Cinema is all about action. The genre is founded on constant movement, energy, and surprises — three things that movies have always been all about. As such, the action genre has always been one of the art form’s most popular. Whether they prefer slower arthouse fare or explosive bullet-filled blockbusters that never let up, pretty much all movie fans enjoy action to some extent.

While the vast majority of action movies tell fictional stories about intrepid heroes, there are a select few films that don’t fit the rule. Action movies based on true stories are admittedly uncommon, but that only makes them all the more engaging. From war dramas like Black Hawk Down to tales of real-life action heroes like the Ip Man movies, these are films that prove that reality can be just as action-packed as fiction.

10 ‘Lone Survivor’ (2013)

Directed by Peter Berg

Raw and visceral, Lone Survivor is one of the most intense biopics that have been made in recent years. It follows Marcus Luttrell (portrayed by Mark Wahlberg) and his team, who set out on a mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in 2005. In one of the most heroic cases of military bravery in modern warfare, they were left to fight for their lives.

Where most men-on-a-mission action movies can often delve into over-patriotism or macho movie clichés, director Peter Berg manages to steer clear of such tired tropes. Instead, Lone Survivor is as gripping as it is suspenseful, celebrating camaraderie and solidarity in one of the most brutal and gory, yet surprisingly sincere war action movies ever made.

9 ‘United 93’ (2006)

Directed by Paul Greengrass

United 93 is one of the most intense and heartbreaking movies based on true events, portraying a real-time account of the events that went down on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11, which crashed in Pennsylvania after the passengers foiled the terrorist plot. Incredibly potent and gut-wrenching, yet surprisingly sober and subtle, it’s perhaps the least sensationalized movie ever made about 9/11.

Paul Greengrass, known for his realistic style and his adoration for handheld cameras, was the perfect choice to direct United 93. He makes viewers feel as though they’re truly there, on the plane with the passengers, making the true-to-life tone of the movie even more hard-hitting. This isn’t the kind of movie that one watches when looking for stylish action scenes, but it’s still essential viewing for all those who like powerful stories that will stay with them for days.

8 ‘Captain Phillips’ (2013)

Directed by Paul Greengrass

Another incredible action movie based on true events that were elevated by Paul Greengrass’s directorial voice, Captain Phillips is one of the greatest biopic thrillers ever made. It’s the true story of Captain Richard Phillips, commander of the MV Maersk Alabama. In 2009, after a raid by Somali pirates, it became the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in 200 years.

Tom Hanks is brilliant in the lead role, serving as the film’s emotional anchor. Barkhad Abdi (who was nominated for an Oscar for his work) gives just as outstanding a performance as one of the pirates who hijacked the ship and kidnapped Captain Phillips. But the acting isn’t all that makes this a great film. It’s a nail-biting action thriller that succeeds in humanizing all of its characters, making it a powerfully unconventional action film for those who love that kind of thing.

7 ‘Ip Man’ (2008)

Directed by Wilson Yip

The 2000s have seen a significant number of great martial arts movies, but few are as great as Ip Man. It’s a film about the titular man, a legendary Chinese martial artist and master of Bruce Lee himself. The film is set during the Japanese invasion of China, and it follows Ip Man as he’s forced to leave his home. He, along with the remaining members of the community, must find a way to survive.

The 2008 movie spawned a surprisingly prolific franchise with a fifth Ip Man film actively in development, but while its sequels all have something awesome to offer, there’s no beating the original. It has some of the most badass martial arts action ever seen in a film, along with a strong emotional core to serve as the foundation of these butt-kicking fight sequences. Refreshing and explosive, it’s a period piece and an action drama unlike any other.

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6 ‘The Fighter’ (2010)

Directed by David O. Russell

Despite his problematic behavior, David O. Russell has made some incredible movies throughout his career. One of his best works is undoubtedly The Fighter, one of the best boxing movies of all time. It’s based on the story of Micky Ward, a boxer trying to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older brother, getting his own shot at greatness.

