For many film lovers, going to the cinema or enjoying a movie on the couch is all about enjoyment, excitement, and entertainment, with the most exhilarating and enthralling pictures making for the best viewing experiences. There are few genres that grasp this notion with the fervor and fanfare of action cinema.
Ranging from the pioneering action sensations of the 1980s to barnstorming blockbusters of the modern day,these 10 films represent the heart-pounding and heroic heights action movies can reachwhen they invest everything into being the ultimate exhilaration. Popcorn perfection with a prominent punch, it should come as no surprise that many of these heart-stopping highlights also stand among the greatest action movies ever made.
10’Die Hard' (1988)
Directed by John McTiernan
It is hard to think of 80s action without thinking ofDie Hardimmediately after. The film thatmadeBruce Willisa Hollywood superstar, it follows a New York cop visiting his estranged wife and family in L.A. for the holidays who finds himself as the last line of defense when murderous thieves posing as terrorists intrude on her office’s work Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza. Despite being hopelessly outgunned, McClane (Willis) strives to kill the assailants and save his wife.
As an engrossing action-thriller,Die Harduses the constrained confines of its setting to maximum effect, thrusting McClane intoan urgent fight for survival with the tension gradually rising in sublime fashion. Sequences like Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) posing as a hostage and his climactic standoff with McClane serve as a testament to the movie’s ability to generate enrapturing tension even when the action abates.
9’The Raid: Redemption' (2011)
Directed by Gareth Evans
While many movie lovers look to the big budgets and bombast of Hollywood for their action thrills, international cinema has no lack of pulsating masterpieces that excite and exhilarate as well. Coming from Indonesia,The Raid: Redemptionis one of the most famous examples of exactly this, following a police task force as they raid an apartment block in the slums of Jakarta to take down a drug lord. When they find themselves encircled by the criminal’s goons, the squad are left with no choice but to fight through the complex.
An awe-inspiring display of elite martial arts skills and physical prowess,the combat sequences inThe Raid: Redemptionrank highly among the greatest that cinema has ever seen. It’s brutal and beautiful at the same time, excelling off the talents and physical feats of the incredible cast as it depicts everything from shootouts to fist fights in a relentless medley of mayhem. It isa divine action spectacle from start to finish, and is essential viewing for genre lovers who are yet to see it, regardless of their stance on foreign language films.
The Raid: Redemption
8’The Bourne Ultimatum' (2007)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
A case where the third film in a franchise was the best,The Bourne Ultimatumcapitalizes on the strengths of its predecessors as it culminates Jason Bourne’s (Matt Damon) story while operating as a technically overwhelming feat of editing and tempo.The average shot length is just two seconds, imbuing the film with a frenzied momentum that only continues to escalate the closer Bourne gets to discovering the truth of his life before the accident that gave him amnesia.
Coupled with a frantic globe-trotting story, the conclusion of several character arcs, a strikingly gritty visual display, and plenty of raw fight choreography,The Bourne Ultimatumis nothing short of a masterpiece of grounded action intensity. While its use of shaky cam saw it receive some criticism, directorPaul Greengrassuses the technique to the fullest potential, making it a defining and effective quality that many movies since have tried to emulate unsuccessfully.
The Bourne Ultimatum
7’Police Story' (1985)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Action cinema can be spliced with many other storytelling genres to great effect. While marriages of action and comedy are quite common, it is rare for them to offer such exhilarating an experience asPolice Story. A masterpiece fromJackie Chan, it follows a strong-willed and honorable Hong Kong police officer who, after arresting a notorious drug lord, is framed for the murder of a fellow cop and must clear his name while striving to save a key witness.
With Chan directing and co-writing the film as well as starring in it,Police Storythrives asa spellbinding spectacle of daring physical comedy that is as heart-stopping as it is hilarious. His choreography is a visual treat that knows no equal, fast and undeniably bruising, but executing with a pristine fluidity and smoothness that becomes joyously hypnotic. 1988’sPolice Story 2was similarly exceptional, whilethe best of Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong filmographyis worth exploring for all lovers of creative fight sequences.
Police Story
6’Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
The truest blockbuster spectacle audiences have seen in recent years,Top Gun: Maverickcombines the unrivaled glory of practical and innovative film-making with a rousing legacy sequel tale of bravado and redemption to make for a uniquely pulsating and profound viewing experience.Aging ace Maverick (Tom Cruise)must confront the demons from his past when he is recruited to prepare a crew of Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission. Among them is the begrudging son of his former wingman.
Rife with the lost glory of 80s bombast, yet imbued with the high-octane thrills of modern camerawork,Top Gun: Maverickis not only an exhilarating action spectacle, but a surprisingly moving one as well. The opening test flight, the training sequences, Maverick’s timed run, and, of course, the mission itself, are all triumphant, heart-racing moments that help make the film one of the purist cinematic experiences of all time.
