#1 of 3,166 Top 100 · Action
The 100 Best Action Movies, Ranked
We rank 3,166 of the 20,616 action films on the site; these are the top 100. Seven Samurai (1956) is #1 with a critics & audiences score of 95/100, ahead of North by Northwest (1959) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Ranked by Echo Score; 27 of these 100 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. A ranked watchlist for fight choreography, car chases and big set pieces. For new releases and box office hits, see the action movies guide.
- ranked action films
- 3,166
- action films on the site
- 20,616
- release years in the top 100
- 1949–2026
- award winners in the top 100
- 32
#1 of 3,166 Top 10
What Are the Best Action Movies?
Seven Samurai (1956) leads with a critics & audiences score of 95/100, ahead of North by Northwest (1959); 4 of the top 10 are from the 2020s. 5 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score, led by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) at 92; the other 5, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
- 1. Seven Samurai 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)
1956 · Action, Drama · 3h 27m
Dir. Akira Kurosawa No Echo Score: ranked 95/100 on critics & audiences
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2. North by Northwest 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))1959 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences · 4 award nominations
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3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 92 Echo (Echo Score 92 out of 100)2018 · Action, Adventure · 1h 57m
Dir. Bob Persichetti 6 award wins · $393.6M worldwide
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3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100)2001 · Action, Adventure · 2h 58m
Dir. Peter Jackson No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences · 12 award wins · $888.5M worldwide
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5. The Legend of Maula Jatt 91 Echo (Echo Score 91 out of 100)2022 · Fantasy, Drama · 2h 33m
Dir. Bilal Lashari $13.9M worldwide
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6. The Wild Bunch 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1969 · Action, Adventure · 2h 15m
Dir. Sam Peckinpah No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences · 3 award nominations
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7. Saving Private Ryan 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100)1998 · Action, Drama · 2h 49m
Dir. Steven Spielberg No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences · 15 award wins · $482.4M worldwide
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8. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)2021 · Action, Adventure · 1h 57m
Dir. Haruo Sotozaki $485.5M worldwide
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8. Maharaja 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)2024 · Thriller, Action · 2h 21m
Dir. Nithilan Saminathan
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8. Mahavatar Narsimha 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)2024 · Fantasy, Action · 2h 11m
Dir. Ashwin Kumar
#11 to #100
Action Movies Ranked #11 to #100
Places 11 to 100: Raazi (2018) opens the list and Code 3 (2025) closes it. 44 of these 90 films are not in English; 18 languages appear in all. Filter by decade or language, or sort by year or box office.
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Places 11 to 100; films with the same score share a rank. Use a filter or another sort to include the top 10.
Echo Score, our 0–100 rating (films from 2017 on) Blend: Metascore with IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings, for films without an Echo Score
- 1 1. Seven Samurai
1956 · Action, Drama · 3h 27m
95 Blend - 2 2. North by Northwest
1959 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
93 Blend - 3 3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2018 · Action, Adventure · 1h 57m
92 Echo $393.6M - 3 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001 · Action, Adventure · 2h 58m
92 Blend $888.5M - 5 5. The Legend of Maula Jatt
2022 · Fantasy, Drama · 2h 33m
91 Echo $13.9M - 6 6. The Wild Bunch
1969 · Action, Adventure · 2h 15m
91 Blend - 7 7. Saving Private Ryan
1998 · Action, Drama · 2h 49m
90 Blend $482.4M - 8 8. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train
2021 · Action, Adventure · 1h 57m
90 Echo $485.5M - 8 8. Maharaja
2024 · Thriller, Action · 2h 21m
90 Echo $975.5K - 8 8. Mahavatar Narsimha
2024 · Fantasy, Action · 2h 11m
90 Echo $914.5K - 8
8. Raazi2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 18m
90 Echo $1.8M - 8
8. Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna2020 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 35m
90 Echo $17.4M - 13
13. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977 · Action, Adventure · 2h 1m
90 Blend $775.4M - 14
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003 · Action, Adventure · 3h 21m
90 Blend $1.1B - 15
15. Shazam!2019 · Action, Adventure · 2h 12m
89 Echo $367.8M - 15
15. Baahubali: The Epic2025 · Action, Drama · 3h 50m
89 Echo $1.3M - 15
