Carly A. Quinn
UndercovHER: Female Spies in Film and Television
"Women make bloody good spies." - SIS agent
This digital project looks at 8 different American films and television series that feature a female spy in the lead role as a field agent. By working in espionage, the 8 women discussed here are presented as having flipped conventional gender expectations by working in a violent, political profession that has traditionally been reserved for men. These films and series are the products of feminism and the explosion of female action heroines in the media that began in the 1990s. Indeed, the "girl power" archetype is still abundant in popular culture today, and the portrayal of these female characters reflects the ambiguity inherent in contemporary notions of femininity and sexuality. UndercovHER attempts to analyze this trend by asking,
"How are female spies portrayed in American films and series in the 21st century?"
Each subpage of this project is dedicated to a female spy and the film or television series that they were featured in. Every subpage includes a plot synopsis, pictures and clips of the film or show, and a discussion of a relevant theme to keep in mind whilst analyzing post-feminist female spies. Explore the various films and series by clicking on the pictures below.
