If you've stayed away from traditional action movies because the high-octane blockbusters may not seem like your taste, that's completely fair. Often featuring a superhero or two, or at least a star performing stunts with above-average human ability, lots of explosions, and an epic, climatic fight sequence, you'd be forgiven for thinking that's all the genre is about. But action lends itself well to other genres, from romance with a bit of added intrigue to thrillers that'll keep you at the edge of your seat to even laugh-out-loud comedies. The best action movies defy genre, so there's probably something for you on this list.
If you're thinking of dipping a toe in the action movie oeuvre, or you just need something awesome to watch, let this list be your guide. Below, find the 32 best movies if you want to try action for the first time.
'21 Jump Street' (2012)
Even if you don't particularly like buddy cop movies, this one's worth a watch for its welcome modernization of a familiar trope. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have great chemistry, but the hero of the film is the foul-mouthed police captain Ice Cube.
'Air Force One' (1997)
Harrison Ford is the president! Some cool action stuff happens on Air Force One! It's got some epic dialogue! What's not to love? As with many of these films, the details of how terrorists board and hijack the president's plane are fuzzy at best—you just have to roll with it.
'Army of Darkness' (1992)
If you don't like gore or horror, you may want to skip the other Evil Dead movies. But this one is a horror-action-comedy featuring a brilliant Bruce Campbell as a guy with a chainsaw for a hand (franchise lore) who ends up time-traveling and fighting the undead. Extremely bonkers, but very entertaining.
'Big Trouble in Little China' (1986)
This 1986 John Carpenter film stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, who gets embroiled in a Chinese sorcerer's plan (played by the illimitable James Hong). It's a bit of a ridiculous movie, but has largely been reclaimed as comedy gold and one of Russell's best films.
'Cliffhanger' (1993)
This is admittedly a goofy film that got lost amongst other '90s movies. But it's an underrated action film, in part because it features a riveting first 15 minutes (no spoilers), and in part because Sylvester Stallone doesn't mind getting his butt kicked and looking kind of silly. It's a fun throwback.
'Death on the Nile' (1978)
Skip the 2022 remake and watch this classic 1978 Agatha Christie adaptation. Murder mysteries are an easy entry-point for people who aren't wild about action movies; the inciting event (the death of an heiress, in this case) is just a way to kick off a cool, fascinating mystery with a bunch of interesting characters—including, as pictured, Jane Birkin.
'Desperado' (1995)
This early Robert Rodriguez film is also a neo-Western starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek (in her breakout role!). It's not without violence, but it's also a gripping mystery and a great romance centered around a man seeking revenge for the death of his loved ones.
'Die Hard' (1988)
People who love Die Hard really love it because it's a near-perfect entry into the action genre. If you don't happen to like that kind of movie, it's got massive crossover appeal: Alan Rickman as one of the coolest bad guys in film history, a sweet-but-estranged marriage subplot, and a plot that zips along the entire time.
'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014)
Originally titled All You Need Is Kill, this film was an unexpected success that propelled Tom Cruise to the forefront of action stardom. He plays a cowardly army officer who accidentally gains the ability to relive the same day over again. This is handy because he needs it to stop a major alien attack from happening.
'Face/Off' (1997)
There are over-the-top movies, and then there's Face/Off. Lauded as one of the most ridiculous, "so bad it's good" movies ever made, Face/Off is literally about a cop and a criminal (John Travolta and Nicolas Cage) who switch faces. And it just gets weirder from there.
'Galaxy Quest' (1999)
If you love comedies and don't mind a bit of sci-fi action thrown in there, try this. A bunch of washed-up actors from the titular '80s show Galaxy Quest are visited by aliens—who believe their show to be a documentary and need the actors' help with a real, actual, space threat. Hilarity and drama ensue.
'The Guest' (2014)
If you don't like tense thrillers, maybe skip this one. But if you're a fan of Dan Stevens, this will be right up your alley. He plays the insidious David, a soldier who's returned from Afghanistan claiming to be the best friend of a family's deceased son. Very obvious spoiler alert: He is not.
'Hot Fuzz' (2007)
Post-Shaun of the Dead, director Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg teamed up again to make this buddy cop satire. The action is stylized and silly; the main focus is police officer Nicholas Angel (Pegg), who gets demoted to a small town and discovers that it's got more than meets the eye.
'Ip Man' (2010)
If you've ever been a tiny bit curious about martial arts films, this one is a great one to start with. It's a biographical film that follows Wing Chun, best known as martial artist Ip Man, who would later teach Bruce Lee. It also spawned a bunch of sequels, if you like it.
