Recommendations
Action Films
They’re often derided for their lack of substance or narrative weight but there’s few cinema experiences more enjoyable than a good action film for pure escapism and mindless thrills. It’s a genre that has existed since the dawn of cinema and has been effectively hybridised with most genres. Admittedly it’s often weighed down by utter dreck (such as Steven Seagal’s entire filmography) so it’s sometimes difficult to find the diamonds in the rough. Here are our recommendations that we hope gives a good overview of what the genre has to offer, though we truly struggled to condense our favourites for the list.
Hard Boiled (1992)
Director: John Woo
Writers: Gordon Chan, Barry Wong
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan, Anthony Wong, Philip Kwok
Run Time: 2h 8m
UK Certificate: 18
image: Golden Princess Film Production
John Woo is the master of action movies, his style, camera work and directorial instincts have now influenced generations of film-makers. Hard Boiled was made in response to the criticism within Hong Kong that he had romanticised criminals in his previous films, A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Killer (1989) and Bullet in the Head (1990). Chow Yun-fat stars as Tequila, a police officer trying to take down a ruthless Triad gang, while Alan (played by Tony Leung) infiltrates the organisation to bring one the bosses Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong) to justice. The film features all of the hall marks of John Woo’s Hong Kong films (dual wielding pistols, diving through the air firing guns and of course weapons being thrown from character to character) but is much more lean and stripped back. It’s brutal, fast paced and utterly enthralling, featuring some of Woo’s best set pieces (especially the fight in the warehouse and the breathless conclusion) and features some incredibly inventive film making. The interplay between the stars is a major part of the film’s appeal and continued Chow Yun-fat’s brilliant run with Woo.
Sadly, this was John Woo’s last film in his native Hong Kong before moving to Hollywood where he has never been able to recapture the frenetic, chaotic joy of his earlier work. Hard Boiled did however receive a belated sequel in the form of the video game Stranglehold from Midway games. It reunited Chow Yun-fat reprising the role of Tequila and Woo (who served as producer and creative director), the game captured the propulsive fun of the film in it’s non stop, slow motion ballistics.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton Paddy Considine, Rafe Spall, Olivia Colman, Kevin Eldon, Adam Buxton, Anne Reid
Run Time: 2h 1m
UK Certificate: 15
image: Universal Pictures
Hot Fuzz is Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s brilliant love letter to action films, packed with loving homages to the best of the genre (John Woo, Katherine Bigelow, John Huston and Michael Bay to name just a few of the directors work that are references). The film is chock-full of so many jokes that you’ll notice something new on every single watch that you may have missed previously (it’s a film we’ve seen countless times and are still noticing something new). Simon Pegg is Nicholas Angel, a decorated police sergeant in London who’s reassigned to the rural village of Sandford, because his hyper focused work ethic is making the other officers look bad. He struggles to adapt to the slow paced life of being a big cop in a little village and with local officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) stumbles on a the surprisingly high fatal accident rate in Sandford. He must convince his coworkers that some of these brutal “accidents” are actually murders and it’s not all for the Greater Good.
Hot Fuzz is the second in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy after their zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead (2004) and completed by the bodysnatchers Sci-fi of The World’s End (2013). These films each work because they’re not a mocking parody but aim to be a respectable entry in the genre, only with gags added in. It’s an endlessly watchable (and quotable) film, packed with a wide array of British acting and comedy talent including a few Oscar Winners and easily one the best action films Britain has produced.
John Wick (2014)
Director: Chad Stahelski
Writer: Derek Kolstad
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo
Run Time: 1h 41m
UK Certificate: 15
image: Summit Entertainment
Whilst grieving the loss of his wife Helen, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) receives one final gift from her, a new puppy called Daisy. In true action film tradition however, no good thing can last and the puppy is killed by Russian gangsters who break into Wick’s home, triggering a cataclysmic wave of violence and drawing him out of retirement and back into the criminal underworld. It seems ridiculous now given the franchise its spawned but no-one outside of the film had any faith in its success prior to release, which struggled with financing through most of its troubled production (Eva Longoria served as one of producers and invested in the film). John Wick was co-directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leith (due to guild rules only Stahelski is credited as director), they were both brought on by Reeves who had previously worked with the pair as stunt coordinators/stunt doubles on the Matrix trilogy (1999-2003). They signed on after loving Derek Kolstad’s script which set a simple revenge thriller against a complicated and detailed criminal network of interconnected organisations (which the sequels flesh out further in a labyrinthian web of entities). Each fight is carefully choreographed with deliberate gun play being used as a close quarters hand to hand combat style. Which is all shot with care and precision, in contrast to the messy quick edits that some action films had relied on to disguise how bland and uninspired they had become.
