Most Popular Female Protagonist Movies and TV Shows

1. 365 dni (2020)

114 min | Drama, Romance

Massimo is a member of the Sicilian Mafia family and Laura is a sales director. She does not expect that on a trip to Sicily trying to save her relationship, Massimo will kidnap her and give her 365 days to fall in love with him.

Directors: Barbara Bialowas, Tomasz Mandes | Stars: Michele Morrone, Anna Maria Sieklucka, Bronislaw Wroclawski, Otar Saralidze

Votes: 24,350

2. The Old Guard (2020)

R | 118 min | Action, Fantasy | Completed

A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari

Votes: 9

3. Cursed (2020– )

Adventure, Drama, Fantasy | Filming

A teenage sorceress named Nimue encounters a young Arthur on his quest to find a powerful and ancient sword.

Stars: Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård, Sebastian Armesto

4. The Handmaid's Tale (2017– )

14A | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Amanda Brugel, Madeline Brewer, Max Minghella

Votes: 156,603

5. Parks and Recreation (2009–2020)

22 min | Comedy

The absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.

Stars: Amy Poehler, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt

Votes: 199,722

6. Marcella (2016– )

13+ | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

Marcella Backland left the Metropolitan Police for the sake of her family, only to have her husband leave her. She returns to her job on the murder squad, investigating a case that seems disturbingly familiar to her.

Stars: Anna Friel, Ray Panthaki, Jack Doolan, Jamie Bamber

Votes: 20,777

7. New Girl (2011–2018)

PG | 22 min | Comedy

After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.

Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone

Votes: 179,325

8. Homeland (2011–2020)

14A | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.

Stars: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend

Votes: 302,659

9. How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)

14A | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.

Stars: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King

Votes: 118,221

10. The Invisible Man (I) (2020)

14A | 124 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

Director: Leigh Whannell | Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer, Aldis Hodge

Votes: 115,880

11. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)

14A | 44 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy

A young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.

Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head

Votes: 124,757

12. The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)

14+ | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

The lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town, Mystic Falls, Virginia. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers.

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham

Votes: 272,825

13. Midsommar (2019)

18A | 148 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery

A couple travels to Sweden to visit a rural hometown's fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Director: Ari Aster | Stars: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper

Votes: 165,736 | Gross: $27.33M

14. Frozen II (2019)

G | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.

Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee | Stars: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff

Votes: 115,621 | Gross: $477.37M

15. Killing Eve (2018– )

13+ | 42 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

After a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.

Stars: Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia

Votes: 76,080

16. The Witcher (2019– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.

Stars: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni

Votes: 260,273

17. Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)

G | 44 min | Comedy, Drama

A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson

Votes: 93,780

18. The Crown (2016– )

PG | 58 min | Drama, History

Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century.

Stars: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies

Votes: 114,449

19. The Baby-Sitters Club (2020– )

TV-G | Comedy, Drama, Family

Based on the book series of the same name focusing on a group of young girls who start their own babysitting service.

Stars: Sophie Grace, Momona Tamada, Shay Rudolph, Malia Baker

Votes: 699

20. The Legend of Korra (2012–2014)

PG | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

Avatar Korra fights to keep Republic City safe from the evil forces of both the physical and spiritual worlds.

Stars: Janet Varney, P.J. Byrne, David Faustino, J.K. Simmons

Votes: 93,891

21. Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

PG | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

The surviving members of the resistance face the First Order once again, and the legendary conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its peak bringing the Skywalker saga to its end.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver

Votes: 338,137 | Gross: $515.20M

22. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)

14A | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Crime

After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.

Director: Cathy Yan | Stars: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett

Votes: 124,455 | Gross: $84.16M

23. Charlie's Angels (2019)

PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

When a young systems engineer blows the whistle on a dangerous technology, Charlie's Angels are called into action, putting their lives on the line to protect us all.

Director: Elizabeth Banks | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks

Votes: 44,344

24. Ready or Not (I) (2019)

14A | 95 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny

Votes: 89,033 | Gross: $26.74M

25. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

18+ | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons

Votes: 1,223,789 | Gross: $130.74M

26. Hereditary (2018)

14A | 127 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery

A grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.

