10 Best Original Action Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

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10 Best Original Action Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

Rotham October 24, 2025 0 Comments

Truth be told, a ton of great action movies from the 21st century so far, especially the blockbuster ones, have been based on comic books, part of massive ongoing franchises, sequels, or all of the above. Some of these might technically feel unique, or singular (you could argue that for The Dark Knight, given it felt like such a breath of fresh air in 2008), but even then, they’re not technically based on original ideas.

Put another way, they weren’t written for the screen. The following action movies were, and all of them were also released in 2000 or later. Some of these were influential, and at least one got a sequel, but they all fit within the above-mentioned quite strict definition of “original.” Also, some of them are pretty weird and still feel original to this day, so if you’re after action-heavy movies that feel a little different, a handful of these might well scratch that itch.

10

‘Hardcore Henry’ (2015)

Henry falling from the sky. — A still from Hardcore Henry.

While a certain movie about a guy named Max who is Mad was the best action movie of 2015, Hardcore Henry is still worthy of being a contender, and it wasn’t a sequel, so it gets a shout-out here. It’s got a bit of a gimmick to it, but it’s a cool gimmick, as Hardcore Henry plays out entirely from the perspective of the titular Henry, so it’s a bit like watching someone play a very intense/photo-realistic first-person shooter.

That might make it sound boring, but Henry’s able to do a lot more than most characters in such games, and the film does a solid job at keeping things just varied enough for most of the runtime. Hardcore Henry is most impressive for its technical qualities and, again, you can call much of it gimmicky, but it’s a neat experiment that pays off alright. Or, at least, it could’ve gone a lot worse, execution-wise.

9

‘Kung Fu Hustle’ (2004)

A man kicking a bunch of goons down some stairs

Since it follows certain martial arts movie conventions, but blows a good many of them to new heights through exaggerations and an overall parodic edge, Kung Fu Hustle is pretty easy to recommend, even if you’ve not seen many martial arts movies before. Granted, you’ll have to be aware that most aren’t this broadly comedic, but there is a sense of homage to martial arts films of old here, so Kung Fu Hustle doesn’t actually do a bad job at representing the genre.

Also, though the fights can be over-the-top and silly, there’s every effort made to have them looking spectacular and far from easy to actually pull off. It’s strange to get so much style and spectacle found in something that (for the most part) doesn’t take itself very seriously, but that’s also where a lot of the fun of Kung Fu Hustle comes in, and a contributing factor as to why it feels so distinctive.

8

‘Killer Bean Forever’ (2008)

No one’s going to give Killer Bean Forever any awards for the quality of its animation, but the film itself is simply too singular and weird – also benefiting from an interesting making-of story – to overlook. It’s basically a passion project, to put it mildly, of a man named Jeff Lew, because if you go to the film’s “crew” section on Letterboxd, it’ll reveal that he was credited as the film’s director, producer, writer, editor, cinematographer, co-composer, and sound mixer.

Oh, and Lew also voiced one of the film’s characters, so if that’s not ambition and dedication to your own weird little movie, then what is? And Killer Bean Forever is about a world of bean people, and the titular Killer Bean is a bean assassin, and the movie’s kind of funny because it exists. It is 85 minutes long, has a lot of action, and is like John Wick but with beans, and it came out six years before the original John Wick. Absolute madness, but in a good way.

7

‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel armed and ready in Hot Fuzz.

The wonderful thing about Hot Fuzz, or one of the wonderful things about Hot Fuzz, is that it’s consistently funny throughout, and then at some points, it decides it’s also keen to deliver surprisingly strong action. This mainly comes about in the film’s final act, but is done in a way that never sacrifices comedy, and before that point, it also works pretty well as a crime/murder-mystery sort of movie, too.

Like how Shaun of the Dead was a parody of zombie movies and a good zombie movie, so too does Hot Fuzz poke fun at buddy cop/action movies while itself being a surprisingly good one.

It’s a lot of things at once, but that’s Edgar Wright’s specialty… or at least it was, back when he made comedic films (see also Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End, and – to some extent – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Like how Shaun of the Dead was a parody of zombie movies and a good zombie movie, so too does Hot Fuzz poke fun at buddy cop/action movies while itself being a surprisingly good buddy cop/action movie.

6

‘Versus’ (2000)

The Versus (2000) protagonist wielding dual katanas — Man with swords being cool in Versus – 2000

Versus came out the same year as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is the more noteworthy action/martial arts film of 2000, but was based on a Chinese novel from the early 1940s, so… sorry, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But also, even if adaptations were allowed, Versus would still feel more original, since it’s such a wild and borderline-unwieldly combination of various action and/or horror sub-genres.

