BEST ACTION MOVIES 2021, RANKED BY TOMATOMETER
Along with horror films like A Quiet Place Part II, action movies have been instrumental in demonstrating signs of vital life at the 2021 box office. Nobody made an unlikely commercial action hero out of Bob Odenkirk as theaters were re-opening, and afterwards, massive blockbusters like F9, Black Widow, and Godzilla vs. Kong drew huge crowds that approached pre-pandemic levels. On streaming, we’ve seen attention-grabbing hits like Hulu’s Boss Level, two Zack Snyder jams (Army of the Dead and his mythical director’s cut of Justice League), and Netflix’s Gunpowder Milkshake.
And now we’ve collected every Fresh and Certified Fresh action movie from the year. We’ll be updating this list as more come out, so check back often to discover the latest of the best action movies of 2021, ranked by Tomatometer! (And don’t forget to check out our ongoing guides to the best horror movies of 2021, and the best movies of 2021.)
Critics Consensus: Though it runs dangerously close to being a pure sugar rush with no substance, Gunpowder Milkshake is a brutal blast that will absorb audiences into its neon-infused universe.
Synopsis: Sam (Karen Gillan) was only 12 years old when her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey), an elite assassin, was forced to… [More]
Starring: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh
Directed By: Navot Papushado
Critics Consensus: Maggie Q’s still waiting for the action movie that really deserves her — but until then, The Protégé hits just hard enough to satisfy.
Synopsis: Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie… [More]
Starring: Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson, David Rintoul
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Critics Consensus: A squarely traditional ’90s-style action thriller, Those Who Wish Me Dead is elevated by Taylor Sheridan’s propulsive direction.
Synopsis: A smoke jumper and a traumatized boy fight for their lives as two relentless assassins pursue them through a raging… [More]
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Jon Bernthal, Aidan Gillen
Directed By: Taylor Sheridan
Critics Consensus: Its craft isn’t quite as sturdy as some of the classic adventures it’s indebted to, but Jungle Cruise remains a fun, family-friendly voyage.
Synopsis: Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE, a rollicking… [More]
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar RamÃrez, Jack Whitehall
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
Critics Consensus: Wrestling just enough stakes out of its thin plot, Wrath of Man sees Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham reunite for a fun, action-packed ride.
Synopsis: Mysterious and wild-eyed, a new security guard for a cash truck surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during… [More]
Starring: Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Critics Consensus: An ambitious, over-the-top zombie heist mashup, Army of the Dead brings Zack Snyder back to his genre roots with a suitably gory splash.
Synopsis: From filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), ARMY OF THE DEAD takes place following a zombie outbreak that… [More]
Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Directed By: Zack Snyder
Critics Consensus: As a story, Space Sweepers isn’t as adventurous as its star-navigating protagonists — but relatable characters and impressive effects keep it from drifting out of orbit.
Synopsis: After snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Spaceship Victory’s crew members find a 7-year-old girl inside…. [More]
Starring: Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin
Directed By: Jo Sung-hee
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Transferred home after a traumatizing combat mission, a highly trained French soldier uses her lethal skills to hunt down the… [More]
Starring: Olga Kurylenko, Michel Biel, Guillaume Duhesme, Andrey Gorlenko
Directed By: Julien Leclercq
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder’s Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director’s vision — and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
Synopsis: In ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE, determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben… [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa
Directed By: Zack Snyder
Critics Consensus: Boss Level powers up the increasingly crowded time-loop genre with a gleefully over-the-top sci-fi action thriller that revels in its own excess.
Synopsis: Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank… [More]
Starring: Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts, Mel Gibson, Annabelle Wallis
Directed By: Joe Carnahan
Critics Consensus: Delivering squarely on its title, Godzilla vs. Kong swats away character development and human drama to deliver all the spectacle you’d expect from giant monsters slugging it out.
Synopsis: Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the… [More]
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry
Directed By: Adam Wingard
Critics Consensus: Part creature feature, part war movie, and part social commentary, Shadow in the Cloud doesn’t always blend its ingredients evenly — but it’s frequently pulpy fun.
Synopsis: In the throes of World War II, Captain Maude Garrett (CHLOÃ GRACE MORETZ) joins the all-male crew of a B-17… [More]
Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Beulah Koale, Taylor John Smith
Directed By: Roseanne Liang
Critics Consensus: Black Widow‘s deeper themes are drowned out in all the action, but it remains a solidly entertaining standalone adventure that’s rounded out by a stellar supporting cast.
Synopsis: Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her… [More]
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz
Directed By: Cate Shortland
Critics Consensus: Nobody doesn’t break any new ground for the genre, but this viscerally violent thriller smashes, shatters, and destroys plenty of other things — all while proving Bob Odenkirk has what it takes to be an action star.
Synopsis: Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and… [More]
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Alexey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd
Directed By: Ilya Naishuller
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a prisoner transfer van is attacked, the officer in charge must fight those inside and outside while dealing with… [More]
Starring: Javier Gutiérrez, Karra Elejalde, Luis Callejo, Patrick Criado
Directed By: LluÃs QuÃlez
Critics Consensus: Enlivened by writer-director James Gunn’s singularly skewed vision, The Suicide Squad marks a funny, fast-paced rebound that plays to the source material’s violent, anarchic strengths.
Synopsis: Welcome to hell–a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst… [More]
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis
Directed By: James Gunn
Critics Consensus: A darkly humorous revenge thriller with satisfying depth and a dash of savory quirk, Riders of Justice makes another compelling case for Mads Mikkelsen as an all-purpose leading man.
Synopsis: RIDERS OF JUSTICE follows recently-deployed Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), who is forced to return home to care for his teenage daughter… [More]
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann
Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen
Critics Consensus: The Paper Tigers blends action, comedy, and heart to produce a fresh martial arts movie with plenty of throwback charm.
Synopsis: Three martial artists–notorious in their prime as “the three tigers”–have grown into middle-aged men one kick from a pulled muscle…. [More]
Starring: Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Jae Suh Park
Directed By: Quoc Bao Tran
