14 Best Action Movies Of 2026 (So Far)

If the best action movies of 2026 to date tell us anything, it's that many of the types of genre films that you might have assumed were dead did, in fact, manage to survive the Streaming Wars.

Swashbucklers of the non-Disney variety? They're still around, as are Michael Mann pastiches and mid-budget actioners that don't star Jason Statham (though we've still got plenty of those as well). Or how about the kind of Dad Movies that, roughly a millennium ago or so, starred A-listers and would air repeatedly on TNT every weekend? And who says you have to watch "Reacher" if you want to see Alan Ritchson lay the smackdown on a deserving opponent? (Though you should still watch "Reacher" anyway.)

This year is nowhere near over, but we've already gotten a pretty healthy buffet of options for action cinema enthusiasts to satisfy their craving with. So, without further ado, here are our picks for the best action films of 2026 so far.

It's been over 20 years since "Avatar: The Last Airbender" premiered and changed TV forever, and now fans finally have the feature-length experience they deserve. "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender" brings back Aang and the original Team Avatar on a brand new adventure. Though the humor and writing remains like they were in the original show, some things have changed — namely the action and animation. Director Lauren Montgomery and animation studios Flying Bark Productions and Studio Mir deliver a stunning combination of 3D and 2D animation. This is most noticeable in the action, of which there is a lot. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat with stunning choreography or the martial arts-inspired bending that allows characters to defy gravity and fight through the skies, this is a thrilling action spectacle. The addition of an airbending bad guy in Tagah (Dave Bautista) brings previously unseen stunts to this universe, with Tagah and Aang (Eric Nam) clashing in elaborate airborne set pieces that feel both intimate and epic in scope.

Even if the film doesn't reach the grandeur of the four-part finale of the TV show, "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender" is just what you'd want out of a feature length "Avatar" movie. It expands the lore of the franchise, delivers equal parts heart and humor, introduces memorable new characters, and presents some of the best animated action in a while. (Rafael Motamayor)

Eastern action movies have long made American-made action movies look childish by comparison. So it makes sense that a movie that unites four generations of martial arts stars directed by a Chinese cinema icon would kick wholesale ass. Yuen Woo-ping, who directed Jackie Chan's career-changing "Drunken Master," helmed "Blade of the Guardians," and despite being in his 80s, he more than proved that he's still got it.

The action epic takes place in the desert, where various groups are fighting for power. Dao Ma, a famous bounty hunter, takes a job to protect a man on the long road to Chang'an. However, he discovers the person he is protecting is the empire's most wanted man, meaning every greedy faction begins hunting them, leading to a deadly battle for the prize.

It features a cast of various icons including Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, and Jet Li, who give it their all for the entire two hours. The fights are truly spellbinding, and some of the action set pieces are jaw dropping. Beyond that, it's an action movie with stakes that make the viewer care, in addition to establishing a world one could only hope to explore further.

It's wildly entertaining. It's visually masterful. It's a refreshing change of pace from the action genre right now, which can't seem to get out of the shadow of "John Wick." It's perhaps the most underrated action movie — or even movie of any kind — of 2026 thus far. (Ryan Scott)

There aren't enough great pirate movies, are there? The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise owns the monopoly, but it's been dormant for years. Plus, pirates should have a savage streak, and that saga isn't exactly R-rated. Fortunately, though, there are some filmmakers out there who still want to sail the seven seas and make edgy buccaneer flicks. With that in mind, we should say "Yar" and drink rum in honor of director Frank E. Flowers for treating us to "The Bluff."

This isn't a seafaring pirate flick, mind you. "The Bluff" is a good, old-fashioned siege movie about sea criminals invading a remote island to get payback against a former crew member (Priyanka Chopra) who wants to live peacefully with her family. Karl Urban plays the nasty pirate boss out for revenge, and his scenery-chewing performance is a blast.

"The Bluff" also doesn't lack in the chaos department. Boasting knife fights, swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, and Urban's character delivering WWE-esque clotheslines, it has something for every type of action buff. "The Bluff" is a period actioner for the "John Wick" generation, and it's one of 2026's best genre flicks. (Kieran Fisher)

Not all action movies need be of the shoot-em-up variety. Sometimes, a stylish throwback to the '90s crime thrillers of yore is enough to get the job done. With Chris Hemsworth's conflicted good guy with a gun Mike Davis as our main lead, a series of brazen jewelry robberies in broad daylight that ramp up the tension and put Los Angeles' best on his tail, and absolutely no shortage of references and loving homages to Michael Mann's "Heat," director Bart Layton's "Crime 101" proves that "pastiche" isn't such a dirty word after all. In fact, it can lead to some of the most memorable chase sequences and action scenes of the year.

