The 50 Greatest Action Movies of All Time
The action genre is a cornerstone of cinema, delivering excitement and spectacle. These movies create a physical and emotional thrill, pitting heroes against seemingly impossible odds. From sprawling car chases to intense hand-to-hand combat, action films showcase the peak of stunt work and visual effects. They tell stories of courage, survival, and justice in a way that is both entertaining and engaging.
This list celebrates the best of the action genre. It includes films from different countries and eras, showing how the genre has evolved. You will find martial arts masterpieces, gritty cop thrillers, and blockbuster adventures. Each movie on this list has left a lasting impact on cinema and continues to influence filmmakers today. These are the films that have defined and redefined action for generations of moviegoers.
Die Hard (1988)
New York City cop John McClane travels to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife. While at her office party in Nakatomi Plaza, a group of terrorists, led by the sophisticated Hans Gruber, takes everyone hostage. McClane, who was in a separate room, manages to escape detection and becomes the sole person who can save the hostages.
What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse game as McClane, barefoot and outgunned, uses his wits and resourcefulness to take down the terrorists one by one. He is in constant communication with a police sergeant on the ground, but for the most part, he is on his own. The film’s contained setting and relatable hero made it a massive success and a benchmark for the action genre.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
In a stark desert wasteland, society has collapsed. A tyrannical leader named Immortan Joe enslaves the remaining population inside a fortress. Max Rockatansky, a man of action and few words, is captured and used as a “blood bag” for a sick warrior. At the same time, Imperator Furiosa, one of Joe’s top lieutenants, betrays him to free his five wives.
Max and Furiosa form an uneasy alliance as they try to escape across the desert in a heavily armored war rig. They are relentlessly pursued by Immortan Joe and his army of fanatical followers in a near-continuous, high-octane chase. The film is celebrated for its practical effects, stunning visuals, and non-stop action sequences.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Batman has been successful in cleaning up the streets of Gotham City, working with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Crime rates have dropped, and for the first time, it seems like the city might have a peaceful future. But a new class of criminal emerges, one who is not interested in money or power in the traditional sense.
This new threat is the Joker, a mysterious and anarchic mastermind who unleashes a wave of chaos across Gotham. He pushes Batman to his physical and psychological limits, forcing him to question the very nature of his crusade against injustice. The film is a dark and complex crime saga, anchored by a legendary performance from Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
It is 1936, and archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain it for their own nefarious purposes. The Ark is said to contain immense power, making the person who possesses it invincible. Jones’s quest takes him from Nepal to Cairo, where he reunites with his tough and resourceful old flame, Marion Ravenwood.
Together, they face numerous dangers, including booby-trapped tombs, menacing assassins, and a legion of Nazi soldiers led by Jones’s rival, the French archaeologist Belloq. The film is a tribute to the adventure serials of the 1930s and 40s, filled with iconic action set pieces, a charismatic hero, and a thrilling sense of discovery.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
More than a decade after the first film, a new Terminator is sent back in time. This advanced, liquid-metal T-1000 is tasked with killing the young John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance against the machines. To protect him, the resistance sends back a reprogrammed T-800, the same model that once tried to kill his mother, Sarah Connor.
Sarah, who has spent years preparing for this day, is now in a mental institution. The T-800 and John must break her out and work together to stop the seemingly unstoppable T-1000. The film was a groundbreaking achievement in special effects and raised the bar for action filmmaking with its spectacular and relentless chase sequences.
Aliens (1986)
Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo, is rescued after drifting through space for 57 years. She is debriefed by her employers at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, who are skeptical of her story about the deadly alien creature. When contact is lost with a colony on the same moon where her crew first encountered the alien eggs, Ripley reluctantly agrees to return as an advisor to a team of colonial marines.
Upon arrival, they find the colony deserted except for a young girl named Newt. They soon discover that the colonists have been cocooned by a hive of aliens, led by a massive Alien Queen. The mission turns from rescue to a desperate fight for survival, as the well-armed marines are systematically hunted by the creatures.
