There is nothing quite like a good action movie. When you go to the movies, what else would you want to see on the big screen other than big explosions? But while there’s a thousand action classics you might be able to name off the top of your head, some action movies fly way under the radar. Way under. It’s about time we induct some underappreciated ones into the canon.
While there’s no dispute over the likes of Die Hard, Speed, and The Matrix, there’s still plenty more action movies that don’t get nearly the same amount of appreciation. Whether it was because they bombed at the box office or simply fizzled out in the wider imagination, some action movies remain relics yet to be “discovered.” Even if the movie has all the ingredients to be a massive hit.
From overlooked Hollywood tentpoles that bombed to indie features from places like Hong Kong and Japan, these are 32 underrated action movies all genre die-hards need to check out
32. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
While both director Tony Scott and screenwriter Shane Black have disowned their 1991 action-comedy The Last Boy Scout due to meddling by producer Joel Silver, it hasn’t stopped the movie from cultivating a serious devout following. Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans co-star as a mismatched duo – one a down-and-out P.I. (Willis), the other a washed-up football star embroiled in publicity scandals (Wayans) – who team up to uncover a conspiracy that involves both of their worlds. Featuring all the trademarks of a Shane Black script (snappy dialogue, witty side characters) and Tony Scott’s explosive direction, The Last Boy Scout deserves greater recognition.
31. Heroes Shed No Tears (1984)
After spending most of the 1970s directing kung fu flicks and comedies, John Woo was feeling burnt out by the 1980s. To break away from his contract with Golden Harvest, Woo hurried into production of Heroes Shed No Tears, a somber action drama from a script that Woo deemed “simple” enough to work with a multilingual cast and crew. Indeed, the story is simple: The movie follows a group of mercenaries who try to extract a drug lord hiding in the Vietnam/Laos border. While Woo was mostly checked out of production – with scenes of graphic sex that Woo did not film himself – Heroes Shed No Tears satisfies anyone’s craving for muscular action, a non-stop barrage of bullets that foreshadows Woo’s future era-defining masterpieces.
30. The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)
The kung fu genre left a lasting impression on a generation of New Yorkers, most of all a group of budding rappers later known as the Wu-Tang Clan. The Man with the Iron Fists is the brainchild of Wu-Tang founder RZA, who stars in this big budget homage to ’70s and ’80s wuxia. RZA plays the titular Man with the Iron Fists, a renowned blacksmith in 19th century China who supplies weapons to warring clans vying for control. Eventually, diverse warriors must work together to save their home. Alongside RZA are A-listers like Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, and a pre-Guardians of the Galaxy Dave Bautista.
29. Red Heat (1988)
Walter Hill satirizes Cold War era tensions with his buddy action comedy Red Heat, an underrated gem for both Hill and star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger plays a beefy Russian police officer who teams up with a stiff Chicago cop (Jim Belushi) to track down a drug lord. Not only is Red Heat one of the rare movies where Schwarzenegger’s foreign accent actually fits his character, but his pairing with Belushi makes the movie pure popcorn fun.
28. Knights of the Zodiac (2023)
Wildly overlooked from 2023 is Tomasz Bagiński’s Knights of the Zodiac, a live-action adaptation of the hit anime phenomenon Saint Seiya. While Knights of the Zodiac disappointed many of the anime’s most dedicated fans, it is actually a pretty solid fantasy action movie with a remarkably star-studded cast. Mackenyu, the son of legendary Japanese film star Sonny Chiba, stars as Seiya, a tough street fighter who is tasked with protecting Sienna (Madison Iseman), the reincarnation of the goddess Athena. Feeling like an episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with a bigger budget and cast – including Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, and Mark Dacascos – Knights of the Zodiac packs a stronger punch than its low-rent looks let on.
27. American Assassin (2017)
Dylan O’Brien graduates from teen TV heartthrob to legit action hero in American Assassin, based on Vince Flynn’s spy book series. O’Brien plays Mitch Rapp, a young CIA recruit who helps a veteran of the Cold War (Michael Keaton) prevent the detonation of a nuclear weapon. American Assassin is good old-fashioned ’80s- and ’90s-style entertainment, played straight and without a hint of irony, which is sure to please anyone who yearns for the kind of bygone action movie they just don’t make anymore.
26. Man on Fire (2004)
Based on A.J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel and the second movie version (French filmmaker Élie Chouraqui helmed a version of Man on Fire in 1987), Tony Scott’s Man on Fire cranks up the dial with a larger-than-life Denzel Washington tasked with protecting and then recurring a young girl (played by Dakota Fanning). While Man on Fire didn’t exactly light up critics, it ignited the box office to gross over $130 million worldwide. Today, Man on Fire endures as the kind of studio action movie that felt dime-a-dozen during its era only to age like fine wine.
25. Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)
Sure, it’s downright hilarious that a 40-something Donnie Yen plays a teenager. But Dragon Tiger Gate is a banger of a kung fu flick, a movie that marries gravity-defying martial arts action with comic book compositions. Directed by Wilson Yip, Dragon Tiger Gate chronicles three young martial artists – two of them estranged brothers, the other a master of nunchuks – who team up to take down a criminal cult leader and master of a supernatural form of kung fu. Sandwiched between the release of the grounded and dramatic Kill Zone and the international success that was Ip Man, Dragon Tiger Gate goes to 11 on the style dial to feel like a comic book in motion.
24. Free Fire (2016)
One of the most overlooked movies in A24’s library, Free Fire is a stylish action-comedy where a star-studded ensemble engage in a bloody Mexican standoff. Brie Larson takes center stage of Free Fire, in which a group of criminals and IRA members meet for an arms deal one chilly night in Boston, 1978. When the deal suddenly goes awry, sides are drawn and everyone starts taking cover. Also starring Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sam Riley, and more, Free Fire runs wild with its rather basic premise to deliver thrills with kills. If nothing else, the movie’s ’70s wardrobes are to die for, and there’s a John Denver needledrop that will have you laughing your head off.
23. Mayhem (2017)
It’s The Purge meets 9-to-5 in Mayhem, where coworkers turn on each other after a strange virus compels everyone to act out on their most dangerous impulses. The Walking Dead’s Steven Yuen plays Derek, a freshly fired lawyer whose office building is suddenly quarantined amid the outbreak of the airborne virus. Teaming up with a desperate client (Samara Weaving), Derek fights his way to the top floor to settle things with his bosses once and for all. Joe Lynch’s Mayhem is a bloody good time, a workplace satire soaked in scarlet that invites anyone frustrated with their jobs to live vicariously – and violently.
22. Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)
A former Black Ops soldier (Clive Owen) with a considerable set of skills must protect a baby from assassins – led by Paul Giamatti – with the help of a prostitute (Monica Belluci). This paper-thin premise is all Shoot ‘Em Up needs to deliver some of the most kinetic shootouts in modern movie history. Directed by Michael Davis and inspired by John Woo’s Hard Boiled, Shoot ‘Em Up is intentionally all style and little substance, a sugary treat for action junkies who prefer all the pulp in their fictions.
21. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
While this standalone prequel to the G.I. Joe franchise stumbled at the pandemic-stricken box office, Henry Golding proves his leading man mettle alongside a worthy Andrew Koji (as his antihero clan brother, Storm Shadow). Golding steps into the boots of enigmatic action figure ninja Snake Eyes in his rise from anonymous street fighter to skilled ninja master. While Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, directed by Robert Schwentke, buckles beneath its own weight from having too much and doing too little – not to mention a complete waste of Samara Weaving – Snake Eyes entertains when you see it as a modern revival of the disposable ninja flicks that proliferated VHS rental shelves circa late ’80s and ’90s.
20. American Ultra (2015)
“What if Jason Bourne was a stoner?” That’s the basic (and tremendously fun) idea behind American Ultra, from director Nima Nourizadeh. Jesse Eisenberg stars in the movie as Mike, a convenience store clerk and slacker who discovers he’s actually a sleeper agent with lethal skills after he’s reawakened by the CIA. When the government tries to deactivate him, Mike fights for his life to protect his girlfriend (Kristen Stewart). A deadly combination of espionage action, stoner comedy, and young adult romance, American Ultra is a most unique action movie that hilariously trades tactical vests for flannel and skinny jeans.
19. Riders of Justice (2020)
Intense and darkly funny, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders of Justice is an action-packed movie tinged with explorations of grief. In this Danish-language thriller, Mads Mikkelsen plays a soldier who returns home after the death of his wife in a train accident. He’s soon approached by a survivor who informs him that it was no accident, but actually an orchestrated attack carried out by a criminal gang. Mikkelsen finds himself the unlikely mentor of equally unlikely men who seek both justice and vengeance for their losses. While mostly a red-hot revenge tale, Riders of Justice is unsuspectingly hilarious, resulting in a rare cinematic experience.
18. Unleashed (2005)
In Jet Li’s best dramatic performance, the martial arts star plays Danny, a feral man who serves as a bodyguard-slash-attack dog for a ruthless Scottish gangster, Bart (Bob Hoskins). After Danny breaks free, he’s taken in by a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his stepdaughter (Kerry Condon) who care for and nurture Danny until Bart comes back for his “property.” Directed by Louis Letterier and choreographed by industry legend Yuen Woo-ping, Unleashed packs both a punch and a lot of heart, making it one of the precious few action movies where the drama is just as riveting as the fight scenes.
17. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Guy Ritchie applies his unique brand of humor and action in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, an exaggerated account of the real-life Operation Postmaster during World War 2. Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Henry Golding, and Alan Ritchson take part playing a group of elite British soldiers who form the UK’s first special forces group, using espionage and guerilla warfare to sabotage the Nazis. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is no stuffy history lesson, but rather a fist-pumping show with serious swagger.
16. Raw Deal (1986)
The 1980s were quite the decade for Arnold Schwarzenegger. After dominating the world of bodybuilding, Arnie found Hollywood success following his two Conan movies and 1984’s The Terminator. In 1986, he further asserted his profile via the action-thriller Raw Deal. The movie sees Schwarzenegger portray a disgraced FBI agent who gets a second chance when he’s tasked with infiltrating a Chicago crime family to locate the killer of his boss’ son. Raw Deal may not be as big or influential as Schwarzenegger’s other movies, but it’s a no-nonsense, butt-kicking, good old fashioned action movie with one of the greatest action stars of all time in his absolute prime. What’s not to like?
15. Versus (2000)
It’s yakuza versus zombies in Ryuhei Kitamura’s debut feature Versus, an underground classic. Tak Sakaguchi plays a runaway prisoner who enters a disagreement with his Yakuza handlers. It just so happens that everyone is lost in a haunted forest where the dead walk again, and a mysterious gate offers incredible powers to those who can seize it. With a tiny budget, an ambitious director, and a collection of actors who would go on to become stars in the tokusatsu genre, Versus is a must-see midnight movie feast where katanas slice up zombies like vegetables.
14. The Heroic Trio (1993)
Who needs The Avengers when you have The Heroic Trio? In Johnnie To’s kung fu superhero extravaganza, Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Cheung play gifted heroines who team up to thwart an unholy villain who’s been kidnapping babies as part of a sinister plan. With high-kicking leading ladies, kooky (and spooky) villains, and some of the best fight scenes ever executed during the Hong Kong New Wave (courtesy of choreographer Ching Siu-tung), The Heroic Trio proves the best cinematic superheroes aren’t exclusive to Marvel and DC.
13. The Condemned (2007)
Oh sure, The Condemned is a blatant rip-off of Battle Royale and The Most Dangerous Game. But do either of those things have “Stone Cold” Steve Austin? Released by WWE Studios in 2007, The Condemned sees former wrestling champion Steve Austin play a death row inmate who is forced to participate in an illegal reality show where some of the world’s most violent convicts are forced to fight to the death on a remote island. While The Condemned is a sloppy movie, including its commentary on the brutality of mass media and humankind’s penchant for bloodlust as entertainment, it’s a neat exhibition of Steve Austin as a cinematic, punch-now-talk-never antihero – a part “Stone Cold” excelled at for years in the ring.
12. The Shadow Strays (2024)
Timo Tjahjanto does it again. Cementing himself as an authority of Indonesian action cinema, Tjahjanto’s blood-soaked 2024 flick The Shadow Strays slices and dices countless limbs all in the name of justice. Aurora Ribero plays a trained assassin who, while waiting for her next assignment, undertakes her own rescue mission to save the young boy who lives next door. Eventually, this pits her against her own mentors and employers, encouraging her to question what her life is really for. The Shadow Strays may not reach the same heights as Tjahjanto’s more kinetic 2018 film The Night Comes for Us, but The Shadow Strays is no middleweight.
11. Triple Threat (2019)
Some of the greatest action heroes of the direct-to-DVD and streaming era collide in the 2019 ensemble Triple Threat. Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Tiger Chen play mercenaries who come to the aid of a billionaire heiress (Arrow’s Celina Jade) to protect her against assassins, played by Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, and UFC champ Michael Bisping. Light on plot but heavy on high-octane action, Triple Threat is a feast for action aficionados and an effective introduction to the era’s best action stars who have yet to become household names.
10. Gatchaman (2013)
Go, go… Gatchaman? Preceding both Power Rangers and its Japanese ancestor Super Sentai, the anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (known as Battle of the Planets in the U.S.) chronicled the adventures of bird-like superheroes who use cutting-edge technology to save the world. In 2013, Gatchaman soared to the big screen in a live-action reboot film from director Toya Sato. While Gatchaman gets lost in its own sauce with an overly complicated love triangle subplot, the whole thing feels like an overblown Saturday morning cartoon, and we mean that as a compliment. Tell Batman to stand down. The Gatchaman have gatcha-this.
