A new year, a new slew of action films to entertain those who like some adrenaline. 2026 has some exciting ones on the docket, too. The Cliffhanger reboot with Lily James should be fun, Masters of the Universe with Camila Mendes may very well work, Mortal Kombat 2 is bound to be a good time, Jason Statham has two in route with Mutiny and Shelter, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is going to be the epic it should be, and Street Fighter is likely to capture some gamers’ nostalgia-fueled attention. Not to mention, it’s going to be great to have David Harbour’s Santa back in Violent Night 2.
Which one will be the best? We’ll know that come December 31st. But what we can do for now is look back at the past quarter century and handpick which was the best of its genre from each and every year. Note that we left off superhero films. That’s a different list.
26) 2000 — Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2000 was the year for foreign action films. Both Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan) and Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale (Japan) are fantastic. But the edge definitely goes to Lee’s Best Picture winner. It’s visually and thematically beautiful.
It also helps that the American competition was fun at best, with The Art of War, Get Carter, Gone in 60 Seconds, Mission: Impossible 2, Romeo Must Die, Shanghai Noon, and Vertical Limit all being pretty shrug-worthy. That said, Charlie’s Angels is kind of fun. Just avoid its sequel like the overbearingly over-stylized plague it is.
25) 2001 — The Fast and the Furious
It’s pretty impressive that a fairly simple cops and robbers film kicked off a franchise that ended up going on for 25 years (and ended up going to space, but the less said about that the better). But in hindsight it’s easy to see why because, even if you’re nothing like any of its characters, it’s pretty easy to fall in love with The Fast and the Furious‘ interpersonal dynamics.
This was an easy victory for Rob Cohen’s somewhat unlikely franchise initiator. Though, over the passage of time, it’s become easy to accept just how goofily fun John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars is.
24) 2002 — The Transporter
2002 is arguably the most important of the aughts when it comes to action cinema. Why? Because it’s when Jason Statham became a Hollywood leading man, even if it was more of a French-American co-production.
This is where we saw his charisma and his acrobatic abilities put on full display. It doesn’t have the most elaborate plot in the world, but the first Transporter is still the best Transporter.
Stream The Transporter on YouTube TV.
23) 2003 — Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The Pirates of the Caribbean saga may have run on two movies too long, but the initial trilogy is still cinema magic. This is especially true of the one that started it all.
Everything that would grow stale feels incredibly fresh here, particularly when it comes to Johnny Depp’s iconic performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. But he’s not the only one who is perfect in the film. Geoffrey Rush’ Captain Barbossa is an all-time great villain and, while some take issue with the Will Turner-Elizabeth Swann romance, it’s hard to argue with it being an integral part of the initial trilogy.
Stream Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Disney+.
22) 2004 — Kill Bill: Volume 2
It’s odd to say Kill Bill: Volume 2 is the best action movie of the year since it doesn’t have much action in it, but it is still excellent and deserving of the top spot. Plus, we feel bad for not giving its predecessor the top spot in the 2003 entry.
And it’s not entirely without action, e.g. The Bride’s fight with Elle in Budd’s trailer. However, note that, if we were including crime films under the action film umbrella, this would have gone to Collateral.
21) 2005 — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
The behind-the-scenes romance may have been grabbier than the plot, but Mr. and Mrs. Smith was still the most thoroughly entertaining action film of 2005. It moves along at a zippy pace and features, as one might expect, fantastic chemistry between the leads.
Other highlights of the year included the underrated Assault on Precinct 13 remake, Transporter 2, and Unleashed. Even still, this was Mr. and Mrs. Smith‘s all the way.
Stream Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Prime Video.
20) 2006 — Casino Royale
In hindsight it’s funny to think that people were worried about Daniel Craig picking up the 007 mantle, because he’s tied for first with Sean Connery. Not to mention, Casino Royale solidified Martin Campbell as the director most able to reboot the franchise for a new era (he also directed GoldenEye).
It was a genuinely fantastic year for action movies, with Children of Men being a critical darling and Crank being another winner for Statham, but this was Casino Royale‘s to lose. It feels firmly rooted in reality (which isn’t always a through and through recipe for success, but it is here) and the script is top-notch, but its true ace in the hole is the chemistry between Craig and Eva Green, whose Vesper Lynd may very well be the best “Bond Girl” because she’s more fleshed out individual than “Bond Girl.”
19) 2007 — 300
Even if it’s style over substance, 300 was a revolution. It introduced the notion that Watchmen confirmed, which was that Zack Snyder is a director who knows how to craft a comic book movie that is faithful to the source material, at least visually.
And, while Snyder’s direction and the visuals are fantastic, 300 is mostly an important action film for making Gerard Butler a star. To this day he is one of the industry’s more reliable leading men in actioners, as further evidenced by Greenland 2: Migration.
18) 2008 — Wanted
Thanks to a surplus of style and wise casting choices, Wanted is a lot of fun. In fact, it’s pretty surprising it never led to a sequel. Then again, we really get all we need to get out of Wesley Allan Gibson’s story in this one movie. It’s a very complete arc.
