I'm starting a new series of articles collecting lists of recommendations if you're stuck for a film to watch! You can find my list of recommended romantic comedies here.
For this post, I've put together a list of 38 action films that I'd recommend everyone add to their watchlist. Action is one of my favourite genres ever from smaller scale indies all the way through to big blockbuster franchises. I tried to compile a good balance between different sub-genres, but you may be interested to check out my upcoming lists for thrillers and sci-fi's for even more action recommendations.
Last updated: September 2023
1. Baby Driver (2017)
Edgar Wright's foray into a pure action is exactly as good as you might expect from the director of Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Shaun of the Dead. His stylish editing, detailed dialogue and musical brilliance is stepped up a level here - this is a film that is completely edited in time to the music. From police sirens, dialogue, street noises and gunfire, everything lines up to the beat of the incredible soundtrack.
Watch this if you enjoy: the cornetto trilogy, great movie soundtracks, heist films, car chases
2. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
There was a time when The Bourne Identity and its sequels marked the peak of modern Hollywood action film-making. It popularised a grounded and fast-paced style of action that was often copied (and rarely matched) in the years that followed. The entire franchise is worth a watch (even The Bourne Legacy, if you're really a completionist), but it's the third film, The Bourne Ultimatum, that's always been my favourite, featuring a handful of all-time great fight scenes, led by a brilliant Matt Damon.
Watch this if you enjoy: grounded action, Matt Damon, political and spy thrillers
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
All of the MCU can be classified as action, but there's few within the franchise that heavily focus on ground-level hand-to-hand combat in the same way as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the second film in the trilogy. Aside from the first Captain America film, you don't really have to have seen much else of the MCU either, so it's well worth checking out if you're more of a casual fan. It features a few of the best fight scenes in the franchise - the elevator brawl, highway fight and Nick Fury chase stand out- by always staying true to its characters.
Watch this if you like: standalone superhero films, spy thrillers, the MCU when it used to be good
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is of the most popular martial arts films ever made and for good reason. It's a perfect entry point to the wuxia martial arts genre to those who aren't too familiar, and serves as an inspiration for so many stories and action sequences even now. Though there are a fair few standout sequences, there's a sword fight featuring Michelle Yeoh which is one of my favourite combat scenes in cinema.
Watch this if you enjoy: martial arts action, Michelle Yeoh, a touch of sweeping fantasy
Read more about my favourite scene from the film here.
5. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)
More than a decade later, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy is still (rightly) lauded as a landmark in blockbuster filmmaking. Other than the original Iron Man, you'd be hard pressed to find a stronger influence on today's superhero movie landscape. Nolan's take on the character is grounded in the real world, and the second film, The Dark Knight, is simply one of the best blockbuster action movies of all time.
Watch this if you enjoy: Christopher Nolan movies, great villains, Hans Zimmer, crime movies
Read more about my thoughts on the music from The Dark Knight here.
6. Die Hard (1988)
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not? The true answer is who cares, it's just an excuse to watch a great film every year. The story follows reluctant hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) who has to save his wife when a group of terrorists take over a newly unveiled high-rise building. It also features one of the best movie villains of all time in the late great Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber.
Watch this if you enjoy: underdog stories, '80s action, memorable villains
7. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow is a film that flew under many people's radars back in 2014 but enthusiastically loved by those who did watch it. Apart from a slightly underwhelming third act, it's a pitch perfect action/sci-fi movie. Tom Cruise plays against type as a cowardly man forced to fight in a war against alien invaders. When he finds himself stuck in a time loop, he has to enlist the help of hardened warrior Rita Vrataski (played by Emily Blunt in one of her best performances). If that at all piques your interest, definitely give this film a (re)watch, it's so much fun!
Watch this if you enjoy: timeloop movies, the idea of Emily Blunt kicking Tom Cruise's ass over and over, the late great Bill Paxton
8. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere was the unexpected breakout hit of 2022, winning 7 Oscars including Best Picture - one of the only genre films to do so. It's an impossible blend of wacky comedy, science-fiction, martial arts, generational trauma, romance and a study on nihilism. It may not be a movie for everyone, but it's well worth a watch just because of how truly, madly unique it is.
Watch this if you enjoy: weird movies, martial arts action, existential sci-fi, hot dogs
Read more about my favourite movies of 2022 here.