The movie has it all: amusing humor, emotionally-stirring drama, some incredible boxing scenes, and a number of outstanding performances (including Melissa Leo‘s Oscar-winning turn and Christian Bale and Amy Adams‘s Oscar-nominated powerhouse performances). It sticks rather close to the formula of sports dramas, but executes it with such raw power and such magnetic personality that it ends up being a real knockout of a film.

5 ‘Dangal’ (2016)

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari

The Hindi-language Indian biopic Dangal is a nearly 3-hour-long account of the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler who decides to chase his dream of winning a gold medal for his country by training his daughters for the Commonwealth Games, despite the social stigmas of the time. It’s an incredibly empowering and inspirational movie, the way only the best sports dramas can be.

One of the best movies about wrestling, Dangal benefits from Nitseh Tiwari‘s vibrant direction and Bollywood legend Aamir Khan‘s tour-de-force performance. It’s an understated enough film that it could be a perfect gateway for curious audiences to get into Bollywood cinema, but rousing enough that anyone with a working heart will leave the movie with a huge smile and newfound motivation to chase their goals.

Dangal is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.

4 ‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Throughout his illustrious career, Ridley Scott has dipped his toes into all kinds of narratives across all kinds of genres, from sci-fi horror like Alien to visceral action war drama like Black Hawk Down. The latter is one of the most harrowing war films of the 21st century, following the story of 160 American soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in 1993 to capture two lieutenants of a renegade warlord. They found themselves in a battle against a large force of heavily armed Somalis.

With a large number of characters under Scott’s lens, there’s admittedly not much character development — but the movie never pretends that that’s its focus. It’s a gritty, devastatingly realistic portrayal of modern warfare, bringing lots to the table of the “war is hell” subgenre of war films. The action is brutal, the performances are fantastic, and Scott’s direction is as exceptional as it typically is.

3 ‘The Revenant’ (2015)

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu is one of the best working Mexican directors, and he has repeatedly proved that with films as outstanding as The Revenant. As cold and raw as revenge movies go, it’s a period drama about frontiersman Hugh Glass. While on a fur-trading expedition in the 1820s, he had to fight for his survival after getting mauled by a bear and being left for dead by his hunting team.

The Revenant is one of the best survival dramas of recent years, elevated by Iñárritu’s admirable dedication to realism (seen, for instance, in the fact that he only used natural lighting to shoot), the powerfully bare-bones script, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-winning powerhouse portrayal of Glass. It’s a film that effectively juxtaposes and mixes natural beauty with the harsh brutality of humanity, ultimately celebrating the horrors that the human spirit can endure. The action has an edge-of-your-seat harshness to it, and it’s filmed so gorgeously that it’s hard to take one’s eyes off of it.

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2 ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ (2016)

Directed by Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson has always been a bit hit-or-miss both as a director and as an actor, but when his movies hit, they hit hard. Hacksaw Ridge is perhaps his best work to date as a filmmaker, focused on WWII American Army Medic Desmond Doss. The story follows Doss (masterfully played by Andrew Garfield) serving during the Battle of Okinawa, where he refused to kill a single person and became the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Some would include Mel Gibson’s latest among the few war movies that are perfect from start to finish. Its sentimentalism and strong character work are powerfully paired with some truly gut-wrenching action, making for an unforgettable war drama unlike any other. Where the appeal and excitement of many an action movie come from audiences yearning to see the main character kicking ass and taking names, the thrill of Hacksaw Ridge comes from watching the portrayal of this real-life hero rescue numerous lives while not taking a single one.

1 ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has one of the most diverse and outstanding filmographies in Hollywood, as he’s constantly re-defining genres with his unique filmmaking skills. One of his best movies is Dunkirk, about the infamous evacuation from the eponymous city during World War II. The film follows both soldiers and civilians through land, sea, and air during this fierce battle.

Dunkirk is one of the best epic war movies of the 21st century so far, made all the more atmospheric and powerful by Nolan’s dedication to realism and practical effects. This makes the action exhilarating and its emotional payoffs more potent, helping viewers connect with the characters a lot more deeply. Illustriously made and narratively gripping, it’s the best action movie based on true events.

NEXT:The Best Action Movies of All Time, Ranked