Although many incredible movies spanning all different genres have become cult classics over the years, action films are a category that immediately comes to mind, mostly given the quantity of incredibly influential movies it has delivered. This often has to do with their lasting imprint on audiences, whether because of the genre boundaries they transcended, the creative risks they took, or the unique and unconventional storytelling they featured, often elevated by stylish imagery.
To celebrate the number of iconic films that have become must-sees in this niche category, we look back at some of the best cult classic action movies of all time and rank them by their cult classic status. From Mad Max to Blade Runner, these movies manage to keep audiences equal parts entertained by their incredible action sequences and immersed in their worldbuilding.
They are:
- Mad Max (1979)
- Blade Runner (1982)
- Fight Club (1999)
- Oldboy (2003)
- Repo Man (1984)
- The Warriors (1979)
- Escape From New York (1981)
- Dredd (2012)
- Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
- Point Break (1991)
Agreed, as the comments talk about Fight Club, where’s the action in Blade Runner. There’s the shooting of Zhora(?) but what else?
The final rooftop encounter is a tense game of cat and mouse but I wouldn’t call it action.
The film may be generally disliked, but I think the entire freeway sequence of Matrix Reloaded is fantastic.
