Image via 20th Century Studios
Published Mar 8, 2026, 4:47 PM EDT
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While endless bombs and bloodletting are more akin to a horror film in real life, on the big screen, they have undeniable entertainment value. Action movies are a staple of any healthy film diet, and they've been providing pure protein for decades. In that time, we've gotten so many genuine masterpieces of the genre, like Mad Max: Fury Road, Hard Boiled and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but there are also a lot of action movies that, while they might not qualify for canonization, come pretty damn close. These are the almost masterpieces of action cinema.
Whether it's because of a few inherent or unintentional flaws or simply suffering from comparison, these movies still make valiant efforts and provide action-packed entertainment. Some are likely number one on any individual's list of favorite action films, and their inclusion here isn't meant to yuck anyone else's yum, but it's also fairly undeniable that these movies can't quite compete with the absolute best of the best. Agree or disagree, love them or not, these are ten action movies that are almost masterpieces.
'Where Eagles Dare' (1968)
Image via MGMWhere Eagles Dare belongs to a subgenre of action war movies that emphasize adventure and entertainment over violent realism. Classics of this subgenre include The Dirty Dozen and The Guns of Navarone, both of which are often ranked above this high adventure film based on the novel by Alistair MacLean, who also wrote the screenplay. Where Eagles Dare has a contrived plot but undeniably great action that has also been highly influential on film and video game franchises like Wolfenstein, and it's hard to ask for much more.
Set during World War II, the film follows a squad of Allied soldiers, led by Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, who are tasked with rescuing a General from a Nazi fortress in the Bavarian mountains. It's classic pulp, and the two leads are perfectly utilized for their unique strengths. The film is heavy with set up over its two and a half hour runtime, but once it gets to its extended climax, which includes an iconic cable car fight and a bus chase down a snowy mountain, it fires on all cylinders.
'The Last Boy Scout' (1991)
Image via Warner Bros.Tony Scott never got the respect he deserved while he was alive. He was one of the most consistently entertaining action directors, with a career that included masterpieces like True Romance and Man on Fire, and a number of almost masterpieces as well, like Unstoppable, Crimson Tide, and the cult classic The Last Boy Scout. The latter is as maximalist as '90s action movies get.
Produced by Joel Silver, with a script by Shane Black, a lead performance from Bruce Willis at the height of his action star status, and Damon Wayans as his mismatched buddy counterpart, the film is all big personalities, big action and a big middle finger to political correctness. Willis plays a washed-up private investigator, while Damon is a disgraced football pro. Together, they both get pulled into a conspiracy involving corrupt politicians and sports betting. The film's script has all the hallmarks of Black's career, with a noir narrative mixed with self-reflexive humor anchored by the central odd couple bromance.
'True Lies' (1994)
Image via 20th Century StudiosJames Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger gave us two totemic entries into the action canon with the first two Terminator movies. Less discussed is their third and final film together, the spy comedy True Lies. Inspired by the French film La Totale!, the movie stars Schwarzenegger as a muscle-bound American James Bond-type who has hidden his profession from his wife, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
The performances are fun, and the action is some of the best of Cameron's career, with an immaculate 007-inspired snowy chase sequence that opens the movie and a Harrier jet climax. It's also undeniably misogynistic, Islamophobic, and treats terrorism in a manner that only films made pre-9/11 could. While Schwarzenegger is never fully convincing as a spy who somehow has been able to convince everyone in his private life that he's a boring computer salesman, he's still got endless charisma and charm. Curtis is the MVP, making her transition from bored suburban wife to action heroine incredibly entertaining, and even pulls off the film's highly questionable striptease scene with the perfect balance of comedic timing and steamy sexuality.
'Die Hard with a Vengeance' (1995)
Image via 20th Century StudiosThe original Die Hard is an action masterpiece. Die Hard 2 suffers from a serious case of sequelitis by replicating too many elements from the first film. The fourth film is aggressively average, and the less said about the regrettable fifth film, the better. None of the sequels come close to touching the first film's perfection, except for Die Hard with a Vengeance. With director John McTiernan returning and Samuel L. Jackson added as a potent counterpart to Bruce Willis, the film opens with a literal bang and expands the franchise exponentially with a bomb plotline that drags the heroes all across New York City.
Some of the action scenes easily rival and, in some cases, outdo the original film, and it's only in the third act that the movie makes a few wrong turns that take it away from true masterpiece status. Based on an original script by Jonathan Hensleigh, the film follows John McClane as he contends with a mad bomber who wants to play the most bombastic game of Simon Says. Jeremy Irons' villain turns out to be the brother of OG bad guy Hans Gruber, adding a nice layer of personal vendetta to the proceedings. The film is white-knuckle fun with two solid acts of immaculately directed and edited action, but it can't sustain the excitement for the climax.
'The Rock' (1996)
Image via Buena Vista Pictures DistributionMichael Bay is not a director who does subtlety. His particular brand of bombastic action isn't for everyone, but there is absolutely no denying that he knows how to stage some spectacular action. For all their narrative flaws and offensive material, movies like Armageddon, Bad Boys 2, and Ambulance all get the action job done. The director's best film, The Rock, benefits from a script that pulls from several influences, including Die Hard, a stellar cast, and some of the most over-the-top action of the '90s.
