Rebecca Ferguson in Dune: Part Two
Action epics are some of the best films out there because they strike a balance between high-stakes narratives, grandiose sets and production design, and attention-grabbing choreography. Adventure epics like Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia have paved the way for modern films by covering universal human themes and insisting on technological and technical innovations to create an audiovisual masterpiece.
An action epic also requires a director who can balance its grandiosity with relatable, intimate moments, high-octane choreography with emotional arc, and chaotic energy with a sense of calm. Some filmmakers have succeeded in delivering masterclasses in visual storytelling, creating movies that have become benchmarks for the genre. Here are the ten most perfectly directed action epics, ranked. 10 'John Wick: Chapter 4' Chad Stahelski is a former stuntman who spent much of his career working as a stunt double or martial arts coordinator for Keanu Reeves in his films. Today, he is one of the most brilliant action directors, and it only took four films for audiences to recognize him. John Wick: Chapter 4 is the pinnacle of his career, with breathtaking set pieces and iconic, video-game-like action choreography and stunts. The most famous scene from Chapter 4 is the top-down shot of John Wick fighting enemies, which quickly became a memorable moment in action filmmaking. Stahelski's use of long takes, practical stunts, and rhythmic editing make the film a smooth experience, but his pacing is also near-perfect; the film's 169 minutes include long stretches of character development that make the action sequences feel earned and even more painful as you grow fond of Wick. In Chapter 4, John Wick continues his conflict with the High Table, the shadowy organization that rules the world of assassins. With a bounty on his head, he travels from New York to Osaka to Berlin, gaining both allies and enemies. Wick also fights a rival assassin, former friend Caine , throughout the film, escaping the grasp of the High Table member Marquis de Gramont . Reeves performs the majority of his own stunts, reinforcing the franchise as completely his; he is Wick, and regardless of his character's fate, Wick is an endless inspiration. 9 'Gladiator' Gladiator is just one part of Ridley Scott's unique perspective on action epics and visual storytelling. He understands how to deliver a story that bears heavy emotional weight and a great deal of tension, taking chances wherever opportunities open. For example, he obtained a license to burn down the woods that were already meant for removal for the opening battle against the Germanic tribes, creating a combination of sweeping aerial shots and handheld camerawork to convey the chaos of warfare. The scenes set in the Colosseum weren't, obviously, filmed there, but it isn't CGI either; this legendary world wonder was only partially recreated through computer graphics, but much of it was a practical set recreation built in Malta. Gladiator follows Maximus , a loyal Roman general, who gets betrayed by the emperor’s ambitious son, Commodus . Commodus murders Maximus' family and banishes him into slavery. Forced to fight as a gladiator, Maximus rises through the ranks of the arena, using his fame to confront Commodus and seek vengeance for his family. Gladiator was nominated for 12 and won five Oscars, including Best Picture, but sadly not Best Director. Yet, it remains one of the biggest action epics that marked the turn of the century, giving it roots as a period of innovation and imagination. 8 'Aliens' Speaking of Ridley Scott, he did create Alien, but James Cameron turned his legendary atmospheric horror into a relentless action epic simply called Aliens that maintained the tension and meaning of the first film. Cameron had a shaky beginning since the set was in England, often arguing with the crew and having cinematographers and assistant directors rebelling against his vision; after establishing rapport with the crew, things went as smoothly as they could. One interesting thing is that the marine unit feels cohesive and bonded because scenes in which they communicate were filmed near the end of production, when the cast had gotten to know each other well. This type of foresight and planning is crucial for a director who wishes to translate his action epic into more than just a shootout with weird aliens. Half a century after Alien, Ellen Ripley is rescued from hypersleep by a Colonial Marine unit tasked with investigating a lost colony on the same planet where the alien was discovered in the first film. Joining them in what begins as a rescue mission quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival when Ripley and the marines discover the colony has been overrun; while there, they find the only survivor, a child named Newt . The final confrontation between Ripley and the Alien Queen in Aliens is a memorable scene in action cinema, combining animatronics, miniatures, and cinematography to create a truly thrilling finale. 