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The Most Rewatchable Action Movies, Ranked

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6 November 2024
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Action movies make for some of cinema’s most engaging escapist films. With an ability to transform small budgets and modest productions into high-octane success stories, the action genre houses some of the film industry’s greatest stories and characters. Where some genres, like science fiction and war, can prove too long and complicated to watch numerous times, action has an uncanny ability to keep audiences coming back.




Action movies have an impressive re-watch factor, with many of the genre’s classics almost demanding multiple viewings. The best of these movies also blend other genres into their stories, ranging from science fiction and horror to comedy and crime. With some of film’s most prominent careers having been built through the action genre, it remains an audience favorite, taking simple, relatable character motivations and turning them into epic escapism. From vengeful brides to dystopian cops, action delivers brilliant, memorable heroes, like John McClane from Die Hard and Dutch from Predator, as well as visually pleasing combat.

Updated on November 1, 2024, by Natasha Elder: Re-watchable action films typically contain high-octane fight sequences, great musical scores and an easy-to-hate bad guy. They are perfect for de-stressing after a long day. While some, like Rambo, have deeper messages in addition to their cool heroes, there are also plenty that are simple fun. We wanted to discuss more incredible action films, as well as why audiences return to them again and again.



15 Hobbes and Shaw Is a Surprisingly Fun Fast and Furious Spin-Off

The Humorous Bickering Between the Two Titular Characters Leads to Many Great Moments

Both Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham are well-established action movie actors, and they are in top form in Hobbs and Shaw. Alongside the titular Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw is Hattie Shaw, played by Vanessa Kirby, who more than keeps her own. The three characters find themselves in numerous shoot-outs, car chases and close-combat scenarios as they face Brixton Lore, played by Idris Elba, as well as the mysterious Eteon.

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Images of Daniel Craig as James Bond, Tom Hardy as Mad Max and Uma Thurman as The Bride

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Hobbs and Shaw have great chemistry as they bicker while they fight their way through the film. While Hobbs and Shaw is not the most complex film, it is a fun one. With big set pieces and even bigger stakes, Hobbs and Shaw manages to be consistently thrilling, and even contains some of Jason Statham’s best action scenes. Despite the high energy of the movie, the straightforward plot and overall simplicity keep it at the bottom of the list.

14 Kill Bill Is One of Tarantino’s Finest Films

A Series of Short Stories Combines Into a Terrific Narrative

Uma Thurman as The Bride in Kill Bill is holding a samurai sword in a bloody, yellow outfit.


Arguably one of Quentin Tarantino’s greatest movies, Kill Bill tells the story of the Bride, a former assassin who wakes from a coma and begins her revenge campaign against the people who put her there. Once a member of the Deadly Viper Gang, she was betrayed by her former lover, Bill, who she believes killed her unborn daughter. With her list of enemies, she sets out to acquire the perfect sword for the job, and takes on her targets one at a time.

Kill Bill is filmed in such a way that audiences aren’t watching a single narrative, but rather a series of chapters woven together. Whether it’s O-Ren Ishii’s origin story or the Bride’s quest for a Hattori Hanzo sword, every scene is its own short story that builds up a grander narrative. When combined, it makes for a brilliant revenge quest, with the Bride’s battle with the Crazy 88 remaining one of the genre’s best battles. The film made great use of fight choreography, and succeeds at getting audiences invested in the Bride’s revenge.


13 The Hunt Should Have Been the New John Wick

There Are Many Compelling Action Scenes

Crystal May Creasey (Betty Gilpin) is aiming a double-barrel shotgun in a hardware store in The Hunt.

Blumhouse‘s The Hunt attracted controversy from the moment its premise was first revealed: A political adaptation of The Most Dangerous Game, where wealthy liberal elites hunt conservatives for fun. The film follows a slew of characters, but it primarily focuses on Crystal May Creasy, an army veteran mistakenly included in the roster of targets. After most of the group is killed, Crystal puts her training to good use, outsmarting her hunters and turning the tables as she makes it her mission to kill them all.


As much a horror movie as it is an action one, The Hunt could have been a female-oriented action franchise in the style of John Wick. However, a combination of factors, such as being a commercial box office flop and igniting political tensions kept it at one. Still, the fast-paced comedy/action/horror is extremely rewatchable, thanks to Betty Gilpin’s performance as Crystal, as well as fun dialogue and compelling action.

