10 Best R-Rated Action Movies of the 2010s, Ranked

It is not a surprise that action is one of the most watched and highest-grossing genres at the worldwide box office. This phenomenon can only be accredited to the genre’s wide-reaching appeal towards audience members belonging to various sectors of society. Storylines in action films are often so broad and simple, like John Wick’s anger towards his dog’s murder, that many viewers find relatable.

While action films have a primarily male audience, filmmakers like George Miller and actors like Charlize Theron are attempting to further broaden the genre by producing female-led action movies. The PG-13 rating has nonetheless helped increase viewership, but some films fully commit to depicting violence and gore in order to properly tell their story. Like The Revenant and Logan, the R-rating allows for an authentic storytelling experience without compromising or sanitizing violence, which impacts characters’ emotions and motivations. Based on critic reviews and impact on the overall genre, these are the top ten best R-rated action films of the 2010s.

10 ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ (2014)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, Kingsman: The Secret Service, average Englishman Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is recruited into a secret spy organization, Kingsman. His mentor and predecessor, Harry Hart (Colin Firth), teamed up with Eggsy to stop wealthy eco-terrorist Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) from culling half of the world population. Sofia Boutella, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine also star. It is followed by two other films: a sequel titled Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and a prequel, The King’s Man (2021).

Kingsman: The Secret Service differentiates itself from other action films due to its crude humor, highly stylized action scenes, animated fight choreography, and shock factor. As a result, the film received critical and commercial success at the box office, earning $414.4 million with a budget of $81 million. This success did not come without criticisms about the over-the-top action scenes, dark humor, and grotesque kills. During preview screenings, Vaughn received criticisms about an innuendo joke, which he considered cutting out due to accusations of misogyny.

9 ‘The Revenant’ (2015)

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Set in early 1800s America, The Revenant depicts fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), who seeks vengeance against trapper John S. Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) for the murder of his son. The film is based on Michael Punke’s novel of the same name and the 1815 poem, The Song of Hugh Glass. During its theatrical release, it garnered $533 million with a budget of $135 million. The film earned several awards from five BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and three Academy Awards. After five previous nominations and several years of work experience in Hollywood, DiCaprio finally won his first Academy Award for Best Actor.

Apart from the other entries in this list, The Revenant is a different type of action film because of its slow and meditative pace, reaching almost 3 hours in runtime. While the pace can feel sluggish, Iñárritu inserts intense moments with DiCaprio that capture audience members’ attention. Additionally, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki utilizes the beauty of natural lighting in the remote areas of Alberta, Canada. The film’s beauty came at a high cost as the budget skyrocketed, and some crew members were fired or quit during production due to creative differences with Iñárritu. Crew members also reported working in harsh weather conditions as temperatures sometimes dropped to 25 degrees below zero and minus 40 degrees. Iñárritu noted that the extreme cold led to equipment breaking and that setting up cameras for different shots was “a nightmare.” However, the director defended his choice of shooting in the natural elements. He stated that if The Revenant were filmed using only greenscreen, it would probably be “a piece of sh*t.”

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8 ‘Atomic Blonde’ (2017)

Directed by David Leitch

Atomic Blonde encompasses a top-level MI6 agent, Lorraine Broughton, who is tasked with tracking down KGB double agents the night before the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It is based on Antony Johnston and Steven Perkins’ 2012 graphic novel, The Coldest Winter. Along with its success at the box office, earning $100 million from a $30 million budget, the film received positive reviews from critics. It currently stands at 79 percent fresh from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It was announced in April 2020 that a Netflix-exclusive sequel film was being developed with Theron as a producer.

As lead and co-producer, Theron specifically sought David Leitch because of his uncredited directorial work on John Wick (2014). Atomic Blonde not only gained popularity due to Theron’s phenomenal execution of complex stunts and action choreography but also its inclusion of bisexuality as a theme. Theron explained that it was “unexpected” and “refreshing” for a female-led action character to have intimate scenes with another female character. The Academy Award-winning actress highlighted the double standard with male action characters like James Bond. Leitch approached the theme of bisexuality through an analytical lens. He explained that the intimate scenes were less about Broughton’s sexuality and relationships, and more about her profession as a spy and her ability to gain important information.

7 ‘John Wick’ (2014)

Directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick follows a Russian hitman, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), who comes out of retirement to avenge the murder of his dog. While the film received moderate success at the box office, the franchise has since exploded in popularity and has gained a mainstream following. John Wick earned $86 million with a $20 million budget and currently stands at an 86 percent rating from critics on RT. With three sequels, an additional spin-off film starring Ana De Armas titled John Wick Presents: Ballerina is expected to be released in the summer of 2025.

The film distinguishes itself from other 2010 action films because of its focus on realistic stunt choreography and long single takes. This emphasis on highly choreographed stunts is unsurprising as Stehelski worked as a stuntman and stunt coordinator for The Crow (1994), The Matrix franchise, and The Expendables 2 (2012). Due to their past work relationship, Reeves was trusted to do some of his own stunts. In preparation, Reeves underwent months of training in arnis, judo, Japanese jujutsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and tactical gun training with Navy SEALs.

6 ‘Deadpool’ (2016)

Directed by Tim Miller

The film follows the Marvel X-Men comic character Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), also known as Deadpool, through his misadventures to hunt down the man responsible for his mutant abilities. Deadpool was a major commercial success, earning $782 million from a budget of $58 million during its theatrical run. It is followed by two sequels, Deadpool 2 (2018) and Deadpool and Wolverine (2024). While it stands at 85 percent with critics (in contrast to a 90 percent audience rating) on RT, the film has gained a large fan following since its release.