Director: Ari Aster | Stars: Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff

Votes: 215,204 | Gross: $44.07M

27. Harley Quinn (2019– )

23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The series focuses on a single Harley Quinn, who sets off to make it on her own in Gotham City.

Stars: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches

Votes: 8,825

28. Supergirl (2015– )

G | 43 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

The adventures of Superman's cousin in her own superhero career.

Stars: Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood, Mehcad Brooks

Votes: 107,428

29. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)

13+ | 59 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

Convicted of a decade old crime of transporting drug money to an ex-girlfriend, normally law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to a year and a half behind bars to face the reality of how life-changing prison can really be.

Stars: Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles

Votes: 272,867

30. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy | Completed

Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.

Director: Patty Jenkins | Stars: Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine, Gal Gadot

31. Broadchurch (2013–2017)

48 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.

Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan

Votes: 86,280

32. True Blood (2008–2014)

18+ | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.

Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten

Votes: 225,107

33. Ocean's Eight (2018)

PG | 110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

Debbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City's yearly Met Gala.

Director: Gary Ross | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling

Votes: 173,079 | Gross: $140.22M

34. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017– )

57 min | Comedy, Drama

A housewife in 1958 decides to become a stand-up comic.

Stars: Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle

Votes: 69,904

35. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

18A | 153 min | Adventure, Drama, War

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent

Votes: 1,219,723 | Gross: $120.54M

36. Moana (I) (2016)

G | 107 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right.

Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Hall, Chris Williams | Stars: Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison

Votes: 256,369 | Gross: $248.76M

37. The Help (2011)

PG | 146 min | Drama

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

Votes: 416,866 | Gross: $169.71M

38. Beauty and the Beast (I) (2017)

PG | 129 min | Family, Fantasy, Musical

A selfish Prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.

Director: Bill Condon | Stars: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad

Votes: 261,460 | Gross: $504.01M

39. The Good Place (2016–2020)

PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Four people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.

Stars: Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden

Votes: 98,309

40. The Golden Girls (1985–1992)

PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama

Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.

Stars: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty

Votes: 30,118

41. Bombshell (2019)

14A | 109 min | Biography, Drama

A group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.

Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow

Votes: 64,429

42. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

14A | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.

Director: George Miller | Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz

Votes: 848,272 | Gross: $154.06M

43. Alias (2001–2006)

42 min | Action, Drama, Mystery

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) is an international spy recruited out of college, trained for espionage and self-defense.

Stars: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman

Votes: 44,091

44. Hightown (2020– )

Crime, Drama, Mystery

Set in the world of beautiful but bleak Cape Cod, one woman's journey to sobriety is overshadowed by a murder investigation dragging her into its fold.

Stars: Monica Raymund, Riley Voelkel, Shane Harper, Atkins Estimond

Votes: 1,180

45. Mean Girls (2004)

14A | 97 min | Comedy

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Director: Mark Waters | Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey

Votes: 321,840 | Gross: $86.06M

46. Big Little Lies (2017–2019)

14A | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

The apparently perfect lives of upper-class mothers, at a prestigious elementary school, unravel to the point of murder when a single-mother moves to their quaint Californian beach town.

Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz

Votes: 142,021

47. Crawl (I) (2019)

14A | 87 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller

A young woman, while attempting to save her father during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

Director: Alexandre Aja | Stars: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark, Ross Anderson

Votes: 58,363 | Gross: $39.01M

48. Becky (II) (2020)

R | 93 min | Action, Drama, Horror

A teenager's weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives.

Directors: Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion | Stars: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Robert Maillet

Votes: 4,553

49. Emma. (2020)

PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama

In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

Director: Autumn de Wilde | Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Angus Imrie

Votes: 17,441

50. Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

14A | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A deactivated cyborg is revived, but cannot remember anything of her past life and goes on a quest to find out who she is.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali

Votes: 212,904 | Gross: $85.71M