The 40 Best Action/Martial Arts Movies of the Decade (2011-2020)

10. Headshot (Mo Brothers, 2016, Indonesia)

the action choreography by Iko Uwais (The Raid) and his stunt team is truly outstanding, and the fact that they implemented different martial arts styles including Pencak Silat and Wushu, according to the background of each actor, highlights the work done in the department. Furthermore, Indonesians seem to have perfected the use of knives in the action scenes, a trait presented in a number of scenes. Add to that the great cinematography by Yunus Pasolang, who uses slow motion and abrupt close ups in elaborate fashion, and the manic editing of Arifin Cu'unk and you have one of the most impressive martial arts ever to be seen on screen. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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9. Jailbreak (Jimmy Henderson, 2017, Cambodia)

Jimmy Henderson presents a distinct combination of exploitation, martial arts, and b-movie aesthetics, which, finally, is stripped of any kind of drama, romance, or any effort to give depth to a genre that thrives through the lack of it. In that fashion, Henderson does exactly what the category demands. He introduces a number of interesting-looking characters, and lets them kill themselves through continuous action scenes. The four “ultimate” villains represent this trait quite eloquently: Cannibal, whose name implies his human-eating nature, Suicide, a black master of martial arts, Bolo, a street fighter of enormous strength and finally, Madame Butterfly, a katana expert. The duels of the four with the policemen, who use the Cambodian martial art, Bokator, are the most impressive in the film, along with the ones where the four of them fight scores of prisoners, most of which seem to know martial arts, in another distinct, b-movie element.

8. Broken Sword Hero (Bin Bunluerit, 2017, Cambodia)

As Bin Bunluerit had a purpose to introduce Mu Thai superstar Buakaw Banchamek to the world, the film focuses much on his abilities, and he delivers in impressive fashion, highlighting his prowess as a martial artist, which benefits the most of his even more impressive ability in jumping. Accordingly, the scenes where he is fighting in the air are the most distinguishable among a plethora of great ones, with Bunluerit making great use of slow motion to capture this prowess. At the same time, the action choreographies are outstanding, focusing mostly on one-on-one duels, with the tendency finding its apogee in the arena, another symbol of the category. 

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7. The Night Comes For Us (Timo Tjahjanto, 2018, Indonesia)

Regarding the violence of the film, I have to say that this is one of the bloodiest action films ever. The combination of gore, intense sound (just listen to the sound of bones being broken and you will know what I mean), and the repeated neck stabbings, result in a number of ultraviolent scenes, where blood seems to fill the whole screen. Evidently, not a film for the faint-hearted. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

6. Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, South Korea)

Yeon Sang-ho directs a film, which definitely moves towards being a blockbuster, but manages to induce it with a number of elements that make it much more meaningful than the majority of zombie and action films. Drama (and occasionally melodrama, obviously for commercial reasons) is one of them, as is the change in Seok-woo's attitude, who eventually becomes a person willing to do good, in a genuinely humanistic concept. The elaborate script, which retains the agony as it switches genres, is another factor, as is the case with the injections of humor, which occasionally occur through chaos. Both of the ending sequences also move in that direction, with the dramatic element being the dominant one, instead of action. (Panos Kozathanasis)

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5. The Witch: Part I. The Subversion (Park Hoon-jung, 2018, S. Korea)

On the surface, movies like “The Witch Part I. The Subversion” serve as efficient genre vehicles. The fast-paced action scenes, the scenes of (teenage) drama and the magnificent fight choreography have become something of a trademark of modern South-Korean cinema starting with Park Chan-wook's “Oldboy”. However, as with his previous works, Park Hoon-jung also stresses something more sinister at the core of this world which seems fictional, but at the same time so very close: the existence of social layers and gaps which define our lives. (Rouven Linnarz)

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4. Jallikattu (Lijo Jose Pellissery, 2019, India)

Questioning evolution is no small feat and keeping the primal need for food at its crux is even more remarkable. And as if questioning Darwin was not enough, we have entertainment without compromising intellect and some raw thoughts to ponder upon. (Arun Krishnan)

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3. Shadow (Zhang Yimou, 2018, China

Zhang Yimou directs a wuxia that follows the “other rules” of the genre, as dictated by King Hu, particularly in films like “A Touch of Zen” and “Dragon Inn”. Firstly, the script does not exist solely to provide a background for the action, but is elaborately written and includes interwoven stories, conspiracies, treacheries, and in-depth analysis of the characters and the circumstances of the era. […] Not much more to say, “Shadow” is one of the greatest wuxia films of all time, an audiovisual poem and overall, a true masterpiece.

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2. Gangs of Wasseypur (Anurag Kashyap, 2012, India)

Before I watched the film, I had heard comments like “Indian epic,” “one of the best Asian films ever produced,” “a true masterpiece” and other similar characterizations, which usually make me suspicious, to say the least. However, in this case, every dithyramb was absolutely true as “Gangs of Wasseypur” is one of the best gangster films ever produced. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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1. The Raid: Redemption (Gareth Evans, 2011, Indonesia)

Martial art films are an entertaining genre. Usually, they are simple plot wise, but pulling off a good martial art film is a big challenge; pulling off a great one, a monumental task. “The Raid” is one such great movie. Released on 23rd March 2012, and directed by Gareth Evans, this is an action packed movie, which leaves you at the edge of your seat all along the way. (Anand Singh)

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