Action movies are designed to get the adrenaline going and create a spectacle that will live on long after the credits roll. Explosions, high-speed car chases, and shootouts are all carefully designed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The actors and stunt people train for months, if not years, to ensure every fight scene is thrilling and realistic. Choreographing a sequence like this takes precision and planning, and if audiences feel immersed in the action, it means it was all worth it.

Some films not only fully embrace high-octane action but also lean into the violence aspect that comes with the genre. Whether the hero takes out a whole battalion of bad guys with just one weapon or destroys a whole building while carrying out their mission, there have been many times when these scenes pushed the boundaries to extremes. The more over the top, the better.

10

Die Hard (1988)

John McClane Vs Karl

Not shying away from on-screen carnage, Bruce Willis’ character goes through a lot throughout the whole film. From cutting his bare feet on a lot of broken glᴀss, single-handedly taking out multiple terrorists, and having a very bad time inside an air vent, John McClane had his fair share of ordeals by the time he faced Karl.

He, in turn, held quite a grudge against the savvy police officer since he killed his brother and sent him down in an elevator, wearing a Santa hat. The fight seems like it should be one-sided, with McClane injured and bloodied, and the terrorist holding a gun to his head, but since he states that this is personal to him, he opts to lay down the weapon and opt for hand-to-hand combat.

What ensues is a brutal show of force, with one painful punch following another. Blood spattered saliva oozes from McClane’s mouth as he gets knocked to the ground, before he repeatedly hits Karl’s head against some pipes. The savage two-minute fight ends with the antagonist hanging limply from a chain by his neck, leaving viewers stunned.

9

The Matrix (1999)

The Lobby Shootout

This groundbreaking movie was action-packed with action, and boasts some of the best fight scenes in cinema history. The CGI allowed for thrilling sequences that featured some reality-bending moves that have influenced countless future productions.

The fact that they’re killing “innocent” people who are merely part of the Matrix makes the bloodshed all that more chilling.

As Neo learns how to master various forms of martial arts to take on the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly agents, there are plenty of moments that live in memory because of their state-of-the-art effects and stunning visuals. In one of the more graphic scenes, Neo and Trinity go to a government building to save Morpheus, and are faced with an army of armed guards. With their bag of weapons, they proceed to bulldoze their way through the long marble lobby.

Climactically set to “Spybreak!” by the Propellerheads, they shoot countless rounds from sH๏τguns, M16s and Uzis at anyone who stands in their way. The fact that they’re killing “innocent” people who are merely part of the Matrix makes the bloodshed all that more chilling. All that’s left in their wake are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ bodies and crumbling columns.

8

Oldboy (2003)

Hallway Fight

The central themes of the film, like vengeance and endurance, are perfectly captured in this iconic fight sequence. Dae-su’s 15-year imprisonment made him into a desperate and ferocious fighter who would do anything to survive. While the movie includes many harrowing scenes, it’s this claustrophobic sequence that made it feel like a never-ending ordeal that neither the hero nor the audience would be able to emerge from.

The constant barrage of thugs in such a narrow and unrelenting hallway adds a suffocating feeling of dread and fear. The brutal fight is dirty and unfair, with Dae-su getting hit from all sides with no mercy. It’s clear that this particular style was very influential, with Marvel favoring a hallway skirmish in Daredevil, but the raw violence of Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece will live on in infamy.

7

Drive (2011)

Elevator Scene

This slick and stylized action thriller is sparse with dialogue but filled with many beautiful sH๏τs and powerful looks. Ryan Gosling plays a seemingly unflappable and stoic character, whose exceptional skills behind the wheel allow him to moonlight as a getaway driver for extra cash. His latest job became more dangerous than he anticipated and left him with some very dangerous people on his tail.

As he enters an elevator with Irene, the woman he has feelings for, they find an ᴀssᴀssin waiting for him there. He kisses her because he knows what he’s about to do will horrify her, and it’s most likely his last chance. He then proceeds to brutally kick the ᴀssᴀssin’s face into pulp. The sounds, the brief sH๏τ of the aftermath, and the visceral rage with which The Driver performs this murder were a lot for viewers to deal with.

6

Rambo (2008)

John Rambo Uses A 50-Caliber Machine Gun

Since the franchise began in the 1980s, the Rambo films have been packed with violence and gore that many viewers have found to be excessive. Pushing boundaries from the start, John Rambo would unceremoniously dispose of a whole army of thugs without remorse. Whether he’s shooting buildings with a rocket or stealthily stabbing someone in the back, there is bound to be carnage.

