Just 55 Really Good Action Movies That Will Save the Day

Sometimes you just need to watch someone kick some ass onscreen for a few hours—that’s where the best action movies come in.

The entire genre usually makes people think of a man who looks like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson driving a sports car off a skyscraper while shooting a gun at a blimp…and sure, the traditional explosion-heavy flick has its place. We’ll never fault you for going back to Indiana Jones, James Bond, or any other heartthrob-y, muscled-up classic. But most days, we like our action movies with a lot more women kicking ass, and thankfully, the true best action movies out there feature just that.

From Wonder Woman to Birds of Prey, women-led blockbusters have been dominating the box office for years, even taking over franchises that originally had male protagonists. Because Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t about Mad Max (sorry, Tom Hardy); it’s about Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, who has three movies on this list.

Whatever your taste, we know you’ll find something exciting, interesting, and even funny on our round-up of 55 insane action flicks that also happen to have strong female leads throwing the punches.