10 Most Rewatchable Action Movie Masterpieces of the 21st Century, Ranked

The 10 Most Rewatchable Action Movie Masterpieces of the 21st Century, Ranked Image via Warner Bros. By  William Smith Published Feb 3, 2026, 8:07 PM EST William Smith is a flesh and blood writer who hasn't seen natural sunlight in months. He spends every waking hour at his laptop producing content to satisfy the cruel algorithm and to give those who spend their time in the comments section something to criticize.  Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

The 21st century has brought with it plenty of new action classics. Whether they're original creations, sequels within long-established franchises, or bold revisions to beloved characters, there's been a lot on offer for genre fans. While the current trends of legacy sequels and cinematic universes make it so that many of the best action films of this century come with a lot of baggage where your franchise knowledge needs to be sharp to understand every reference or character history, there are still those that stand well on their own and remain eminently rewatchable.

These are the singular action movies that just don't get old, no matter how many times you've seen them. Explosion after explosion, car crash after car crash, they remain fresh and exhilarating. They're perfect for a lazy afternoon or a popcorn movie night in because they are guaranteed to deliver the thrills and excitement that the action genre promises, and they do it better than the competition. These are the most rewatchable action movie masterpieces of the 21st century.

10 'Kill Bill Vol. 1' (2003)

Uma Thurman as The Bride holding a samurai sword in 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1'Image via Miramax

While Quentin Tarantino's pastiche homage to martial arts movies was originally intended as one big long movie, and can now be watched as such with the official wide release of The Whole Bloody Affair, it was still originally released as two films. Of those two films, it's really only the first, Kill Bill Vol. 1, that qualifies as an out-and-out action movie, with the second half far more devoted to character. The major setpieces are all front-loaded, which makes this volume one stand-out sequence after another.

Following Uma Thurman's betrayed Bride as she cuts a path of revenge across those who betrayed and left her for dead, the movie plays out in typical Tarantino fashion. It's a non-linear narrative, but one that's pretty clean to follow as the Bride has a list, and she checks each individual off in violent style. From a gritty, contained brawl in the suburbs with Vivica A. Fox, to a massive, bloody swordfight with the aptly-named Crazy 88, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is Tarantino upgrading his love of genre and pulp to a new level. It's visceral entertainment with a tactile throwback style.

9 'John Wick' (2014)

The Bride hasn't been the only trained assassin out for revenge this century, as Keanu Reeves came kicking, punching and shooting his way back into action fans' hearts with a brand-new franchise as John Wick. While the later films in the series get increasingly convoluted in terms of plot and the dense mythology of the fictional underworld they take place in — the most recent film is a particularly epic-sized effort — none can beat the original for its lethal efficiency. However, the first one is a lean, mean revenge thriller that lets Keanu do his kick-ass stuff without any extraneous plot.

As the most notorious hitman in a world filled with notorious hitmen, John Wick now lives a life of solitude after the death of his wife, for whom he left the criminal world. He finds solace in a puppy she left for him, but even that is taken away by some despicable criminal characters; Wick then unleashes his righteous fury and anger on the entire underworld to get his revenge. Co-directed by former stunt choreographers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, John Wick led the charge in giving the reins over to action experts to handle Hollywood's most bullet-riddled franchises. It's a stylish, neo-noir killfest that birthed the best modern action franchise.

8 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)

Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun: Maverick'Image via Paramount Pictures

In addition to Reeves, Tom Cruise has also been helping hold down the fort of aging action stars in the new millennium. The Scientologist, once known for putting shoe prints on Oprah's couch, helped revitalize tentpole action movies with both his Mission: Impossible franchise and, especially, the incredibly entertaining legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick. With a new cast of rising stars and a new director in Joseph Kosinski, taking over for the late Tony Scott, this sequel brought back genuine Hollywood escapism with action that is an incredible blend of practical stunts and seamless CGI.

The plot is as fairly simplified and immaterial as it was in the original, with Cruise's hotshot flyboy still ruffling the feathers of the top brass but now commissioned to train the next generation of top gun pilots. Their mission involves the destruction of a uranium plant in a conveniently unnamed country, lest the film damage its international appeal. However, it's all an excuse for some death-defying air acrobatics and shirtless camaraderie in the sun. Top Gun: Maverick manages to pay homage to what came before while forging a fearless new flight path forward that makes it a jet-fueled action masterpiece.

7 'Hot Fuzz' (2007)

Simon Pegg as Nicholas and Nick Frost as Danny wearing police vests and sunglasses, holding weapons in 'Hot Fuzz'.Image via Rogue Pictures

Action comedies are not the unique brand they once were. Where genre voices like Shane Black and Martin Brest once found clever ways of subverting genre tropes for comedic effect, they've now been mostly replaced by snarky superhero cinema that trades in endless quips. There's still lots to enjoy in the subgenre, though, with Black releasing his best efforts in the 21st century with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Still, if there's one filmmaker who has proven the most dynamic in reimagining genres, though, it's Edgar Wright, especially with his action comedy masterpiece Hot Fuzz.

A true blue buddy-cop actioner that pays direct homage to every action legend from Kathyrn Bigelow to Michael Bay, Wright's comedic classic reteams Simon Pegg and Nick Frost from their previous collaborations on Spaced and Shaun of the Dead as a slick city cop and a bumbling townie one, respectively, to take on a sinister organization responsible for the accidental deaths plaguing a tiny hamlet. It's as hilarious as it is thrilling, as it builds to a bombastic climax that shows Wright and co-writer Pegg's knack for setup and payoff in the most entertainingly explosive way.

