Every new movie, especially in the age of social media, is almost immediately debated between its fans and critics. Because the Internet makes it easier than ever for someone to share their opinions about the movies they watch, these films have become more discussed and disputed. During the past five years, in particular, fans have ravenously devoured and reviewed popular genre films, like action movies.

Thanks to social media and movie-based websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, film fans have more avenues to explore, talk about, and rate their favorite movies. Genre fans, especially for one of the most significant genres, action, frequently contribute to such review sites, resulting in a greater consensus regarding the best action movies of the last five years.

Updated January 26, 2024, by Anthony Jeanetta. Well-directed, expertly choreographed action movies have largely proliferated during the past five years due to the success of franchises like John Wick and Mission: Impossible. This list has been updated to reflect CBR’s most recent style guidelines.

10 Bullet Train Is A Quippy, Fast-Paced Thrill Ride

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Bullet Train has a stacked ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron-Taylor Johnson, and Brian Tyree Henry. The movie follows Brad Pitt’s character, Ladybug, an unlucky assassin attempting to do his job peacefully after many of his hits have gone wrong. Unfortunately for Ladybug, while on the world’s fastest train, he finds himself at the center of an unintentional assassin convention, where a group of global foes fight to achieve their connected yet conflicting contracts.

While some critics found Bullet Train’s plot frequently fell off the track, others praised it for its slick action sequences and sense of humor. Brad Pitt and Aaron Talyor-Johnson, in particular, shine as assassins with a tumultuous relationship that blooms into a quasi-friendship by the film’s end. Thanks to David Leitch’s steady direction, Bullet Train’s action is good enough to carry it through an inconsistent narrative.

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Like John Wick, a former stuntman-turned-director stepped behind the camera for Extraction. Sam Hargrave, who made his directorial debut with Extraction, was previously a stunt performer and coordinator for films like Avengers: Endgame, Atomic Blonde, and Captain America: Civil War. Based on this background, the action-forward Extraction featured stunning fight choreography that helped it become one of Netflix’s most successful film franchise.

In Extraction, Chris Hemsworth stars as Tyler Rake, a fearless mercenary willing to face anyone. Rake’s skills are put to the test when an imprisoned Indian drug kingpin hires him to retrieve his kidnapped son, Ovi, from a rival drug lord. Alongside a few friends, Rake must rescue and return Ovi safely home. Extraction is full of long takes and excellent fight choreography, accentuating the incredible action.

8 Nobody Is Far Greater Than the John Wick Rip-off Some Believe It Is

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Nobody, penned by John Wick writer Derek Kolstad, begins as a seemingly benign family drama. Bob Odenkirk shines as protagonist Hutch Mansell, the titular nobody who mopes through a boring professional and personal life. A pair of burglars shake up Mansell’s mundane existence when they break into his home, beating him up in the process. To add insult to injury, Hutch’s wife and teenage son pull further away afterward, disappointed he didn’t stand up for his family.

Nobody kicks into high-gear when this disappointment triggers a deep-seated anger in Hutch, reigniting previous instincts from his secret past life and putting him on a path of bloodshed. The resulting skirmishes between Hutch and a Russian criminal cartel make for some of the best recent action sequences. Behind Ilya Naishuller’s (Hardcore Henry) kinetic direction, Nobody shines as one of the best action movies of the last five years.

7 Avengers: Endgame Is An Epic Conclusion To the MCU’s Grand Experiment

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Avengers: Endgame isn’t just the conclusion to the MCU’s 12-year experiment in long-form cinematic storytelling; it’s one of the best action movies in recent memory. Endgame, the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, is an epic depicting the lives of the few remaining superheroes alive. These heroes must grapple with the reality of half of life dying and devise a plan to get them back.

Despite being an appropriately action-packed finale, Avengers: Endgame was also a deeply emotional sendoff for longtime franchise stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. Under Extraction director Sam Hargrave’s coordination, Endgame strikes an ideal balance between CGI action and well-choreographed practical stunt work. It’s a rare feat that few superhero movies have achieved before or after.

6 Birds of Prey Has The Best Action Scenes of Any Non-Batman DC Movie

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Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is the follow-up film to Harley Quinn’s story in 2016’s Suicide Squad. It follows a post-Joker Harley Quinn after their tumultuous breakup, which puts a target on her back. While on the run, she becomes the target of a top Gotham crime boss, Black Mask, leading her to team up with a trio of females to take on the Gotham underworld.

Birds of Prey differentiates itself from other superhero movies in a few ways. First, it’s a female-centric movie, directed by a woman, in a genre that typically centers on men. Additionally, Birds of Prey has a sense of humor that’s less quippy and more character-centric, making the laugh lines hit harder. Finally, Chad Stakhelski, director of the John Wick franchise, served as the movie’s second-unit director and helped craft its fantastic action set pieces.

