Meet Babes With Blades: The Collective Shaping A New Era For Action Films 

“One of the first things we filmed together was her throwing a knife into a board right next to me,” says director Jade Ang Jackman, on her first time filming with best friend, actor and stuntwoman Ayesha Hussain, who’s featured in movies such as Gladiator II and Deadpool & Wolverine. “It landed so close to my face, but I was completely unfazed. From then on, we built a really close bond.” This defining moment in 2021 would lay the foundations for Babes With Blades – the pair’s film collective and fight club pushing back against the lack of representation for women in the world of action.

The two quickly started making films together, focusing on stories of women in sport, combat and extreme movement. “My family is Chinese-Malaysian, so I grew up in a kitchen where Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee films were always on,” says Jade. “I started looking back at my favourite action films from back then and realised that they were almost always directed by men, so I saw a real gap in this space.” 

A year later, Jade was among three directors to be selected by filmmaker Steve McQueen’s production company Lammas Park to conceptualise and direct a short film in collaboration with Canon. The result? Young Hot Bloods, a feisty 10-minute period drama set in 1910, where an encounter in a dress shop propels an artful seamstress into a violent confrontation with a threatening police officer, played by Game Of Thrones star Alfie Allen. 

“The film tells the secret history of women’s undercover fight clubs that fought back against sexual harassment from the police in 1910,” Jade says. “The idea came from reading about women using jiu-jitsu to fight back during that period. I’d never heard that history before.” 

As the brawl builds tension in the film, the undercover suffragette, wearing a zesty lime-green dress, ultimately uses her martial arts skills to take down the officer. “I just loved the contrast of Victorian dresses in an action setting. It was really fun to juxtapose the drama and elegance of the period with such extreme movement,” says Jade. 

Having just shown Young Hot Bloods at the London Short Film Festival last weekend, Jade is now developing ideas for her first feature film (action-themed, of course). “Babes With Blades started as a joke about Bond-girl stereotypes – like the bikini-clad woman with a gun who dies on the beach without any lines, or the ones performing high kicks in skirts with perfectly blow-dried hair,” she laughs. “I love the idea of showing the fun and celebratory side of action but also giving depth to the characters and a proper purpose to the stunts they perform.” 

What really makes this dynamic duo stand out is that Jade and Ayesha are saying goodbye to the days of Charlie’s Angels and Tomb Raider and instead ushering in women-led narratives that break free from surface-level stereotypes. Babes With Blades is redefining action storytelling – where women aren’t just in the spotlight but are actively shaping the narrative, embracing grit, complexity and power on their own terms.  

Jade Ang Jackman’s 5 Women Action Leads To Watch Now

1. Michelle Yeoh In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Directed By Ang Lee)

“Watching Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien fight Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang) is transformative. Part of the plot revolves around three women’s desire for the sword of ‘Green Destiny’. Given one point of the Bechdel Test is women discussing something other than a man, Yeoh’s pursuit of the thief and her master, Jade Fox, is radical. Yeoh’s flexibility and discipline, honed through ballet training, translated into the high-octane dance of action choreography. From sparring with Jackie Chan to becoming the first ethnic Chinese ‘Bond’ character to being the first Asian actress to win an Oscar, Michelle Yeoh is an action icon.”

2. Vivica A Fox & Uma Thurman In Kill Bill: Vol 1

“Despite being in one fight scene together as Vernita Green and The Bride, Vivica A Fox and Uma Thurman’s training was intense. The famed kitchen standoff has no quick cuts. Writing in her autobiography, Fox said, ‘We’d do fight choreography, knife throwing, samurai lessons and hit the treadmill and weights in between. They liked me because I could do high kicks from being a cheerleader.’ The precision and commitment in their performances make this showdown unforgettable, elevating it beyond a typical fight sequence into a defining moment for both characters.”

3. Carrie Anne-Moss In The Matrix (Directed By The Wachowskis)

“Under the shadows, Carrie-Anne Moss’ character Trinity is encircled by police; tension builds as a sexist officer’s assumptions are shattered by her gravity-defying moves, topped off by an impressive kick. While Trinity’s combat is iconic, the Wachowskis didn’t reduce her to a heartless killer. Instead, her love for Neo adds vulnerability, showing feeling as a strength. The directors also insisted the cast perform many of their moves, training intensively under martial arts legend Yuen Woo-ping. Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity is a perfect mix of physical prowess and emotional depth, making her an enduring figure in action cinema.”

4. Kim Ok-vin In The Villainess (Directed By Jung Byung-gil)

“Kim Ok-vin is unstoppable as Sook-hee in The Villainess. Watching her hack through enemies on a bus or in the genre’s best motorbike fight sequence is a thrill. While the film doesn’t explicitly tackle South Korea’s gender politics, there’s joy in seeing her character wreak vengeful havoc on the man who double-crossed her. The first-person action shots and relentless pace make this film a must-watch for anyone who loves inventive, visceral action.”

5. Narges Rashidi In Gangs of London (Directed By Gareth Evans)

“If you haven’t seen The Raid, can you really call yourself an action fan? So learning director Gareth Evans was also behind TV series Gangs Of London, I had to watch. Set in London’s brutal underbelly, the action is as brutal as it is clever, blending sharp cinematography with VFX. Yet it’s Narges Rashidi’s Lale who steals the show. Her performance fuses the iciness of a boss with the passion of a Kurdish freedom fighter. Beyond her slick leather looks, one stunt where she hangs upside down left me wanting her own spinoff, or a Bourne-esque franchise led by Rashidi.”