It's time to give stunt performers the recognition they deserve with a long-overdue category at the Oscars. These people work extremely hard and are incredibly talented at what they do. So when they're represented in movies and TV shows, that well-earned attention is brilliant to see play out on screen.

Directors from around the world have dabbled in the art of bringing these usually back-seated performers into the spotlight, drawing on their impressive abilities to throw themselves headfirst into situations in which other people could get seriously injured. It takes a lot of skill to go to work, get into a car crash, blown up, shot, punched, kicked, stabbed, and thrown off cliffs, and that skill is evident in these ten movies. From noir-toned tales like 2011s Drive to the already impressionable action comedy The Fall Guy, these talented individuals don't get a lot of media praise. But films like these certainly help propel them into the hearts of movie fans everywhere with a focal point on the action-packed lives these individuals lead.

10 'The Devil Dared Me To' (2007)

Directed by Chris Stapp

Poorly received by many but loved by others, 2007's The Devil Dared Me To is an Action Comedy from director Chris Stapp. It tells the fictionalized story of a born and bred New Zealander with big dreams to be the greatest stunt performer in the country.

The Devil Dared Me To is essentially the telling of a small-town boy with big-town aspirations. The film may not have won all the awards or praises, but it's an entertaining watch and worthy homage to those who aspire towards a career in stunt work. Despite some cheesiness and mixed reviews, it's well worth the view.

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9 '800 Bullets' ('800 balas') (2002)

Directed by Álex de la Iglesia

800 Bullets, or formally 800 balas in its country of release, is a twenty-two-year-old Spanish Western Comedy that serves as a tribute to the many stunt performers and their work on Spaghetti Westerns throughout the years.

The film centers on a group of former stuntmen who find themselves down on their luck now that the business has begun to dry up where they reside. To pass the time, they partake in stunt shows in the area as their best years are seemingly behind them. But when a young man arrives to join them, and his mother isn't keen on the idea, it becomes a battle of wits as to who will reign triumphant as this Western Comedy with a twist ramps up its action. It may have been a commercial failure, but for many who saw it, 800 balas is a worthy tribute to the life of a stuntman.

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8 'Hooper' (1978)

Directed by Hal Needham

Hooper is a 1978 Action Comedy from the minds of screenwriters Thomas Rickman and Bill Kerby. It follows Burt Reynolds' character, Sonny Hooper, a man known within the film industry for his iconic stunts and ability to take anything thrown at him, from car crashes to explosions and more death-defying stunts.

Stunt performers aren't praised enough for what they do, but forty-six years ago, it was barely even recognized as an adequate profession. Nowadays, working as a stunt performer may still not be as broadcast as the people they double for, but the career is certainly much more appreciated. Films wouldn't be made without them, and Hooper does a brilliant job of showcasing the passion they put into their work.

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7 'Ghost Rider' (2007)

Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

Love it or hate it, 2007's Nicolas Cage-starring Ghost Rider, is an action movie worth the watch either way. The superhero film centers on Cage's character, Johnny Blaze, who inadvertently sells his soul to a demon and turns into a soul hunter known as a Ghost Rider.

Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, Wes Bentley, Peter Fonda, and Matt Long star alongside Nicolas Cage in the Sony/Marvel collaboration based on the human motorcycle stunt driver turned supernatural bounty hunter. Ghost Rider may have been a critical failure, but was commercially successful, having doubled its $110 million budget.

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6 'Ride On' (2023)

Directed by Larry Yang