The Matrix (1999)
Thomas Anderson is a computer programmer by day and a hacker named Neo by night. He is contacted by Morpheus, a mysterious figure who is considered a terrorist by the authorities. Morpheus tells Neo that the world he knows is a lie, a simulated reality called the Matrix, created by intelligent machines to subdue the human population while their bodies are used as an energy source.
Neo chooses to awaken to the real world, a desolate future where a small group of humans fights a desperate war against the machines. He is trained in various forms of combat and learns to manipulate the rules of the Matrix. Morpheus believes Neo is “The One,” a prophesied savior who can end the war and free humanity.
John Wick (2014)
John Wick is a retired hitman mourning the recent death of his wife. He receives a beagle puppy, a final gift from her to help him cope with his grief. When a group of arrogant mobsters break into his home to steal his prized 1969 Ford Mustang, they also kill his dog. This act unleashes the most feared assassin the criminal underworld has ever known.
Wick re-enters the world he left behind, seeking vengeance on the men who took everything from him. His path leads him to the top of the Russian mafia in New York City. The film is known for its stylish “gun-fu” fight choreography and its detailed depiction of a secret society of assassins with its own codes and currency.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
In 19th-century China, a renowned swordsman named Li Mu Bai decides to give up his legendary sword, the Green Destiny. He entrusts it to his close friend and fellow warrior, Yu Shu Lien, to deliver to a respected elder. However, the sword is stolen by a mysterious thief, setting off a chain of events that will intertwine the lives of four people.
The film follows Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien’s quest to recover the sword, which leads them to Jen Yu, the young and rebellious daughter of a governor who secretly yearns for a life of adventure. The movie is celebrated for its beautiful cinematography and its graceful, balletic fight sequences, which see warriors defying gravity as they battle across rooftops and treetops.
Police Story (1985)
Chan Ka-Kui is a dedicated Hong Kong police detective who scores a major victory by single-handedly capturing a powerful crime lord. To ensure the gangster is convicted, the police department assigns Chan to protect the crime lord’s secretary, who is set to testify against her former boss.
However, the secretary is not a willing witness, and Chan’s attempts to protect her lead to a series of comedic and dangerous situations. When the crime lord is released on bail, he frames Chan for the murder of a fellow police officer. Chan must go on the run to clear his name, leading to a spectacular and destructive climax in a shopping mall.
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
A 20-man elite police squad is tasked with infiltrating a high-rise apartment block in Jakarta’s slums to arrest a ruthless crime lord named Tama. The building is a fortress, filled with heavily armed criminals and residents who are loyal to Tama. The mission goes wrong from the start, and the squad is quickly discovered and trapped inside.
With their numbers dwindling, a rookie officer named Rama must rely on his incredible martial arts skills to fight his way up the building, floor by floor. The film features intense and brutal fight sequences, showcasing the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat. It is a raw and visceral action film that rarely pauses for breath.
Seven Samurai (1954)
In 16th-century Japan, a poor village is repeatedly terrorized by a band of ruthless bandits who steal their crops. Desperate, the villagers decide to hire samurai to protect them. They can only offer food as payment, so they must find ronin, masterless samurai, who are willing to fight for a humble cause.
A veteran samurai named Kambei agrees to help them and recruits six other warriors, each with their own unique skills and personality. The samurai train the villagers and fortify the village in preparation for the bandits’ return. The film is an epic tale of honor, sacrifice, and the class divide, culminating in a climactic battle in the pouring rain.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
A woman known only as The Bride, a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, wakes up from a four-year coma. She was betrayed by her former boss, Bill, and her fellow assassins, who left her for dead on her wedding day. Fueled by a thirst for revenge, she sets out to kill everyone who was involved in the massacre.
Her quest first takes her to Pasadena, California, and then to Okinawa, Japan, where she obtains a custom-made sword from a legendary swordsmith. Her journey culminates in a bloody showdown with O-Ren Ishii, another former Deadly Viper who is now the leader of the Tokyo underworld, and her army of bodyguards, the Crazy 88.
The Fugitive (1993)
Dr. Richard Kimble, a respected Chicago surgeon, is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. He manages to escape from a prison bus after it crashes with a train. Now a fugitive, Kimble must find the real killer, a one-armed man he saw at the scene of the crime, while being relentlessly pursued by a team of U.S. Marshals.
