If you’re in need of a knock-your-socks-off action flick, look no further. Spanning almost 30 years, these action films are the kind you can watch over and over again and not get tired of. Sometimes you want to watch a movie to just shut your brain off for two hours — but these are not those movies. While they all contain some of the greatest fighting scenes, car chases, one-liners, and characters, these movies are also there to make you think. This is why they are the best action movies.
Hopefully, you can watch these movies in a home theater or with some awesome headphones. If not, no worries — your socks will still be knocked off by the end of the movie. Sit back, relax, and get ready for some nonstop action.
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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
90%
8.1/10
121m
Genre
Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Directed by
George Miller
Watch on max
Exploding with action throughout and a killer cast to boot, Mad Max: Fury Road is a George Miller adaptation that surprised audiences in a lot of ways. Boasting a killer cast, this movie takes the universe of the Mad Max franchise and delves into multiple other viewpoints, leaving Max to be almost voiceless and hardly the main character of the story. None of this takes away from the astounding visual effects or overall badassery, which will please anyone looking for an edge-of-your-seat action flick.
Die Hard (1988)
72%
8.2/10
131m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov
Directed by
John McTiernan
Watch on Hulu
“Yippee-Ki-Yay, mother*******.”How could this not be on the list? One of the most quotable and classic action flicks ever is Die Hard: a movie with fantastic villains, Bruce Willis in his prime, and the only movie on this list to ever be considered a Christmas movie. No, it’s not technically a Christmas movie but it takes place during a corporate Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza.
John Wick (2014)
68%
7.4/10
101m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen
Directed by
Chad Stahelski
Watch on Amazon
With stupendous, outrageous, and endlessly impressive stunt work, John Wick is the epic comeback of Keanu Reeves on the action movie scene. Every stunt performed by Reeves himself alone makes this movie one incredible experience. Not to mention the pretty badass plot because who wouldn’t go on a murderous rampage after losing their furry best friend?
Aliens (1986)
84%
8.4/10
137m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Stars
Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
Directed by
James Cameron
Watch on Hulu
Easily one of the best James Cameron movies ever, Aliens is the seamless sequel to the original Ridley Scott thriller Alien that introduced this creepy and immersive universe. Starring possibly the coolest female action lead of all time, Sigourney Weaver, this continuation takes the action level from 2 to 11. Featuring Cameron favorites like Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, and Lance Henriksen, the action versus comedy versus horror is perfectly balanced.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
85%
8.4/10
115m
Genre
Adventure, Action
Stars
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Watch on Paramount+
Quite possibly the best Steven Spielberg movie of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark is the beginning of the timeless trilogy that brought the whip-toting crusader to our screens. Rugged, scarred, and nearly fearless is everything an action movie needs from a protagonist, luckily they got Harrison in a role that helped launch his career to new heights — as did Star Wars. As one of his earlier films, Spielberg said he had the absolute time of his life filming this movie with star Harrison Ford, and it shows through in the best way.
The Dark Knight (2008)
84%
9/10
152m
Genre
Drama, Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine
Directed by
Christopher Nolan
Watch on max
An incredible re-imagining of the comic book hero from director Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight is known for bringing one of the most iconic villains of a generation to screens: Heath Ledger’s Joker. Besides the crisply choreographed fight scenes and practical effects, the story goes above and beyond to be thoroughly enticing all the way to the end. Christian Bale’s role of Batman is a great highlight of this film, and if you haven’t seen Batman Begins please give it a watch before, as it is one of the best hero-origin stories ever produced.
The Matrix (1999)
73%
8.7/10
136m
Genre
Action, Science Fiction
Stars
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
Directed by
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Watch on amazon
Our boy Keanu is back on the list in one of the most mind-blowing sci-fi movies ever, The Matrix, which brought a scarily convincing — to some — concept that has stuck around ever since. Intertwining incredible kung-fu fighting scenes with gunfights, car chases, and stellar performances, it’s hard not to think of this sci-fi classic whenever one thinks of a great popcorn movie to watch.
Casino Royale (2006)
80%
8/10
144m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Thriller
Stars
Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen
Directed by
Martin Campbell
Watch on amazon
In the modern reboot of the James Bond character, Casino Royale is the most action-packed movie we have ever seen Bond involved in. From wonderfully captured free-running scenes all the way to gripping tension during a poker game (leading to torture), this Bond film has one of the darkest premises of them all — with the exception of the following and drearily dismal Quantum of Solace.
Kill Bill: Volumes 1 + 2 (2003–2004)
69%
8.1/10
111m
Genre
Action, Crime, Drama
Stars
Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen
Directed by
Quentin Tarantino
Watch on Amazon
In classic Quentin Tarantino fashion, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 are both bloody, fantastic spectacles of film that easily top his charts as well as others. Awesome characters are all played by incredible actors, samurai swords are involved, and what would a Tarantino film be without an excessive and hose-like amount of blood spilling on the floor.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) (1980)
82%
8.7/10
124m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Science Fiction
Stars
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Directed by
Irvin Kershner
Watch on Disney+
In what is claimed by many avid fans to be the best of all Star Wars movies, The Empire Strikes Back somehow wowed audiences even more than the first monumental movie to be released. Given a much larger budget to work with than the previous installment, Irvin Kershner and his crew maintained many of the best aspects — practical effects and costumes, original cast and characters — and made the much darker-themed and exciting movie that we know it to be.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
147m
Genre
Action, Adventure
Stars
Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames
Directed by
Christopher McQuarrie
Watch on Paramount+
Every Mission: Impossible has at least one death-defying stunt that feels dangerous to even look at, but Fallout has the highest concentration, and also perhaps the most propulsive plot of any film in the saga. In Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Ethan Hunt and his usual team have to track down plutonium that has fallen into the hands of an international terrorist outfit. More importantly, though, the film features Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane, dangling off a helicopter, and driving through the streets of Paris on a motorbike. All these things on their own rule, and together, they’re intoxicating.
Point Break (1991)
122m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars
Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty
Directed by
Kathryn Bigelow
Watch on Peacock
One of the great action movies about masculinity ever made, Point Break tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a group of surfers who also rob banks, and he comes to appreciate the way they live their lives. Starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, the movie is big and stupid, but in all the right ways. Director Kathryn Bigelow understands how to get the most out of her two leads, and the movie has a surprisingly potent emotional core underneath its macho, bro-y surface.
