Since the 1940s, the Femme Fatale archetype has become a staple of cinema, but what is a Femme Fatale? It is a French term that translates to “fatal female” or “lethal woman”, and in the world of cinema, she is a seductive and beautiful woman who brings disaster to anyone she becomes romantically involved with.
Femmes Fatales are always associated with a sense of mystification and unease. They are often the villains of their story and use feminine wiles such as beauty, seduction or sexual allure to disrupt the protagonist.
A lot of movies have successfully used the Femme Fatale archetype, but which are the best? In this guide, we will take a look at the best movies of all time that feature a “fatal female” and where to watch them. We will then conclude with who we believe to be the most iconic Femme Fatale ever.
Top 5 best movies with Femme Fatale
Basic Instinct (1992)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Basic Instinct follows police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) as he investigates the murder of a famous rock star. During the investigation, he meets Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), with whom he begins an intense affair.
Tramell is intentionally confusing from the start and is overly sexual and aggressive, while also playing the victim. The film has one of the most famous movie scenes of all time, otherwise known as the ‘leg-crossing scene’. This is when she opens and crosses her legs to reveal herself to the questioning detectives in an attempt to manipulate them.
Batman Returns (1992)
While not directly a Femme Fatale movie, the performance of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is definitely that of a Femme Fatale. The recent adaptations have portrayed Catwoman in a more positive light. However, Batman Returns saw Catwoman as a character that brought tragedy to all the men surrounding her.
Joining forces with Penguin to defeat Batman and then working with Batman later on, she plays and manipulates both sides of the fence excellently. Using her good looks as part of her strategy, she is the definition of a Femme Fatale and is one of the most famous to have graced the movie screen.
Want to experience Michelle Pfeiffer as a Femme Fatale? Batman Returns can be watched on a number of streaming services.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fatal Attraction is an American psychological thriller that is centred around an affair that turns into an obsession. Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) does everything in her power to try to stop Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) from letting her go, including killing his son’s pet rabbit and threatening suicide. Gallagher must take extreme measures to keep his family safe. In fact, the famous term “bunny boiler” originated from this film.
The film has a frighteningly unstable dark feminine at the centre of it, with Forrest taking the Femme Fatale aesthetic to a deranged level. The movie became such a cult classic that it inspired a TV series remake to be made in 2023.
Ex-Machina (2015)
This science fiction psychological thriller follows a young programmer named Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), who is selected to evaluate the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I called Ava (Alicia Vikander).
This movie takes a turn as Ava shows her empowerment and independence by destroying men. She has all the common characteristics of a Femme Fatale, as she uses her femininity to manipulate the protagonist, although in this case it makes us root for her. Ex-Machina uses the Femme Fatale in a completely unique way, as she is technically not human or alive but still possesses the typical characteristics.
Ex-Machina is available to watch on various streaming services today.
Double Indemnity (1944)
Known as the “Gold Standard of Femme Fatales”, Double Indemnity follows insurance salesman Walfer Neff (Fred MacMurray), who is lured into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder by Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). Phyliss is often recognised as one of the most iconic Femme Fatales ever captured on screen.
First appearing wearing only a towel, Dietrichson is instantly portrayed as a provocateur. Throughout the film, we see her use her sex appeal to manipulate and hold influence over men. It is often recognised as one of the first films to truly capture the Femme Fatale as we know it today, and it still holds up as one of the best portrayals of the archetype.
Best Femme Fatale character
All of the aforementioned Femme Fatales are in with a shout of being the best. There are also some other great Femme Fatales that were not mentioned in this list, such as Amy Dunne (Gone Girl, 2014), Jane Palmer (Too Late for Tears, 1949) and Emily Nelson (A Simple Favor, 2018).
However, if we are talking about the best Femme Fatale character of all time, it has to be the most iconic. Phyllis Dietrichson is our pick for the best. The portrayal of the character by Barbara Stanwyck is still talked about today and is often studied by actors who want to portray a similar role.
Further Reading
