When you translate “Femme Fatale” from its original French to English, Merriam-Webster says that it means “disastrous woman.” She is a woman who uses her sexuality and femininity to attract men, maybe to kill them, maybe to get money from them, maybe just for fun. She may also be getting back at someone who hurt her in some way. The femme fatale usually moves in a slinky, calculated way, both with her body and her actions. This archetype of a woman can also be called a “black widow” or a “siren.” She may come across as completely crazy, ignoring the Machiavellian parts of the paradigm, or she may keep you guessing about her real goals until the very last second, when it’s too late.
There are many examples of the femme fatale in religion and mythology, such as Lilith, who is said to be Adam’s first wife but is also a predator who preys on sleeping men and pregnant women. Other examples include the demonic succubus, who feeds on the sexual energies of sleeping men’s dreams, and the Gorgon Medusa, whose story describes her as a villain who can turn men to stone when they look at her. Modern movies have given us characters who aren’t magical or mythical, but who have a seductive power that draws us in from the screen. As viewers, we are drawn into the film’s world by its often mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere, which makes us want to fall completely under the spell of this destructive woman, which is, after all, what she does best. Here are 10 of the most tempting femme fatales in movies that you should only cautiously try.
Basic Instinct (1992) – Catherine Trammell
The famous scene with the legs crossed. Even if you’ve never seen Basic Instinct, its mark on pop culture is impossible to m iss. Sharon Stone is amazing as the main character, a writer named Catherine Trammell who may be blamed for a murder that is similar to one she wrote about in her book. She tries to be confusing from the start by being overtly sexual and aggressive (cue the leg-crossing scene) while also playing the victim in a lurid plot to get her convicted of murders she says she didn’t do. Even though the first accusations seem to be settled when the killer is found, the ending makes sure that most people will be very careful about who they let into their lives from now on.
Batman Returns (1992) – Selina Kyle
Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, which came out in 1992, wasn’t meant to be a femme fatale movie. It is, of course, about the dark hero and how he tries to stop Gotham from falling apart. But no list of this kind would be complete without mentioning Michelle Pfeiffer’s unstoppable performance in the catsuit as Selina Kyle, the shy office assistant who became Catwoman. From her makeshift claws that are razor-sharp to the way she uses the whip, this version of Catwoman leaves us breathless and a little high, like cats who have been sprinkled with catnip. With a twist of her tail, she gets Batman and the Penguin into trouble and makes the audience cheer for the bad guy. Selina’s journey to becoming Catwoman starts when her shady criminal boss Max Shreck, played by the amazing Christopher Walken, shoves her out of a window.
Maybe that’s why we can’t help but root for her. She is a woman who was hurt for no reason other than someone else’s need to hide their own wrongdoing. Her path to becoming a bad woman was already set. So, why shouldn’t she turn around and kill those who helped bring about her untimely death and any other men who get in her way? Is she really a bad person? Yes. Does anyone who was an adult when this movie came out care? No. Start watching the movie because it’s based on a DC comic, but know that you won’t be able to stop because Catwoman is the most alluring anti-heroine of the 1990s.
Body of Evidence (1993) – Rebecca Carlson
Rebecca Carlson, who was played by Madonna in Body of Evidence, is like a praying mantis. She hooks up with men for sex, gets them to do what she wants, and then gets rid of them. At the beginning of the movie, Rebecca is on trial for killing her most recent lover, Andrew Marsh, who left her a lot of money. She is accused of trying to speed up his death (he was old) on purpose so that she could get the $8 million payout. As the story goes on, she gets her lawyer, Frank Dulaney (played by Willem Dafoe), to play sexual games with him that are similar to the ones she played with Marsh. She is, of course, found not guilty because of Dulaney’s work, which was probably helped by his desire for his client. Dr. Alan Paley, who was Andrew Marsh’s personal doctor and was played by Jürgen Pronchow, was the third man she had hanging from her rope. Someone was bound to lose their head with all this juggling. Rebecca’s path to destruction ended with something as sticky as the wax she used to tease the men she hurt.
Chloe (2009) – Chloe Sweeney
Based on the 2003 French film Nathalie…, Amanda Seyfried as Chloe gives a softer, more vulnerable version of this type of screen siren than what is listed here. She shows a soft neediness that makes Dr. Catherine Stewart, played by Julianne Moore, and the audience care about her and want to make sure she’s okay. At the start of the story, Catherine is starting to notice how the years have changed her. Meanwhile, her husband David, a college professor (played by the legendary Liam Neeson), seems to get more interesting and attractive, especially in the eyes of his female students.
Catherine invites Chloe to test her husband’s loyalty because she has seen Chloe around more than once and thinks she is a “lady of the evening.” At first, Chloe is surprised because she doesn’t usually get involved in these kinds of things. But she does accept, and what happens after that hurts everyone, including Chloe, in ways that can’t be fixed.
