The 20 Greatest Action Scenes of All Time (Readers Poll)

Finally posting the results, a few months later...

For those of you who submitted a response to the “Best Action Scenes of All Time” poll a few months ago: an overdue apology! We unfortunately did not get as many results as I was hoping for, but enough of you have asked me about the results that I’m finally going to post- I have enough to show the top 20!

If you want to see these polls consistently in the future, please make sure to vote! Every submission helps us refine the data and get a clearer ranking.

Without further ado…

20. Sicario (2015) dir. Denis Villeneuve - Shootout in the Streets

19. Aliens (1986) dir. James Cameron - Ripley vs. the Queen

18. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) dir. The Russo Brothers - Elevator Fight

“The unexpected conflict in the elevator, sensing the upcoming fight, seeing the sweat on the side temple of one of the guards, his decision to break the glass, crash through the atrium, then legendary and aura forming shield fight with the jet, and landing with the shield is next level!”

17. Spider-Man 2 (2004) dir. Sam Raimi - Train Fight

“Great use of visual effects where weight and balance is taken into account, where love and care for the frame is achieved and never overrides the emotion. The tension and awe of it all hits heights from the beginning when Peter returns as Spidey to the end of the train battle.”

16. The Matrix (1999) dir. The Wachowski Brothers - Subway Showdown

“The underdog Everyman achieves his apotheosis against a once seemingly invincible and undefeatable foe; and with choreography and camerawork like that, what’s not to love?”

15. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) dir. Quentin Tarantino - The Bride vs. The Crazy 88

“A scene so iconic and bloody it had to be changed for its release in the U.S, for some the Crazy 88 fight is why you watch Kill Bill. This sprawling and gory epic pays homage to countless action and martial arts films, and holds nothing back. It has drama, stakes, humor, highs and lows, creativity, and above all intensity.”

14. The Dark Knight (2008) dir. Christopher Nolan - Truck Chase

13. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) dir. George Miller - The Chase Begins

“The entire movie is the best action sequence of all time but the first act scene with the spiked cars that ends with the desert storm is my favorite from the film”

12. Die Hard (1988) dir. John McTiernan - The Final Confrontation

“You could pick so many moments in this film, but the emotional satisfying ending of this film (spoilers) where McClane using his creativity outthinks and outguns Gruber like a Western American Cowboy to rescue his wife and end the heist. Its a satisfying death sequence, it has humor, heart, romance. And it brings to a close the main journey for the main character, John and Holly, who are finally back in each others arms. (Just pretend like the sequels never happened)”

11. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) dir. Christopher McQuarrie - Bathroom Fight

“While many people may (fairly) point to the ending climax, I have to give it to the initial fistfight in the bathroom when Henry Cavill reloads his arms”

10. The Matrix (1999) dir. The Wachowski Brothers - Lobby Assault

“A scene that is as over-the-top fun to watch as it is impossible to take the tiniest bit seriously. That’s a lot of bullets.”

9. Ben-Hur (1959) dir. William Wyler - Chariot Race

“Just watch it and ask yourself how the heck the charioteers did all that.”

“Hollywood continues to try and top this sequence and theyre not able to. Its an exciting non-stop sequence as two men, driven by their hate and warped forms of patriotism race one another in what could very well be to the death. Real horses. Real jumps. Real tracks. Real stuntmen. You just couldnt fake that in those days and that knowledge with the incredible camerawork and editing gives us an incredibly tense and exciting sequence that still has not been reproduced despite a remake and even George Lucas paying it homage.”

8. The French Connection (1971) dir. William Friedkin - Car Chase

“A creative way to do a car chase, but it also says a lot about the character. Its his frenzied state of mind. He need to catch the villain which is pushing him over the edge as this chase stretches his safety, his sanity, and his case.”

7. Bullitt (1968) dir. Peter Yates - Car Chase

“It keeps me on the edge of my seat no matter how many times I see it.”

6. Saving Private Ryan (1998) dir. Steven Spielberg - D-Day

“The most realistic and brutal war scene in film, an essential showcase for the horror of combat. I first saw this when I was 14 and it was an indelible, unforgettable experience.”

5. Heat (1995) dir. Michael Mann - The Shootout

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) dir. Peter Jackson - The Battle of Pelennor Fields

“The first (probably the only) fantasy war sequence to even come close to matching the intensity of Saving Private Ryan. Seeing this in theaters was an audio and visual feast.”

3. John Wick Chapter 4 (2023) dir. Chad Stahelski - Overhead Shootout

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) dir. Peter Jackson - The Battle of Helm’s Deep

“Does it really need an explanation? I say nay.”

“The scene that defined the modern epic, and is perhaps the greatest battle scene ever put to film.”

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) dir. Steven Spielberg - Truck Chase

“I was obsessed with this from the moment I saw it. John Williams' score is nothing short of iconic and amplifies every moment of this fantastic car chase.”

“Watching Indy go from horse to truck to out of truck to back into the truck as the incredible John Williams score plays is still my favorite action stunt sequence of all time and a profound example of what makes Indiana Jones work. In a modern homage to the old movie serials, Spielberg and Lucas amped up the effects to give us a character that does not believe in stopping, even as hes outnumbered, shot, beaten up, and thrown out of truck window, he'll keep going on. Even though He's making it up as he goes.”