Nobody will ever accuse "Crime 101" of deconstructing or revolutionizing the genre, but who says it needs to? For nearly two-and-a-half hours, you'll find yourself swept up by Hemsworth's charisma in exactly the kind of (deceptively) understated performance that plays to his strengths as an actor, i.e. someone who could use his brawny arms and chiseled physique to ruin your day but would prefer to use his brains instead. Whether he's quietly holding up some middlemen without even making a scene or careening his 1968 Camaro around the streets of LA in hot pursuit of Barry Keoghan's twisted rival biker Ormon, Mike's unlikely hero is a glimpse into the multiverse — one where, if Marvel never came calling, Hemsworth could've built his own Jason Statham-like action empire.

"Crime 101" is a great start, at least. (Jeremy Mathai)

Steven Spielberg is one of the best directors to ever do it. One could make an argument that he's the very best. Even as he approaches his eighth decade on this planet, Spielberg proved that he's still got the juice with "Disclosure Day." Yes, there was a great deal of excitement that the man behind "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was once again doing an alien movie, but what we perhaps didn't expect is that he delivered a great action movie as well.

It centers on a cybersecurity expert (Josh O'Connor) who becomes a whistleblower after uncovering secrets about aliens, putting him on the run from a corporation. Meanwhile, a meteorologist (Emily Blunt) experiences strange phenomena and joins forces with him to prove that aliens are real.

Yes, in "Disclosure Day," the world learns about alien life, and Spielberg makes that thrilling. But he also makes the chase, from the very first scene, incredibly compelling. The movie moves and hardly slows down, with outstanding car chases and clever set pieces that make for an action-packed bit of sci-fi goodness. And as much as it's great to see Spielberg back in the realm of science fiction, it's equally awesome to see him deliver some true energy in the form of action with a purpose.

Anchored by stellar performances from O'Connor and Blunt, this one is hugely entertaining in that classic Amblin way that only Spielberg can deliver. (Ryan Scott)

You wanna watch two men who conspire to take down a trafficking ring after they're both personally impacted by a criminal network in a feat of furious vengeance? OF COURSE YOU DO, BECAUSE THAT'S A RECIPE FOR KICKASS ACTION! Kenji Tanigaki's "The Furious" boasts some of the best choreographed and executed fight scenes in recent memory. It's a movie that will, in a nutshell, have you shouting "HELL YEAH, BROTHER!" at every moment.

Comparisons to "Taken" and "The Raid" are inevitable (and not just because Yayan Ruhian is here to bring the pain), but the action sequences are so face-meltingly awesome that it truly does not matter. They could have dubbed this film with old dialogue from "Barney," and I'd still be standing on top of my seat in the theater, hulking out with adrenaline. This is a movie best seen without any additional details, so I'll spare you the experience. Just thank me later when this is the most high-octane film you've watched this year, and remember that a hammer will always beat a fist in the octagon. (BJ Colangelo)

I genuinely believe that if director David Mackenzie had been making films in the 1970s, he'd be regarded alongside Sidney Lumet, Alan J. Pakula, and other legendary thriller directors of yesteryear. As it is, Mackenzie is making crackerjack thrillers that are struggling for eyeballs amidst a troubled theatrical landscape. So, while last year's "Relay" and this year's "Fuze" are some of the finest examples of the genre, they've barely made a ripple. Now, at least, you can be made aware of what you missed during the small theatrical release of "Fuze" this past April. It's a delightfully tense, engaging, and clever fusion of suspense thriller and crime film, whereupon British authorities struggle to disarm an unexploded WWII bomb while a crew of thieves use the incident to steal some goods out from under everyone's noses.