15. The French Connection1971 · Action, Crime · 1h 44m
89 Blend $51.7M - 15
15. Gintama: The Very Final2021 · Action, Animation · 1h 44m
89 Echo $17.2M - 19
19. Ran1985 · Action, Drama · 2h 42m
89 Blend $4.3M - 20
20. Apocalypse Now1979 · Action, Drama · 2h 33m
89 Blend $105.1M - 21
21. The Dark Knight2008 · Action, Drama · 2h 32m
88 Blend $1B - 22
22. Black Panther2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 14m
88 Echo $1.3B - 22
22. Dunkirk2017 · Action, Drama · 1h 46m
88 Echo $533.7M - 22
22. It Was Just an Accident2025 · Action, Adventure · 1h 41m
88 Echo $10.5M - 22
22. The Hurt Locker2009 · Action, Drama · 2h 11m
88 Blend $49.3M - 22
22. Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie2022 · Action, Fantasy · 1h 45m
88 Echo $166.7M - 22
22. Riders of Justice2021 · Action, Drama · 1h 56m
88 Echo $2M - 22
22. Amaran2024 · Adventure, Action · 2h 49m
88 Echo $1.7M - 22
22. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes2018 · Action, Fantasy · 1h 36m
88 Echo $21M - 22
22. Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island2022 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 49m
88 Echo $7M - 22
22. Ayyappanum Koshiyum2020 · Comedy, Action · 2h 57m
88 Echo $5.1M - 22
22. Gangs of Wasseypur2015 · Action, Drama
88 Blend - 33
33. Thudarum2025 · Drama, Action · 2h 44m
87 Echo $6.2M - 33
33. Memoir of a Murderer2017 · Action, Drama · 1h 58m
87 Echo $19M - 33
33. The Roundup2022 · Crime, Action · 1h 46m
87 Echo $101.2M - 33
33. Proxima2020 · Action, Adventure · 1h 47m
87 Echo $759.4K - 33
33. Baby Assassins 22024 · Action, Comedy · 1h 41m
87 Echo $417.9K - 33
33. White Heat1949 · Action, Drama · 1h 54m
87 Blend - 33
33. Blood Brothers: Dragon’s Embers2025 · Crime, Action · 2h 9m
87 Echo - 40
40. The Fugitive1993 · Action, Drama · 2h 10m
86 Blend $368.9M - 41
41. Yojimbo1961 · Action, Drama · 1h 50m
86 Blend - 42
42. Mission: Impossible – Fallout2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m
86 Echo $824.2M - 42
42. Ford v Ferrari2019 · Action, Biography · 2h 32m
86 Echo $226.3M - 42
42. Incredibles 22018 · Action, Adventure · 1h 58m
86 Echo $1.2B - 42
42. Jackass Forever2022 · Action, Comedy · 1h 36m
86 Echo $80.6M - 42
42. Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye2025 · Animation, Action · 1h 33m
86 Echo $6.9M - 42
42. This Is Not a Movie2020 · Action, Biography · 1h 46m
86 Echo $165 - 48
48. Rio Bravo1959 · Action, Drama · 2h 21m
86 Blend - 48
48. Harakiri1964 · Action, Drama · 2h 13m
86 Blend - 50
50. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon2000 · Action, Adventure · 2h
85 Blend $214M - 51
51. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back1980 · Action, Adventure · 2h 4m
85 Blend $550M - 51
51. Das Boot1982 · Action, Drama · 2h 29m
85 Blend $11.5M - 53
53. Avengers: Endgame2019 · Action, Adventure · 3h 1m
85 Echo $2.8B - 53
53. Mad Max: Fury Road2015 · Action, Adventure · 2h
85 Blend $380.4M - 53
53. Avengers: Infinity War2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 29m
85 Echo $2.1B - 53
53. Dune: Part One2021 · Action, Adventure · 2h 35m
85 Echo $410.7M - 53
53. Baby Driver2017 · Action, Thriller · 1h 52m
85 Echo $226.9M - 53
53. Thor: Ragnarok2017 · Action, Adventure · 2h 10m
85 Echo $855.3M - 53
53. Godzilla Minus One2023 · Action, Adventure · 2h 5m
85 Echo $113.9M - 53
53. The Wild2024 · Action, Crime · 1h 51m
85 Echo - 53
53. Aliens1986 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 17m
85 Blend $131.1M - 53
53. Ballerina2023 · Action, Thriller · 1h 32m
85 Echo - 53
53. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 22017 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
85 Echo $863.8M - 53
53. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair2025 · Action, Crime · 4h 35m
85 Echo $13.3M - 53
53. Mandy2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 1m
85 Echo $1.8M - 53
53. Dust Bunny2025 · Action, Drama · 1h 46m
85 Echo $1.4M - 53
53. Jawan2023 · Action, Thriller · 2h 49m
85 Echo $31.5M - 53
53. The Count of Monte-Cristo2024 · Action, Adventure · 2h 53m
85 Echo $85.9M - 53
53. Goldfinger1965 · Action, Adventure · 1h 50m
85 Blend - 53
53. The Endless Trench2020 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m
85 Echo $1.3M - 53
53. Love and Monsters2020 · Action, Adventure · 1h 49m
85 Echo $1.1M - 53
53. Lupin III: The First2020 · Action, Adventure · 1h 33m
85 Echo $7.5M - 53
53. Revenge2018 · Action, Thriller · 1h 48m
85 Echo $938.1K - 53
53. Attack on Titan the Movie: The Last Attack2025 · Animation, Action · 2h 25m
85 Echo $26M - 53
53. Detective Kien: The Headless Horror2025 · Horror, Crime · 2h 11m
85 Echo $9.8M - 53
53. 12.12: The Day2023 · History, Action · 2h 22m
85 Echo $97.5M - 53
53. Pani2024 · Crime, Action · 2h 21m
85 Echo $913.6K - 53
53. Sword Art Online the Movie – Progressive – Aria of a Starless Night2021 · Animation, Fantasy · 1h 37m
85 Echo - 53
53. Bodies at Rest2019 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 33m
85 Echo $25.3M - 53
53. K.G.F: Chapter 12018 · Adventure, Thriller · 2h 36m
85 Echo $6.4M - 53
53. Monstrum2018 · Horror, Fantasy · 1h 46m
85 Echo $5.2M - 53
53. Borbaad2025 · Romance, Action · 2h 19m
85 Echo $5.9K - 53
53. Taandob2025 · Action, Thriller · 2h 9m