'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' (2017)
If you never watched the rebooted Jumanji franchise, we get it: The original '90s movie is a classic. But this one does a lot with the source material and has a surprising amount of heart—several high school students start playing the game, get sucked in (literally!), and get up to game-related shenanigans.
The 'Knives Out' Movies (2019– )
Murder mysteries have returned with a vengeance in the Knives Out series, thanks to creator Rian Johnson and star Daniel Craig. Knives Out and its sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, are centered on a core mysterious death, which investigator Benoit Blanc (Craig) is tasked to solve. The action, in other words, is secondary.
'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' (2001)
You must witness the epic silliness of the first two Lara Croft films, starring Angelina Jolie and a young Daniel Craig as a fellow adventurer and Lara's love interest. It's deeply unserious and one of the most successful video game adaptations.
'Lucky Number Slevin' (2006)
Before Josh Hartnett had a film renaissance in the 2020s, he starred in this 2006 neo-noir that was an underrated '00s movie and has since become a cult classic. No spoilers, but it's as twisty as the best noirs—and it features a good romance if you want that sort of thing.
'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (2015)
This Guy Ritchie movie based on a '60s TV series is incredibly suave and stylish. It features a ragtag group consisting of an American spy, a Russian spy, and the daughter of a nuclear scientist (Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander, respectively) who are tasked with stopping Nazi sympathizers from building a nuclear weapon.
'Midnight Run' (1988)
If you only know Robert De Niro as a serious gangster, you might be surprised to discover how funny he can be. Midnight Run was a successful action-comedy in the '80s, but it isn't as well-known today, with De Niro playing a bounty hunter trying to transport an embezzling accountant (Charles Grodin).
'The Mummy' (1999)
We recommend this action film primarily for the romantic features; Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz make a terrific pairing, naturally. Because it was made in 1999, the CGI effects are very dated and therefore not as scary, but few adventure films come close to the magic of this film set on an exhibition in early 20th century Egypt.
'North by Northwest' (1959)
Hitchcock movies aren't always action films by default, but this spy thriller falls into that category (and is considered one of the best in the genre). It's a movie about mistaken identity, with Cary Grant as the ad exec who gets drawn into shady dealings against his will. Also: There's romance and comedy!
'Predator' (1987)
A bunch of very buff men (Arnold Schwarzenegger among them) land in the jungle to rescue some hostages. And then this action movie turns into something else entirely, with a non-human entity stalking them through the woods. This movie does have gore, but it's also suspenseful and entertaining.
'The Rock' (1996)
This early Michael Bay film is absurd in an incredible way. It stars Sean Connery in one of his later films, hamming it up as a former Alcatraz prisoner who's the only person to have successfully escaped the island. Now, he has to help an FBI agent (Nicolas Cage) get onto the island to stop a rogue general (Ed Harris).
'Romancing the Stone' (1984)
What's great about action movies is that they dovetail beautifully with more passionate stories. This is a love-story-action film, whereby a romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) and an adventurer (Michael Douglas) go on a quest to rescue the novelist's sister. Sparks fly, of course.
'Ronin' (1998)
This 1998 action-thriller features one of the coolest car chases ever made. If that's not enough to sell you, how about a cool mystery, plenty of twists, and a stacked cast featuring Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, and Stellan Skarsgård?
'Seven Samurai' (1956)
This classic Akira Kurosawa film has inspired a myriad of films, including the American adaptation of The Magnificent Seven. Because it was made in the '50s, it's not as violent as other action movies, and it's largely considered one of the best films ever made.
'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)
Zombie movies can be very, very funny. Specifically, this zombie movie because it stars Simon Pegg as a down-on-his-luck Londoner who doesn't initially realize the zombie apocalypse is happening because his life already sucked. And that's just the setup!
'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)
Superhero movies are, by their very nature, action-heavy. But some of the Marvel movies are also just exciting to watch in their own right. The best example of this is Thor: Ragnarok, made extremely funny by director Taika Waititi and even funnier by stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Cate Blanchett.
'Total Recall' (1990)
While several Arnold Schwarzenegger films are on this list, Total Recall is arguably the best. It's a satirical sci-fi film with some cool twists (no spoilers!) and intense space travel. The effects are practical and often dated-looking, but the content is just as compelling.
'True Lies' (1994)
This is not a nuanced or accurate look at international politics (or spycraft, or relationships, if we're being honest), but it is a very fun vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis to be a spy and his harried wife, respectively, who have to team up.
'What We Do in the Shadows' (2015)
Like other horror genres, you wouldn't expect a movie about vampires to be particularly funny. But when directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi and filmed as a mockumentary, it is—and it's relatively light on the action elements, if that helps.
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