Disclosure (1994) – Meredith Johnson
In the 1994 movie Disclosure, Demi Moore played Meredith Johnson, who brought a skirt-wearing Beelzebub to the boardroom while wearing high heels. During a big merger between two tech companies where the main characters work, Meredith meets Tom Sanders again. Sanders, played by Michael Douglas, is an old boyfriend of Meredith’s. Meredith tries to seduce Tom, who is now married, which is the opposite of what usually happens at work. When her plans to go back to old hookups are turned down (which was a trick in and of itself), she starts to not only destroy herself, but also destroy Tom. Meredith files a complaint about sexual harassment, which could ruin Tom’s job and his whole life. This is a movie that doesn’t end when the bad plan of the bombshell does. We don’t feel sorry for this devil, and it’s fun to watch her fall.
Dream Lover (1993) – Lena Mathers
Lena Mathers from Dream Lover, who was played by Madchen Amick so beautifully, may be the biggest surprise on the list. When we first meet her, she is an angry partygoer who gets soaked with wine by Ray Reardon, played by James Spader. We see her become Ray’s girlfriend, maybe a little too quickly (because audiences can sense danger long before the characters can), and then his wife and mother of his children just as quickly. Lena gives off heat and charm all the time, which draws Ray into a haze of passionate sex and then what he thinks is a real connection with the woman who could be his soul mate. This deep feeling of being related is what she uses to finally get rid of Ray for good.
Lena is the perfect example of a doll with a pretty face. She uses that face to get her victim to do what she wants. She showers him with love until he’s exactly where she wants him to be, like her perfect marionette with strings that only she can see and pull. Just like that, everything we know about her and her whole persona changes, and it’s hard to tell right away if the Lena we’ve seen before is the real Lena or if the manipulative, secretive version is who she really is. The black widow seems to enjoy causing trouble, and Ray doesn’t even realize he’s in her web until it’s too late.
Fatal Attraction (1987) – Alex Forrest
Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction seems determined to prove the famous line, “You think I’m crazy? She made “I got your crazy” her own motto. When it comes to being completely off her rocker, this woman goes off the deep end and ends up in trouble. At the start of the story, Glenn Close’s character, Alex, a publishing editor, has an affair with Michael Douglas’s character, Dan Gallagher, a lawyer who is “happily” married. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, with no strings attached. But things are never that simple, are they? Alex gets more and more needy, and she hurts herself to get Dan to stay with her.
She keeps following him and his family around and asking for his love, even though he has told her he doesn’t want anything more from her. Alex’s obsession with having Dan all to herself keeps getting worse, making her more dangerous and crazy. If you ever hear about boiled rabbit in popular culture, you can thank this movie and the scary unstable dark female at its center.
The Last Seduction (1994) – Bridget Gregory
During our trip down the rabbit hole that is The Last Seduction, we get caught in several webs of lies and secrets. In this story about drugs, money, and murder, Bridget, played by Linda Fiorentino, is a master manipulator who is always smart. She acts in a sociopathic way to ruin the lives of not one but two men on her way to the big payoff and to get away from both of them. She tangles up both her husband Clay (played by Bill Pullman), whom she left after taking the drug money, and her lover Mike (played by Peter Berg), whom she sets up as the terminal fall guy to show that she is indeed fatal.
To Die For (1995) – Suzanne Stone-Maretto
Nicole Kidman plays Suzanne Stone-Maretto, who wants to be a news anchor and is always looking for “more.” She gets a job as an assistant at the local news station and finally gets the bosses to let her do the evening weather report. To Die For is about a weather girl with a big head who thinks she’s too good for her husband Larry (played by Matt Dillon) and her current position in life. She decides to use all of her feminine charms to get a group of teenagers to do her dirty work for her. Her bad intentions mean that her husband will die and that the poor teens who put their trust in her will be traumatized for the rest of their lives.
Wild Things (1998) – Suzie Toller
Wild Things is a must-see for anyone who likes a clever double-cross with a surprise you might not see coming. This is an example of wrong side of the tracks. Suzie Toller, played by 90s starlet Never Campbell, seems to be part of a plan to smear a local high school teacher when we first meet her because he won’t help her out of the trouble she keeps getting into.
The other person involved in this fraud is “trust fund baby” Kelly Van Ryan, who is played by “vampy” Denise Richards. She is the one who started the rape charges against the teacher because she said he did it to her. One could say that both of the leading ladies fit the description of the femme fatale. Over the course of the movie’s 108-minute runtime, they all show that they are treacherous to the nth degree. Once the final plan is revealed, though, the viewer can see how brilliantly evil Suzie’s mind can be.