The hunt is led by the determined and sharp-witted Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard, who does not care about Kimble’s innocence and is only focused on his recapture. Kimble returns to Chicago, using his intelligence and medical knowledge to stay one step ahead of Gerard’s team as he pieces together the conspiracy that led to his wife’s death.
Point Break (1991)
Johnny Utah is a young, ambitious FBI agent who is assigned to a case involving a group of highly efficient bank robbers known as the “Ex-Presidents.” His partner, an older and more cynical agent, has a theory that the robbers are surfers. Utah goes undercover in the Southern California surfing community to identify the criminals.
He soon befriends Bodhi, the charismatic and philosophical leader of a group of surfers who live for the thrill of the ride. Utah finds himself drawn to their adrenaline-fueled lifestyle, and his loyalties become blurred as he gets closer to the truth. The film features incredible skydiving and surfing sequences and explores themes of friendship and living on the edge.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Jason Bourne is still on the run, searching for answers about his past as a CIA assassin. He is pursued by a new black-ops program, which is even more ruthless than the one that created him. Bourne learns that a British journalist is investigating his case and has a source high up in the CIA who can reveal the secrets of his identity.
Bourne travels from Moscow to Paris, Madrid, London, and Tangier, using his incredible skills to evade capture and uncover the truth. He is a ghost, constantly one step ahead of the agency that wants him dead. The film is known for its gritty, realistic action sequences, shaky-cam cinematography, and intense pacing.
Casino Royale (2006)
In his first mission as a double-0 agent, James Bond must enter a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro. His target is Le Chiffre, a private banker who finances terrorist organizations. When a risky investment goes wrong, Le Chiffre organizes the poker game to win back his clients’ money. Bond’s mission is to beat him and force him to cooperate with MI6.
Bond is assisted by Vesper Lynd, a treasury agent who is assigned to watch over the government’s money. As Bond and Le Chiffre face off at the poker table and in violent confrontations, Bond finds himself developing genuine feelings for Vesper. The film reboots the Bond series with a more grounded and intense take on the character.
Predator (1987)
An elite team of special forces commandos, led by Major “Dutch” Schaefer, is sent on a mission to rescue a cabinet minister from insurgents in a Central American jungle. After finding the hostages have been killed, the team discovers they are being hunted by a mysterious and technologically advanced alien creature.
One by one, the highly trained soldiers are picked off by the Predator, which uses camouflage and a variety of advanced weapons. Dutch, the last survivor, must strip away his modern weaponry and rely on his primal instincts and knowledge of the jungle to face the creature in a final, brutal showdown.
RoboCop (1987)
In a crime-ridden, dystopian Detroit, the city’s police force has been taken over by a mega-corporation called Omni Consumer Products (OCP). When a good cop named Alex Murphy is brutally murdered by a gang, OCP uses his remains to create a cyborg police officer known as RoboCop.
RoboCop is a huge success, efficiently and violently cleaning up the streets of Detroit. However, fragments of Murphy’s memories begin to surface, and he starts to question his new identity. He soon uncovers a conspiracy within OCP, leading him to seek revenge on the criminals who killed him and the corporate executives who created him.
Hard Boiled (1992)
“Tequila” Yuen is a tough-as-nails Hong Kong police inspector whose partner is killed during a shootout with a gang of gun smugglers in a teahouse. Determined to get revenge, Tequila goes after the gang’s leader. His investigation leads him to an undercover cop named Alan, who has infiltrated the criminal organization.
The two officers, who initially don’t trust each other, are forced to team up to take down the mob from the inside. The film is famous for its highly stylized and chaotic gunfights, choreographed with balletic precision. The climax takes place in a hospital, featuring a long, single-take action sequence that is legendary among film fans.
First Blood (1982)
John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran, wanders into a small town in Washington. The town’s overzealous sheriff, Will Teasle, takes an instant dislike to Rambo and arrests him for vagrancy. At the police station, the deputies’ abusive treatment triggers Rambo’s post-traumatic stress disorder, causing him to lash out and escape.