That premise would make for a great watch if the film never went much deeper than that. However, "Fuze," like "Relay" before it, has more going on than meets the eye. Mackenzie and writer Ben Hopkins have loads of fun unraveling the movie's story from end to beginning, and the surprises don't just involve twists. They also allow the film's action sequences to include some "Hurt Locker"-style procedural bomb disposal, crime movie car chases, and even a full-blown modern warfare skirmish. "Fuze" is a perfect example of why cinephiles would do well to look beyond popular titles. There's treasure out there to be found, and you just need to dig a little deeper. (Bill Bria)

The original "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon had famously limited animation: reused background frames, characters inelegantly sliding across said frames, etc. Whenever He-Man and Skeletor slammed their swords together in battle, the action was hardly dynamic. The 2026 live-action "Masters of the Universe" film unleashes that bottled-up action potential, not only with lively CGI but with director Travis Knight's sharp eye for action.

Knight previously directed "Bumblebee," the first live-action "Transformers" movie with legible action sequences. He brings a similar steady hand to "Masters of the Universe." He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) and Skeletor's (Jared Leto) last fight is an exciting sword duel, but Knight brings an extra flourish with a striking mix of fast-paced editing and an occasional slow-mo shot. You've got the back-and-forth intensity of two warriors swinging blades (well, a ram-headed staff in Skeletor's case) in one shot. Then the very next, you get a slow-mo of He-Man clocking Skeletor that makes you feel every ounce of force in the punch.

While inarguably an action movie, "Masters of the Universe" has a powerful message about masculinity and when not to fight. On Earth, Adam worked in human resources, and he brings his skills at conflict mediation back home to Eternia. At the same time, there are some truly bad guys out there who you have to confront with the same force they use to hurt others — and on Eternia, those bad guys show themselves with features like having a skull for a face. (Devin Meenan)

Ask anyone who's made an action movie how they capture fighting on film, and they'll likely tell you the process is closer to dance than anything else. Action choreography tells a story just as much if not more than the dialogue does. This is why action is a perennial staple of cinema, as there's no need for words when body language will suffice. Although this year's "Motor City" is far from the first action movie to be made in a post-talkie era with (almost) no dialogue, it may be the most archetypal. Following in the footsteps of John Woo's still-underrated "Silent Night" from 2023, "Motor City" sums up the exploitation action films of the 1970s in a quintessential fashion.

The film follows John Miller (Alan Ritchson), a Vietnam veteran and factory worker whose whirlwind romance with Sophia (Shailene Woodley) is cut short by her drug kingpin ex-boyfriend, Reynolds (Ben Foster). Framed and imprisoned while Reynolds places Sophia back under his thumb, Miller gets some old army buddies to break him out and settle the score. "Motor City" makes extensive use of period-appropriate needle drops and Steve Jablonsky's original score, but this isn't necessarily an action film cut to music á la "Baby Driver." Instead, director Potsy Ponciroli and writer Chad St. John understand that pure human emotion is all that's needed to fuel the V8 engine of the film's visceral and brutal fisticuffs. "Motor City" is raw, uncut action, and its pleasures lie in the joy of the dance. (Bill Bria)

Bob Odenkirk became an action star with "Nobody," which was quite surprising given his funny man history. So, when he re-teamed with "Nobody" and "John Wick" writer Derek Kolstad for "Normal," one would be forgiven for assuming it would be another "Nobody" sequel in disguise. Instead, what we got is an unexpectedly stylish, character-driven, and often hilarious action flick that delivers the goods.

The movie centers on Odenkirk's Sheriff Ulysses, an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to the small, seemingly quaint town of Normal, responds to a bank robbery and unwittingly uncovers more than he bargained for. This brings the whole town and then some bearing down on him, leading to a rather explosive series of increasingly outlandish and wildly entertaining action set pieces.

Director Ben Wheatley, who previously helmed the entertaining feature-length shootout "Free Fire," is in his element here. He has a knack for getting the most out of his actors, and Odenkirk really seems to gel with his vibe in "Normal." What's more, Wheatley puts his eye for fun action to great use in this movie, which never lets up once it truly gets going. Plus, on top of its engaging action and often great performances, this film is laugh-out-loud funny when you're least prepared.

Wheatley doesn't always do the obvious thing, but he more often than not does the interesting thing. "Normal" is nothing if not interesting, which makes for a damn fine time at the movies. (Ryan Scott)

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon entered the filmmaking business as a dynamic duo, but it took them 20 years to write another movie after "Good Will Hunting." Fortunately, they're working together more frequently these days, resulting in the twist-filled, action-packed Netflix heist flick "The Rip." It's less prestigious and more of a popcorn flick, which hasn't historically been the sort of thing that's brought these two together. Nevertheless, this movie proves they should make this sort of thing more often.

