures, train schedules, and small mistakes can upend a perfect crime.

Brigid O’Shaughnessy

Mary Astor’s role in ‘The Maltese Falcon’ keeps Sam Spade guessing with shifting stories tied to a valuable statuette. The case moves through apartments, hotel rooms, and back offices where everyone is bargaining for the same object. Warner Bros. handled distribution, bringing the film’s hardboiled rhythm to a wide audience. The character’s letters, aliases, and careful misdirection keep the detective busy until the final handoff.

Gilda

Rita Hayworth’s ‘Gilda’ plays on nightclub alliances and hidden debts in Buenos Aires. The plot turns on who controls a gambling concession and who controls the truth, with a husband and an old flame circling each other. Columbia Pictures distributed the film, pairing its musical numbers with a tight crime frame. The character’s performances, private agreements, and coded exchanges move the power around the room.

Kathie Moffat

Jane Greer’s Kathie in ‘Out of the Past’ pulls a small town gas station owner back into a job he thought he had escaped. The story uses confessions and flashbacks to connect Mexico, San Francisco, and rural stops where favors are tracked like ledgers. RKO Radio Pictures distributed the film during the studio era’s peak. Each new meeting resets loyalties and turns earlier testimony into a liability.

Cora Smith

Lana Turner’s Cora in ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ works a drifter into a plan to remove her husband and take over a roadside diner. The scheme relies on staged accidents and a courtroom turn that complicates the second attempt. Metro Goldwyn Mayer released the film to theaters, bringing a polished studio look to a raw crime plot. The paper trail and legal maneuvers keep the couple tied together long after the act.

Elsa Bannister

Rita Hayworth’s Elsa in ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ sits at the center of a maze involving a lawyer, a sailor, and a staged plot for insurance money. The story leans on false leads, dictation of affidavits, and a trial that becomes a performance. Columbia Pictures distributed the film, spotlighting its unusual set pieces and mirrored climax. The character’s statements change shape each time they are repeated.

Matty Walker

Kathleen Turner’s Matty in ‘Body Heat’ brings a small town attorney into an affair that turns into a property and inheritance case. The plan uses forged documents, a will, and a timed power outage to mask the crime. Warner Bros. handled distribution, pushing a sultry neo noir into mainstream circulation. Investigators later follow ownership records and fingerprints that do not line up with the names on file.

Catherine Tramell

Sharon Stone’s Catherine in ‘Basic Instinct’ becomes the focus of a homicide investigation where a detective is both interviewer and target. The script tracks police procedures, alibis, and a published novel that mirrors the crime. TriStar Pictures distributed the film, pairing a high profile release with a procedural framework. The character’s interviews and manuscript pages blur the line between research and planning.

Bridget Gregory

Linda Fiorentino’s Bridget in ‘The Last Seduction’ uses a stolen cash drop to set up a new life while recruiting a local mark for cover. Phone calls, answering machines, and a fake identity keep pressure on everyone chasing the money. October Films distributed the movie theatrically after a cable debut, which helped it build word of mouth. The key moves rely on legal definitions of marriage and county jurisdiction.

Violet

In ‘Bound’ Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly play ex cons who plan to lift mob cash by turning a couple against each other. The plot runs on plumbing work, hidden stacks, and a chain of calls that redirect suspicion. Gramercy Pictures distributed the film to theaters with a tight crime setup and clear stakes. Careful timing across an apartment hallway turns every door and phone into a trigger.

Lynn Bracken

Kim Basinger’s Lynn in ‘L.A. Confidential’ connects a vice ring to police corruption through a series of staged lookalikes. The investigation moves through case files, mug books, and a tabloid operation that trades tips for access. Warner Bros. distributed the film to a broad audience that followed its multi suspect structure. The character’s connections to a fixer link multiple crimes across precincts.

Alex Forrest

Glenn Close’s Alex in ‘Fatal Attraction’ starts as an affair that becomes a series of confrontations tied to custody and home security. The film charts restraining attempts, emergency room visits, and police limits on domestic disputes. Paramount Pictures distributed the thriller, highlighting the legal and personal fallout of a secret relationship. The character’s appearances force the couple to document everything for the record.

Amy Dunne

Rosamund Pike’s Amy in ‘Gone Girl’ uses journals, cash stashes, and staged evidence to direct a national media story. The investigation tracks credit card trails, roadside sightings, and a lakeside search that pulls in federal attention. 20th Century Fox distributed the film, backing a wide release that turned a missing person case into a public spectacle. The timeline structure shows how planted clues steer both the police and the cameras.

Ava Lord

Eva Green’s Ava in ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ entangles a private eye in a plan that mixes blackmail with corporate power. The case involves bodyguards, bank accounts, and photos used to flip loyalties. Dimension Films distributed the movie, continuing the graphic novel world on the big screen. The character’s meetings are staged to create witnesses who verify only what she wants on record.

Rachael

Sean Young’s Rachael in ‘Blade Runner’ complicates a hunt for rogue replicants by introducing a subject with implanted memories. The story follows Voight Kampff testing, corporate files, and a citywide search that weighs personhood against policy. Warner Bros. handled distribution in the United States, aligning a noir detective frame with science fiction elements. The character’s photographs and piano piece become evidence of identity rather than proof of status.

Share your picks for movie femme fatales in the comments and tell us which performances or plots hooked you most.