12 Bad Boys II Embraces Its Fun

The Film Improves Upon All of the Excellent Elements of the First Film

Detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) looks angry while talking on the phone in Bad Boys II. Next to him, Detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) looks concerned.


After the first Bad Boys movie captivated action fans, the team-up of Will Smith’s Mike Lowry and Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett returned for a fresh outing. In the fantastic second movie, the duo takes on a Miami drug kingpin, who uses coffins to transport ecstasy into the city. Once the two detectives are on the case, they fight their way through the city’s crime underworld to get the answers they need — all with a healthy dose of laughs along the way.

Bad Boys II remains the best Bad Boys movie for fans who enjoy escapist, non-stop action, as it embraces and embodies what the franchise should be. Beginning with a fight with the KKK and ending in an epic shootout that tears up the Cuban landscape, the movie is all-out fun and is worth a rewatch for the banter alone, let alone the action. Moreover, Bad Boys II doubles-down on everything that made the first film great.


11 Police Story Is One of Jackie Chan’s Best Films

Additionally, It Is An Incredibly Entertaining Action Flick

Senior Inspector Chan Kwak Wing (Jackie Chan) investigates while holding a pistol in Police Story.

Jackie Chan has established himself as an action movie icon, for good reason. His impressive stunts paved the way for an entirely new kind of action comedy. There is arguably no better representation of Jackie Chan’s massive talent than Police Story. Police Story encapsulates all of the things that made Chan’s future film endeavors successful, including dangerous stunts, high-speed car chases and creative martial arts choreography.


Those looking for slapstick comedy mixed in with engaging action scenes find the right balance in Police Story. Viewers will hold their breath as Jackie Chan hangs off of a bus and slides down buildings, risking his life in the process. The stunts alone will keep viewers coming back, but the story is good, as well. Jackie Chan’s role as Sergeant Chan Ka-Kui has him facing off against a crime lord bent on revenge, providing an interesting premise to an excellent movie.

10 Sin City Is Hard-Boiled Pulp Fiction at Its Finest

The Movie Is Directed by the Creator of the Source Material, Ensuring Its Incredible Quality


Based on Frank Miller’s iconic comic book of the same name, Sin City (incidentally written and directed by Miller) documents the hardships of a series of characters in the corrupt, scandalous city. Beginning with the tale of Hartigan and his protection of Nancy from a rapist, the movie brings some semblance of justice to its hopeless city — even if it ends on bleak notes. In each chapter, audiences get hard-boiled action, comic book-inspired villains, and gloriously excessive violence.

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Split Images of Red Notice, Army of the Dead, and The Old Guard

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Ultimately, it’s the characters of Sin City that make the film so re-watchable. Marv, Hartigan, Dwight, and the women of Old Town all come together to make for an ensemble of unlikely, flawed and morally-complex antiheroes. Thanks to Miller’s hands-on involvement, the movie plays out like a live-action comic book, and it captures everything great about the original comics. While it is till a amusing film, there are some elements that didn’t age well, landing it in the tenth spot.

9 Con Air Mixes Laughter with Action

The Fast Pace of the Movie Keeps Viewers Engaged

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) talks to Cyrus the Virus (John Malkovich) in Con Air.


Con Air begins with the honorable discharge of US Army Ranger Cameron Poe, who comes home to his wife, Trisha. However, when the couple are attacked by a group of drunks, Poe kills one of them in self-defense. With little evidence to back up his side of events, Poe accepts a plea deal, and goes to prison for a decade. On his release day, the veteran convict is put on a plane transporting a large group of inmates to another penitentiary. However, along the way, criminal mastermind Cyrus the Virus orchestrates a hijacking.

Con Air maintains a great comedic tone in its action, with Cameron being landed onboard a plane full of unstable criminals. As the heroic Ranger tries to help the authorities bring down the plane, he faces off against Cyrus and his gang, culminating in a chase in Las Vegas. The movie is an action classic, and its fast-moving journey keeps viewers interested the whole time. From Dave Chappelle’s role as Pinball to Steve Buscemi playing an oddly hilarious serial killer, the movie has more than earned its reputation.


The Con Air poster depicts the faces of Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage), Cyrus the Virus (John Malkovich) and U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack) above a plane dlying through flames.

