For decades, the Hollywood feature-film industry has had no problem highlighting the scandalous, sleazy, and downright dirty side of men’s character and integrity.  On the other hand, major movie studios and producers seem to handle undesirable side of women’s behavior with kid gloves.  One speculation is that the Entertainment Industry as a whole is very afraid of angering female movie ticket buyers.  Another factor is that feminist groups are quick to jump on any movie that they believe has a ‘misogynistic’ tone to it and/or displays women in an unfavorable light.

There have been a few films over the last few years that have been produced and distributed that did feature a lead female character as the ‘bad guy’ in the main storyline.  In this article, I will highlight fifteen such films that feature a female lead who was manipulative, sexually duplicitous, and/or extremely scandalous in her behavior (particularly toward one or more of the male characters in the film).

#15 – Side Effects (2013)

Emily Taylor (Actress Rooney Mara) is a woman who seems to be suffering from a mental illness, but in reality, she is simply a highly manipulative and homicidal bisexual femme fatale.  This movie should show men that just because a woman appears to be ‘innocent’ and ‘harmless’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the woman actually is.

#14 – I Think I Love My Wife (2007)

Nikki Tru (Actress Kerry Washington) is the former mistress of Richard Cooper’s best friend, and now she has her sights set on testing the monogamous self-discipline of the married Cooper (Actor Chris Rock) himself.  The lesson to be learned in this movie is that many women will publicly SAY that they love a man who is monogamous and committed to his wife, fiancée or long-term girlfriend, but in reality, (manipulative) women LOVE to test so-called ‘faithful’ men to see what they are really made of.

#13 – Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Talk about a mouthy ‘Drama Queen’!  Angela (Actress Tasha Smith) is always loud-talking her husband Marcus (Actor Michael Jai White) and attempting to henpeck him constantly, and not only does she drive her husband crazy … but everyone else who happens to be socializing with the two at the moment.  No matter how beautiful and/or sexy a woman is, no man should have to put up with a nagging female companion.

#12 – Two Lovers (2008)

Leonard (Actor Joaquin Phoenix) is a young man who is being pressured by his parents to marry a woman who he is not really in love with.  To help clear his head, Leonard moves out of his parents’ home and moves into his own apartment.  Soon, he befriends a new neighbor in his apartment building by the name of Michelle (Actress Gwyneth Paltrow).  Michelle is in love with a married man and has maintained a long-lasting on-again, off-again extramarital affair with the man, but eventually, she breaks things off with him.  Leonard becomes smitten with her, but by the end of the film, Michelle totally breaks his heart.  Lesson to be learned:  As a man, never allow yourself to fall in love with a woman who is treating you like a ‘male girlfriend’ and/or nothing more than a good friend who happens to have an empathetic listening ear.

#11 – Havoc (2005)

Plain and simple, Allison (Actress Hathaway) and Emily (Actress Bijou Phillips) are two young attention-hungry c*ck teasers.  They love to get young boys sexually aroused without ‘going all the way’ (i.e., fully engaging in intercourse).  After their respective boyfriends are essentially emasculated by a group of young latin gangbangers, the two girls become enamored with the leaders of the gang.  Then later, the gang leaders persuade the two girls to ‘go all the way’ in a group environment, but Allison – at the last moment – bails out.  Next thing you know, two of the gangbangers attempt to have their way with Emily leading to Emily accusing the gangbangers of attempted date-rape.  Moral of the story:  Stay away from c*ck teasing Attention Whores.

#10 – Disclosure (1994)

Meredith (Actress Demi Moore) is a computer specialist and the former girlfriend of expert computer executive and technician Tom Sanders (Actor Michael Douglas), and after the two cross paths during a business meeting, Meredith very aggressively attempts to seduce Tom into engaging in a spontaneous erotic tryst   Initially, the married Tom seems to be giving into his ex-girlfriend’s seductive charms, but then he regains his sense of self-discipline and rebuffs her sexual advances.  Angry, frustrated and bitter over being rejected, Meredith then proceeds to charge Tom with sexual harassment and unprofessional behavior.  I think it goes without saying that women HATE to be rejected sexually.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman …” well, you know the rest.

#9 – The Family That Preys (2008)

A term that has become more and more popular in American society is the term cuckold.  A cuckold is a man whose wife or fiancée is cheating on him regularly, and just about everyone knows about her cheating ways EXCEPT for the man involved in the marriage or relationship himself.  To take it a step further, what even more so defines a cuckold would be a man whose wife or fiancée allows herself to get pregnant by a man other than her husband or fiancé but misleads her significant other into believing that the child is his.  Watch this move to see just how scandalous a married woman can be.