After Alcatraz Island is taken over by Ed Harris and his band of abandoned commandos, taking a group of tourists hostage and armed with a lethal chemical weapon, the government turns to two unlikely heroes to help save the day. Nicolas Cage plays an eccentric FBI chemist, while Sean Connery channels decades on Her Majesty's Secret Service as a former SAS agent and political prisoner who served time on the Rock. The movie has all the hallmarks of Bay, from jingoistic visuals wrapped in red, white and blue, characters that range from broad archetypes to offensive stereotypes, and action that is incredibly well-staged and executed.
'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' (2001)
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesAfter the waning success of their Renaissance period, Disney decided to wade into uncharted territory with more action-heavy movies like Treasure Planet and, especially, Atlantis: The Lost Empire. "Fewer songs, More Explosions" was the mantra during the latter film's production, and it pulled inspiration from classic adventure movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea while also adopting the bold art style of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, who also served as a production designer.
Michael J. Fox voices Milo Thatch, a linguist who has an obsession with the titular lost city. He gets his chance to search for it when an eccentric millionaire finances an expedition crewed by a colorful cast of characters. The journey to find Atlantis is where the film is at its best, bouncing off the comical chemistry between the characters and some visually spectacular action scenes that are an incredible blend of traditional animation and CGI. Once the characters actually arrive in Atlantis, the narrative goes a little into autopilot, and aside from a couple of key characters, the Atlanteans are underdeveloped. There's still far more good than any real bad here, though, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire should be rediscovered by more action fans.
'The Hunted' (2003)
Image via Paramount PicturesDirector William Friedkin had a sizeable impact on the action genre, crafting three genuine masterpieces with The French Connection, Sorcerer, and To Live and Die in L.A. The Hunted came and went in 2003 with little fanfare, but slowly grew a cult following for its intense fight sequences that presaged the new brutality era in action movies. The film is half chase thriller, complete with The Fugitive star Tommy Lee Jones, while the other is a much darker character study of PTSD.
Jones stars as a survival instructor tracking down a former pupil of his who has gone rogue (Benicio del Toro). The plot is somewhat reminiscent of First Blood, but with action that's even more visceral and grounded. Both Jones and Del Toro underplay their roles, giving far more naturalistic performances than might be expected of this kind of film, but it makes the narrative all the more effective. The fight sequences are brutal and effectively staged, with Friedkin showing he hadn't lost any of the abilities he'd shown in the aforementioned masterpieces.
'Miami Vice' (2006)
Miami Vice is another action film that suffers from comparison to the better films in its director's career. Michael Mann has crafted some immaculate crime thrillers and action movies, so it's not a slight to say that his big-budget film adaptation of the popular '80s television series isn't as successful as Heat or Collateral. The film represents the apex of Mann's use of digital cinematography, capturing its Miami locations with a hi-def aesthetic that makes it all the more viscerally effective.
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play the iconic detective duo of Crockett and Tubbs, who begin waging war on the Colombian cartels and Aryan Brotherhood to squash their transnational drug trade. Miami Vice is a lot of style over substance, a criticism that even some of its creators would agree with. However, if you can get on its wavelength, the narrative shortcomings will quickly fall away, and you're left with a tough, tactile action movie that looks even more vibrant today than it did in 2006. Miami Vice belongs with other action movies that thrive on vibes and atmosphere over plot and character.
'Tenet' (2020)
Image via Warner Bros.If there's any action movie that prioritizes vibes over plot coherence more than Miami Vice, it's Christopher Nolan's Tenet. This globetrotting spy thriller meets time-travel actioner has a plot and internal logic that is difficult, if not impossible, to follow, but its immaculately composed action scenes and techno-thriller vibes definitely cover over any narrative inconsistencies. It's so stripped to the bare essentials that its lead character is quite literally called the Protagonist. That kind of high entropy disorder might give some viewers who are trying to connect all the plot threads a headache, but those who take the film's advice and try to feel it instead of trying to understand it will have a hell of a good time.
John David Washington is the Protagonist, a CIA operative recruited by the titular organization who uses time travel technology to fight against antagonists causing temporal chaos. Tenet is Nolan operating at his furthest point of technical craftsmanship. Instead of creating a four-quadrant blockbuster that satisfies all sensibilities, he's made one that is meant to be experienced at its most visceral level. It's an experiment that wasn't a resounding success at the box office or critically, but it has a lot to offer you if you just let go and let your instincts take over.
'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
Image via LionsgateSome would argue that John Wick: Chapter 4 is the pinnacle of its franchise, an epic action masterpiece that represents the culmination of all its narrative worldbuilding and the arcs of its neo-noir characters. There are also those who would argue it's overlong, indulgent, and less tightly focused than its predecessors. The truth of the matter is probably somewhere in the middle. Regardless of which side of the argument you come down on, there's no debating that the film has some of the best action of the 21st century.
Continuing Keanu Reeves' iconic action hero's journey as he kills his way through an expansive underworld of criminals and assassins to reach the high table, the movie moves from location to location, offering increasingly incendiary action. From the video-game-inspired top-down gunfight featuring a fire-breathing shotgun to an extended third act that basically includes a reimagining of the plot of The Warriors, the movie is chock-a-block with incredible set pieces. That climax may be mitigated by the announcement of an unnecessary fifth Wick film, but even if that does come to pass, we'll always have bullet-riddled Paris.
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