The film boosted Reeves’ ailing career which had dipped in the 2000s after a series of misfires and disappointing box office returns and influenced a new generation of stylish action films. Tight, ferocious films that focused more on the central character over world ending threat, Nobody (2021), Extraction (2020), Hotel Artemis (2018) and Normal (2025) all owe a considerable debt to Stahelski and Leith’s film The John Wick Franchise has spawned an engaging and lucrative franchise with John Wick: Chapter 2 (2018), John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) and two spin-offs - the Ana de Armas starring Ballerina (2025) and mini series The Continental (2023).
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Director: Richard Donner
Writer: Shane Black
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Tom Atkins
Run Time: 1h 49m
UK Certificate: 18
image: Warner Bros.
This is the archetypal buddy cop film, one which each subsequent film in the series would try to emulate to varying degrees of success. Two polar opposite cops – Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a by the book book professional on the cusp of retirement and the other Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a suicidal, wildcard loner are partnered together when Murtaugh’s army buddy Hunsaker’s (the always thrilling Tom Atkins) daughter is found murdered. Richard Donner was fresh off the back of LadyHawke (1985) when he read the script Lethal Weapon and signed on immediately. Shane Black wrote the script in six weeks and sold it for (at the time) record breaking $250,000. During rewrites for the film he negotiated with Joel Silver for a small acting part in Predator which he was doing uncredited script contributions for. Gibson and Glover trained extensively for six weeks prior to shooting for the film’s excellent action scenes but it’s especially evident in the final hand to hand fight on Murtaugh’s lawn. The script is amongst Black acerbic, witty best and Donner who excelled at whatever genre he was presented with does an excellent job capturing the action.
What has kept the franchise going for three sequels is the bond between the characters with Riggs essentially being adopted in his partner’s family and it’s great that they managed to keep the same cast and crew throughout each iteration (something that the National Lampoon’s Vacation films couldn’t achieve). There’s been talk for nearly twenty years of reviving the franchise for a fifth entry (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s sequels are definitely not canon) with Mel Gibson saying he would direct based on a script by Richard Donner but it now seems unlikely. There’s also a television show based on the films which has ran for a truly shocking three seasons. During the credits of Lethal Weapon 4 there’s a surprisingly touching sequence with a selection of behind the scenes photographs Soundtracked by War’s Why Can’t We Be Friends.
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Writer: Kim Jee-woon
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yeong-cheol, Shin Min-a, Kim Roi-ha
Runtime: 1h 59m
UK Certificate: 18
image: CJ Entertainment
Loyal enforcer Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun) is tasked by his crime boss Kang (Kim Yeong-cheol) to escort around town his mistress Moon Hee-soo (Shin Min-a), who he suspects is having an affair. If his suspicions of infidelity are confirmed Kang wants Sun-woo to kill her but the enforcer is captivated by her and spares her life. This leniency is seen as a betrayal by his boss and soon he’s the one with a target on his back, hunted by South Korea’s criminal underworld. Armed with a bag of guns he seeks revenge against his former employer. A Bittersweet Life is ultra stylish and equally as violent film which was a critical and commercial success in South Korea. The action is visceral and impactful and despite how bleak the film undoubtedly is there’s elements of humour woven throughout to lighten the mood.
The director Kim Jee-woon has had an interesting, varied filmography, able to turn his hand to any genre seamlessly. His debut film The Quiet Family is a black comedy (loosely remade by Takeshi Miike as Happiness of the Katakuri’s), A Tale of Two Sisters is a psychological folk horror and with The Good, The Bad, The Weird he delivered an epic, wonderful western. Even his Schwarzenegger starring Hollywood film The Last Stand (2013) despite tepid reviews is unexpectedly enjoyable.
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: John Carpenter
Starring: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Loomis (Keyes)
Run Time: 1h 31m
UK Certificate: 15
image: Turtle Releasing Organization
Patrol Officer Bishop (Austin Stoker) takes control of soon to be defunct LA police station (though confusingly Precinct 9 not 13) just hours before it is decommissioned. However, a local man burst in seeking refuge, he’s just killed one of the violent thugs who brutally murdered his young daughter and the entire gang wants revenge. Isolated and unable to call for help the skeleton crew are besieged and forced to board up the building as best they can as the gang cover up any evidence of anything untoward. They’re forced to use their wits and band together with the criminals left in the jail that were awaiting transfer to defend against the relentless attack and overwhelming odds. While not as well choreographed or action packed as other entries in the list, it’s a tense fraught affair with a palpable sense of menace and dread. It’s a lean, focused film that is mostly set within the titular location, making excellent use of the film’s limited budget.