5 Denis Villeneuve Ensures Dune’s Action Sequences Are Suitably Sensational

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Dune depicts the story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, who, in the year 10191, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe, Arrakis. While in Arrakis, Paul must deal with the harsh natural and insidious political forces to secure his family and people’s future. This precarious situation leads Atreides and the rest of his house to become entangled between two worlds and the target of deadly ire from across the galaxy. Like the series its novel inspired (Star Wars), Dune is a sci-fi epic that effortlessly builds an entire galaxy and multiple unique worlds within it.

Also, like Star Wars, there are plenty of high-tech battles to satisfy any action fan. Dune’s shields serve as force fields that can only be pierced by slow-speed blade attack, making for several terrific hand-to-hand combat scenes. These aspects, and Denis Villeneuve’s always-great direction, make Dune a must-see for any sci-fi or action fan. While it’s an overall excellent film, it’s not a full-fledged action romp like other movies that came out during the time. Still, its sequel remains highly anticipated and promises more action than the first.

4 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Continues A Great Action Franchise’s Steller Reputation

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Any hardcore fan of the action genre knows there have been two movies since 2010 that completely changed the genre: The Raid in 2010 and John Wick in 2014. While The Raid undoubtedly influenced John Wick, the latter introduced the long-take, meticulously choreographed action style to American audiences. So, it’s no wonder John Wick: 3 – Parabellum ranks as one of the best recent action movies.

Because of his actions in John Wick: Chapter 2, John finds himself on the run with a $14 million bounty on his head to begin John Wick 3 – Parabellum. This bounty tempts every assassin in the area to hunt Wick wherever he goes. Eventually, John must reconcile with his past to move forward. Doing so through waves of enemies, he cuts down with more style than almost any other action movie. John Wick: Chapter 3 upholds the franchise’s stellar tradition of action movie excellence.

3 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 Is Another Successful And Pulse-Pounding Operation

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Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning is one of the best movies of a top-rated series, one of the best and most reliable action movie franchises since Christopher McQuarrie took stewardship of it. This latest installment follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his Mission Impossible Force team as they defend against a new global threat.

Although some people may perceive Dead Reckoning as a step-down from its predecessor, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, it’s only true because there was no way to top Fallout’s dizzying heights. Dead Reckoning has everything a Mission: Impossible or general action movie fan could want, including a few seemingly death-defying set pieces. Dead Reckoning Part 1’s large-scale action scenes make Dead Reckoning worthy of any action movie fan’s attention.

2 Top Gun: Maverick Demonstrates There’s More Fuel Left in the Tank for Tom Cruise

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Top Gun: Maverick is a direct sequel to the iconic 1986 Tony Scott film Top Gun. The movie takes place over 30 years after the original, still tracking the exploits of US Navy Captain Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick, played by Tom Cruise. After disobeying a direct order again, the Navy is one more misstep away from discharging Maverick from service. At the behest of Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, the Navy gives Maverick a final chance as an instructor at the Top Gun school – the same school he advanced through in the franchise’s first installment.

In Top Gun: Maverick, Mitchell is in an unfamiliar place as the teacher. To win his student’s begrudging admiration by beating them at what he does best: flying fighter jets. His pupils include Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of his deceased best friend, Nick Bradshaw. This emotional link results in tension between the two throughout training, which Maverick must navigate as carefully as he does on the battlefield in a jet. This affecting storyline and stunning aerial cinematography make Top Gun: Maverick one of the best recent action movies.

1 John Wick: Chapter 4 Might Be The Best Entry In A Modern Classic Action Franchise

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John Wick: Chapter 4 is the ultra-rare sequel (let alone fourth entry) in a franchise that meets or even surpasses the first film’s quality. Despite the resolution in the previous John Wick, Chapter 4 depicts Keanu Reeve’s Wick again on the run, this time from the High Table — the shadowy syndicate that seemingly governs the franchise’s underground society of killers. Pursuing him, on behalf of the High Table, is Marquis Vincent De Gramont, played with scenery-chewing glee by Bill Skarsgård.

John Wick: Chapter 4 continues Chapter 3’s use of multiple locations, bringing Mr. Wick and the ultra-violence that follows him to Osaka, Berlin, and Paris. As importantly, Chapter 4 features arguably the best set pieces in the franchise’s storied history. Besides battling other action icons like Scott Adkins and Donnie Yen, Reeves as Wick has some standout gunfights, most notably in Osaka and on the 300 steps to the Sacré-Coeur in Paris. There are sequences in John Wick: Chapter 4 that rival any other action movie — or video game — in the last five years.