Movie

Momentum (2015)

When compiling my list, one goal was to vary the content as much as possible. So I included protagonists who commit serious crimes, and anti-heroines just as ruthless as the bad guys, even if their intentions are noble. The main character in Momentum fits into both categories.

For viewers who prefer outright villainy, there’s a cold-blooded – and especially hard to kill – henchwoman. More than enough to justify placing these deadly women in my rankings.

Anti-Heroine

Alexis Faraday (Olga Kurylenko)

The protagonist is a professional thief, and straight from the outset, it’s clear she’s not a woman to mess with. Make that person, because the armed robbers are masked during the opening bank heist in Cape Town, South Africa.

The crooks wear sleek black outfits with body armour and voice modulators. Those conveniently light up in different colours, so we can tell the four apart. In one bizarre moment, a drugged-up robber quotes Dirty Harry to a terrified security guard while sounding like a robot.

The voice distortion and form-concealing outfit might fool the hostages into thinking the heist crew are all male. But anyone who’s read the blurb in advance or seen this trick before (most viewers, I suspect) won’t be deceived. But we still get an awesome reveal moment after the crazy robber shoots it out with Alex and her mask comes off in the struggle.

While the protagonist has a moral compass (no killing innocents), she is ruthless. When the bank manager doesn’t cooperate, she punches out his tooth, then forcibly re-inserts it to bypass a biometric security lock. And Alex has no problem executing her treacherous crew member, even if the lunatic had it coming.

Olga Kurylenko as a tough girl with a mysterious past? Familiar territory by now, but the actress plays these parts well, which explains why producers keep casting her.

Villainess

Ms Clinton (Shelley Nicole)

The villains are “cleaners” (translation: professional killers) employed by an unnamed senator. The big bad is played by Morgan Freeman, who always seems to be cast as a politician. James Purefoy is the evil Brit (there had to be one) and the antagonist with the most screen time.

His character is Mr Washington, whose team includes the equally ruthless Mr Jefferson, Mr Monroe and Ms Clinton. These are either code names based on former US presidents or one amazing coincidence. Since Clinton is female and the film predates 2016, perhaps the filmmakers assumed a certain woman would become president, which seems presumptuous now.

Clinton is a skilled fighter who kickboxes Alex’s partner into submission. The bad guys want a data drive stolen during the heist, which holds vital information about the Senator’s plans. After Washington’s crew torture the poor guy to death, Alex retrieves the MacGuffin and goes on the run.

Somewhat refreshingly, Ms Clinton is more professional than sadistic. Mostly calm, with the occasional smile and snarky comment to suggest she enjoys her work. Like the other cleaners, she’s a competent operative. Alex often evades the opposition through ingenuity, rather than their being hopeless.

However, the expected confrontation between the two women never transpires. The climax – in an airport terminal – has the crippled Alex outsmarting the villains by detonating a bomb. A risky move, but the security staff identifies Clinton as the threat. Probably because she strikes first and beats them up while Alex grapples with Mr Washington.

The cleaners are difficult to kill. Before this point, the baddies have survived explosions, a knife to the back, and stab wounds. So the outnumbered Ms Clinton was never going down easy. She takes out several men despite starting the fight unarmed. Until a more sensible guard shoots her. Yes, that’s right – killed by an unnamed character. Original, perhaps, but unrewarding.

As for Alex, she outsmarts Mr Washington and makes a memorable anti-heroine. Too bad the movie failed at the box office, and the sequel setup – with the senator still at large – will probably remain unresolved.

Honourable Mentions: Professional Killers

The Courier (2019) – Agent Simmonds (Alicia Agneson)

Olga Kurylenko has made a name for herself as an action star. In this movie she’s a motorcycle courier with – yes, you guessed it – a mysterious past. Mostly set in London, the story begins when she delivers a package to a safe house. Bad move, since it’s a disguised cyanide dispersal device. Say goodbye to a key witness.

As in Momentum, the main villain directs his business from overseas. Gary Oldman is the big-name baddie: a criminal boss sporting an eyepatch. His inside woman is Simmonds, a corrupt Interpol agent who murders her colleagues for financial gain.

Despite being fourth on the credits, Alicia Agneson’s character dies in the first twenty minutes. Presumably, her prominent position is because she has multiple dialogue lines in a movie where most characters don’t speak. Before the villainess leaves us, she shoots the courier (and stupidly assumes she’s dead), gets her ass kicked in retaliation, and ends up on the losing side.

A disappointment, but the treacherous agent looked fantastic in a gas mask.

Full Disclosure (2001) – Michelle (Penelope Ann Miller)

Michelle is a secondary character, but still features prominently on the movie poster. Why? The ruthless and efficient hitwoman is the most interesting part of this dull political thriller.

Reporter John McWhirter (Fred Ward) investigates the murder of a prominent businessman. The muddled conspiracy surrounding his death leads to many encounters with recognisable B-movie actors. Christopher Plummer’s FBI boss is the definition of shady. Rachel Ticotin is a Middle Eastern love interest, and Virginia Madsen has an extended cameo as John’s newspaper editor.

Plot elements go nowhere, notably the Algerians behind the assassination, who don’t feature at all in the second half. Before they disappear, they hire Michelle to tie up loose ends, which gives viewers something to get excited about. The blonde woman is a cold professional who murders and tortures people as if it’s normal. After she eliminates the assassins, John is next on the list.

Fortunately, the reporter has a secret hiding spot in his apartment, allowing his female guest to surprise Michelle. The disappointing duel has the assassin chase the woman, and John uses her own silenced pistol to kill her. Then some postmortem shots to remind us how great the character was.