Action movies aren't known for being realistic. There is almost a dramatic license that the genre is known to take in order to create exciting action sequences that look great on screen and service the story. While there are many movies that have action sequences, not all of them revolve around gunfights and punches. This is especially true in war movies, and even though there are some that could feasibly belong to the action genre, such as Saving Private Ryan, others use battle sequences for more dramatic emotions and historical purposes, as seen in 1917.
While it is not easy to produce these universally loved movies, it is impressive how many action movies there are that go over the language barrier and are able to showcase different cultures. From the legacy of martial arts movies such as Bruce Lee's swan song Enter the Dragon, to even going inside Rio de Janeiro's favelas in Brazil, in Tropa de Elite, these fast-paced and exciting action stories and produced and loved around the world.
Nevertheless, there are some action movies that are praised for how realistic their action sequences and moments are; actual fighters, members of the military, or just hobbyists notice these things and laud the films for their authenticity. Here are some of the best movies with genuinely realistic action.
8 Haywire
Paramount
Haywire stands out from the rest because its lead can actually fight: Gina Carano is an MMA star. From director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brockovich), Haywire is a cold, unique action thriller that many critics enjoyed, though it didn't please its audience as much; the film is more interested in realistic fight scenes and its stylish aesthetic than being over-the-top with its entertainment.
The highlights of the movie are definitely the action sequences, from the beginning one with Channing Tatum to the excellent fight against Ewan McGregor. Also starring Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and Micheal Fassbender, Haywire is a cool, authentic thrill ride.
7 Atomic Blonde
Charlize Theron is not unfamiliar with action movies and doing her own stunts. However, Atomic Blonde goes beyond being an entertaining watch and took into consideration the protagonist when coordinating its action choreography. The movie was praised because Lorraine (Charlize Theron) fights differently from male leads in the genre: she can't win a fight with a single punch and could be overpowered by huge guys, so she must fight differently.
Sam Hargrave, the stunt coordinator for the movie explained to HuffPost, “Since men are generally stronger than women, how does a woman go about overcoming male attackers? Using her brains, mental toughness, and the environment,”. It was refreshing and created memorable and realistic action sequences for the character.
6 007: Casino Royale
It is safe to say that the 007 franchise was not known for being too worried with realism over the years: this can be exemplified by the 1979 movie Moonraker, where the agent goes to space. Nevertheless, there was an important shift when Daniel Craig stepped into the role: the movies got more violent and the action more realistic.
This element does correlate to the period Craig took on the role as the genre was shifting as well. Casino Royale was the first movie with the actor and does stand as one of the most realistic actions. The first action sequence that has Bond running through walls, doing parkour, and hand-to-hand combat is still remembered by fans.
5 A History of Violence
A History of Violence is based on graphic novels by John Wagner and Vince Locke. As this is a David Cronenberg movie, the violence is quite graphic. This narrative plays with the idea of a hero: what if it comes in the form of an estranged former mobster? Can bad guys change?
A History of Violence further the discussion on how much violence can affect everyone involved, not only the person doing it but especially the protagonist's family. The sudden, bone-crunching bursts of realistic action accompany the idea of identity, creating an interesting and brutal story from various angles.
4 Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg immediately reuinted after A History of Violence for yet another gangster thriller with surprising moments of extremely realistic violence, this time diving deep into the Russian mafia in London and human/sex trafficking. Eastern Promises has Mortensen protecting Naomi Watts' character from the mob, and Mortensen did his homework.
Mortensen, one of the most underrated actors today, added to the realism of the thriller by actually going to a region in Russia called Ural to spend time with some people and studied the world and meaning of these tattoos – which was only rapidly mentioned in the script. The action is accompanied by brutal violence, especially the bath house scene where Mortensen is completely naked and unable to hide anything in the choreography, and there is no sugarcoating anything in Eastern Promises.
3 The Bourne Trilogy
Anyone who has watched any of the Bourne trilogy movies remembers the fast-paced story and the signature shaky cam. The technique used to showcase the action sequences (that do evolve as the franchise progresses) became a trademark that many tried to copy – without much success.
And while there are many gun fights, hand-in-hand combat, there is also a big mixture of different martial arts that this agent who is a highly effective killer knows: Filipino Kali, Israeli Krav Maga, Bruce Lee's Wing Chun, and Jeet Kune Do. This is one of the reasons why it is so thrilling to watch this character fight, as you never know what he is going to do.
2 Heat
There are some actors that become known for the genre and types of characters they portray. Crime and mafia movies wouldn't be the same without Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and Heat was the first time they shared the screen.
This classic crime movie is actually based on a real-life bank robbery, and director Michael Mann spend some time during pre-production with the LAPD and interviewing criminals. Mann even invited the Reservoir Dogs' actor, Edward Bunker (a former bank robber) to be a consultant. The cast took advanced firearms training which resulted in the shootout scene which is so realistic, the US Marines used it in boot camp.
1 Black Hawk Down
Action realism is quite difficult to achieve, especially if the movie is trying to depict an event that actually happened. This is why Black Hawk Down is so well praised for its depiction of a traumatic military experience. The film shows what happened when the U.S. sent special forces to destabilize the Somalian government and aid the population during the civil war that took place in Somalia in 1993.
The Academy Award-winning film was directed by Ridley Scott, who is not unfamiliar with the genre. While his film focused more on the action and suspense than the actual politics and historical issues, that action is imeccably created. The multiple action sequences bewitched the audience and made them see that the director knew how to subvert the genre while creating a unique and powerful story.