Admittedly, 2008 wasn’t an automatic win for Wanted. It’s a lot of fun but not fully revolutionary. It’s more that the competition wasn’t particularly great. For instance, Bangkok Dangerous, Death Race, Doomsday, Max Payne, and Transporter 3. That said, Rambo and Ip Man are both a good bit of fun, too.
17) 2009 — Taken
Technically, Taken is a 2008 film, as it’s a French film that first played in, you guess it, France. But then, about a year later, it took the January box office by storm in the United States, and it did so notoriously well in a typically down month that we’re calling it a 2009 movie.
Taken is important, of course, because it marked a huge shift in Liam Neeson’s career. To this day he’s starring in mid-budget actioner after mid-budget actioner (though he has said he intends to slow down on this front).
Stream Taken on Disney+.
16) 2010 — Machete
If you want a cornball of an action movie with nary a dull moment, Machete‘s your guy. And, unlike its sequel, it finds a way to modulate its absurdity. Not to mention, longtime beloved character actor Danny Trejo finally got his leading man role in a studio film.
2010 was good for genre-blending actioners. The Book of Eli, Centurion, Clash of the Titans, but Machete is the best of the bunch (it’s one part comedy, one part exploitation film, one part political thriller, one part action, and so on). There were some decent straightforward ones, too, including The Expendables, Faster, Knight and Day, and The Losers, but this was Machete for the win.
15) 2011 — Fast Five
Fast Five was where the franchise expanded its fanbase considerably. It was the first one that felt like an event, even though it’s really just a heist film turned up to 11.
This is a movie with a ton of spirit, and that’s infectious. There is also no way you watch the Dwayne Johnson vs. Vin Diesel scene and not feel the hairs raise on your neck a bit. Fast Five is a blast, even if it was arguably beaten by its successor.
Stream Fast Five on TNT.
14) 2012 — Skyfall
If Casino Royale isn’t the best of Daniel Craig’s five-film run as Bond, Skyfall is. It represented a slight shift in tone and a major shift in style for the franchise’s rebooted era, and both Spectre and No Time to Die would go on to be visually quite similar. And for good reason, because Skyfall looks amazing thanks to Roger Deakins’ work behind the camera. But that’s just one aspect that works so well about it, because it’s also an impressively character-focused adventure that nonetheless delivers on the audience’s expectation of big set pieces.
2012 was a great year for action movies, with Dredd being a slam-bang single locale firefight with a great villain. The same applies to The Expendables 2, but with the single-locale element swapped out for a globe-trotting vibe. Jack Reacher may have had the wrong leading man, but it got the spirit of Lee Child’s novel right enough. Lastly, Safe was and remains one of Jason Statham’s more underrated endeavors.
13) 2013 — Fast & Furious 6
You might be sick of seeing the Fast & Furious movies here. After all, none of them are outright great cinema. But at least they know what they are, and it was in Fast & Furious 6 that the franchise finally fully came into its own after Fast Five did a ton of work to make that possible. The irony is that its villain is kind of weak, though by extension this villain set up the franchise’s best villain in the next installment.
If 2013 weren’t such a weak year for action films, there’s a chance Fast & Furious 6 wouldn’t have nabbed the top spot. But the fact remains that A Good Day to Die Hard, Bullet to the Head, Escape Plan, Machete Kills, The Lone Ranger, and The Last Stand all landed with a thud. And, while having terrorists attack the White House was a good concept on paper, neither Olympus Has Fallen nor White House Down work quite as well as they should have.
Stream Fast & Furious 6 on TNT.
12) 2014 — John Wick
What initially looked like a standard actioner ended up becoming so much more. John Wick laid the foundation of an entire world, one stuffed to the kills with people who are extremely good at killing and adhering to rules regarding their profession (most of them, anyway).
But what makes the first John Wick so effective is that it really is a pretty standard revenge tale. It’s a man seeking vengeance for his dog. A man who has been pushed too far and finds himself yanked into the world he once tried to leave behind. It would be topped by its sequels, but it’s still the best action film of 2014 by a good bit.
Stream John Wick on HBO Max.
11) 2015 — Mad Max: Fury Road
The most rewatchable action film of the 2010s, Mad Max: Fury Road takes the viewer on an unforgettable and perpetually visceral ride. It wasn’t just the best action movie of the year, it may very well have been the best movie of 2015 regardless of genre.
There were questions surrounding the saga continuing without Mel Gibson, but those were quickly squashed by minute five of the movie. It was clear this was something special, and each subsequent minute of its runtime succeeded in confirming that notion.
10) 2016 — The Accountant
The sequel may have been pretty bland, but the first The Accountant is still a winner. It has a high concept, a solid star performance by Ben Affleck, and a thoroughly contemptable villain. But the highlight is the dynamic between the lead character and his brother (which was the highlight of the sequel as well, but it was better when it wasn’t the primary focus).
The first Accountant works so well because the protagonist is somewhat of a mystery. And that’s both how he’s wired and how he likes it. But we get glimpses of him trying to change even though he can’t. That’s what makes it interesting, the storm the castle finale is just icing on the cake.
