Let's be honest: the best action movies are often better - or at least more entertaining - than the best movies from any other genre. Good action movies are worth celebrating, and that's what the following list of titles aims to do: show the action genre at its very best. Adrenaline junkies and action fans should make it a priority to check out all the following, as they comprise what can be definitively declared the best action movies of all time. In celebration of what could be the most cinematic genre out there, here's an overview of the action genre throughout the decades, and the movies that represent it best. With a mix of classics and newer films, the following is an attempt to rank some of the greatest action-packed movies of all time, with all being essential viewing for fans of the action genre.

50 'Coffy' (1973)

Directed by Jack Hill

Few actors or actresses have ever been quite as cool as Pam Grier, especially when she was at the height of her popularity in the 1970s (though she had a great comeback in the 1990s, partly thanks to Jackie Brown). Of her early films, Coffy and Foxy Brown are likely Grier's most iconic, with the former being the slightly stronger one overall, particularly for those after a satisfying crime/action movie.

Coffy sees a nurse taking matters into her own hands when the drugs and crime that surround her life overwhelm her, and she enacts vengeance against the various nefarious individuals responsible for such wrongdoing and hardships. It’s a no-nonsense approach to being a vigilante movie, but it all works exceedingly well, and Grier is more than up to the task of considerably elevating the already solid material found elsewhere in the film.

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49 'Sorcerer' (1977)

Directed by William Friedkin

It's always hard to top a film that’s already seen as a classic when it comes to doing a reboot/remake, and William Friedkin therefore had a difficult task ahead of him when it came to making Sorcerer. This 1977 film is a reimagining of The Wages of Fear, which is one of the best movies of the 1950s. Both films are white-knuckle thriller/adventure films, following individuals tasked with transporting highly explosive material across rough terrain.

It's hard to say which is better between The Wages of Fear and Sorcerer, and it is safe to say that both are worth checking out for fans of the thriller/action genres. But Sorcerer is a little shorter and snappier, and it was made more recently (comparatively speaking), so its more surprising scenes hit harder and feel more visceral. It’s an intense and unnerving experience in all the best ways.

48 'Goldfinger' (1964)

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Though it feels like the James Bond movies have been around forever, back in 1964, the film series was relatively new. In fact, Goldfinger was only the third of the bunch, but to this date, it’s still usually considered up there as one of the greatest movies featuring 007, and includes perhaps Sean Connery’s greatest single performance in the lead role out of all of them.

Narratively, Goldfinger is typical spy/adventure/action stuff, with the main villain having an ambitious plan that involves a heist at Fort Knox, the consequences of which intend to disrupt the entire world economy. Of course, Bond is the only person up to the task of stopping such a thing from happening, and he does this while traveling to exotic locales, charming beautiful women, and kicking/punching/shooting various adversaries for good measure. You know, classic 007 stuff.

47 'North by Northwest' (1959)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Though he made many great movies throughout his time, few Alfred Hitchcock films can strictly be labeled as action movies. Most of the time, Hitchcock was focused on suspense, favoring the build-up to an explosion more than showing the explosion itself, for example. But then came North by Northwest, which was one of his most action-packed efforts and showed the filmmaker was more than capable of tackling that broadest and most wide-appealing of genres.

North by Northwest is also a thriller, an adventure movie, something of a comedy, and a film that doesn’t skimp on romance, with Cary Grant being paired excellently with the always delightful Eva Marie Saint. Both shine in scenes both comedic and action-focused in nature, and to this day, North by Northwest is simply a relentlessly fun ride about a desperate chase playing out in the wake of an ordinary man getting accused of being a spy.

46 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' (2023)

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

It’s not the easiest thing in the world to label one of the Mission: Impossible movies as the best, as they all have different things to offer while having generally consistent action and sequences of impressive stunt work. The ever-committed Tom Cruise sought to outdo what had been done in previous installments with 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and the results were largely successful and genuinely thrilling.

Like any Mission: Impossible movie, the plot of Dead Reckoning Part One is a bit all over the shop and not too important, ultimately benefitting from an interesting AI villain and using what it has narratively to showcase some truly impressive sequences. It’s a movie that’s worth watching for the final act on board a train alone, but everything up until that point is also great, ensuring Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a top-tier action/adventure/thriller movie.

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45 'Why Don’t You Play in Hell?' (2013)

Directed by Sion Sono