Top 30 Ranked

Best Action Movies of 2021

Unforgettable Blockbusters and High Octane Thrills

Explore the ultimate guide to the year's best action cinema. From superhero spectacles to spy thrillers, discover top-rated hits and pulse-pounding adventures.

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About 2021 Action Movies

In the rearview mirror of cinema history, 2021 looks like a frantic, beautiful, and deeply confused scramble for identity. It was the year the movie theater tried to come back to life, gasping for air after the long silence of 2020. For the action genre, this meant a massive bottleneck of delayed blockbusters finally burst, resulting in a twelve month span that felt less like a steady stream and more like a tidal wave. We saw the return of the invincible icon, the rise of the grounded martial artist, and a strange, lingering sense of melancholy that haunted even the loudest explosions.

The heavy hitters arrived with a sense of duty. Daniel Craig took his final bow as 007 in No Time to Die, a film that traded the traditional coldness of the franchise for an surprisingly operatic emotionality. It was an epic that felt heavy with the weight of time, proving that even the most indestructible characters have a shelf life. Meanwhile, the Marvel Cinematic Universe attempted to redefine its aesthetic through Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While we have grown used to digital clutter in superhero films, Shang-Chi felt like a breath of fresh air because it prioritized the clarity of choreography. It reminded us that the human body in motion is still more exciting than a falling skyscraper.

However, the real soul of 2021 action lived in the fringes and the unexpected swings. Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk, was a masterclass in subverting expectations. Watching a man famous for playing a sleazy lawyer transform into a terrifyingly efficient killing machine was the kinetic jolt we needed. It leaned into a gritty, tactile style of violence that felt earned rather than manufactured. Then there was the maximalist madness of The Suicide Squad. James Gunn brought a sense of anarchy back to the genre, blending gory spectacle with a genuine heart. It was a reminder that action movies are allowed to be weird, colorful, and deeply irreverent.

Perhaps the most significant shift of the year was the visual language of Dune. While some might argue it sits firmly in the science fiction camp, its moments of conflict were choreographed with a cold, terrifying precision that felt entirely new. Denis Villeneuve treated violence not as a thrill, but as a ritual. This contrasted sharply with the neon-soaked, high-octane energy of films like Kate or the frantic survivalism of Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead.

Looking back, 2021 was a year of transition. The genre was caught between the old world of physical stunts and the new era of digital world building. It was the year we realized that audiences were no longer satisfied with mere spectacle. We wanted stakes that felt personal and fights that felt tangible. From the quiet intensity of Pig to the sprawling madness of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the action landscape proved it was resilient. Even when the world felt like it was standing still, the movies refused to slow down. The genre did not just survive the return to theaters; it led the charge, bruised and bloodied, but undeniably alive.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

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30
2021 Action in Sword Art Online the Movie - Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night (2021)
Sword Art Online the Movie - Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night
2021

Asuna Yuuki had never played online games until accidentally putting on the NerveGear for Sword Art Online, the world’s first VRMMORPG. She soon finds herself and other players trapped inside a game, where if a player dies in the game, they die in the real world. As she continues to live on in this world where death is always a step away, a solitary swordsman named Kirito appears before her.

Animation
Action
1h 37m
Ayako Kono
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Haruka Tomatsu, Inori Minase, Koichi Yamadera
29

Peter Parker is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Action
Adventure
2h 28m
Jon Watts
28
2021 Action in Miraculous World: Shanghai - The Legend of Ladydragon (2021)
Miraculous World: Shanghai - The Legend of Ladydragon
2021

On school break, Marinette heads to Shanghai to meet Adrien. But after arriving, Marinette loses all her stuff, including the Miraculous that allows her to turn into Ladybug!

Animation
Fantasy
54m
Thomas Astruc
Anouck Hautbois, Geneviève Doang, Benjamin Bollen, Antoine Tomé

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27
2021 Action in New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021)
New Gods: Nezha Reborn
2021

While living as an ordinary deliveryman and motor racing fan, Nezha encounters old nemeses and must rediscover his powers to protect his loved ones.

Animation
Fantasy
1h 57m
Zhao Ji
Yang Tianxiang, Zhang He, Xuan Xiaoming, Li Shimeng
26
2021 Action in Green Snake (2021)
Green Snake
2021

While trying to free her sister from Fahai's clutches, Xiao Qing winds up in a dystopian city and meets a mysterious man who can't recall his past life.

Animation
Fantasy
2h 12m
Amp Wong
Tang Xiaoxi, Zhang Fuzheng, Wei Chao, Zhao Mingzhou
25
2021 Action in Sweet Girl (2021)
Sweet Girl
2021

A man vows to bring justice to those responsible for his wife's death while protecting the only family he has left, his daughter.