9) 2017 — John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 2 manages to feel just as intimate as the first film, all the while serving as an expansion of the world of assassins we’ve recently become acquainted with. It wasn’t until the third film where it felt like the stakes were massive.
And that’s a compliment to Chapter 2, because it didn’t feel the need to go all Expendables 2 just yet. It still wanted us to get to know John. What he stood for, what he wouldn’t do, and it works. This is how you make a sequel. You gradually build upon worked the first time and up the stakes ever so slightly. Then, with this film’s amazing cliffhanger, it perfectly placed the house of cards to collapse in a violent fury.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 2 on HBO Max.
8) 2018 — Mission: Impossible – Fallout
The best installment of the Ethan Hunt saga, Mission: Impossible – Fallout captures your attention from the beginning and never loses it. The skydiving sequence, the helicopter dual, the bathroom brawl, it’s all exciting.
Furthermore, this installment managed to balance a lot of characters (including the franchise’s best villain) and give them all enough to do. It’s a movie with a grand scope but a character-focused drive, and it was easily the best action film of 2018.
Stream Mission: Impossible – Fallout on Paramount+.
7) 2019 — John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
After the amazing cliffhanger ending of John Wick: Chapter 2, it was clear round three was going to be the most exciting yet. And that’s exactly what it was, from beginning to end. Wick taking on assassin after assassin in the first act was great, Asia Kate Dillon’s work as the Adjudicator was perfectly icy, and the attack on the Continental that made up the third act was as enthralling as enthralling can be.
Even if 2019 wasn’t a rough year for actioners, save for Hobbs & Shaw, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum would be the easy winner. It’s the apex of the Wick saga. But, yes, it helps that its competition was basically just Rambo: Last Blood, Anna, Angel Has Fallen, and 21 Bridges.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 3 on HBO Max.
6) 2020 — Bad Boys for Life
Given the pandemic, there weren’t as many movies released in 2020 as is the standard for a given year. That includes action movies, but it still wasn’t without its winners.
Archenemy is fun, Extraction was a major winner for Netflix, Fatman is a bizarrely dark holiday action-comedy, and Guns Akimbo is a high-concept genre-blender with excellent performances by Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving. But the winner was Bad Boys for Life, which managed to arrive just before the pandemic hit the United States. In fact, it became the biggest January movie of all time. As well it should have, because it actually managed to beat its predecessors in the quality department and successfully revived the long dormant franchise.
Stream Bad Boys for Life on fuboTV.
5) 2021 — Wrath of Man
More often than not, Guy Ritchie collaborating with Jason Statham is a recipe for action magic. And, while some Snatch fans may get angry with this statement, Wrath of Man is their best collaboration. Its structure is compelling, it’s sublimely gritty, Statham’s acting is some of the best of his career, and it all feels viscerally personal.
Wrath of Man wasn’t without its competition. Nobody has its fans, even if it’s not as solid as John Wick, No Time to Die was the send-off Craig’s Bond deserved, and Mortal Kombat did a great job of taking a somewhat niche product and appealing to a wide audience.
Stream Wrath of Man on Netflix.
4) 2022 — Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick was the exact movie required to show why theaters still must exist. This was one of the ultimate big screen experiences, and it is undoubtedly one of the greatest sequels ever made. With better aerial sequences and more heart than the film it’s following (so many years later).
Were it not for Maverick‘s quality and importance, David Leitch would have won the year, either via his Bullet Train or Violent Night, which he produced. But, at the end of the day, it absolutely had to be Mav.
Stream Top Gun: Maverick on fuboTV.
3) 2023 — John Wick: Chapter 4
It seems as though we are indeed going to get a fifth installment, but it really would be best to just led John Wick: Chapter 4 be the end. It feels like what it is, which is a well-earned culmination.
This was an easy win for John Wick, though Plane, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fast X, and Extraction 2 all have their merits. The asininely titled Expend4bles, however, did not.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 4 for free with ads on The Roku Channel.
2) 2024 — The Fall Guy
Another winner from action master David Leitch, The Fall Guy was a great choice to open the 2024 summer movie season, but it unfortunately didn’t do quite as well as was expected of it. But maybe it’s just the type of crowd-pleaser that excels on the small screen, when it’s available at a click of a button spurred on by positive word of mouth.
Granted, The Fall Guy had some stiff competition in 2024. It won out over Rebel Ridge, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Carry-On, and The Beekeeper, but not by much.
Stream The Fall Guy on Peacock.
1) 2025 — Novocaine
Featuring a handful of 2025’s best action sequences, Novocaine is one of those movies that never takes a breath. And yet, it never becomes overwhelming thanks to its sense of humor.
But at the core of what makes it work is the pair of charismatic lead performances by Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder. We root for their relationship, even if it proves to be more complicated than we expect. Other 2025 highlights included A Working Man, The Toxic Avenger, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Sinners (which will find on our horror-focused one of these), Ballerina, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Stream Novocaine on Prime Video.
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