A manhunt ensues in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. Rambo uses his elite Special Forces training to wage a one-man war against the sheriff and his deputies. He is a master of guerrilla warfare, setting traps and using the terrain to his advantage. The film is a powerful commentary on the treatment of veterans and the psychological scars of war.
The French Connection (1971)
New York City narcotics detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle is a tough, bigoted, and obsessive cop who plays by his own rules. He and his partner, “Cloudy” Russo, get a tip that a massive shipment of heroin is coming into the city from France. They begin to tail a small-time criminal and uncover a large-scale smuggling operation.
The operation is masterminded by a sophisticated French criminal named Alain Charnier. Popeye becomes obsessed with catching Charnier, leading to a gritty and relentless pursuit through the streets of New York. The film is famous for its realistic, documentary-style cinematography and one of the most thrilling car chases in movie history.
Bullitt (1968)
Frank Bullitt is a cool, no-nonsense San Francisco police lieutenant who is tasked with protecting a key witness in a major mob trial. The witness is set to testify against a powerful crime syndicate. Despite Bullitt’s precautions, the witness is shot by hitmen, and Bullitt decides to hide his death to keep the investigation alive.
He goes on a personal mission to find the killers and uncover the conspiracy behind the hit. The film is known for its authentic locations and its low-key, professional depiction of police work. It is most famous for its groundbreaking car chase, a nearly 11-minute sequence through the hilly streets of San Francisco that set a new standard for cinematic action.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Lee, a highly skilled martial artist from the Shaolin Temple, is recruited by a British intelligence agency. He is asked to infiltrate a martial arts tournament on a private island owned by a mysterious and powerful man named Han. Han is a suspected crime lord involved in drug trafficking and prostitution, and the tournament is a cover for his illegal activities.
Lee agrees to the mission because he also seeks revenge on the man responsible for his sister’s death, who works as Han’s bodyguard. Once on the island, Lee participates in the tournament while secretly gathering evidence. The film is the definitive kung fu movie for a generation and made Bruce Lee an international icon.
Drunken Master II (1994)
The film stars Jackie Chan as the legendary Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. The story follows Wong as he accidentally gets caught up in a plot by foreign smugglers to steal ancient Chinese artifacts. He must use his unique style of “drunken boxing,” a martial arts technique that imitates the movements of a drunkard, to defeat the criminals.
The more alcohol Wong drinks, the more powerful his fighting becomes. However, he must also contend with his stern father, who disapproves of his drunken fighting style. The film is packed with Chan’s signature blend of acrobatic combat and physical comedy, and it features some of the most intricate and jaw-dropping fight sequences ever put on film.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Roger Murtaugh is a veteran homicide detective who is just trying to survive until his retirement. He is reluctantly partnered with Martin Riggs, a younger detective who is reckless and suicidal following the death of his wife. Riggs’s unpredictable behavior makes him a “lethal weapon” on the force.
Together, they uncover a massive drug smuggling ring run by former Special Forces soldiers from the Vietnam War. As they get closer to the truth, they become targets themselves. The film’s mix of high-octane action and buddy-cop comedy was a huge success and set the formula for countless imitators.
The Rock (1996)
A disgruntled group of elite U.S. Marines, led by a decorated general, takes over Alcatraz Island and holds 81 tourists hostage. They threaten to launch rockets filled with deadly nerve gas on San Francisco unless their demands for financial compensation for the families of soldiers killed in covert operations are met.
To neutralize the threat, the FBI sends in a chemical weapons expert, Stanley Goodspeed, who has no combat experience. He is paired with the only man to have ever escaped from Alcatraz, a former British spy named John Mason who has been secretly imprisoned for decades. They must infiltrate the former prison and disarm the rockets before time runs out.
Face/Off (1997)
Sean Archer is an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy, a ruthless terrorist who killed Archer’s son years earlier. Archer finally manages to take Troy down, but he learns that Troy has planted a bomb in Los Angeles that is set to detonate in a few days. The only other person who knows the bomb’s location is Troy’s brother, who is in a high-security prison.
To get the information, Archer undergoes a radical surgical procedure to have his face swapped with the comatose Castor Troy’s. He goes undercover in the prison, but the real Troy unexpectedly wakes up and forces the surgeon to give him Archer’s face. The two sworn enemies now wear each other’s identities as they engage in a high-stakes battle of wits and firepower.