9. Free Fire (2017)
What if you made an entire film revolving around a single shoot-out? That's what Ben Wheatley's indie movie Free Fire is based around. And it's a fun time, with a talented cast which includes Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson. If you want to watch something a little different and smaller-scale, this is a good option.
Watch this if you enjoy: Cillian Murphy, low-budget action, '70s nostalgia
10. Hanna (2011)
Joe Wright, the director of Pride and Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina, delivers a stylish, strange revenge thriller starring a brilliant young Saoirse Ronan. The incredible soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers is another reason to check this movie out.
Watch this if you enjoy: Saoirse Ronan, tech/electronic soundtracks, stylised smaller-scale action
Read more about my favourite movie soundtracks here.
11. Hero (2002)
Hero is a 2002 martial arts Chinese film about a policeman that narrates his story about killing three different warriors. It's possibly one of the most beautiful movies ever made, with each segment of the story presented with a differing colour aesthetic.
Watch this if you enjoy: aesthetically pleasing cinematography, martial arts action, historical settings
12. The Hunger Games (2012) & The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
I had to include a bit of Young Adult representation here, and the first two Hunger Games movies are genuinely great action films set within a dystopian world where children are forced to enter a televised competition in which they must kill one another to win. If you're of a certain age, you've almost certainly read and watched these stories because of their place in modern pop culture.
Watch this if you enjoy: post-apocalypse sci-fi, young adult romance, bow and arrow content
13. Inception (2010)
A specialised team infiltrates the dreams of their target, with the goal of 'incepting' an idea into his mind. It's simply one of the best one-liner movie descriptions, and writer/director Christopher Nolan's slick direction combined with Hans Zimmer's music makes this one of the most memorable movies of the 2010's.
Watch this if you enjoy: high-concept action, Hans Zimmer, plot-driven story, half the cast of The Dark Knight Rises
Read more about my thoughts on the film here.
14. The Incredibles & The Incredibles 2
Animation is a medium that's perfect for action (just watch Arcane or Invincible for proof) - and especially so within the realm of superheroes. Where live-action may never be able to seamlessly pull off a power like super-stretchiness or a super-powered baby, animation can do it perfectly. The Incredibles is a perfect superhero movie, but also an effortlessly stylish riff on a '60s spy adventure.
Watch this if you enjoy: having fun
Read more about my favourite animated movies here.
15. John Wick: Chapters 1-4 (2014-2023)
A neon-drenched, stylish and brutal revenge thriller but with an undertone of darkly comedic slapstick in the vein of Buster Keaton. It's an unlikely but accurate description of the John Wick franchise, which started as a tight action movie about a retired hitman who returns to get revenge for the death of his dog. The latest in the franchise, Chapter 4, is one of the best action movies ever made - packed full of so much bombastic action, leaning into Wick's Sisyphean task of just surviving a night surrounded by a world of assassins.
Watch this if you enjoy: Keanu Reeves being iconic and saying 'yeah', beautifully shot night time scenes, bombastic action, assassin based world-building
16. Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
Quentin Tarantino's two part revenge thriller stars Uma Thurman as 'The Bride', an assassin who wakes from a four year coma and seeks revenge on her boss and his associates. Paying homage to old kung-fu movies, this is a violent, action-packed and darkly funny story.
Watch this if you enjoy: revenge stories, kung-fu action, Uma Thurman, any Tarantino movie, yellow jumpsuits
17. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
From the director of Kick-Ass comes a comedic, violent spy story inspired by the world of James Bond. Taron Egerton stars as 'Eggsy' who gets recruited into a secret, elite spy organisation in order to defeat an eco-terrorist. It's silly and violent and star-studded, but perhaps the highlight is seeing the usually reserved Colin Firth transform into a gentlemanly, kick-ass spy and fight his way through a church full of brawling people.
Watch this if you enjoy: Colin Firth, James Bond, irreverent comedic action
18. Logan (2017)
Ignoring their subsequent appearances in Doctor Strange 2 and the upcoming Deadpool movie, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart returned 'one last time' for a final hurrah in Logan. Its R-rating allows for some fantastically bloody Wolverine action - especially with Dafne Keen's star-making debut as X-23 - but the rating actually works best to serve the maturity of the story, which was nominated at the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Watch this if you enjoy: lone wolf and cub stories, westerns, great child actors, Hugh Jackman
19. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
If there's just one movie you take away from this list, it has to be Mad Max: Fury Road. It is without a doubt one of the best action movies ever made. It is unlike anything before, and there probably won't be anything like it afterwards. The film is essentially an elongated chase sequence, shot on location in the desert and features the most meticulously crafted chaos you will ever witness.