#8 – The Last American Virgin (1982)

Most men are familiar with the concept of the man who behaves toward women like a ‘White Knight’ type (i.e., a man who never criticizes women, never says anything bad about them, and will defend women against criticisms and insults expressed about them from other men) and/or a ‘Captain Save-a-Ho’ type (i.e., a man who feels like he can ‘rehabilitate’ a woman who is known for having a highly promiscuous past as well as history of adversity and abuse related her bad choices of male companions).  With that said, for this movie … meet Gary (Actor Lawrence Monoson).  Gary is your classic White Knight type and even a bit of a Captain Save-a-Ho type.  And in the end – as expected – the woman is the object of his desire breaks his heart.

#7 – Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

As a (single) man, imagine if you had a list of ten women who you wanted to have sex with very, very badly.  The good news is, you have already seduced the women who are ranked #5 thru #10 on your list, which strengthens your reputation as a ‘Master Seducer.’  Now, imagine that the woman who is #1 on your list offered you this proposition:  If you successfully seduce the women who are #4, #3, and #2 on your list, you will be able to finally have sex with the woman who is #1 on your list.  The ‘catch’ of the proposition that has been offered to you:  you have to get the woman who is #2 on your list to completely fall in love with you, and then once that is done, you have to blatantly break her heart.  In this film, Valmont (Actor John Malkovich) is the ‘Master Seducer,’ and Isabelle (Actress Glenn Close) is the woman who is #1 on his list.

#6 – Cruel Intentions (1999)

Take the plot from the movie above (Dangerous Liaisons) and update the story to reflect the end of the 20th Century with modified characters, but a lot of the same general themes and plot points.  The end result would be Cruel Intentions.  Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the great grand-daughter of Actress Glenn Close’s character in Liaisons, but she is even more of a manipulative bitch.  The ending is powerful though.

#5 – Closer  (2004)

Many movies have been produced that center on a cheating husband.  Too many to count.  What about cheating wives?  What about BOTH?  That scenario in movies is rare.  Well, Closer is that rare movie that you should most definitely watch.  The relationship between Dan (Actor Jude Law) and Alice (Actress Natalie Portman) is good, but the examination of the marriage between Larry (Actor Clive Owen) and Anna (Actress Julia Roberts) is even more provocative and powerful.

#4 – Pretty Persuasion (2005)

If you saw Cruel Intentions already, and you think Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character in that movie was off da chain … then prepare yourself for Actress Evan Rachel Wood’s character of ‘Kimberly Joyce’ in Pretty Persuasion.  Kimberly is the living personification of a highly manipulative, self-centered bitch.  This movie has both great comedic moments and outstanding dramatic moments as well.  Check it out.

#3 – To Die For (1995)

In today’s society, one scenario that is becoming more and more rampant is one where an older woman who is beautiful and sexy is seducing men much younger than her (even middle-school and high school age boys) into having sex with them.  Well, what if you were 14, 15, 16, or 17, and this beautiful, sexy older woman not only offered herself to you sexually but persuaded you to murder her husband to get him out of her way and your way?  This is the exact premise of To Die For, with Actress Nicole Kidman as the highly manipulative seductress with homicidal intentions.  Young boys are just so impressionable.

#2 – Body Heat (1981)

Arguably the very first movie that I ever viewed where the plot involved a man being completely and thoroughly exploited and manipulated by a beautiful, seductive woman, it was Body Heat.   Actress Kathleen Turner plays one hell of a femme fatale in this movie, that has all sorts of twists along the way.  By the end of the movie, you will find yourself saying, “How did Ned (Actor William Hurt) end up where he is?!?”  Man, Ned got completely PLAYED by Matty (Turner)!  In the absolute worst way.

#1 – Gone Girl (2014)

If could only choose ONE FEATURE-FILM ONLY from this list to view, that has a storyline that centers on a female lead who is extremely manipulative and scandalous in her ways, this movie would hands down be the one to watch.  Gone Girl has outdone Body Heat and the other movies included in this list by setting a brand new standard for women who are manipulative bitches.  I have literally had men tell me that after watching Gone Girl, they totally lost interest in ever getting married.  If you are a heterosexual man, you absolutely positively MUST watch this film.  It is a mandatory requirement.  Especially if you are a man who is still somewhat naive when it comes to just how much manipulative influence many women have over men.   This movie is excellent.  FIVE STARS across the board.