It is often that filmgoers go to the cinema to experience a purely exhilarating experience through significant works of spectacle. While the action genre has evolved significantly over the course of cinematic history, the best films in the genre are those that can make the audience invest in the characters, making the setpieces more exciting. Romance is often integral to action films that want to reach their audiences on a human level. Love is a very compelling motivation for an action hero, particularly if the film’s stars have great chemistry together.

It shouldn’t be surprising that some of the best action stars of all-time have dipped their toes into the romantic comedy genre as well; established action icons like Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves, and Sigourney Weaver have all proven to be successful romantic leads. Action movie buffs and romance film fans have a lot more in common than they may expect, as the two genres often coalesce. Here are the ten best action movies that are also romances, ranked.

10 ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

Directed by Peter R. Hunt

While the James Bond franchise has a shaky history with its female representation, the 1969 classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was one of the few 007 films that focused on a singular romance. The Christmas-themed thriller follows George Lazenby’s Bond as he teams up with the woman Tracy (Diana Rigg) to stop a SPECTRE conspiracy. The pair grows closer over the course of their adventure, putting Bond in a vulnerable position for the first time in the series.

Lazenby shows a romantic side to Bond, who drops his “womanizing” persona in order to be vulnerable around Tracy. The film lands with a more emotional impact thanks to the strong chemistry between the two leads, making the ending one of the darkest in Bond history. The more romantic interpretation of the character led to a greater presence of romance in the Bond films that starred Daniel Craig.

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9 ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Raiders of the Lost Ark is without a doubt one of the greatest adventure movies ever made, as it kickstarted a great film franchise that highlighted Harrison Ford’s inherent charisma. However, Indy’s romantic life is just as interesting as his adventures in Raiders of the Lost Ark, as Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) proved to be a woman who was more than his equal. The action is often funniest and more exciting because the pressure is put on the two characters to maintain the status of their relationship.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is easily the most romantic of the Indiana Jones films, as neither Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were able to introduce new compelling love interests. However, Allen did manage to give Marion a proper sendoff with her cameo appearance in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

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8 ‘Romancing the Stone’ (1984)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis’ action-adventure film Romancing the Stone was a throwback to the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, and perfectly merged sexual tension with incredible set pieces. Although Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner starred in multiple films together, they worked best as a couple in Romancing the Stone; turning a jungle-set adventure premise into the basis of a romantic relationship was further indication as to why Zemeckis is such a brilliant storyteller.

Romancing the Stone was ahead of its time, as the “author romance” subgenre would continue with films like The Lost City and Argylle. While Douglas and Turner returned for the sequel Jewel of the Nile, it failed to spark the same unique energy that Romancing the Stone had created. It’s nonetheless a very rewatchable film that has aged far better than other action films of the 1980s thanks to the appropriate gender dynamics.

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7 ‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)

Directed by Rob Reiner

Few films could be described as “perfect,” but The Princess Brideis an action romance that simply gets better with age. The Princess Bride has no shortage of swashbuckling action, hilarious meta jokes, and elements of fantasy, but it’s the sincere relationship between the hero Wesley (Cary Elwes) and the strong woman Buttercup (Robin Wright) that makes the film such a classic. Director Rob Reiner was able to make the film cheeky in all the best ways, yet still allowed his two stars to be vulnerable during intimate moments.

While it’s packed with memorable lines, the best moments in The Princess Bride are when the characters voice their feelings for each other. Elwes and Wright have great chemistry that could never be topped; it’s a film that has the ability to reach audiences of all ages, and should never be remade or rebooted in any capacity.

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6 ‘Last of the Mohicans’ (1992)

Directed by Michael Mann

Michael Mann has made many great action and crime thrillers, but Last of the Mohicans adds a romantic storyline to a historical epic. Set during the conflict between British and French troops in the 1700s, the film chronicles the relationship between a wealthy woman (Madeleine Stowe) and an adopted Native American (Daniel Day-Lewis). While it begins as a traditional adventure epic, Mann gives time for his two stars to develop sincere romantic chemistry.