Gladiator (2000)
Maximus Decimus Meridius is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The emperor wants Maximus to succeed him and restore the Roman Republic. However, the emperor’s ambitious and corrupt son, Commodus, murders his father and seizes the throne. He orders the execution of Maximus and his family.
Maximus escapes but is captured by slave traders and sold into gladiatorial combat. He becomes the most famous gladiator in the empire, fighting his way to the Colosseum in Rome. There, he seeks to win the love of the crowd and get his revenge on the man who destroyed his life.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Two years after the events of the previous film, Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are tasked with recovering three plutonium cores that have been stolen by a terrorist group. The mission goes wrong, and the cores fall into the hands of a shadowy organization known as the Apostles, who plan to sell them to an extremist who wants to create nuclear weapons.
Hunt must race against time to track down the plutonium before it can be used. The CIA, however, doubts his loyalty and forces him to work with a ruthless assassin named August Walker. The mission takes Hunt across the globe, involving a series of death-defying stunts, including a high-altitude skydiving jump, a rooftop chase in London, and a helicopter battle in the mountains of Kashmir.
The Killer (1989)
Ah Jong is a disillusioned hitman who decides to take on one last job to fund an operation for a singer he accidentally blinded during a previous shootout. When he is double-crossed by his employer, he finds himself on the run. He is pursued by both the mob and a dedicated police inspector named Li Ying.
Despite being on opposite sides of the law, the hitman and the cop develop a mutual respect for one another. They eventually form an unlikely alliance to take down the crime boss who betrayed them both. The film is a stylish and poetic action thriller, known for its “heroic bloodshed” genre conventions and its masterfully choreographed gun battles.
Heat (1995)
Neil McCauley is a brilliant and meticulous professional thief who leads a crew of seasoned criminals. Vincent Hanna is a driven and obsessive LAPD lieutenant who is determined to take McCauley down. The two men are masters of their respective professions and are on a collision course.
The film follows McCauley’s crew as they plan and execute a series of daring heists, while Hanna’s team closes in on them. It is a sprawling crime saga that explores the professional and personal lives of the criminals and the cops who hunt them. The movie is famous for its intense, realistic shootouts and for featuring the first on-screen scene with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
During World War II, a rebellious U.S. Army Major is assigned an impossible mission. He must recruit, train, and lead a team of 12 soldiers, all of whom are convicted murderers, rapists, and criminals sentenced to death or long prison terms. The mission is to parachute behind enemy lines and assassinate a group of high-ranking German officers.
The Major puts the convicts through a brutal training regimen, turning the undisciplined group into a cohesive fighting unit. If they survive the mission, they will be granted pardons for their crimes. The film is a classic war adventure, celebrating a group of anti-heroes who are given a chance at redemption through a suicide mission.
The Terminator (1984)
A cyborg assassin, known as a Terminator, is sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 Los Angeles. Its mission is to kill a young woman named Sarah Connor. In the future, Sarah’s unborn son will become the leader of the human resistance in a war against intelligent machines.
The resistance also sends back a soldier, Kyle Reese, to protect Sarah. He must find her before the seemingly unstoppable Terminator does. The film is a relentless and terrifying sci-fi thriller, with the Terminator presented as a modern-day slasher villain. It launched a major franchise and solidified Arnold Schwarzenegger’s status as an action star.
The Road Warrior (1981)
In a post-apocalyptic future, society has collapsed due to war and a critical oil shortage. The Australian outback is a lawless wasteland roamed by violent gangs who will kill for a tank of gasoline. Max Rockatansky, a former highway patrolman who has lost everything, wanders the wasteland, scavenging for fuel.
Max discovers a small community of settlers who are operating a refinery. They are besieged by a vicious gang of marauders led by the charismatic but terrifying Lord Humungus. Max, initially only looking out for himself, reluctantly agrees to help the settlers escape with a tanker full of gasoline, leading to an epic and brutal chase across the desert.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
More than thirty years after the original film, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is still pushing the limits as a top naval aviator. He has avoided advancement in rank that would ground him. He is ordered back to the Top Gun flight school to train a new generation of elite pilots for a dangerous and unprecedented mission.
