Action movies have been part of Hollywood for decades, but they didn’t become one of the industry’s most popular genres until the late 1980s. Films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lethal Weapon, and Die Hard paved the way for the 21st century’s influx of tentpole franchises such as The Fast and the Furious, John Wick, and even the MCU.

The very best action films of this century have all found a novel way to approach the genre’s now well-established tropes. From Kill Bill’s blending of kung fu and spaghetti westerns to Casino Royale’s willingness to embrace reality over-exaggeration, change in tastes has forced the genre to evolve or die over the past two decades. As a result, the 21st century has seen the release of some of the best action films of all time.

10 Top Gun: Maverick Landed at Just the Right Moment

Since 2020, Hollywood has been in something of a mess, with box-office returns in free fall. Thankfully, Top Gun: Maverick, the long-gestating sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 original, touched down at just the right time. In something of a rarity for an action sequel, this film delivers repeatedly, setting entire theaters ablaze with excitement and leading to some genuinely astounding box-office success.

Audiences’ previous affection for the original Top Gun played a massive part in the film’s accomplishments, but Cruise’s willingness to continually crank up the action with each new starring vehicle played an equally important part in Maverick’s success. High-flying aerial battles, an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack, and gratuitous beach football guarantee that there’s plenty to love about this film.

9 Kung Fu Hustle Combined the Best of Action With Comedy

Written and directed by Hong Kong filmmaking legend Stephen Chow, Kung Fu Hustle combines the unforgettable choreography of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a sense of cartoonish playfulness, resulting in one of the most refreshing action films ever made. Part The Matrix and part Charlie Chaplin-esque slapstick comedy, Kung Fu Hustle offers a little something for everyone in the audience.

Set in Shanghai in the 1940s, Kung Fu Hustle follows the story of a petty thief (played by Stephen Chow), who rallies a group of poor townsfolk to defeat the ruthless Ace gang encroaching upon their territory. Chow not only combines traditional Chinese music with some out-of-this-world special effects to thrill his audience, he also peppers the film with references to everything from The Godfather to The Shining, making this one movie any true film geek needs to seek out.

8 John Wick: Chapter 2 Cements the 21st Century’s Greatest Action Franchise

If the original John Wick taught us anything, it was never to mess with another man’s pet. Well, that and action movies were about to evolve in a breathtaking and exciting new way. John Wick: Chapter 2 fulfilled that promise by being an even more action-packed entry than its predecessor, with higher stakes and one giant cliffhanger of an ending.

A make-or-break moment for the series, John Wick: Chapter 2 proved that the original was more than just a successful one-off; as it turned out, John Wick was a bonafide box office smash. Doubling down on the original film’s visceral action style was an intelligent decision that gave audience members more of what they wanted, kickstarting the 21st century’s most significant action franchise.

7 Collateral Transcends the Stereotypical Action Vehicle With Star Power

Collateral arrived in the early 2000s when the idea of the “movie star” was in decline. Then Tom Cruise starred as a psychopathic killer with a shock of gray hair in this incredibly intense Michael Mann thriller, and audiences realized that rumors of such a demise were greatly exaggerated.

Simple, effective, tight, and utterly suspenseful, Collateral became a runaway success, grossing over $200 million worldwide off the back of both Cruise and Jamie Fox, who each gave performances that ranked among the best of their careers. Neither star overshadowed the other, and Mann’s slick direction resulted in a great action flick that transcended the typical limits of the genre.

6 Casino Royale Rebooted The James Bond Franchise for the 21st Century

The first James Bond film to star Daniel Craig made one thing very clear: the franchise was headed in a very different direction from what had come before. Based on Ian Fleming’s first novel featuring 007 as a far less experienced agent, Casino Royale reinvented the franchise by giving Bond rougher edges.

Daniel Craig portrays Bond as a tortured soul with a dry sense of humor and a willingness to get his hands filthy, like blowing up an African embassy in Madagascar or sinking an entire building into the waters of Venice. Somehow, Casino Royale accomplished all of this without losing its most surprising element: James Bond’s vulnerability, best characterized by his romantic relationship with Vesper Lynd.

5 Oldboy Is a Shock to the System

Like a Russian nesting doll, Oldboy is a Greek tragedy disguised as an unbelievably gritty action flick. The influence of Park Chan-wook’s films can be felt in everything from John Wick to Netflix’s Daredevil. Even now, years later, watching Oldboy provides an instant shot of adrenaline to the system.

Oldboy might feature fewer fights than almost any other movie on this list, but it also boasts the most infamous action scene of the entire century in the film’s hallway sequence. This single-take corridor battle where the film’s protagonist, Dae-su Oh, fends off a legion of mobsters with little more than his fists and a hammer has already been recycled in numerous action movies since the film’s release. Just stay away from the American remake at all costs.

4 The Raid: Redemption Is the Hardest Hitting Action Film Ever Made

The Raid: Redemption is 90 minutes of relentless, breakneck action sequences, the kind of which won’t be found anywhere in American cinema. Seldom has such a breakout hit arrived with so many accompanying broken bones.

Simply put, The Raid: Redemption is a bruising film with set pieces that most directors would be terrified to attempt. Yet somehow, the then-novice director Gareth Evans packed his breakout film to the very brim with some of the craziest and most hard-hitting fight sequences ever seen. More than just introducing the power of the Indonesian martial art form known as Pencak silat, The Raid successfully reestablished the dominance of martial arts as a whole in the action genre.

3 Inception Mixes Sci-Fi and Action to Incredible Results

Inception is undoubtedly best remembered for its incredible use of time-bending and gravity-ignoring special effects. None of those moments would get an audience’s blood pumping the way Inception does without a healthy helping of superb action sequences unfolding in this anything-goes environment of the altered dream state.

Yes, Inception hinges on a very elaborate buy-in from the audience regarding its use of experimental dream-sharing technology, but once that’s accepted as truth, the only limits this film is confronted with are those of Christopher Nolan’s imagination. There’s a reason this film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, while most other entries in the genre are often forgotten about or dismissed out of hand. It’s because Inception is grounded in the one thing most action films tend to lack: the relatable stakes of a parent trying to get home to their kids.

2 Kill Bill Is Unlike Anything That Came Before or After

Kill Bill was released as two feature films (stylized as Volumes) in the early 2000s, but it is most evocative when viewed in one sitting. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker borrowed all of his favorite elements from Asian action flicks and spaghetti westerns to construct a nifty aesthetic that was unlike anything audiences have seen before or since.

Starring Uma Thurman as “The Bride,” a talented assassin who had been cast aside and is now seeking revenge against the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad for the murder of her lover, both films tracked the story of her tackling her kill-list one by one. Whenever The Bride confronts a new enemy, Tarantino finds a unique way to choreograph and shoot the fight so that no single battle in the series resembles another. Whether it’s the incredible “House of Leaves” sequence from Vol. 1 or the pulse-pounding finale of Vol. 2, Kill Bill is simply an unforgettable action experience.

1 Mad Max: Fury Road Is The Hit Action Film No One Saw Coming

Despite the fact that Mad Max: Fury Road is one extended chases scene, the film still blew audiences and critics out of their seats upon its release in 2015. The fact that 75-year-old George Miller made this film only makes that feat all the more impressive.

Mad Max: Fury Road’s existence feels like a miracle in many ways. The action scenes are exquisite in design and entirely light on their feet. Underneath the surface, however, is a dark story that feels more relevant and profound with each subsequent viewing. In Furiosa, Miller discovered the most important character of his career, and he’ll have the chance to potentially add another entry to this list when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga finally sees release in 2024.