The films have been known to include lengthy scenes where Rambo removes a bullet from inside his own body and proceeds to sтιтch it up himself, so it’s fair to say they enjoyed pushing audiences to the edge of their limits. Its fourth installment brought with it one of the more relentless onslaughts to the senses. As Sylvester Stallone takes out a group of Burmese soldiers, he does not simply kill them, but obliterates them, turning limbs into mist. It’s one of the most horrifyingly graphic scenes in not only the franchise’s history but film history in general.

5

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

The Osaka Continental H๏τel Fight

After kicking off the franchise with a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ puppy, it was clear that all rules of propriety were off. In one of the most relatable rampages, Keanu Reeves’ retired ᴀssᴀssin rejoins the world he once left behind in order to find the perpetrators who destroyed his peace. By the fourth installment, he had already brutally killed hundreds of people, which took him to the Osaka Continental as he tries to prepare to face the High Table.

They, of course, find him, and what ensues is a mix of sword fights, gunfire, and even hand-to-hand combat. There is no let-up for the duration of the fight, with people losing limbs and arrows piercing flesh in every corner of the screen. John Wick’s stoic yet ᴅᴇᴀᴅly demeanor is where the eye is always drawn to, as he wields all kinds of weapons with expert precision. It’s one of the most persistently violent of the franchise’s fight sequences, with high stakes and a lot on the line.

4

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The Crazy 88 Fight

Uma Thurman’s The Bride wakes up from a coma with the memories of being viciously ᴀssaulted by her former lover and team of fellow ᴀssᴀssins. With a primal need for revenge, she goes on a quest to hunt down each member of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly Viper ᴀssᴀssination Squad, and ultimately to kill Bill.

Each fight scene in the movie is bloody and exciting, with some spectacular martial arts sequences, and a lot of Quentin Tarantino flair. His love of the genre he was honoring in this movie is evident, with carefully orchestrated scenes that pay homage to the source material while bringing a fresh take on a well-known style.

The fight between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii’s bodyguards is a bloodbath. Parts of it were filmed in black and white, mimicking the style of old martial arts pictures and to keep the rating lower. But, with various limbs cut off and countless casualties, even this technique did not take away from the carnage that took place over the course of this epic fight.

3

Kick-ᴀss (2010)

Hit-Girl’s Introduction

The beauty of Kick-ᴀss as a film lies with how unexpected a lot of it was. From Nicolas Cage’s flamboyant character to the extreme levels of violence, it was not what audiences were expecting from what looked like a fun and silly superhero movie. They were shown early on what they were in for, and the levels of shock only rose with each scene. One of the standout characters from the films is Hit-Girl, the murderous alter ego of middle-schooler, Mindy Macready.

Viewers first meet her as she’s sH๏τ by her father to test out a bulletproof vest, and the first time they see her fight she decimates a roomful of armed thugs with various sharp weapons. She also utters one of the strongest curse words in the dictionary, which gets used in films very sparingly, and is rarely uttered by a pre-teen child. The gleeful smile on her face as she cuts through human flesh is almost as chilling as the gore itself.

2

RoboCop (1987)

Murphy Getting SH๏τ

A dystopian Detroit is the setting for this campy yet violent action thriller. There are so many overtly rough scenes to sit through in the nearly two-hour film, including a brutal boardroom attack by a robot and a final fight that involves flesh-melting toxic waste. But, it’s the opening sequence which sets the tone for the rest of the movie. As two police officers chase down a criminal gang, one gets so brutally maimed, it leaves viewers wondering exactly why it needed to be quite so graphic.

The antagonists are vile and barbaric, so this horrific attack is very much on brand for them. But the relentlessness of the violence proves to be a hard watch. The practical effects feel very realistic, and the gore is especially hard to look at. It’s an important scene that tees up the plot of the rest of the movie, and Paul Verhoeven ensured it was as shocking and memorable as possible.

1

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

The Church Fight

A fresh and brash take on the espionage genre, the Kingsman franchise kicked off with this action comedy. It’s packed with suave characters, thrilling fight sequences, and an unexpected amount of violence. Colin Firth’s sophisticated spy, Harry, serves as a mentor to a younger, more uncouth Eggsy.

It was shocking to see Firth play out this scenario, which showed the horrors of what was about to be unleashed on humanity.

The audience first sees what he’s capable of as he fights off an unruly group of troublemakers at a pub, as he beats them up with the help of a very versatile umbrella. But, as Valentine tests out his murderous invention, Harry gets caught in the middle of it and succumbs to the violence and savagery that it inflicts on people.

The fight in the church is a large scale bloodbath, with people randomly launching themselves at others, and Harry’s skills make him one of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest aggressors there. It was shocking to see Firth play out this scenario, which showed the horrors of what was about to be unleashed on humanity. What happened after he left the church was perhaps the most shocking of all.