Among the trainees is Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late friend and wingman, “Goose.” Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears as he prepares the young pilots for a mission that may require the ultimate sacrifice. The film features breathtaking aerial sequences, with real pilots and practical effects creating an immersive experience.
Speed (1994)
A young LAPD SWAT officer named Jack Traven thwarts a bomber’s attempt to hold a group of people for ransom in an elevator. The bomber, a disgruntled former cop, escapes and rigs a city bus with a bomb. If the bus’s speed drops below 50 miles per hour, the bomb will detonate.
Jack manages to get on the bus and must work with a passenger, Annie Porter, who takes the wheel after the driver is shot. Together, they navigate the crowded Los Angeles freeways, trying to keep the speed up while Jack figures out how to disarm the bomb. The film is a high-concept thriller that maintains a sense of constant, nail-biting tension.
GoldenEye (1995)
James Bond is back after a six-year hiatus. He must investigate the theft of a helicopter that is immune to electromagnetic pulses. The investigation leads him to a Russian crime syndicate known as Janus, which has stolen the controls for a secret Soviet-era satellite weapon system called “GoldenEye.”
The weapon can create a devastating electromagnetic pulse that would cripple any nation’s electronic infrastructure. Bond’s mission takes him to Russia, where he discovers that the head of the Janus syndicate is a former MI6 agent and a man he thought was dead. The film successfully rebooted the Bond franchise for the 1990s and introduced Pierce Brosnan in the iconic role.
The Incredibles (2004)
In a world where superheroes, or “Supers,” have been forced into hiding by the government, Bob Parr, formerly Mr. Incredible, lives a mundane suburban life with his family. His wife, Helen, was once the hero Elastigirl, and their children also have superpowers. Bob is bored with his insurance job and secretly moonlights as a vigilante.
He gets a chance to relive his glory days when he is contacted by a mysterious organization for a top-secret assignment on a remote island. He soon discovers that it is a trap set by a vengeful new villain. It is up to the rest of the Parr family to use their powers and come to his rescue, becoming a super-family in the process.
Black Panther (2018)
Following the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the technologically advanced and hidden African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. Wakanda’s wealth and power come from its exclusive access to vibranium, a powerful and versatile metal. T’Challa must now lead his people and protect his nation’s secrets.
However, his claim to the throne is challenged by an outsider, a former black-ops soldier named Erik Killmonger who has a personal connection to Wakanda’s past. Killmonger seeks to seize control of Wakanda’s vibranium resources and use them to start a global revolution. T’Challa must rally his allies and become the Black Panther to defeat his challenger and secure his nation’s future.
Con Air (1997)
Cameron Poe, a newly paroled Army Ranger, is heading home to his wife and the daughter he has never met. He is a passenger on a prison transport plane that is also carrying some of the country’s most dangerous criminals to a new supermax facility. The flight is hijacked by the convicts, led by the brilliant and ruthless Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom.
Poe, who is supposed to be a free man, is trapped on the plane. He must pretend to cooperate with the criminals while secretly working with a U.S. Marshal on the ground to stop them. The situation becomes even more complicated as the plane heads towards Las Vegas, where the criminals plan to escape.
The Professional (Léon) (1994)
Léon is a professional hitman, or “cleaner,” who lives a solitary life in New York City’s Little Italy. His life is changed when he reluctantly takes in his 12-year-old neighbor, Mathilda, after her family is murdered by a corrupt and unhinged DEA agent named Norman Stansfield.
Mathilda, seeking revenge for the death of her younger brother, asks Léon to teach her how to be a cleaner. A complex and unconventional bond forms between the two as Léon teaches her the tools of his trade. Their relationship puts them on a collision course with Stansfield and his men, leading to a violent and emotional confrontation.
The Untouchables (1987)
During the Prohibition era, the city of Chicago is ruled by the infamous gangster Al Capone, who has the police and city officials in his pocket. Federal Treasury agent Eliot Ness is sent to Chicago to take Capone down. His initial efforts fail due to widespread corruption.