Top Gun: Maverick
5’Aliens' (1986)
Directed by James Cameron
As previously states, action movies are sometimes at their best and most scintillating when they incorporate tropes from other genres. Running as the sequel toRidley Scott’s sci-fi horror classicAlien, 1986’sAliensstands as a genre-meshing masterpiece that presents action exhilaration at its most intense. Set decades after the events of the first film, it follows Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as she is awoken from cryosleep and tasked with helping a squad of space marines identify why they have lost contact with a colony on LV-269.
James Cameronbrings his gripping sci-fi aesthetic and his incredible sense of scale to the film, as well as his mastery of exciting yet rugged action. While offset by the urgency of the action and the comedic inflections of the characters,Aliensis wise to maintain the visceral horror ofAlienat its core,bolstering the action with a genuinely thrilling and adrenaline-pumping sci-fi terrorthat gives it an edge over many other action movies.
4’Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991)
Fromone James Cameron action sci-fi masterpieceto another,Terminator 2: Judgment Daysees the blockbuster director at his absolute best. A sequel to 1984’sThe Terminator, it follows a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that is sent back into time to early 90s L.A. to protect future resistance leader John Connor (Edward Furlong) from a more advanced killing machine. Teaming up with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the group set out to destroy Skynet before it can ever launch its apocalyptic attack on humanity.
Its visual effects were cutting edge for the time, but even more impressive is how gracefully they have aged over the decades. Likewise, the re-invention of the T-800 as the hero followingThe Terminatorremains an inspired narrative shift, while the introduction ofRobert Patrick’s advanced T-1000 makes for one of the greatest action villains of all time.Armed with beautifully metallic and visceral action sequences,Terminator 2: Judgment Dayremains among the finest action movies ever madesome 33 years after its initial release.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
3’Mission: Impossible – Fallout' (2018)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Another recent action masterclass that is exemplary of why Tom Cruise is the greatest action star of the modern age,Mission: Impossible – Falloutsees the series ascend to awe-inspiring heights with its relentless appetite for outstanding action sequences. When a terrorist faction plots to detonate three plutonium cores in major cities around the world, it falls to the IMF to figure out a way to stop them. Receiving unwanted help from the CIA, they infiltrate a high-stakes weapons deal to gain information.
Its 147-minute runtime breezes by thanks to moments like the one-shot skydiving scene, the gripping chase through Paris, and the manymanyastonishing fight sequences, including one amid a crashing helicopter. Also imbued with a manic-paced plot, some riveting twists, and the wonderful dynamic between the IMF team,Mission: Impossible – Falloutrepresents high-octane action craftsmanshipat its most entertaining and effortlessly rewatchable.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
2’The Dark Knight' (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
As much as a dark crime thriller as it is an action blockbuster,The Dark Knighteffectively ushered in the dominance of superhero cinema, though no other film in the subgenre has ever come close to surpassing its propulsive narrative nor its gripping intensity. With Batman (Christian Bale) strong-arming Gotham’s crime lords into submission, a psychotic and anarchistic terrorist rises to challenge the masked hero. As Gotham City plunges into chaos, Batman must find a way to stop the Joker (Heath Ledger) without succumbing to his brand of murderous madness.
Once the film launches into its major story, with the Joker killing residents of Gotham every day,it never relents on its exhilarating story and breathtaking action sequences. The car chase scene alone is one of the grandest spectacles cinema has ever seen, while the hospital evacuation and the climactic ferry sequence are also memorably thrilling. The fact thatThe Dark Knightalso stands as one ofthe most psychologically engaging superhero moviesis a testament to just how muchChristopher Nolanwas able to pack into the movie, even with an extensive runtime of 152 minutes.
The Dark Knight
Directed by George Miller
Captivating and exhilarating from its opening moments,Mad Max: Fury Roadis widely regarded to be the single greatest action movie of all time. The story follows the titular Max (Tom Hardy) as flees the captivity of a tyrannical war lord and his army of maniacal savages. Joining forces with Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a lieutenant of the war lord helping his slave wives escape to a better life, Max heads for a luscious safe haven amid the apocalyptic wasteland.
George Millerplunges audiences back into the world ofMad Maxwith reckless abandon, embracing the hysteria as the action extravaganzacrashes from one awe-inspiring sequence to the nextwith relentless fervor. Max is perfectly stoic and coarse, but it’s arguably the induction of Furiosa that stands as the film’s greatest asset, giving it an emotional core of survival and femininity that has come to define its brilliance.Bombastic, overwhelming, and completely engaging,Mad Max: Fury Roadis action cinema at its invigorating best.