Con-Air is a 1990s action crime-thriller starring Nicholas Cage as former U.S. Ranger turned to convict Cameron Poe. Poe, in an act of self-defense and passion, is court-martialed for accidentally killing the man he protected his wife from. Having served his time and achieving Parole, Poe is on his way home with one problem – the transport plane he’s on has been hijacked by several dangerous convicts, led by one of the worst in the United States. 

Director
Simon West

Release Date
June 5, 1997

Cast
John Cusack , Dave Chappelle , Ving Rhames , John Malkovich , Steve Buscemi , Nicolas Cage

Writers
Scott Rosenberg

Runtime
115 minutes

8 Deadpool Was the Beginning of a Memorable Franchise

Ryan Reynolds’ Second Stint as the Red-Clad Hero More Than Redeemed His First Attempt

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is holding guns in both hands and standing next to a flipped car in Deadpool.

As the first film in the Deadpool franchise, 2016’s Deadpool did an excellent job at setting the tone. Starting out with hilarious lines, action-packed gun fights and a variety of likable characters, it is clear why Deadpool became such a hit. Ryan Reynolds more than redeemed himself from his first controversial depiction of Wade Wilson, proving himself to be the perfect actor to play the Merc with a Mouth, when he had the chance to speak.


Deadpool also offered an opportunity for lesser-known X-Men such as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus to shine. Their interactions with Wade provide the basis for plenty of comedic moments, and their support of his goals at the end of the film is touching. Deadpool managed to capture exactly why the comic book character is so beloved, bringing him to the big screen in a spectacular, R-Rated fashion.

7 The Expendables Is an Action-Packed Thrill-Ride

With an Extensive Cast of Action Movie Veterans, Expendables Showcases a Variety of Fight Scenes

The first Expendables group, including Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Yin Yang (Jet Li) and Toll Road (Randy Couture) are holding guns while exiting a base.


Expendables features the acting talents of action movie legends, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li, there are many fantastic fight scenes with equally as many impressive stunts, some of which had lasting impacts on the actors. The fact that there are numerous characters also provides ample opportunity to showcase a variety of weapons and fighting forms, from Lee Christmas’ tendency to use and throw knives to Hale Caesar’s proficiency with big guns. The movie has more than big action sequences, though (as fun as they are).

The chemistry between the cast is one of the biggest reasons to re-watch the film. Barney Ross and Lee Christmas in particular have many inside jokes and diverting fight scenes together, but the other characters clearly have their own friendships going on, as well. The hints of their lives outside the action add more depth to their characters, and keep them feeling unique, which is important for such a big cast.


The cast of The Expendables, including Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross, Jason Statham as Lee Christmas, Terry Crews as Hale Caesar, Jet Li as Yin Yang, Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen, Randy Couture as Toll Road, and Mickey Rourke as Tool, are standing below the title.

The Expendables

The Expendables is an action film gathering numerous action stars to join forces to take on a dictator together.

6 Predator Created a Pop Culture Icon

The Almost Super-Human Feats of Strength Make the Film Cheesy in the Best Way Possible

The Predator holds Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in Predator (1987).

1987’s Predator follows an elite search and rescue team as they’re deployed to a South American jungle in search of a missing government minister. Led by Dutch Schaeffer, the team finds their comrades strung up and skinned, which leads them to suspect the local militia of being guilty. However, when they wipe out the enemy unit, they realize they’re still not alone in the jungle and are being hunted by a seemingly invisible creature: the Predator. Once aware of its existence, the team plans a strategy for catching it, though it slowly kills them off.


Predator is, at its core, a celebration of ’80s Hollywood action machismo, with the likes of Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenneger headlining the cast. From hilarious character banter to absurd feats of strength, the movie is always worth a watch, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. With one of cinema’s greatest monsters as its titular antagonist, it makes for a great horror/action movie with constant tension as the runtime draws towards Dutch’s one-man fight with the hunter.

In the Wake of the Controversial Vietnam War, a Movie About a Displaced Veteran Was Very Timely


There are many reasons to love Rambo: First Blood. Rambo’s ability to take on a whole town at once and win is surely impressive, no matter the fact that it is a relatively small town. Seeing his resourcefulness in the forest and his invasion of the police station is remarkable. When his commanding officer, Sam Trautman, comes to warn the sheriff in charge of the hunt to stand down, viewers’ excitement rockets.