85 Echo - 53
53. Marni: The Story of Wewe Gombel2024 · Thriller, Horror · 2h
85 Echo - 85
85. Django Unchained2012 · Action, Adventure · 2h 45m
84 Blend $426.1M - 85
85. Assault on Precinct 131976 · Action, Thriller · 1h 31m
84 Blend $436 - 87
87. Walid2023 · Action, Thriller · 1h 50m
84 Blend - 88
88. Dune: Part Two2024 · Action, Adventure · 3h 15m
84 Echo $714.8M - 88
88. The Batman2022 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 56m
84 Echo $772.3M - 88
88. Suzume2023 · Action, Adventure · 2h 2m
84 Echo $221.3M - 88
88. The Fall Guy2024 · Action, Comedy · 2h 6m
84 Echo $181.1M - 88
88. Nobody2021 · Action, Drama · 1h 32m
84 Echo $57.5M - 88
88. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie2017 · Action, Adventure · 1h 29m
84 Echo $125.4M - 88
88. Forgotten Island2026 · Animation, Action · 1h 38m
84 Echo $68.5M - 88
88. Kesari2019 · Action, Drama · 2h 30m
84 Echo $22.5M - 88
88. I, the Executioner2024 · Action, Adventure · 1h 58m
84 Echo - 88
88. Steel Rain2017 · Action, Thriller · 2h 19m
84 Echo $32.8M - 88
88. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising2019 · Animation, Fantasy · 1h 44m
84 Echo - 88
88. Lupin III: The First2019 · Adventure, Animation · 1h 33m
84 Echo - 88
88. Code 32025 · Action, Comedy · 1h 44m
84 Echo $35.2K
No film in this list matches both filters. Choose "All" in one of them.
Decade by decade
The Best Action Movie of Every Decade
From Wings (1929) in the 1920s to The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022) in the 2020s: the highest-ranked action movie of each of 11 decades. The 2020s place the most films in the top 100 (49).
- 1920s
78 Metascore Wings 1929 - 1930s
90 Metascore Scarface 1932 - 1940s 89 Metascore White Heat 1949
- 1950s 98 Metascore Seven Samurai 1956
- 1960s 98 Metascore The Wild Bunch 1969
- 1970s 90 Metascore Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 1977
- 1980s 97 Metascore Ran 1985
- 1990s 91 Metascore Saving Private Ryan 1998
- 2000s 92 Metascore The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
- 2010s 92 Echo Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2018
- 2020s 91 Echo The Legend of Maula Jatt 2022
Awards
Which Action Movies Won the Most Awards?
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) has the strongest record with 33 wins from 62 nominations, including wins at Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA. Wins and nominations are counted across every ceremony on our awards pages.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once 33 wins / 62 nom.2022 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 67 Echo - Mad Max: Fury Road 29 wins / 47 nom.2015 · Oscars, BAFTA, Saturn Awards · 90 Metascore
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 28 wins / 38 nom.2003 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 94 Metascore
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Sinners 23 wins / 61 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
One Battle After Another 23 wins / 52 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
Avatar 18 wins / 34 nom.2009 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 83 Metascore -
Inception 17 wins / 41 nom.2010 · Oscars, BAFTA, Saturn Awards · 74 Metascore - Dune: Part One 16 wins / 41 nom.2021 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 85 Echo
Keep exploring
More Ways to Explore Action Movies
The top 100 are the best 3% of 3,166 ranked action films. The action guide, the full list of 20,616 films and the action box office chart cover the rest of the genre.
FAQ
Action Movies: Questions & Answers
Answers from the action ranking above: the best action film, how many action movies there are, the strongest decade and the most awarded action film.
What is the best action movie?
Seven Samurai (1956) is the best-ranked action movie on What's After the Movie, with a critics & audiences score of 95/100. North by Northwest (1959) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) follow. 5 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score, led by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at 92; the other 5, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
About Seven Samurai How many action movies are there?
The site lists 20,616 action films. 3,166 of them are ranked: features of 60+ minutes with a real audience, critic, award or box office signal and a score. This page shows the top 100.
All action movies Which decade has the best action movies?
The 2020s place 49 films in the top 100, more than any other decade. The oldest film in the list is White Heat (1949), the newest Forgotten Island (2026).
What is the most awarded action movie?
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) won 33 awards from 62 nominations, ahead of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) (29 wins), counted across the Oscars, festivals and guild awards on our awards pages.
Movie awards How is this list different from the action genre page?
This page is only the ranking of the 100 best action films. The action genre page covers the whole genre: new releases, the biggest box office hits, its directors and how it changed over the decades.
Action movies guide