The performances in The Last of the Mohicans elevate the film’s emotional components, making the romantic scenes just as exciting as the intense battle sequences. Day-Lewis is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of all-time, but Last of the Mohicans gave him the rare opportunity to play a romantic heartthrob; Stowe is also excellent in what is certainly one of the stronger roles of her entire career.

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5 ‘First Knight’ (1995)

Directed by Jerry Zucker

The mythology of King Arthur has inspired many great films, but Jerry Zucker’s First Knight took a steamy approach to the origin of King Arthur’s round table. The film crafts a love triangle between Arthur (Sean Connery), his wife Guinevere (Julia Ormand), and the charismatic young swordsman Lancelot (Richard Gere) as they attempt to defend Camelot from the evil lord Malagant (Ben Cross). The melodramatic elements actually help reinvent the classic story, making it more approachable for viewers who may not have been familiar with the original source material.

First Knight handles the love triangle well, and mixes in just enough sword fights to keep viewers awake. While previous Arthurian films like Excalibur and The Sword in the Stone were more focused on medieval politics and religion, First Knight put a stronger emphasis on the classic characters and their interpersonal romantic relationships.

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4 ‘The Mask of Zorro’ (1998)

Directed by Martin Campbell

Easily one of the best superhero westerns of all-time, The Mask of Zorrocombined swashbuckling action with great romantic chemistry between Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There should be no doubt that Martin Campbell is a legend of the action genre, as he directed classics like Goldeneye and Casino Royale . However, it was the romantic bond between Banderas’ Zorro and Zeta-Jones’ character that made the action-packed spectacle even more emotionally rewarding.

Zorro is a public domain character that can be adapted by any interested filmmaker or studio. However, The Mask of Zorro is the best adaptation of the classic character, as other versions of the Zorro story did not delve into his personal desires. The Mask of Zorro opted to make its character vulnerable by showing their development as a couple; it even inspired the sequel The Legend of Zorro, which turned the franchise into a more lighthearted family comedy.

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3 ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (2005)

Directed by Doug Liman

Mr. & Mrs. Smith has a brilliant premise; what if a married couple were actually spies, and they weren’t aware of each others’ existence? The concept had the potential to be a serious espionage thriller, but the excellent chemistry between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie turned Mr. & Mrs. Smith into a modern action classic. The offscreen romance between the two somehow made the film even more dynamic; as perusal, The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman managed to balance the tone with a number of impressive set pieces.

While it sadly did not inspire a direct sequel, Mr. & Mrs Smith boasted an exciting premise that proved to be worth revisiting. The film inspired the excellent Amazon Prime original series of the same name, which reinvented the narrative with Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in the roles that Pitt and Jolie had once occupied.

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2 ‘In Time’ (2011)

Directed by Andrew Niccol

A curious science fiction thriller with an interesting depiction of the future, Andrew Niccol’s boldly original film In Timeexamined how love can stretch beyond parameters of class. The film takes place in a universe where time itself has become a commodity; the young factory worker Will (Justin Timberlake) begins to realize the faults within the system when he falls in love with the wealthy girl Sylvie (Amanda Seyfried). The two begin to work together to change the future for the better, all whilst falling deeper in love.

While the world building itself can become a bit overwhelming, the strong chemistry between Timberlake and Seyfried helps elevate In Time. It’s frankly odd to see such a significant original work of sci-fi action in an era dominated by franchises and comic book movies; the romantic element only makes Niccol’s film more worthy of praise and admiration.

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1 ‘Baby Driver’ (2017)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Edgar Wright has a history of reinventing classic genres by cleverly homaging their history. While it featured fantastically rendered car chase sequences, Baby Driveris at its heart a throwback to classic Old Hollywood romance movies. Despite living a life of crime working for the criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey), the young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) decides to give up his dangerous ways because he falls in love with the charming waitress Debra (Lily James).

Baby Driver isn’t afraid to get sincere, but Wright manages to inject enough humor to ensure that the film never gets too sachaine. The excellent needle drops that are incorporated throughout also do a great job at showing how a young couple may bond over music during their initial dating phase. The film had been heralded as a modern classic for how fluidly it combines emotion and spectacle.

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