Watch this if you enjoy: any action movies, awesome things in general
Read more about my thoughts on the film here.
20. The Man from UNCLE (2015)
On the list of movies that should have probably got a sequel is Guy Ritchie's The Man from UNCLE. It's a stylish spy movie set in the early 1960s based on a television show of the same name. The story isn't anything you haven't seen before but the characters, style and Daniel Pemberton's score makes this a fun time.
Watch this if you enjoy: watching beautiful people in '60s costumes, Guy Ritchie movies
21. The Matrix (1999)
Both one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, and also one of the greatest action films. Every single element of The Matrix is incredible, and there are so many great fight sequences from the very first scene with Trinity, the iconic bullet time sequence and all the way through to Neo and Agent Smith's climactic fist fight.
Watch this if you enjoy: Keanu Reeves being iconic and saying he's gonna need "guns, lots of guns."
22. Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) (...and the rest of the franchise)
It's rare that the sixth movie in a franchise can reasonably be declared to be the best, but Mission Impossible: Fallout somehow manages that. Though I'd thoroughly recommend the entire franchise (except perhaps the second film), Fallout is an absolute must-watch, and features Tom Cruise sky-diving, riding motorcycles around Paris, brawling in a club bathroom and flying a helicopter. It's easy to dismiss these films as Tom Cruise stunt vehicles, but they're genuinely well-made movies too.
Watch this if you enjoy: real-life crazy stunts, globe-hopping spy movies, MacGuffin based plots
23. The Mummy (1999)
When I complain that there aren't enough adventure films these days, this is the exact movie I'm thinking of. A brilliant blend of swash-buckling action, romance and fantasy with charismatic lead performances by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
Watch this if you enjoy: great adventure romances, light horror, ancient Egypt
24. Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3 (2003-2007)
And speaking of swash-buckling - perhaps the ultimate swash-buckling movie trilogy ever... Though the latter installments grew increasingly tired, nothing beats the original Pirates film. Disney just doesn't do live action like this anymore - gorgeous production value, incredibly choreographed fight scenes and charismatic heroes and villains. There's an element of Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin slapstick that the best adventure movies can pull of effortlessly too.
Watch this if you enjoy: pirates and rum!
25. Prey (2022)
Many things are frustrating about Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and perhaps one of the most egregious is the way they dumped 2022's Prey on streaming instead of giving it a deserved theatrical release. Prey is the latest in the Predator franchise and is set in 1719 in the Northern Great Plains. A Native American woman (played by a badass Amber Midthunder) must protect her tribe from an evolved alien warrior. It's a kick-ass, tense and smaller-scale action movie that's well worth a watch.
Watch this if you enjoy: resourceful and kick-ass female protagonists, the original Predator, historical action
Read more about my favourite movies of 2022 here.
26. The Raid 2 (2014)
Fancy a completely brutal, relentless action movie? The Raid 2 might be for you! It's frequently cited as one of the best modern martial arts films, and though the story is quite thin, you won't see much better in terms of fight choreography than here.
Watch this if you enjoy: brutal bloody violence, a story that exists only to facilitate insane fight scenes
27. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The most iconic adventure movie ever made, with an unforgettable lead performance by Harrison Ford, music by the legendary John Williams, co-created by Star Wars creator George Lucas and directed by the master himself Steven Spielberg. There's plenty of impressive action sequences throughout the film from the very first run from Hollywood's most famous boulder, to the truck chase sequence which inspired this entire segment of Uncharted 4.
Watch this if you enjoy: let's be honest, you've all seen this movie
28. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 - 2003)
Well, it's only one of the most iconic movie trilogies of all time! If you like your action on the more fantastical and adventurous side... you've likely already watched these films. If you haven't watched them, then go grab a box set and dive into the world of Middle Earth.
Read more about my favourite scene from the trilogy here.
