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There is no objective winner for every year, but this list offers one defensible pick for each completed calendar year from 2016 through 2025. It draws mainly on Rotten Tomatoes’ decade-spanning recommendations for 2016–2022, its 2023 action-and-adventure guide, and its 2025 Golden Tomato awards; the 2024 choice is more tentative. The selections weigh action clarity and inventiveness alongside character, reception, and range of genre—not just spectacle.
Best action movies by year: 2016–2025
“Action” covers very different kinds of films here, from crime comedy and music-driven car chases to aviation drama, martial arts, and monster spectacle. Each pick is a recommendation, not an uncontested verdict. Rotten Tomatoes’ decade list uses a formula involving Tomatometer and Audience Score alongside editorial curation; its annual awards use their own categories and rules. Those approaches do not amount to one universal ranking.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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| 2 |
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|
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| 3 |
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|
Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection [Blu-ray] | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Jurassic Park - Blu-ray + Digital | $7.89 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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|
The Mummy Ultimate Collection [Blu-ray] | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Year | Pick | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Nice Guys | A comedy-forward crime film whose appeal rests on its knowing script and the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Rotten Tomatoes named it its recommended action film for the year; it is a broad, rather than purely spectacle-driven, interpretation of the genre. |
| 2017 | Baby Driver | Edgar Wright’s music-synchronized driving sequences make it a strong choice for viewers who value style and rhythm as much as impact. Rotten Tomatoes praised its fast-paced action, writing, and soundtrack in its annual selection. |
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | A large-scale spy thriller built around inventive set pieces and stunt spectacle. Rotten Tomatoes selected it for the year and described it as a high point for the franchise. |
| 2019 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | Its elaborate, heightened action choreography makes it the pick for viewers who want stylized combat. It is the third film in a continuing story, so newcomers may want to begin with John Wick. |
| 2020 | Riders of Justice | This Danish darkly humorous revenge thriller brings character and emotional depth to its violence, while giving the list a perspective beyond U.S. studio action. Rotten Tomatoes chose it for 2020. |
| 2021 | Nobody | Bob Odenkirk anchors a compact, violent thriller with a convincing action-star performance. It is a straightforward recommendation rather than a claim that the film reinvents the genre. |
| 2022 | Top Gun: Maverick | An aviation action drama that turns flight sequences into its central spectacle. Rotten Tomatoes’ selection praised its entertainment value; it is a different kind of action film from a hand-to-hand or crime thriller. |
| 2023 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Rotten Tomatoes named it Best Action & Adventure Movie of 2023. Its guide highlighted high-stakes set pieces and a major stunt. The guide listed its Tomatometer at 96% when consulted on October 8, 2026; scores can change. |
| 2024 | Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | A plausible choice for viewers seeking expansive, wasteland-set action. A secondary summary reports that RogerEbert.com critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Cortlyn Kelly named it their best film of 2024, and that another critic called it the year’s best action film. That makes it a defensible editorial pick, not a verified universal winner. |
| 2025 | One Battle After Another | Rotten Tomatoes named it Best Action & Adventure Movie of 2025, and its action guide describes striking set pieces. The award used Tomatometer and Popcornmeter scores as of December 31, 2025, ranked by Adjusted Score, and required a U.S. 2025 release and Certified Fresh status. |
How the picks differ by taste
The list does not treat action as one uniform style. Pick by the kind of viewing experience you want:
- Crime comedy and character chemistry: The Nice Guys.
- Stylized, music-led driving: Baby Driver.
- Spy spectacle and stunts: Mission: Impossible – Fallout or Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
- Choreographed, heightened combat: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
- Dark humor and revenge: Riders of Justice.
- Aviation action: Top Gun: Maverick.
- Adventure with broad set-piece action: One Battle After Another.
Strong alternatives for 2023 and 2025
2023: John Wick: Chapter 4 and Godzilla Minus One
Rotten Tomatoes’ 2023 guide also lists John Wick: Chapter 4 at 94% and Godzilla Minus One at 99% on the Tomatometer at the time consulted on October 8, 2026. Those publisher-reported scores are snapshots, not fixed measures of quality. Choose John Wick: Chapter 4 for stylized combat or Godzilla Minus One if monster action appeals more than a spy thriller.
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#1 Best Overall
- Shrink-wrapped
2025: Superman
Superman won Rotten Tomatoes’ separate Fan Favorite Action Movie category. That is a useful audience-oriented alternative, but it is distinct from One Battle After Another winning Best Action & Adventure Movie; the two awards should not be conflated.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
Rank #4
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
Rank #3
Rank #2
Sources and scope
- Rotten Tomatoes’ best action movies of the last 10 years provides the selections for 2016–2022 and explains its decade-list approach.
- Rotten Tomatoes’ 2020 action-movie guide describes its inclusion criteria as Fresh or Certified Fresh films with at least 20 reviews.
- Rotten Tomatoes’ 2023 action and adventure guide names that year’s category winner and lists alternatives.
- Rotten Tomatoes’ 2025 Golden Tomato announcement sets out the award result, score date, ranking method, and eligibility.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