9. District 13 (2004)
If action movies fill you with adrenaline that makes you want to get up and run, you’ll want to run – not walk – to District 13. Directed by Pierre Morel and written by The Fifth Element’s Luc Besson, this landmark action movie from France stars David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli as freerunning police officers who team up to take down a crime syndicate in near-future Paris in the year 2010. (Well, near future for its time.) Remembered for its innovative showcase of parkour, which circa 2004 was unheard of by the mainstream, District 13 still stands out among the pack. In 2014, it was remade into the Hollywood movie Brick Mansions, which notably was the last movie completed by Paul Walker prior to his death.
8. Hand of Death (1976)
Prior to his seismic 1986 Hong Kong blockbuster A Better Tomorrow, John Woo made a handful of kung fu wuxia movies that foreshadowed his genius to come. In 1976, Woo collaborated with pre-fame Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung to deliver Hand of Death, a classic kung fu revenge pic. Dorian Tan plays a gifted student of Shaolin kung fu who is tasked with taking down a ruthless warrior (James Tien) who aims to kill all Shaolin practitioners. While Hand of Death is pretty unremarkable compared to the giants of the genre, it’s still satisfying enough to warrant more than a cursory glance, especially with its showcase of future superstars like Chan and Hung just before their meteoric rise.
7. Unstoppable (2010)
While on the surface Unstoppable looks like a pale Speed rip-off, it’s a mistake to underestimate the combined talents of Tony Scott (in his final directorial effort), Denzel Washington, and Chris Pine. Released in 2010 and loosely inspired by the real-life CSX 8888 incident in 2001, Unstoppable tells the story of a runaway freight train loaded with toxic and flammable chemicals barreling towards a densely populated area. Washington and Pine co-star as train engineers on a literal race against time to prevent catastrophe. Appropriately relentless, Unstoppable surpasses expectations to be an engrossing experience that only someone like Tony Scott, with decades of Hollywood experience under his belt, could deliver.
6. Pathfinder (1987)
Inspired by Sami legend and in fact the first full-length movie with entirely Sami dialogue, Pathfinder follows a young hunter, Aigin (Mikkel Gaup) who survives a harrowing attack by a rival tribe of nomads. While attempting to outrun the enemy, Aigin plots his revenge. Unlike its more exaggerated and ostentatious American remake from 2007, which felt more like a comic book than an ancient fable, the ’87 Pathfinder is grounded and gripping, its heightened sense of realism adding to the movie’s sense of majesty and triumph against the odds.
5. Magnificent Warriors (1987)
“Michelle Yeoh is Indiana Jones” should be enough to sell anyone on Magnificent Warriors. Directed by David Chung, Magnificent Warriors sees future Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh play a daring pilot who teams with resistance fighters to defend a remote mountain village against Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It would be decades before Yeoh would win an Academy Award, but Magnificent Warriors is a jaw-dropping showcase of Yeoh’s immense talent and charisma, proving that she’s always been worth gold.
4. Hanna (2011)
From director Joe Wright, Hanna stars Saoirse Ronan as the title heroine, a cherubic teenager whose delicate appearance obscures her skills as a lethal assassin trained by her father (Eric Bana). Cate Blanchett co-stars as a ruthless senior CIA agent who dispatches agents after the both of them. While tracking the CIA agent across Europe, Hanna stumbles upon startling revelations about her own origins. A haunting fairy tale in the clothing of a Jason Bourne-esque spy thriller, Hanna proves that looks really can be deceiving.
3. Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013)
Actor Scott Adkins and director Isaac Florentine are a match made in DVD heaven. Regular collaborators in the world of low-budget, high-octane action flicks, their creative synergy reached its apex in the 2013 actioner Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, a direct sequel to their 2009 film Ninja. The movie continues the story of American ninja Casey Bowman, who embarks on a bloody path to revenge after his pregnant wife is murdered. Even if ninjas aren’t your thing, let Ninja: Shadow of a Tear tear away all expectations.
2. Road House (1989)
I don’t know how else to sell you on the 1989 cult classic Road House except: Patrick Swayze rips a dude’s throat out. In this sweaty ’80s gem, Swayze stars as Dalton, a freelance bouncer who is hired to sort out the rough patrons of the Double Deuce bar in Missouri. What Dalton doesn’t know is just how central he is to the town’s corruption, forcing Dalton to use a level of violence he swore off. It may not look like the most exciting action movie ever made, but that’s what makes it special. It packs heat and goes for the jugular.
1. Upgrade (2018)
Essentially a darker sci-fi version of Venom, Leigh Whannell’s 2018 thriller Upgrade sees Logan Marshall-Green play an auto mechanic named Grey who is left paralyzed after street criminals assault him and kill his wife. Grey is then chosen to receive a cutting-edge computer chip that allows him to regain control of his legs. But the chip’s scary artificial intelligence has its own intentions, and offers Grey the chance to get his revenge… for a steep price. Exceptionally violent and eerily sharp, Upgrade is truly the next level of action movies.
