The 15 Best Action Movies From Female Directors

Directed by Mimi Leder (“Deep Impact”), “The Peacemaker” is a thrilling and complex action movie that follows Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) as they go on a globetrotting mission to reclaim stolen nuclear weapons before the weapons can be used by terrorists.

“The Peacemaker” has many staples of glorious ’90s action thrillers, including slow-motion explosions, car chases, and literal cliffhangers. What’s impressive about Leder’s film, though, is the way that it subtly deals with institutionalized sexism. In one moment, Kelly ensures that her team is “comfortable taking orders from a woman.” In another, while dealing with an angry person on the phone, she retorts, “I’m the man in charge.” “The Peacemaker” doesn’t dive too heavily into the issue — it’s too busy moving at a breakneck pace to veer away from the action — but they’re important moments for the way they bolster Kidman’s character.

What’s also ahead of its time is the way that Clooney and Kidman’s characters have a purely professional relationship; there’s not even a whiff of romantic chemistry between them. Julia Kelly is every bit as capable as her male counterpart, and when the action gets going, Leder creates space for Kelly to be an action hero in her own right.