Summary
- The best action movies of all time are those that take the genre in unique and surprising directions, pairing skillfully choreographed action sequences with a good story. These films have influenced and inspired contemporary filmmakers.
- The action genre is continually evolving, encompassing everything from superhero flicks to martial arts movies. Every year, new action films push the boundaries of what's possible, whether through new combat styles or advancements in digital effects.
- The featured action movies — John Wick: Chapter 4, The Raid, Mad Max: Fury Road among them — are considered the most influential and best action movies of all time. They showcase groundbreaking action scenes, unforgettable performances, and rich storytelling, cementing their status as classics.
There is no shortage of action films full of well-choreographed fistfights and high-speed chases, but the best action movies of all time take the genre in such unique and surprising directions. Among the thousands of movies in the genre, there are a few standouts that deserve the critical acclaim and recognition they’ve gotten over the years. The best in the genre pair a good story with skillfully choreographed action sequences, and they have inspired some of the best filmmakers working today. But as the genre is perpetually evolving, it's hard to find the truly revolutionary and timeless films in a sea of thousands of action movies.
Every year, a new action movie pushes the boundaries of what's possible in the genre. With the genre always moving forward, whether it's new combat styles or the advancement of digital effects, "action movies" has become an exceptionally broad term, as everything from superhero flicks to martial arts movies fit under the umbrella. Some of the greatest directors of all time, from James Cameron to Akira Kurosawa have delved into the action genre and created some true masterpieces. However, these action movies represent the most influential of them all, and they're the best action movies of all time.
The 55 Best Movies Of All Time
Screen Rant breaks down the best movies of all time, from old classics to modern masterpieces across multiple genres of cinema.
10 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
John Wick: Chapter 4
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Following the events of Chapter 3 - Parabellum, John Wick Chapter 4 will see the titular character battle against some of his most dangerous foes yet. With a bounty on his head that continues to skyrocket, John decides to take the fight to the High Table on a global scale and battles across areas like Osaka and Paris to wipe out some of the strongest players in the underworld.
- Director
- Chad Stahelski
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Release Date
- March 24, 2023
- Cast
- Hiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier Anderson
The John Wick franchise is one of the most surprising Hollywood series in recent memory. The original movie came out of nowhere, serving as a terrific reminder of Keanu Reeves's action shops while building a unique action movie universe. John Wick didn't invent gun-fu, but it popularized the action style in Hollywood. The action franchise only got better with each consecutive release, culminating in John Wick: Chapter 4, an almost three-hour epic that doesn't slow down.
Where John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum's final act was operating on a level that the series had never reached before, that's the level that John Wick: Chapter 4 starts. From John drifting around the Champs-Élysées to storming an empty house with Dragon Breath bullets in the five-minute top-down scene to the battle on the 222 steps, director Chad Stahelski somehow pulled off the most ambitious action scenes ever shot. It is also a perfectly satisfying end to the John Wick story, taking the relentless protagonist to some surprising places.