Ness recruits a small, hand-picked team of honest cops, including a tough Irish-American beat cop, a young police academy cadet, and an Italian-American agent. They become known as “The Untouchables” because they cannot be bribed. They wage a relentless war against Capone’s criminal empire, using unconventional and often violent methods to bring him to justice.
True Lies (1994)
Harry Tasker lives a double life. To his wife, Helen, he is a boring but reliable computer salesman. In reality, he is a top-secret agent for a covert U.S. intelligence agency. He is fluent in multiple languages, an expert in combat, and a master of espionage. His two lives collide when he suspects his wife is having an affair.
While investigating his wife’s supposed indiscretions, Harry and Helen are kidnapped by a terrorist group that has gotten its hands on nuclear weapons. Harry must now save his wife and the world, all while revealing his true identity to her. The film is a mix of high-stakes action and domestic comedy, with spectacular stunts and special effects.
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
In a small, poor village in Thailand, the head of a sacred Buddha statue, known as Ong-Bak, is stolen by a crime syndicate. The statue is believed to possess magical powers that protect the village. A young villager named Ting, a highly skilled martial artist, volunteers to travel to Bangkok to recover the stolen artifact.
Once in the city, Ting must navigate the dangerous criminal underworld. He uses his incredible fighting skills, a form of Muay Thai that is both acrobatic and brutal, to fight his way through a series of underground fighting tournaments and confrontations with gangsters. The film is famous for its realistic and bone-crunching fight sequences, all performed without the use of wires or CGI.
District B13 (2004)
In the near future, the worst ghetto in Paris, District B13, has been walled off from the rest of the city. It is a lawless area ruled by gangs. Leïto, an agile and resourceful resident, is fighting to keep his neighborhood free from drugs. He makes an enemy of the district’s most powerful gang leader.
Meanwhile, Damien, an elite undercover cop, is sent into District B13 on a mission to disarm a stolen neutron bomb that has been activated and is aimed at the city. He must team up with Leïto, who knows the district better than anyone. Together, they use their complementary skills—Damien’s combat expertise and Leïto’s incredible parkour abilities—to navigate the dangerous urban landscape and stop the bomb.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
In the near future, an alien race has invaded Earth and is systematically conquering the planet. Major William Cage is a public relations officer with no combat experience. He is demoted and forced to join a combat unit for a major offensive against the aliens. He is killed within minutes of landing on the battlefield.
However, Cage wakes up at the beginning of the same day. He is caught in a time loop, forced to relive the same brutal battle over and over again. With each reset, he becomes a better soldier, learning from his mistakes. He teams up with a celebrated warrior, Rita Vrataski, who experienced the same phenomenon, to find a way to defeat the enemy.
Inception (2010)
Dom Cobb is a skilled thief who specializes in a unique form of corporate espionage. He steals valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. This rare ability has made him a coveted player in the world of corporate spying, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.
Cobb is offered a chance at redemption. Instead of stealing an idea, he and his team of specialists must plant one in a target’s mind, an act known as “inception.” The mission is far more dangerous than anything they have attempted before. They must navigate multiple layers of the dream world, where the slightest mistake could have deadly consequences.
Skyfall (2012)
A mission in Istanbul goes horribly wrong, and James Bond is presumed dead. In his absence, MI6 is attacked, and the identity of every active undercover agent is leaked. The agency is forced to relocate. The head of MI6, M, becomes the target of a brilliant and vengeful former agent named Raoul Silva.
Bond, who was living in obscurity, returns to London to help his agency. He must track down Silva, a man who knows MI6’s weaknesses and has a very personal vendetta against M. Bond’s investigation takes him to Shanghai and Macau, and ultimately leads to a violent showdown at his childhood home in Scotland, “Skyfall.”
Oldboy (2003)
Oh Dae-su is an ordinary businessman who is kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel-like room for 15 years without any explanation. His only contact with the outside world is a television, through which he learns that he has been framed for his wife’s murder. He spends his years in captivity training his body and mind for revenge.
One day, he is suddenly released. He is given a new suit, a phone, and a wallet full of money. He is then given a five-day ultimatum to figure out the reason for his imprisonment. His quest for answers leads him down a dark and violent path, uncovering a web of secrets and conspiracies that lead to a shocking and devastating revelation.
