As the halfway point of 2025 approaches , it ’s become exonerated that the 2020s have been a great decade for action movies . The genre is very popular among the various streamers , but it ’s also still the top draw poker at the box office . Almost all of the major hit from the last half decade have incorporated military action into the account in some way . It ’s just what people want to see on the big screen .
It was surprisingly well-fixed to pick the No . 1 film on our list of the seven best action movies of the 2020s . But there may presently be another contender for the throne . And if the 2d half of the decade produces action flick that are as unspoilt as the film of the last five years , then this list will look very different in 2029 .
7. Violent Night (2022)
Violent Nightlives up to its claim and it ’s a pretty peachy action picture . Red One‘s on our naughty leaning , but this is the antithesis of that film and it actually seems to get the signification of Christmas as well . Stranger Things ‘ David Harbour superstar as Santa Claus , and this former Viking warrior has lost all love and enthusiasm for Christmas as he goes through the motility on Christmas eve . It ’s just Santa ’s bad lot that he gets caught at the vast land of Gertrude ( Beverly D’Angelo ) as she and her wealthy family are taken hostage by Scrooge ( John Leguizamo ) and his Christmas - theme goons .
Gertrude ’s granddaughter , Trudy ( Leah Brady ) , is a true believer in Santa , and for her sake , the not - so saintly Nick metamorphose his Christmas appurtenance into instrument of warfare . Have you ever interpret Santa kill a world with a confect cane sharpened to a deadly compass point ? You will , and that ’s not the only prank that Santa has in his old bag . Ho - ho - ho .
Rent or buyViolent NightonPrime Video .
Universal Pictures
6. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Any ofthe first three John Wick moviescould have fill up the top of this inclination if they had n’t been released in the previous decade . While there were diminishing counter withJohn Wick : Chapter 4 . It ’s still a lot better than most action flicks , it ’s just not on the level of the single that came before it . This meter , John Wick ( Keanu Reeves ) is grade for dying by the High Table , and Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont ( Bill Skarsgård ) has been granted extraordinary powers and resources to excrete him . That includes excommunicating Winston Scott ( Ian McShane ) , destroying his dear Continental Hotel , and murdering his good friend , Charon ( Lance Reddick ) .
John and Winston hatch a dodge to get the High Table off their back everlastingly , but it ’s go to be a challenge when the price on John ’s psyche is so high that he ’s targeted by Caine ( Donnie Yen ) , Mr. Nobody ( Shamier Anderson ) , and innumerable assassins around the existence . And if John ca n’t meet the High Table ’s challenge than Winston will portion out his fate .
WatchJohn Wick : Chapter 4onPeacockon May 15 .
Lionsgate
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
sore Max : Fury Roadwas the No . 1 action picture show of the 2010s . And as good asFuriosa : A Mad Max Sagais , it ’s noFury Road . But Anya Taylor - Joy was a suitable replacement to the role of Furiosa , which was originated by Charlize Theron in the earlier picture show . Young Furiosa once had a home and a mob until she lost her mother to the warlord Dementus ( Chris Hemsworth ) .
Even when Dementus tries to adopt Furiosa , she never forgive or bury what he did . It takes several year for Furiosa to turn herself into a warrior so she can get her revenge on the man who murdered her mom . But Dementus testify to be more redoubtable than she expected , and he can still take away someone else that Furiosa cares about .
WatchFuriosa : A Mad Max SagaonMax .
Warner Bros. Pictures
4. Bullet Train (2023)
John Wickco - director David Leitch went in a wild new direction withBullet Train , an activity comedy that is a very good model of both genres . Brad Pitt is especially funny as an assassin with an odd codename : Ladybug . He ’s tired of killing people and remorseful about the carnage he ’s left in his wake . Ladybug ’s coach , Maria Beetle ( Sandra Bullock ) , directs him to the bullet train for a simple operation . All he has to do is snaffle a suitcase full of Johnny Cash and get off at the next stop before anyone clear what he ’s done .
Of course it is n’t that easy , as someone has arranged for five other bravo to be on the train at the same fourth dimension , some of whom require Ladybug dead . Not all of the other grampus are bad guy , but Ladybug has to watch his back as the caravan speed towards its final stop . That ’s where a horrific crime lord , the White Death ( Michael Shannon ) , is waiting to slaughter every assassin who make it off the train live .
WatchBullet TrainonHulu .
Sony
3. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Much like Tom Cruise put off making aTop Gunsequel for 36 year , his grapheme , Captain Pete “ Maverick ” Mitchell , managed to avoid a promotional material for three decades beforeTop grease-gun : Mavericksprang into the field as one of the adult hits of the 21st century . rebel has made a lot of enemies inside the Navy since his last appearance , and only his friendly relationship with Admiral Tom “ Iceman ” Kazansky ( Val Kilmer ) secures him a luck to keep his military career alive as an teacher for Top Gun .
Maverick is also a bit put out that the recruit he ’s grooming for a grave foreign mission are move into struggle without him . One of the archetype , Lieutenant Bradley “ Rooster ” Bradshaw ( Miles Teller ) , is the son of his later friend , Nick “ Goose ” Bradshaw , who still has a score against Maverick for his father ’s death . They ’re going to have to sort out that excited baggage before the final mission , because there ’s no guarantee that any of the pilots will make it back home in one piece .
WatchTop Gun : MaverickonParamount+ .
Paramount
2. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Deadpool & Wolverinewas Ryan Reynolds ’ aspiration project and he lobby for year to make it happen . But it took Hugh Jackman ’s unexpected desire to descend out of superhero retirement that contribute together one of the dear Marvel picture show of the last decade . It ’s also a fantastic natural action drollery with unexpected recall to over two decades of Marvel movies , including one that was n’t made by twentieth Century Fox .
This movie trace Jackman ’s move swansong inLoganwith a hilariously secular desecration of Wolverine ’s body during the opening credits . Deadpool ( Reynolds ) desperately needs a experience Wolverine ( Jackman ) to help him save his universe from destruction . Except this Wolverine has already allow his world down , and he may not have what it takes to salve the day . This multiversal superhero buddy funniness set a new standard for R - give away comic - playscript flick . It ’s live on to be strong to top if Marvel ever reach aDeadpool 4 .
WatchDeadpool & WolverineonDisney+ .
Disney/Marvel
1. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Since Tom Cruise and writer / theatre director Christopher McQuarrie began collaborating in 2008 , they ’ve raise action movies to another level … especially since McQuarrie started directing every charge : Impossible movie since the fifth film . commission : Impossible – utter Reckoning Part Oneis the first half of Cruise ’s final storey as IMF federal agent Ethan Hunt , and he ’s got one last delegation to save the world . Ethan has resolve that the A.I. being known as the Entity must be destroyed at all cost . But the Entity is already everywhere and charm animation or death decisions in the real world .
Cruise ’s practical stunt play incredibly well on the big sieve because for the most part , they ’re very veridical . The natural action and the stunt in this movie are psyche - blowing , and there has n’t been anything else that ’s come secretive sinceDead Reckoninghit theater . But if the former word aboutMission : unsufferable – The Final Reckoningis any reading , it may be the one movie that can go by this .
WatchMission : Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneonParamount+ .
Paramount Pictures
