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Movies · Top 10

Top 10 Action Movies of All Time in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Mad Max: Fury Road
Direct answer

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is the top action movie of all time on this list: it won 6 Academy Awards and holds a 97% Tomatometer. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Gladiator follow with 5 Oscars each.

At a glance

#PickOscars wonBest for
1Mad Max: Fury Road6 (of 10 nominations)Viewers who want the most-awarded action film, built around one long desert chase
2Raiders of the Lost Ark5 (Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects)Adventure-action fans, and the mildest rating on this list
3Gladiator5 (incl. Best Picture and Best Actor)Fans of sword-and-sandals combat and a revenge story
4Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon4 (incl. Best Foreign Language Film)Martial-arts fans who want swordplay with a love story
5Terminator 2: Judgment Day4 (Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects)Sci-fi action fans and anyone who wants a landmark 1990s blockbuster
6The Matrix4 (Visual Effects, Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing)Viewers who want gunfights and martial arts in a sci-fi setting
7The Bourne Ultimatum3Fans of grounded spy chases and hand-to-hand fights
8Speed2 (Sound, Sound Effects Editing)A tight, one-idea thriller built around a bus that cannot slow down
9The Dark Knight2 (Best Supporting Actor, Sound Editing)Superhero fans who want a crime-thriller tone
10Skyfall2 (Best Original Song, Sound Editing)James Bond fans, and the biggest box office on this list

Pick by what you want

Best overall
Mad Max: Fury Road
Best classic adventure
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best martial arts
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Best box office
Skyfall
Best single-setting thriller
Speed

The ranking

1

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road
Answrs VerdictSix Oscars and a 97% Tomatometer.
Oscars won: 6 (of 10 nominations)Tomatometer: 97% (440 reviews)Director, year: George Miller, 2015Box office: $380.4 million worldwideRated: R

George Miller’s 2015 desert chase won 6 of its 10 Academy Award nominations and holds a 97% Tomatometer from 440 reviews. It is rated R and grossed $380.4 million worldwide.

Go ifViewers who want the most-awarded action film, built around one long desert chase
Skip ifIntense, relentless violence is a dealbreaker
Why #1 over #2: Its 6 Oscars beat the 5 won by Raiders of the Lost Ark.
2

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Answrs VerdictFive Oscars and the only PG rating here.
Oscars won: 5 (Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects)Tomatometer: 94% (157 reviews)Director, year: Steven Spielberg, 1981Box office: $354 million worldwideRated: PG

Steven Spielberg’s 1981 adventure won 5 Academy Awards and holds a 94% Tomatometer from 157 reviews. It is rated PG and earned $354 million worldwide.

Go ifAdventure-action fans, and the mildest rating on this list
Skip ifYou want modern, effects-heavy fight choreography
Why #2 over #3: Its 94% Tomatometer beats Gladiator at 80%; both won 5 Oscars.
3

Gladiator

Gladiator
Answrs VerdictFive Oscars, including Best Picture.
Oscars won: 5 (incl. Best Picture and Best Actor)Tomatometer: 80% (265 reviews)Director, year: Ridley Scott, 2000Box office: $466 million worldwideRated: R

Ridley Scott’s 2000 film won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and has an 80% Tomatometer from 265 reviews. It grossed $466 million worldwide.

Go ifFans of sword-and-sandals combat and a revenge story
Skip ifYou want a fast-paced modern action film
Why #3 over #4: Its 5 Oscars beat the 4 won by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
4

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Answrs VerdictFour Oscars and a 96% Tomatometer.
Oscars won: 4 (incl. Best Foreign Language Film)Tomatometer: 96% (216 reviews)Director, year: Ang Lee, 2000Box office: $213.5 million worldwideRated: PG-13

Ang Lee’s 2000 martial-arts film won 4 Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film, and holds a 96% Tomatometer from 216 reviews. It grossed $213.5 million worldwide.

Go ifMartial-arts fans who want swordplay with a love story
Skip ifYou dislike subtitled films
Why #4 over #5: Its 96% Tomatometer beats Terminator 2 at 90%; both won 4 Oscars.
5

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Answrs VerdictFour Oscars and a 90% Tomatometer.
Oscars won: 4 (Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects)Tomatometer: 90% (178 reviews)Director, year: James Cameron, 1991Box office: $519-$520.9 million worldwide (estimated)Rated: R

James Cameron’s 1991 sequel won 4 Academy Awards and holds a 90% Tomatometer from 178 reviews. It is rated R and grossed an estimated $519-$520.9 million worldwide.