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Composite image Immortan Joe, John Wick, Eggsy in Kingsman

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However, Rambo is re-watchable not because of the exciting actions of the main character, but also because of the social commentary provided in the movie. Unexpectedly, Rambo depicts how difficult life was for veterans returning after fighting in the Vietnam War. Rambo’s ending monologue to Trautman is heartbreaking, and it adds a depth to the film that is worth returning to. This surprising commentary combines with fantastic acting and exhilarating action to earn Rambo the number five spot.

4 John Wick Is The Ultimate Revenge Story

Straightforward and Superbly Shot, John Wick Has Some of the Best Fight Choreography

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) holds a puppy in the first John Wick movie.


John Wick begins with the story of its titular character, who loses his wife to cancer. Later, a puppy arrives at his door, and it’s revealed his wife organized for the pet to be sent to John after her death. However, when the man attracts the unwanted attention of a Russian mobster’s son who kills his dog, John Wick goes on the warpath to get revenge — no matter the cost. Revealed to be a retired assassin for the very same mob, Wick re-enters the trade of death, reconnecting with old acquaintances to find what he needs.

John Wick is one of the most visually stylized action movies in history, as well as standing out as a master of fight choreography. The movie minimizes cuts, focusing instead on drawn-out action, with Wick battling his way through the Russian mob, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. As the franchise expanded into sequels, each one upped the ante on style and combat, though the first film’s satisfying revenge tale makes it worth watching over and over again.


3 Die Hard Perfected the One-Man Army Trope

With Many Iconic Lines, It Has Served as the Inspiration for Many Other Films and Shows

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is on his stomach in a vent in Die Hard.

1988’s Die Hard tells the story of New York cop, John McClane, as he visits his wife in Los Angeles at her office Christmas party. While there, the building is attacked by a group of heavily armed thieves, who take the guests hostage and begin their plan to loot the corporate vault. As the only man not taken hostage, McClane escapes into the building and begins picking off the thieves one by one.


Die Hard took the one-man army trope and perfected it, becoming one of cinema’s most copied and influential stories. Watching McClane tear apart Hans Gruber’s team and save his wife remains the undisputed king of one-man action. McClane stands out as the action genre’s quintessential “regular Joe” hero, and that status helped audiences fall in love with his underdog story.

2 Dredd Is High-Octane Comic Book Fun

There Is Never a Boring Moment In This Action-Heavy Movie

Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is peeking around the corner of a wall in Dredd (2012).


Dredd takes place in a fascinating dystopian future city, Mega City One, where people live in densely-populated tower blocks. The story follows Dredd and Anderson — two cops imbued with special powers — as they’re sent to the Peach Trees mega block to investigate a murder case. After arriving, the cops realize they’ve walked into the base of one of the city’s biggest drug lords, Ma Ma, who locks down the building and sends her goons after them.

Dredd showcases the prowess of the city’s elite cops, as they take on dozens of heavily-armed gangsters, moving floor by floor to clear the building of its criminal element. The movie is surprisingly stunning, despite its grimy, rundown setting. As Dredd and Anderson fight their way toward Ma-Ma, they prove themselves the best of the best, and there’s never a dull moment on screen.


1 Mad Max: Fury Road Might Be Cinema’s Most Re-Watchable Movie

The Set Pieces Are Impressive, the Action Is Captivating and the Acting Is Remarkable

Mad Max: Fury Road is a reboot of the original franchise, and it follows Max Rocketansky after he’s taken captive by the forces of the evil, masked warlord Immortan Joe. When one of Joe’s finest warriors, Furiosa, absconds with his brides, the villain leads a war party to recover them and kill Furiosa. When the war party, which uses Max as a blood bank, is left in disarray, the hero escapes and joins Furiosa and the women in their quest for the ‘Green Place.’

Split image showing characters from Face/Off, Police Story and Bullitt

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Mad Max: Fury Road stands out as one of the action genre’s most unique films, in no small part thanks to its quick-paced, heavily stylish cinematography. When it comes to fast-paced, rewatchable action, it’s hard to beat a fleet of post-apocalyptic machinery tearing up the Australian desert. Whether it’s the movie’s terrifying character designs, endless fight scenes or thrilling car chases, it never lets up, making it the most re-watchable action movie, as there’s always a new facet to home in on.

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