Directed by Joe Carnahan ("The Grey"), "The Rip" centers on a group of Miami-Dade Police Department narcotics agents who discover millions in cash during a raid at a stash house. However, this also tests their ability to trust each other, especially when outside forces learn about the amount of money at stake. What results is a series of shootouts, mystery, and double-crosses that is nothing if not pure entertainment. It's Carnahan in his comfort zone, with Affleck and Damon clearly having a great deal of fun.

So many Netflix movies boil down to background noise. "The Rip," on the other hand, is a cut above, delivering legitimate, engaging storytelling. At the same time, it feels like the kind of movie we used to get in theaters several times a year and would take for granted before the rise of streaming. That makes it feel a little more special, too, even if it's not reinventing the wheel. It's just good, plain old-fashioned, action-based cinema. (Ryan Scott)

Jason Statham gravitates toward playing dangerous men with dark pasts who just want to mind their own business. Unfortunately, the world is full of bad people, so Statham's brutes are inevitably pulled back into the life of violence, either for survival or to exact justice. "The Beekeeper" is the magnum opus of Statham's brooding character pieces of this ilk, but "Shelter" is a lot of fun in its own right.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, "Shelter" is a business-as-usual slice of pulpy mayhem for its director and leading star. Statham's character is a one-man-army who shoots and punches his way through swarms of assassins, and that's all it has to be. This is a meat and potatoes Statham vehicle — a tasty, satisfying dish that hits the spot.

Be that as it may, "Shelter" boasts some noteworthy moments, including a terrific rural car chase that takes place in the Scottish countryside. Plus, it's a Statham movie, so you know the fight scenes are going to have an impact. All in all, "Shelter" is yet another reminder of why The Stath is a king of the genre. (Kieran Fisher)

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" does several things better than other Tom Holland Spidey movies, from the web-slinging to, ya know, actually focusing on Spider-Man for once. Then there's the action, which is a cut above the previous films thanks mostly to a more obvious focus on in-camera choreography rather than complex CGI ballets. The action in "Brand New Day" feels much more visceral than previous films in the series, to the extent that the movie stands on its own as one of the best action films you'll see in 2026.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton and his crew clearly made a point of capturing stunts in-camera, and it makes for some truly impressive action scenes. While Spidey and Punisher's (Jon Bernthal) fight against Hulk in the Department of Damage Control tower stands out, it's arguably the less spectacular combat that makes this one of the most memorable actioners of 2026. When Spidey breaks into the compound holding Sadie Sink's Jean Grey, for example, we get some inventive in-camera fight choreography as Holland's hero runs circles around a gang of guards before facing off against The Hand on a set that's basically a giant octagon stretching several stories high. The wire work and choreography in these moments keeps the combat feeling visceral even while Spidey is pulling off some of his most acrobatic finishing moves. The resulting scenes feel as if they put you right in the center of a brawl from the Insomniac Spider-Man games. (Joe Roberts)

If you're going to pick a movie to rip off, "Predator" is a solid choice — and I mean that as a compliment. After all, stories about soldiers taking on extraterrestrial beings will never get old if they're fun, and "War Machine" is certainly that. This is a no-nonsense flick that replaces a Yautja with a giant alien robot, and what's not to love about that? What's more, "Reacher" star Alan Ritchson plays the muscular soldier who must defeat the enemy. Ritchson is the one actor working in Hollywood who could believably defeat a mecha kaiju, so it's easy to suspend one's disbelief watching "War Machine."

Of course, casting one of today's best action stars in a knock-off of a genre masterpiece doesn't guarantee greatness. In lesser hands, this could have been derivative in the worst way. However, the film benefits from being helmed by Patrick Hughes, a director with a solid track record of delivering entertaining genre flicks (excluding "The Expendables 3"). "War Machine" is loaded with suspenseful set pieces, and Ritchson's character is a redemption-seeking hero worth rooting for.

"War Machine" feels like a throwback survival actioner in many ways, albeit with a modern blockbuster polish. It's lean, muscular, and fun without being completely absurd, even though it's inherently ridiculous. Still, too many modern action movies want us to know they're silly, whereas "War Machine" plays it straight — and that's why it's awesome. (Kieran Fisher)