Action
Thriller
1h 50m
Brian Andrew Mendoza
Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Amy Brenneman
24

Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

Action
Adventure
23
2021 Action in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
2021

Yuta Okkotsu is a nervous high school student who is suffering from a serious problem—his childhood friend Rika has turned into a curse and won't leave him alone. Since Rika is no ordinary curse, his plight is noticed by Satoru Gojo, a teacher at Jujutsu High, a school where fledgling exorcists learn how to combat curses. Gojo convinces Yuta to enroll, but can he learn enough in time to confront the curse that haunts him?

Animation
Action
1h 45m
Sunghoo Park
Megumi Ogata, Kana Hanazawa, Yuichi Nakamura, Takahiro Sakurai
22
2021 Action in Infinite (2021)
Infinite
2021

Evan McCauley has skills he never learned and memories of places he has never visited. Self-medicated and on the brink of a mental breakdown, a secret group that call themselves “Infinites” come to his rescue, revealing that his memories are real.

Science Fiction
Action
Mark Wahlberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas
21
2021 Action in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie Part 2 (2021)
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie Part 2
2021

While under the care of the Outer Sailor Guardians, Hotaru begins to age rapidly. Then, the time comes for all the Sailor Guardians to reunite!

Animation
Action
1h 20m
Chiaki Kon
Kotono Mitsuishi, Misato Fukuen, Hisako Kanemoto, Rina Sato
20
2021 Action in Kate (2021)
Kate
2021

A ruthless criminal operative has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies and in the process forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her past victims.

Action
Thriller
1h 46m
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano
19
2021 Action in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
2021

In the aftermath of the Fourth Impact, stranded without their Evangelions, Shinji, Asuka and Rei find refuge in one of the rare pockets of humanity that still exist on the ruined planet Earth. There, each lives a life far different from their days as an Evangelion pilot. However, the danger to the world is far from over. A new impact is looming on the horizon—one that will prove to be the true end of Evangelion.

Animation
Action
2h 35m
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Megumi Ogata, Yuko Miyamura, Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Hayashibara
18
2021 Action in Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
2021

The world’s most lethal odd couple – bodyguard Michael Bryce and hitman Darius Kincaid – are back on another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife, the infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid. As Bryce is driven over the edge by his two most dangerous protectees, the trio get in over their heads in a global plot and soon find that they are all that stand between Europe and a vengeful and powerful madman.

Action
Comedy
1h 57m
Patrick Hughes
17
2021 Action in Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Raya and the Last Dragon
2021

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

Animation
Family
1h 47m
Carlos López Estrada
Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Alan Tudyk
16
2021 Action in The King's Man (2021)
The King's Man
2021

As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them.

Action
Adventure
2h 11m
Matthew Vaughn
Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode
15
2021 Action in Boss Level (2021)
Boss Level
2021

A former special forces agent is trapped in a time loop and relives his death over and over again. To escape the terrible situation, he must track down those responsible and stop them.

Action
Science Fiction
1h 41m
Joe Carnahan
Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Will Sasso
14
2021 Action in Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Gunpowder Milkshake
2021

To protect an 8-year-old girl, a dangerous assassin reunites with her mother and her lethal associates to take down a ruthless crime syndicate and its army of henchmen.

Action
Crime
1h 54m
Navot Papushado
Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Chloe Coleman, Carla Gugino
13
2021 Action in Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
2021

After finding a host body in investigative reporter Eddie Brock, the alien symbiote must face a new enemy, Carnage, the alter ego of serial killer Cletus Kasady.

Science Fiction
Action
12
2021 Action in Jungle Cruise (2021)
Jungle Cruise
2021

Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

Fantasy
Adventure
2h 7m
Jaume Collet-Serra
Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall
11
2021 Action in Army of the Dead (2021)
Army of the Dead
2021

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble: venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Crime
Action
Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
10
2021 Action in Red Notice (2021)
Red Notice
2021

An Interpol-issued Red Notice is a global alert to hunt and capture the world's most wanted. But when a daring heist brings together the FBI's top profiler and two rival criminals, there's no telling what will happen.

Action
Comedy
1h 58m
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Why it ranks

Leveraging pure star wattage against a backdrop of glossy, international set pieces, this film functions as a high-octane celebration of the charismatic heist. It is a slick, polished piece of popcorn entertainment that moves with a relentless, breezy tempo.

9
2021 Action in Nobody (2021)
Nobody
2021

Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a "nobody." When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch's unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.