Go ifSci-fi action fans and anyone who wants a landmark 1990s blockbuster
Skip ifYou want a standalone story with no sci-fi
Why #5 over #6: Its 90% Tomatometer beats The Matrix at 83%; both won 4 Oscars.
6

The Matrix

The Matrix
Answrs VerdictFour Oscars, all for craft categories.
Oscars won: 4 (Visual Effects, Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing)Tomatometer: 83% (209 reviews)Director, year: Lilly and Lana Wachowski, 1999Box office: Over $460 million worldwideRated: R

The Wachowskis’ 1999 film won 4 Academy Awards and holds an 83% Tomatometer from 209 reviews. It grossed over $460 million worldwide.

Go ifViewers who want gunfights and martial arts in a sci-fi setting
Skip ifYou prefer realistic action
Why #6 over #7: Its 4 Oscars beat the 3 won by The Bourne Ultimatum.
7

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum
Answrs VerdictThree Oscars and a 92% Tomatometer.
Oscars won: 3Tomatometer: 92% (263 reviews)Director, year: Paul Greengrass, 2007Box office: $444 million worldwideRated: PG-13

Paul Greengrass’s 2007 spy thriller won 3 Academy Awards and holds a 92% Tomatometer from 263 reviews. It is rated PG-13 and grossed $444 million worldwide.

Go ifFans of grounded spy chases and hand-to-hand fights
Skip ifShaky handheld camerawork bothers you
Why #7 over #8: Its 3 Oscars beat the 2 won by Speed.
8

Speed

Speed
Answrs VerdictTwo Oscars and a 95% Tomatometer.
Oscars won: 2 (Sound, Sound Effects Editing)Tomatometer: 95% (78 reviews)Director, year: Jan de Bont, 1994Box office: $350.5 million worldwideRated: R

Jan de Bont’s 1994 film won 2 Academy Awards, for Sound and Sound Effects Editing, and holds a 95% Tomatometer from 78 reviews. It grossed $350.5 million worldwide.

Go ifA tight, one-idea thriller built around a bus that cannot slow down
Skip ifYou want a big ensemble cast
Why #8 over #9: Its 95% Tomatometer beats The Dark Knight at 94%; both won 2 Oscars.
9

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight
Answrs VerdictTwo Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor.
Oscars won: 2 (Best Supporting Actor, Sound Editing)Tomatometer: 94% (339 reviews)Director, year: Christopher Nolan, 2008Box office: Over $1 billion worldwideRated: PG-13

Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film won 2 Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor, and holds a 94% Tomatometer from 339 reviews. It grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

Go ifSuperhero fans who want a crime-thriller tone
Skip ifYou want a lighter comic-book film
Why #9 over #10: Its 94% Tomatometer beats Skyfall at 92%; both won 2 Oscars.
10

Skyfall

Skyfall
Answrs VerdictTwo Oscars and the highest gross here.
Oscars won: 2 (Best Original Song, Sound Editing)Tomatometer: 92% (390 reviews)Director, year: Sam Mendes, 2012Box office: $1.109 billion worldwideRated: PG-13

Sam Mendes’s 2012 Bond film won 2 Academy Awards, for Best Original Song and Sound Editing, and holds a 92% Tomatometer from 390 reviews. It earned $1.109 billion worldwide.

Go ifJames Bond fans, and the biggest box office on this list
Skip ifYou want non-stop action over character drama

How we ranked these

We ranked 10 well-known action films by the number of Academy Awards each won, as listed on Wikipedia, and broke ties with the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics’ score) as shown on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes page. Box office figures come from each film’s Wikipedia article. We did not use our own opinion scores. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the greatest action movie of all time?

By Oscars won, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) leads this list with 6, and it also holds the highest Tomatometer here at 97%.

Which action movie has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score?

Mad Max: Fury Road has a 97% Tomatometer, followed by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at 96% and Speed at 95%.

Which of these action movies is the least graphic?

Raiders of the Lost Ark is the only film here rated PG on Rotten Tomatoes. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Dark Knight and Skyfall are PG-13.

What is the highest-grossing action movie on this list?

Skyfall (2012) earned $1.109 billion worldwide, ahead of The Dark Knight at over $1 billion and Terminator 2 at an estimated $519-$520.9 million.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics) at a glance

Gladiator80 %
The Matrix83 %
Terminator 2: Judgment Day90 %
The Bourne Ultimatum92 %
Skyfall92 %
Raiders of the Lost Ark94 %
The Dark Knight94 %
Speed95 %
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon96 %
Mad Max: Fury Road97 %
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

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