6 'Inception' (2010)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Arthur engages in the infamous 'hallway fight' during 'Inception'.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Christopher Nolan quickly elevated from cerebral thrillers to action blockbusters in the 21st century with his massively successful reboot of the Batman franchise. He used the success of those superhero films to get the greenlight on large-scale original films, including the action-packed mind heist thriller Inception. The director's fidelity to practical effects and stunts over CGI gave the film's action an epic scope and scale that was rare then and even more so now, a decade and a half later.

Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of extraction experts who use sci-fi technology, allowing them to enter the dreams of their targets where they can remove or implant ideas. That concept allows for some mind-bending visuals, such as an entire cityscape folding in on itself or the film's incredible gravity-defying fight sequence. Few directors can command a large budget for big, bold original films, and thank God Nolan has devoted that power towards action cinema.

5 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)

Miles Morales foating in Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse while the world is upside down.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

There can be no discussion of action films in the 21st century without mentioning superheroes. Both Marvel and DC have seen major successes and failures on the big screen, but the best representative of the subgenre didn't come from either of the major live-action cinematic universes, but in Sony's animated Spider-Verse. The inaugural film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, is a stunningly animated action-adventure that breathed new life into the stale formula by focusing on a new protagonist and opening up the world to all kinds of colorful possibilities.

Miles Morales is the first cinematic non-white Spider-Man, adding a much-needed level of diversity to the predominantly pale depictions of the character and his New York turf. Moreover, he's also the first to share the screen with multiple webslinging superheroes. His origin story, as related in the film, opens a multi-dimensional rift that brings with it multiple Spider-Heroes, each with a colorful interpretation and emotional arc. Into the Spider-Verse set a new high bar for the character and superhero cinema that has yet to be cleared.

4 'The Incredibles' (2004)

The Incredibles pose for battle in The Incredibles.Image via Pixar Animation Studios

Miles Morales may have blazed trails in terms of Marvel characters, but he wasn't the first animated superhero of the 21st century. That title belongs to the family at the center of Brad Bird's The Incredibles. As the filmmaker's follow-up to the equally incredible The Iron Giant, Bird had all the might of Pixar behind him, and he decided to use that to tell a story about a dysfunctional family that also happens to have superpowers.

Combining domestic drama with superhero action makes for compelling entertainment as Bob and Helen Parr, formerly Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, try to adjust to life outside of spandex when supers are made illegal. They raise their three children in relative peace and quiet until their past comes calling again. The film has a retro-futuristic mid-century aesthetic that meshes well with the Bond-esque action sequences, which make clever use of all the characters' unique powers. While Marvel struggled to make a decent Fantastic Four movie for decades, Bird and Pixar nailed the concept of a crime-fighting family in one animated masterpiece.

3 'The Raid' (2011)

Image via PT Merantau Films

There have been dozens of international action masterpieces released in the 21st century, from the Indian epic RRR to Japan's reclamation of their famous kaiju in Godzilla Minus One. However, if there's one country that has truly been setting the tone in action cinema, it's Indonesia. It may not be a prolific output, and limited to a few select filmmakers and stars, but the action has truly been some of the most blisteringly badass. From the slapstick-heavy The Big 4 to the brutal bloodshed of The Night Comes For Us, it all puts most other action to shame, and there's none more rewatchable than the stripped-to-the-bone simplicity of The Raid.

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Set in a single tenement building where a SWAT raid goes wrong, leaving only a few survivors clinging to life as they have to fight their way through floor after floor of attackers, The Raid is an action-thriller by way of survival horror. Iko Uwais stakes his claim as a new international action superstar while director Gareth Evans matches his frenetic fight skills with kinetic camerawork. The sequel is even more action-packed, but nothing beats the ruthless forward momentum of the original.

2 'Casino Royale' (2006)

Daniel Craig in 'Casino Royale' (2006)Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

James Bond may have started the 21st century off with one of his worst installments, Die Another Day, but that only set the stage for him to make an explosive comeback, and they don't get much more explosive than Casino Royale. Daniel Craig dutifully stepped into the franchise and delivered a rougher, tougher Bond than audiences had become accustomed to. He was matched with a more muscular and less gadget-centric action movie built around him.

Adapted directly from Ian Fleming's original novel that introduced the character, this film broke from the admittedly loose continuity the franchise had previously established by taking Bond back to basics. He's only recently earned his 00 status and finds himself tested physically and emotionally on his first mission. Casino Royale is both the perfect entry point for newcomers to the spy franchise and a wholly satisfying reboot for longtime fans. It's arguably the best that Bond has ever been.

1 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Has there been a better, or more rewatchable, action movie in the 21st century than Mad Max: Fury Road? Has there been a better action movie period? Arguably not. George Miller's fuel-injected upgrade of his original action franchise completely reinvigorated it with a streamlined plot that put an emphasis on the action while still leaving enough room for indelible characters and masterful visual storytelling. It's Miller's magnum opus, and it absolutely puts its action contemporaries to shame with an emphasis on practical stunts and impressive application of CGI.

Tom Hardy makes for a suitable replacement for Mel Gibson in the title role, while Charlize Theron opens a new chapter of badassery in her career as an action star and is the real driver of the plot. As Furiosa, she steals away the young wives of the villainous Immortan Joe, played by original Mad Max villain Toecutter's actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, and sets off a desert-wide chase. It's an action-packed masterpiece that only gets better with every repeat viewing.

Mad Max: Fury Road R Action Adventure Science Fiction Release Date May 15, 2015

Cast Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman, Nathan Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton, John Howard, Richard Carter, Iota, Angus Sampson, Jennifer Hagan, Megan Gale, Melissa Jaffer, Melita Jurišić, Gillian Jones, Joy Smithers, Antoinette Kellerman, Christina Koch, Jon Iles, Quentin Kenihan Runtime 121 minutes Director George Miller Writers Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris Powered by Expand Collapse

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