Action
Thriller
1h 31m
Ilya Naishuller
Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd
Why it ranks

Bob Odenkirk’s transformation into a lethally efficient combatant is the year's most satisfying subversion of the middle-aged thriller. The bus fight remains a standout exercise in cramped, claustrophobic brutality and inventive stunt coordination.

8
2021 Action in The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
The Matrix Resurrections
2021

Plagued by strange memories, Neo's life takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the Matrix.

Science Fiction
Action
2h 28m
Lana Wachowski
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff
Why it ranks

Lana Wachowski deconstructs the legacy of the action hero through a meta-textual lens that is as cerebral as it is visually experimental. The action here serves as a romantic, blurry fever dream that challenges the conventions of the modern digital spectacle.

7

Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.

Action
Fantasy
1h 50m
Simon McQuoid
Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Josh Lawson
Why it ranks

Unapologetically committed to its brutal source material, this reboot prioritizes practical-leaning carnage and stylized finishing moves. It captures the frantic, percussive energy of a fighting game without sacrificing its cinematic momentum.

6
2021 Action in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Godzilla vs. Kong
2021

In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity’s fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages.

Action
Science Fiction
1h 54m
Adam Wingard
Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle, Brian Tyree Henry
Why it ranks

This is a towering achievement in digital tactility, where the sheer weight and scale of the titans are felt in every frame. The film understands the primal satisfaction of heavyweight cinematography and delivers it with neon-soaked precision.

5
2021 Action in The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Suicide Squad
2021

Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

Action
Comedy
2h 12m
James Gunn
Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman
Why it ranks

James Gunn delivers a kaleidoscopic riot of hyper-violent creativity and defiant tonal shifts. Every frame bursts with an anarchic energy that revitalizes the ensemble formula through sheer, unadulterated visual audacity.

4
2021 Action in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021

Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Action
Adventure
2h 12m
Destin Daniel Cretton
Simu Liu, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Awkwafina, Ben Kingsley
Why it ranks

A breathtaking synthesis of Wuxia tradition and modern blockbuster scale, the film breathes new life into the genre's fight choreography. The fluidity of the movement and the inventive use of elemental geometry set a new technical benchmark for the year.

3
2021 Action in Black Widow (2021)
Black Widow
2021

Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

Action
Adventure
2h 14m
Cate Shortland
Why it ranks

Shifting the Marvel paradigm toward a gritty espionage aesthetic, this film excels through its visceral, hand-to-hand combat sequences. It trades cosmic spectacle for a rhythmic, bone-crunching intensity that feels remarkably grounded.

2
2021 Action in F9 (2021)
F9
2021

Dominic Toretto and his crew battle the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they've ever encountered: his forsaken brother.

Action
Adventure
2h 23m
Justin Lin
Why it ranks

This installment leans into a glorious, physics-defying maximalism that few other series dare to attempt. It is a masterclass in kinetic absurdity, transforming vehicular combat into a high-budget symphony of choreographed chaos.

1
2021 Action in No Time to Die (2021)
No Time to Die
2021

Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Action
Thriller
2h 43m
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch
Why it ranks

Daniel Craig culminates his tenure with a sophisticated blend of operatic stakes and tactile choreography. This entry transcends the typical franchise blueprint by grounding its grand-scale pyrotechnics in genuine emotional finality.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

No Time to Die, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, revives the iconic James Bond character in a thrilling blend of action and espionage, delivering a high-stakes cinematic experience that defined 2021's action genre.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings distinguishes itself with its blend of martial arts, fantasy, and cultural storytelling, offering a fresh perspective in the superhero and action-adventure genre for 2021 audiences.

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad combines high-energy action with dark humor and a vibrant ensemble cast, creating a distinct tone that sets it apart from traditional superhero movies released in 2021.

The 2021 action year showcased a rise in martial arts and grounded, realistic combat, evident in films like Nobody, which combines compelling choreography and relatable heroism, thus refreshing the action genre beyond CGI spectacles.

Godzilla vs. Kong brings a thrilling clash between two legendary titans, blending action with sci-fi elements that captivated fans looking for grand-scale spectacle in 2021.

Many 2021 action films, such as F9, The Suicide Squad, and Red Notice, successfully blended elements of crime, fantasy, and comedy, enriching the genre with diverse tones and making action movies more entertaining and multifaceted.

Sequels and franchise entries like F9, Black Widow, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage dominated 2021’s action lineup, showcasing the industry's reliance on established universes to draw fans back to theaters amid the pandemic recovery.

The Matrix Resurrections stands out in 2021 for its science fiction action blended with a metafictional reboot narrative, reviving a beloved franchise while exploring new philosophical questions.
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