Like, it’s a Yakuza film, in a way, but it’s also a samurai movie of sorts, and then there are a few zombies featured, and there’s a fantastical/supernatural spin to other parts of its horror, and it all unfolds in a giddy and gonzo way across two bizarre hours. Versus is probably not for everyone, given what a mess it is on paper, but it’s not as messy in execution, and could well be quite a bit of fun if you’re okay with – or searching for – something very, very different.

5

‘Redline’ (2009)

Cars racing at high speed during the anime film Redline.

In a sense, Redline is about car-racing, but also, it’s about some very futuristic car racing that involves competitors from all around the galaxy, which naturally makes the stakes even higher than the biggest competition possible on Earth (international? Pathetic). Also, with the whole futuristic thing, everyone races in vehicles that are so much more advanced and, most importantly, a great deal faster than what is possible in most racing movies.

Put another way, Redline is like Speed Racer, but it’s fully animated, and it’s also better. You do need to see it in motion to fully appreciate just how much work went into it on a technical front, but the results do speak for themselves. It’s a shame it’s still not much more than a cult classic, but cult classics can grow in time and get further appreciation as more years march on, so hopefully that’ll happen here, one day.

4

‘Black Dynamite’ (2009)

You could’ve made the argument with Hot Fuzz that since it was a parody, it wasn’t so original, but it was more what it did by way of spinning and poking fun at conventions that made it feel unique. And the same argument can be made – and comparably refuted – for Black Dynamite, which is something of a parody of – and homage to – old Blaxploitation movies, but done in a way where it feels even more willing to do its own thing and get weird compared to Hot Fuzz.

Black Dynamite is absolutely packed with jokes that hit far more often than they miss, and so the fact that it’s also relentless with goofy, charming, and intentionally stiff action is just an added bonus. It’s probably more successful as a comedy than an action movie, as a result, but it combines the genres well and is certainly unique as a martial arts film… if you want to call it a martial arts film.

3

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

It’s not quite an epic in the traditional sense, but if it were, Everything Everywhere All at Once would be one of the wildest and most ambitious ever made. Runtime-wise, it’s almost there, at close to 2.5 hours, and it does feel epic in the more modern sense of the word, owing to it involving alternate selves in alternate universes, and gradually building in craziness until it becomes apparent that the whole movie is about a fight to save not just the universe, but all those universes.

Chaos is constant throughout, but Everything Everywhere All at Once also manages to slow down and be genuinely effective as a family drama when it wants to be, all the while also being mind-blowing, often extremely funny, and innovative when it comes to action. It did all this, and more, while also winning Best Picture at the Oscars, which itself is kind of cool and worth recognizing. It’s not just more Oscar bait, or anything close to it, that’s for sure.

2

‘The Raid’ (2011)

Two men exchanging blows in Gareth Edwards' 'The Raid: Redemption' (2011). — Two men exchanging blows in Gareth Edwards’ ‘The Raid: Redemption’ (2011).

Another tricky example, since it got a sequel that might well have felt more original or out-there, but The Raid 2 was a sequel, and The Raid (2011) the original. Either way, The Raid felt like a breath of fresh air as its own thing, back when it first came out and shook up the martial arts genre, and then The Raid 2 blew minds by being so much bigger and more varied than the already fantastic first movie; just a real escalation in every conceivable way.

Also, The Raid takes a premise that sounds perhaps too simple, but that makes it work. And it’s a film that goes to show how being original doesn’t have to involve being all complicated, super unpredictable, or otherwise subversive. Like, originality can be those things, but if you take a basic story that everyone else thought was too basic, and you make it work by dedicating yourself to it wholeheartedly (and helming some of the best fight sequences of all time), then that can be enough.

1

‘Hundreds of Beavers’ (2022)

A still from 'Hundreds of Beavers' — A still from ‘Hundreds of Beavers’

It’ll be tough to beat, but there are more than 70 years to go before the 21st century officially ends, and that means there is time to stop Hundreds of Beavers from being the most original action movie of the century. Honestly? Good luck, babe (well, good luck). Well, good luck, babe (well, good luck). They’d have to stop the world just to stop the beavers.

This movie is about hundreds of beavers, and one man’s quest to kill as many as he needs to survive in the wilderness and win the affection of a young woman. It is pretty much entirely silent, feels like a video game movie that’s not based on a specific video game, was made for very little money, is shot in black and white, and has deliberately cheap-looking animal costumes worn by human actors, standing in for animals. Oh, and something funny happens, like, every 15 to 30 seconds. It’s all phenomenal, it’s weirdly exciting, and it’s one of the century’s absolute best action/comedy films so far.