7 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' Sergio Leone's direction in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the final installment of the Dollars Trilogy, transformed the action epic. His use of extreme close-ups, widescreen compositions, and operatic pacing established a unique visual language. The film's most memorable action sequences, such as Tuco's sprint through a cemetery and the final Mexican standoff, are expertly choreographed. Leone understood that tension comes from waiting, so he stretched moments to their breaking point and allowed Ennio Morricone's score to build through editing. Leone's direction also improved character work, conveying the trio's shifting loyalties with glances and gestures; he argues that no one is a hero and all three are anti-heroes, parodies and dark sides of the romanticized Old West. During the American Civil War, three gunslingers—the cunning Blondie,"The Good" ; the ruthless Angel Eyes,"The Bad" ; and the opportunistic Tuco,"The Ugly" —race across the Southwest to find a buried cache of Confederate gold. Their uneasy partnerships change as they come across battlefields, prison camps, and a legendary three-way standoff. The climactic Mexican standoff was filmed with multiple cameras to capture each actor's reaction simultaneously, and Leone even exhausted the actors with his attention to detail. The film's famous song,"Ecstasy of Gold," has also left a lasting mark on culture, having been used in numerous films, commercials, and even as the entrance music for Metallica concerts. 6 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' Following Aliens, James Cameron made another seismic leap in action filmmaking by directing Terminator 2: Judgment Day . In this film, he combines genuinely groundbreaking visual and practical effects with character-driven storytelling, creating a story that feels exciting and easy enough to care for. T2 is probably most famous for the T-1000, Robert Patrick's shape-shifting villain, which is a triumph of suspense but also a costly investment: $5 million was spent on creating the CGI for his movements, making T2 one of the first movies to extensively use computer-generated imagery for a main character. Terminator 2: Judgment Day follows the T-1000, a cyborg assassin who travels back in time to kill a young John Connor , the future leader of the human resistance. A reprogrammed Terminator T-800 follows the T-1000 to protect John and his mother Sarah , teaching him survival skills to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. Maybe the most impressive thing about Cameron's direction here is the T-800's transformation from a destructive machine to one learning about humanity and relating to it. The film culminates in one of cinema's most iconic and emotional final gestures, cementing T2 as a milestone for fans of the genre and Cameron himself. 5 'Dune: Part Two' Dune: Part Two is the pinnacle of modern epic sci-fi filmmaking, demonstrating the scope of Denis Villeneuve's vision. Every frame is composed meticulously, as Villeneuve collaborated with cinematographer Greig Fraser to use IMAX framing to convey Arrakis' overwhelming scale while keeping the story intimate and deeply personal for the protagonist. The film's action sequences, including the attack on a Harkonnen spice harvester and the final confrontation between Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha , showcase contrasting combat styles and prioritize atmosphere and rhythm. Villeneuve insisted on shooting in natural light to ground an otherwise intense and magnanimous film. In Dune: Part Two, Paul Atreides continues his journey among the Fremen of Arrakis, learning their language and way of life before leading them in a holy war against the Harkonnen overlords who have destroyed his family. As he embraces the idea of being"the Chosen One" in the eyes of some Fremen, Paul is forced to confront his own humanity and the terrible cost of the brutality he is about to unleash. With minimal green screen and massive practical sets built in Hungary, Italy, the Namib Desert, and Abu Dhabi, this epic is a grand-scale action film perfect down to the last detail, cementing Villeneuve's reputation as an epic filmmaker. 4 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' The Lord of the Rings trilogy is unprecedented in scope, and director Peter Jackson ensured that the grand finale, The Return of the King, includes the most impressive set pieces. All the battles featured hundreds of choreographed extras, miniatures, and digital armies, shot with wide lenses and slow motion to convey the grandiosity and painstaking results. Jackson, on the other hand, masters horror-like suspense in Shelob's Lair, and the final scenes culminate in the emotional toll of all three films. The Return of the King earned a record-tying 11 Oscars, including Best Director. In The Return of the King, Frodo and Sam approach Mount Doom, while Aragorn rallies the West's armies for a desperate battle at the Black Gate to distract Sauron. Meanwhile, Mordor's forces take over the city of Minas Tirith. Whether it's a dedicated cast, thousands of extras, or the use of practical and digital effects, there will never be another film as magnificent and beautiful as The Return of the King; it may be flawed as an adaptation, but the painstaking effort put into its creation alone is commendable. 3 'Seven Samurai' Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is the seminal work of action cinema. Every modern action epic, from The Magnificent Seven to Star Wars, owes something to these innovations. Kurosawa pioneered filming a single scene with multiple cameras to capture action from various angles, as well as the use of telephoto lenses and slow motion in combat, all of which were revolutionary at the time. More than just action, Kurosawa's direction incorporates complex character arcs, social commentary, and emotional depth into each frame; his use of weather, landscape, and composition elevates a simple story to a timeless myth. Discover deeper directing analysis—subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe to the newsletter to get focused coverage of action-epic filmmaking—rich analysis of directors' techniques, production design, stunt choreography, and storytelling craft that illuminate how these films are made and why they matter. