The term pulp fiction gets its name from the cheap pulp paper historically used for publication in the early-19th Century. The pulp fiction era ranges from 1896 to 1939. Pulp fiction was still printed into the 1950s, however, paper shortages during World War II contributed greatly to the decline of magazine sales and publications in general, and more specifically pulp fiction.

Whether describing literature or film, pulp fiction is generally inexpensively-made, low-brow entertainment, with a high titillation factor being churned out at a fast face to keep up with demand. It covered a wide range of genres such as action, mystery, romance, science-fiction, etc., and was often exploitive in nature, containing gratuitous sex and violence. As such it was marketed toward mature audiences.

Pulp fiction is largely made up of these early exploitative pulp publications, as well as early-19th Century radio dramas, and 1950s B-movies. Pulp movies could explore any genre, however, some common themes included superheroes, detective mysteries, crime stories, and, wherever possible, scantily clad women. Here are some of the best pulp action movies, ranked.

10 King Kong (1933)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
RKO Pictures

King Kong tells the tale of a film crew shooting on an exotic tropical island. Little do they know the island is home to a great beast, a gorilla of gargantuan proportions, who takes a shine to their leading actress. When they discover the beast, they bring him back to New York as a sideshow. Despite its stop-motion puppetry and rear-screen projections, the film still holds up 80 years later in this fantastical monster tale. In the year 2020, the original King Kong was re-released in theatres.

Related: King Kong: All Movies in Order

9 Les Vampires (1915)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
Gaumont

Les Vampires is a series of silent crime films about a journalist and his friend who try to uncover the identities of a violent underground gang known only as The Vampires. The film series contains ten parts and is roughly ten hours in length, making it one of the longest films ever made. Les Vampires was the first in the crime genre and created commonly used thriller tropes that would one day be used by the iconic Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang.

8 Darkman (1990)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
Renaissance Pictures

Darkman is based on a short story by director Sam Raimi, which was inspired by pulp characters of the 1930s. It stars Liam Neeson as scientist Peyton Westlake, who is brutally attacked by mob boss Robert Durant and left with severe burns on his face and body. When Westlake attempts to develop a cure for his injuries, he is left with super-human abilities and seeks revenge on those responsible. Neeson gives an incredible performance as the unhinged anti-hero. Raimi has recently discussed the possibility of a Darkman sequel.

7 The Rocketeer (1991)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
Walt Disney Studios

The Rocketeer chronicles the tale of stunt pilot Cliff Scord who finds a rocket-powered jetpack that he subsequently uses to perform heroic acts, which give him the reputation of a superhero. Little does he know, Nazis had stolen the jetpack from its rightful owner, famed aviator Howard Hughes, who are both searching for Cliff. The film is based on the iconic pulp comic book The Rocketeer by late artist Dave Stevens.

6 Streets of Fire (1984)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
Universal Pictures & RKO Pictures

Streets of Fire is a gritty rock musical starring Willem Dafoe as the head of the ruthless biker gang The Bombers, who kidnaps rock star Ellen Aim. Anxious to rescue his frontwoman, Ellen’s manager Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) hires Ellen’s ex-lover and mercenary Tom Cody (Michael Pare) and former soldier McCoy (Amy Madigan) to rescue her. The film is a pulpy visual mashup of a 1950s backdrop with the music and fashion of the 80s and is sure to entertain.

5 Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

best-pulp-action-movies-ranked
20th Century Fox

Big Trouble in Litte China stars Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall in a supernatural battle against an evil sorcerer beneath San Francisco’s Chinatown. Director John Carpenter took inspiration from classic pulp films, such as Zu Warriors, which masterfully combined martial arts action with supernatural phenomena. The film caters to several different genres with an over-the-top exuberance you can’t help but love. It combines martial arts, action, comedy, and the supernatural into one great pulp film. There is currently a sequel to the pulp film in the works.

Related: Best Kurt Russell Movies, Ranked

4 The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Bogart Maltese Falcon 1941
Warner Bros.

The Maltese Falcon is based on the 1930 novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett and marks John Huston’s directorial debut. The film stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade, who is on the search for the mysterious Maltese Falcon, a jewel-encrusted statuette. During his investigation, he crosses paths with three others also on the hunt for the falcon: deceitful dame Ruth Wonderly, who tries to beguile Sam with her beauty, and notorious criminals Joel Cairo and Kasper Gutman. The Maltese Falcon was nominated for three Academy Awards and is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.

3 Sin City (2005)

sin-city
Troublemaker Studios / Dimension Films

Sin City is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. It follows the residents of the corrupt and violent Basin City. The film capitalizes on scantily clad heroines and gratuitous violence that made pulp novels and serials popular amongst the masses and is shot in such a way that it looks like it is torn from the pages of a comic book. The film spawned a sequel Sin City: A Dame To Kill, starring Josh Brolin, Lady Gaga, and Joseph Gordon Levitt, and a Sin City TV series, which has not yet been released.

2 Indiana Jones & The Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Indiana Jones Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Paramount Pictures

The Raiders of the Lost Ark is a pulp action-adventure about famed archeologist Indiana Jones, who goes on the pursuit of the highly coveted biblical artifact the Ark of the Covenant, which housed the Ten Commandments. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best pulp action movies because it was heavily inspired by the 1930s pulp serials produced by now-defunct studio Republic Pictures. Republic Pictures, at the time, specialized in cliffhanger adventure serials meant to draw the audience in for more, usually centered around cowboys, vigilantes, or swashbucklers. The Ringer details the pulp inspirations behind the iconic film.

1 Pulp Fiction (1994)

John Travolta as Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994) 
Miramax Films

A tale of two mob hitmen Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is interwoven with the stories of mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) and wife Mia (Uma Thurman), as well as down-on-his-luck boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) and mob cleaner Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel). Pulp Fiction is not only the best pulp action movie, but also the quintessential Tarantino movie. The film’s widely-recognized cover poster is modeled after pulp novels of an earlier time and the film itself is rife with pop culture homages and imagery from earlier decades as well, from the Blues Brothers-esque suits Vincent and Jules don to the Jack Rabbit Slims Diner scene and dance competition. Tarantino, a self-proclaimed movie buff, threw in classic film easter eggs throughout. The most effective is the mysterious suitcase scene, where the contents inside cast a glow of light onto Vega, which was inspired by 1955 film-noir Kiss Me Deadly.