Watch this if you enjoy: sweeping fantasy, beautiful visuals and music, good vs evil epics
29. Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall is widely agreed to be the peak of Daniel Craig's tenure as 007. It's gorgeously shot by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins, and has a strong focus on Judi Dench's M, perhaps the only woman Bond has a semi-respectful relationship with. It's more tightly written and character-focused than other entries in the franchise, and beautifully made all around.
Watch this if you enjoy: beautiful cinematography, British spy movies, the finale of Home Alone (weirdly)
30. Speed (1994)
Sometimes movies are great because they have complex emotional arcs or incisive social commentary, and other movies are great because they're about Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on a bus which will blow up if it goes under 50 mph. Speed is an absolute blast - pun very much intended- and one of my favourite action movies ever.
Watch this if you enjoy: Keanu Reeves being a hotshot and doing a pop quiz, this story about Bullock and Reeves secretly having a crush on one another, Connor Roy
31. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy was a milestone in superhero cinema, but still holds up against today's standards, if not more so for their sincerity, action and sense of fun. Spider-Man 2 in particular is a brilliant example of perfect blockbuster movie-making, from its unwavering focus on Peter Parker's life, to its outstanding kinetic action sequences.
Watch this if you enjoy: 30 year old's pretending to be college students, amazing train action sequences, secret identity hijinks, freeze frames at the end of musical montages
32. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a perfect superhero origin story, one of the most visually astonishing movies ever made and a genuinely great action/comedy blast. I feel sorry for people who dismiss it purely because it's animated, because that's exactly what makes it so special.
Watch this if you enjoy: visually innovative movies, Spider-Man (duh!), fantastic soundtracks
Read my full review here.
33. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
This list couldn't do without a Star Wars entry, and I settled upon Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which is one of the most accessible places (other than the first film) to begin with the franchise. Daisy Ridley shines as Rey, the protagonist of the new trilogy, but we also get to see a lot of familiar places and faces. Though the story is something of a retread, this is one of the best looking blockbusters ever made, and a brilliant sci-fi adventure.
Watch this if you enjoy: lightsabers, blasters and droids
Read more about my thoughts on Star Wars here.
34. The Suicide Squad (2021)
General audiences may have given this reboot a miss based on the ill-will towards the 2016 misfire, but James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a brilliant course correct for a property that had so much potential. Gunn's take on the titular team is over-the-top, silly, chaotic, violent and hyper-stylised, and a whole lot of fun.
Watch this if you enjoy: Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn, Guardians of the Galaxy (but wanted it to be R-rated), rats
Read my full review here.
35. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Often included in the list of best movie sequels is Terminator 2: Judgement Day, which sees the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator, this time assigned to protect John Connor, a boy who will grow up to be the leader of the human resistance against the machines.
Watch this if you enjoy: apocalyptic sci-fi, visual effects that hold up shockingly well, iconic female action heroes
36. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The movie that Steven Spielberg himself stated saved the movies. Featuring stunningly captured aerial combat and a genuine, sincere sense of fun that is seriously lacking in the all too self-aware blockbusters of late. Even if you don't have nostalgia for the first film (I didn't!), Top Gun: Maverick is an absolute blast.
Watch this if you enjoy: the Mission Impossible movies, good-looking people playing football on the beach, great blockbuster film-making
37. Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is the best zombie movie you'll ever watch. Alright, perhaps that's hyperbolic but while you're watching it, you'll definitely think so. It follows a father and daughter (a classic apocalyptic trope) who find themselves stuck on a high-speed train during a zombie outbreak. It's an absolute rollercoaster ride of a film in the best way - tense, emotional, action-packed, relentless - and one of my favourite first-time viewing experiences in recent years.
Watch this if you enjoy: moving father/child stories, bloody zombie action, stories set in one location
38. Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman flew into theatres during the golden transition period in DC when they were winding down their unsuccessful attempts at pushing their interconnected cinematic universe and veering more towards director-led standalones. Director Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot were a breath of fresh air in a superhero landscape that was (and is) horribly male-dominated. The rest of the movie is fun, but the true standout moment is the sequence in the second act where Diana charges across No Man's Land and saves an entire village.
Watch this if you enjoy: 2+ hours of watching one of the most beautiful women on the planet, Chris Pine doing comedy, mythological lore
Thanks for reaching the end of this article! I hope you got 1 or 2 new movies to add to your watchlist.
I do not own any of the images in this post.