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Seven Samurai is set in 16th-century Japan, in a village of farmers who hire a group of masterless samurai to defend themselves against bandits who steal their harvest. The seven samurai, led by veteran warrior Kambei , train farmers and prepare for a final battle against overwhelming odds. Filming took more than a year, with Kurosawa frequently waiting weeks for ideal weather conditions and even taking a break due to exhaustion at one point. The painstaking effort required to carry out a vision will never feel as impressive as it does with Kurosawa. 2 'The Matrix' The Wachowskis created a new language for action cinema with The Matrix, blending wuxia, anime aesthetics, and Hollywood spectacle into a cohesive whole. Their directing style prioritizes innovation, as proven by the bullet-time effect, which was created using a ring of 120 still cameras. It wasn't just a gimmick, either;"bullet time" is a valid narrative tool within the film's context, allowing audiences to imagine what it's like to push one's body beyond its limits. The stunt team, including Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, trained for four months with choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to master wire-fu, a form of wire-assisted martial arts that defined the film's physical style. The Matrix follows Thomas Anderson , a hacker known as Neo, who appears to have long suspected that the world is not what it appears. When another hacker, Morpheus , offers to guide Neo to the truth, he discovers that reality is a simulated construct designed by machines to subdue humanity. Recruited into a rebellion, Neo must learn to deviate from the simulation's rules in order to become"the One" and end the war. The Wachowskis' direction incorporates philosophical themes into each frame, reminding viewers why the fight is taking place. 1 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Who says you need to retire at a certain age? Retirement is nothing more than a concept in the creative world, as George Miller proves: he was 70 years old when he directed Mad Max: Fury Road, the best-directed action film of all time. His Mad Max franchise continued with Fury Road after 30 years of creative limbo; when things finally clicked, Miller directed a film with approximately 2,700 cuts, heavily choreographed with practical effects , and fleshed-out characters who feel relatable and admirable. The film's use of color and sandstorms and the pure physicality of its stunts create a visceral experience that sets the standard for action filmmaking. It won six Oscars, all in the craft categories, and is widely regarded as the best action film ever made. Fury Road is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where Imperator Furiosa rebels against the tyrannical Immortan Joe , smuggling his five wives out of his home he calls the Citadel. Max Rockatansky , captured and used as a"blood bag" by Immortan Joe's anemic War Boys, is reluctantly pulled into the chase across the desert that extends into a high-speed pursuit that pushes every character to their physical and moral limits. With 90% of the effects being practical, it's hard not to feel like Fury Road is the most impressive action epic ever created.Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one. 🪜Parasite 🌀Everything Everywhere ☢️Oppenheimer 🐦Birdman 🪙No Country for Old Men FIND YOUR FILM → QUESTION 1 / 10TONE 01 What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don't just entertain — they leave something behind. ASomething that pulls the rug out — that makes me think I'm watching one kind of film and then reveals I'm watching another entirely. BSomething overwhelming — funny, sad, absurd, and genuinely moving, all at once. CSomething grand and weighty — a film that makes me feel the full scale of what I'm watching. DSomething formally daring — a film that pushes what cinema can even do. ESomething lean and relentless — pure tension with no wasted frame. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 2 / 10THEME 02 Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What's yours? AClass, inequality, and what people are willing to do when desperation meets opportunity. BIdentity, family, and the chaos of trying to hold your life together when everything is falling apart. CGenius, moral responsibility, and the catastrophic weight of a decision you can never take back. DEgo, legacy, and the terror of becoming irrelevant while you're still alive to watch it happen. EEvil, chance, and whether moral order actually exists or if we just tell ourselves it does. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 3 / 10STRUCTURE 03 How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means. AGenre-twisting — I want it to start in one lane and migrate into something completely different. BMaximalist and genre-blending — comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, all in one ride. CEpic and non-linear — cutting between timelines, building a mosaic of cause and consequence. DA single unbroken flow — I want to feel like I'm living it in real time, no cuts to safety. ESpare and precise — every scene doing exactly what it needs to do and nothing more. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 4 / 10VILLAIN 04 What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you? AA system — invisible, structural, and almost impossible to fight because it has no single face. BThe self — the ways we sabotage, abandon, and fail the people we love most. CHistory — the unstoppable momentum of events that no single person can stop or redirect. DThe industry — the machinery of culture that chews up talent and spits out irrelevance. EPure, implacable evil — a force so certain of itself it becomes almost philosophical. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 5 / 10ENDING 05 What do you want from a film's ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like? AShock and inevitability — a conclusion that recontextualises everything that came before it. BEarned emotion — I want to cry, laugh, and feel genuinely hopeful, even if the world is a mess. CDevastation and grandeur — an ending that makes me sit in silence for a few minutes after. DAmbiguity — something that leaves enough open that I'm still thinking about it days later. EBleakness — an honest refusal to pretend the world is tidier than it actually is. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 6 / 10WORLD 06 Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what's even possible. AA gleaming modern city with a hidden underside — beauty masking rot, wealth masking desperation. BA collapsing suburban life that opens onto something infinite — the multiverse of a single ordinary person. CThe corridors of power and science at a world-historical turning point — where decisions echo for decades. DThe grimy, alive chaos of New York and Hollywood — fame as both destination and trap. EVast, indifferent landscape — desert and highway where violence arrives without warning or reason. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 7 / 10CRAFT 07 What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable. AProduction design and mise-en-scène — every frame composed to carry meaning beneath the surface. BEditing and tonal control — the ability to move between registers without losing the audience. CScore and sound design — music that becomes inseparable from the dread and awe of what you're watching. DCinematography as performance — the camera not recording events but participating in them. ESilence and restraint — what's left unsaid and unshown doing more work than any dialogue could. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 8 / 10PROTAGONIST 08 What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you. ASomeone smart and resourceful who makes increasingly dangerous decisions under pressure. BSomeone overwhelmed and ordinary who turns out to be capable of something extraordinary. CA brilliant, tortured figure whose gifts and flaws are inseparable from each other. DA self-destructive artist whose ego is both their superpower and their undoing. EA quiet, principled person trying to make sense of a world that has stopped making sense. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 9 / 10PACE 09 How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately. AI love a slow build when I know the payoff is going to be seismic — patience for a devastating reveal. BGive me relentless momentum — I want to feel breathless and emotionally spent by the end. CEpic runtime doesn't scare me — if the material demands three hours, give me three hours. DI want it to feel propulsive even when nothing is technically happening — restless energy throughout. EDeliberate and unhurried — I want dread to accumulate in the spaces between the action. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 10 / 10AFTERMATH 10 What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want? AUnsettled — like I've just seen something I can't fully explain but can't stop thinking about. BMoved and energised — like the film reminded me what actually matters and gave me something to hold onto. CHumbled — like I've been in the presence of something genuinely important and overwhelming. DExhilarated — like I've just seen cinema doing something it's never quite done before. EHaunted — like a cold, quiet dread that stays with me for days. REVEAL MY FILM → The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is… Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works. BEST PICTURE 2020 Parasite You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it's ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image. BEST PICTURE 2023 Everything Everywhere All at Once You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn't want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it's about. BEST PICTURE 2024 Oppenheimer You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort. BEST PICTURE 2015 Birdman You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it's about. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor's ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn't be possible. Michael Keaton's performance and Emmanuel Lubezki's restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all. BEST PICTURE 2008 No Country for Old Men You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ Like Mad Max: Fury Road R Action Adventure Science Fiction Release Date May 15, 2015 Runtime 121 minutes Director George Miller Writers Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris Cast See All
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