Over the years, the action genre has acquired the stereotype of having cold and stoic characters. However, Deadpoolbreaks the mold (and the fourth wall) with its dark humor, gore, and shock factor. The film’s humor stands apart from other comical action films because of the slapstick stunt coordination, meta-commentary on pop culture, and criticism of superhero studios like Marvel or DC.

5 ‘The Raid: Redemption’ (2011)

Directed by Gareth Evans

The Raid: Redemption is an Indonesian film that surrounds a rookie on a National Police tactical squad, Rama (Iko Uwais), who must survive and fight his way out of a drug lord’s building complex after a failed raid. After Sony Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights, the film earned $4 million at the U.S. box office and $9 million worldwide outside Indonesia. Despite its moderate success at the box office, the film has garnered positive reviews from audience members and critics. It currently stands at 87 percent on RT.

While some action films attempt to insert story elements to slow the fast pace of sequences, The Raid: Redemption fully immerses into constant fight sequences with no breaks. Evans also describes the film as a “survival horror.”The crew opted for a handheld camera without Steadicam for a distributive and shaky movement to keep fight scenes intense. He also explained that he wanted to highlight the Indonesian martial art of pencak silat (also known as silat for short).

4 ‘Baby Driver’ (2017)

Directed by Edgar Wright

The film revolves around a getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort), who finds solace in music and attempts to quit crime after getting into a new relationship (Lily James). Baby Driver has a star-studded cast, including, but not limited to, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, and Jamie Foxx. The film was a major commercial success with a budget of $34 million and earned $226.9 million at the box office. It has gained a cult following among fans and has an 86 percent audience rating on RT.

Baby Driver has been in development and a passion project for Wright since 1996. The film sets itself apart from other action films because of the highly stylized and synchronized vehicular stunts edited with the soundtrack. Second-unit director Darrin Prescott coordinated all vehicular stuns in Atlanta and stated that several cars were destroyed during production. Prescott explained that they “tried to do everything in camera” and that “99 percent” of the car sequences were practical to preserve a standard of authenticity. In addition to the complicated maneuvers, the crew had limited time for retakes as some scenes required production to shut down traffic and freeways like I-85.

3 ‘Sicario’ (2015)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Sicario follows FBI special agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) and her partner (Daniel Kaluuya), who are tasked by DEA agent Matt Craven (Josh Brolin) to track and bring down a leader of a Mexican drug cartel with the help of a former Colombian ex-prosecutor (Benicio del Toro). Sicario was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Supporting Actor. The film garnered moderate success at the box office, earning $85 million. It also received praise from fans and critics, scoring 92 percent on RT. Sicario is followed by Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) and a third film still in development, Sicario: Capos.

While the film follows a conventional storyline in the action genre, Sicario distinguishes itself by its gritty tone and Blunt’s captivating acting style. Additionally, it is uncommon for gritty action films to have a strong female lead the film like Mercer. Blunt was a significant casting choice because it proved to studios, who originally wanted Mercer to be a man, that female characters could lead a critical and commercially successful action film. In an interview, Blunt praised Villeneuve’s efforts to create an empowering and complex female character who distinguished herself within a male-centric environment.

2 ‘Logan’ (2017)

Directed by James Mangold

Set in 2029, Logan (Hugh Jackman), also known as Wolverine, must smuggle a young mutant named Laura (Dafne Keen) to a refugee camp near the American-Canadian border as his healing ability fails. As the third and final installment of the Wolverine series, Logan was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. It grossed $619.2 million during its theatrical run with a budget of around $97 million. Critics and fans also highly praised the film, citing Logan as one of the best X-Men movies of the Fox Marvel era.

The film has a grittier and darker tone than other superhero films and is a deep dive into the tragic life surrounding Logan. With a wiser and older Logan, Mangold wanted to highlight his humanity and vulnerable side. Writer Scott Frank explained that he was inspired by Westerns like Shane (1953) and Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992). Unlike other superhero films that only provide surface-level commentary on socio-political issues, Logan explores the human condition specifically relating to mutants. While action scenes are sparingly dispersed throughout the film, these highly choreographed scenes are satisfying when present. Keen takes the spotlight as a young mutant child with similar abilities to Wolverine and claws her way through multiple opponents.

1 ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Directed by George Miller

This Australian film takes place in an apocalyptic future and follows Mad Max (Tom Hardy) through the wasteland as he helps Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) smuggle five enslaved brides (Riley Keough, Courtney Eaton, Abbey Lee, Zoë Kravitz) to safety. Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise, which originally debuted in 1979 with Mel Gibson as lead. As a commercial and critical success, Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $380.4 million at the box office and is known as one of the best action movies of all time. It currently stands at a 97 percent rating among critics on RT. It is followed by a prequel film titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.

Mad Max: Fury Road sets itself apart from any other action film due to its innovative set and character design, as well as its vibrant and highly saturated color scheme. Additionally, Miller highlights a robust feminist message with Theron’s character as a strong female general. While most of the action occurs via vehicle chases, the film manages to stay fresh with dynamic camera angles and bombastic VFX explosions. According to the production set designer Colin Gibson, all 150 Frankenstein-esque vehicles were specially constructed and fully functional. Despite worries from Warner Bros. studio executives about the ballooning budget and harsh filming location in the Namibian desert, Miller’s risk paid off in the best possible way.