Some action movies have such amazing sequences that you wonder how they managed to do them without someone getting seriously hurt. A movie fan on a popular online forum asked for recommendations for films with creative action set pieces that leave you stunned. Here are fans' picks for the top 15 movies with action sequences that redefined cinema.

1. The Villainess (2017)

This Korean action thriller, directed by Jung Byung-gil, centers around Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin), a highly skilled assassin with a tragic past. Trained to be a deadly weapon, Sook-hee carries out dangerous missions for a covert government agency. However, as Sook-he begins investigating her past, she questions the agency's intentions.

2. Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)

Michael Davis' action-packed thriller stars Clive Owen as Smith, a skilled gunman and drifter who protects a mother and her newborn baby from a hitman. After the mother dies, Smith protects the baby at all costs against a gang of assassins led by the ruthless Hertz (Paul Giamatti) with the help of a call girl played by Monica Bellucci.

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

This science fiction action comedy is directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn. Evelyn is an unhappy laundromat owner who gains the ability to tap into different versions of herself across parallel realities and embarks on a mind-bending journey to save her family from a dangerous cosmic threat.

4. Sucker Punch (2011)

Zack Snyder's fantasy action film about the power of imagination follows Babydoll (Emily Browning), a young woman institutionalized by her abusive stepfather (Gerard Plunkett). As she collects the items she needs to escape, Babydoll retreats into a fantastical world where she and her fellow inmates are a group of warriors with unique skills who embark on various missions to escape from their painful reality.

5. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

This martial arts slapstick-comedy set in 1940s Shanghai, directed by Stephen Chow, follows the misadventures of a small-time crook called Sing who hopes to join the ruthless Axe Gang. After pretending to be a gang member to shake down the residents of a slum called Pigsty Alley, the real Axe Gang catches wind of his deception, and things break loose.

6. Rrr (2022)

SS Rajamouli's over-the-top Bollywood epic, inspired by real-life events, follows the adventures of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju (NT Rama Rao Jr.) and Komaram (Ram Charan), as they fight against the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

7. The Raid (2011)

This Indonesian action film by Gareth Evans follows a SWAT team as they raid a high-rise building in Jakarta, home to a notorious crime lord who resides on the top floor of the building. As the team enters the block, they find themselves trapped and outnumbered by hundreds of well-armed and ruthless criminals.

8. The Matrix (1999)

The Wachowskis' groundbreaking cyberpunk thriller that introduced the world to Bullet Time stars Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson, a hacker who goes by the alias Neo. Unbeknownst to him, Neo is living in a simulation created by machines that have enslaved humanity. After being freed from the Matrix by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Neo learns he is “The One,” a messianic figure destined to free humanity from its virtual prison.

9. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

This adrenaline-fueled post-apocalyptic action film, directed by George Miller, is the fourth installment in the Mad Max series and stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the story follows Max as he helps Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who attempts to escape the clutches of tyrannical warlord Immortan Joe and free his harem of enslaved women. Together, they embark on a high-speed chase across the wasteland as they are pursued by Immortan Joe and his fanatical war boys.

10. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Ang Lee's critically acclaimed wuxia martial arts film, based on the novel by Wang Dulu, stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen. Set in ancient China, two skilled warriors, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), must recover the legendary Green Destiny sword stolen by an enigmatic young fighter named Jen (Zhang Ziyi).

11. Hardcore Henry (2015)

This stylish first-person action film, directed by Ilya Naishuller, follows Henry, who wakes up in a laboratory after being turned into a cybernetic super-soldier. After the lab is attacked and Henry's wife, Estelle, is kidnapped, he sets out on an action-packed quest to rescue her.

12. Crank (2006)

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's adrenaline-fueled action comedy stars Jason Statham as Chev Chelios. Chev is a hitman injected with a rare and deadly poison that stifles his production of adrenaline, which will kill him if his heart rate drops too low. With his life on the line, Chev embarks on a frantic mission to keep his adrenaline pumping and his heart rate elevated while seeking revenge against mobsters who betrayed him.

13. Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan's mind-bending heist movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, a skilled thief who specializes in stealing valuable information from the subconscious minds of targets while they sleep. After a powerful businessman called Saito (Ken Watanabe) approaches Cobb to perform an inception, he assembles a team of specialists, including Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Eames (Tom Hardy), Ariadne (Elliott Page), and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) to carry out the seemingly impossible task.

14. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Edgar Wright's hilarious action-comedy stars Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, an overzealous London police officer transferred to the idyllic village of Sandford, which has almost no crime. Angel partners with the bumbling Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) as they investigate a series of seemingly random accidents that are much more than they first appear.

15. Lost Bullet (2020)

This fast-paced French action thriller directed by Guillaume Pierret stars Alban Lenoir as Lino, a skilled mechanic and former getaway driver working at a police auto repair shop. When Lino is framed for the murder of a detective, Lino sets out to clear his name and take down the dirty cops who set him up and killed his friend.

Source: Reddit.