Carpenter was incredibly resourceful and made use of any connection he had in order to stretch the finances as far as he could, directing, writing, editing (under a pseudonym) and composing the film’s iconic score (something he would stick to throughout his career). Carpenter cited Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo (1959) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) as influences for his follow up to Dark Star (1974). Assault on Precinct 13 was a huge financial and critical success, though quickly overshadowed by his slasher film smash Halloween (1978). The film has developed a cult following since it’s release and was remade in 2005 without any of the charm by Jean-François Richet.
A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Hing-ka Chan, Suk-wah Leung
Starring: Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, Emily Chu, Waise Lee
Run Time: 1h 35m
UK Certificate: 18
image: Golden Princess Amusement
John Woo’s second entry in this list A Better Tomorrow is the story of two brothers, Kit (Leslie Cheung) who’s a police officer, while his older brother Ho (Ti Lung) is a member of the Triads. After some time in prison Ho is desperate to escape his criminal past, pulled between his former subordinate Shin (Waise Lee) who’s now a boss and trying to earn back the trust of his brother. Kit’s career has been held back by his family and can’t forgive his recklessness. Both are unable to escape from Ho’s criminal past and are dragged into a bloody confrontation with the Triads. It’s genuinely shocking that A Better Tomorrow was John Woo’s first foray into action films, having previously worked on comedies for Cinema City. Considered the birth of the gun-fu fighting style, it’s confident and fully formed, boasting all the techniques that would become emblematic of John Woo’s style of action and change the genre completely.
Woo and producer Tsui Hark greatly admired Patrick Lung’s film The Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967) both citing it as an inspiration for the film’s focus on the struggles of reformed criminals. Cinema City had very little faith in the its prospects insisting that audiences only wanted comedies but A Better Tomorrow was a massive box office smash easily tripling it’s budget during an extended cinema run. It’s success spawned two sequels, A Better Tomorrow II which followed the first film’s events and the third a prequel set in Vietnam directed by Tsui Hark after he and Woo’s falling out. It also spawn both a South Korean, Chinese mainland remake and last year an awful sounding animated future version of the film created using generative AI (that Woo had no involvement with).
The Warriors (1979)
Director: Walter Hill
Writers: Walter Hill, David Shaber
Starring: Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright, David Patrick Kelly, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Roger Hill, Lynne Thigpen, Thomas G. Waites
Run Time: 1h 33m
UK Certificate: 15
image: Paramount Pictures
The Warriors begins with a mass meeting of all of New York City gangs (minus The Orphans) being called in Van Cortlandt Park. They arrive in good faith, unarmed to hear Cyrus (Roger Hill) the charismatic leader of the Gramercy Riffs who proposes a city wide truce between the rival factions in order to overwhelm the police with their superior numbers and take control. However, Cyrus is gunned down in the middle of his speech by Luther (David Patrick Kelly) leader of the Rogues and it’s only Fox (Thomas G. Waites) of the Warriors who’s witness to the betrayal. In the confusion and chaos, The Warriors are blamed for Cyrus’ death and now all of the assembled gangs of New York are all out for revenge. Their small crew must make it from the Bronx back to their home turf of Coney Island through the hostile city’s boroughs. Based on Sol Yurick’s (much bleaker) novel, which was based around his experience in his social work with underprivileged youths in New York. Yurick’s novel was inspired by Xenophon’s Anabasis (4th Century), an account of 10,000 mercenaries led by Cyrus the Younger in his attempt to seize the throne of Persia from his brother. Hill’s film is a savage, relentless film that barely pauses for breath, tensions are amplified by the DJ (Lynne Thigpen) who punctuates the action and tracks the progress of the Warriors and goads them until the very end.
Nearly every element of The Warriors is now considered iconic, from it’s soundtrack, costumes and dialogue (“Can you dig it?”) and it’s influence is wide ranging. From music (Hip Hop especially), television and comics have all featured loving nods or straight up parodies of elements of the film. In 2005 Rockstar Games (primarily known for their Grand Theft Auto series) released a prequel game, which allowed players to control various members of The Warriors gang. It featured much of the surviving cast of the film returning and over the years the game has developed a cult following of its own. Also of note is Eisa Davis and Lin Manuel Miranda’s gender flipped musical retelling of the film which released in 2024 and combined musical theatre stars with performers from other genres. The Warriors is best enjoyed by watching the far superior theatrical cut, rather than the directors cut which was unfortunately the default release for many years.
Published 21st July 2026