It is a well-known fact of the big screen that audiences love seeing the hero land a satisfying punch on the villain that sends them soaring into the sky and through a glass window. This formula has worked for hundreds of movies and will continue to be a trope employed by choreographers for decades to come. With this list, we seek to underline all the great cinematic fights that spark a desire to binge-watch everything the performers have ever created. Come with us as we take you on an international journey of flying front kicks and gnarly nunchuck hits. From Keanu Reeves to Bruce Lee, these rough and tough brawlers are sure to grab your attention.
Oldboy (2003)
If you’ve seen this movie, then you already know where we’re going with this, which is a testament to why it makes the list. In Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy, the viewer is pulled along a cryptic and chaotic odyssey of vengeance as one man hunts the ones responsible for his imprisonment. At the climax of the film, there is a fight scene where the main character, brandishing a regular hammer, smashes his way through a hall of henchmen to get closer to his captor. Not only is the choreography eye-grabbing brutality, but the way Chan-Wook’s camera captures the action leads to bloody good poetry. Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and widely well-received by American audiences, it’s clear people were impressed with everything in this movie. In fact, Hollywood wanted to see more of it so badly, they remade the film in 2013 with Spike Lee directing.
Eastern Promises (2007)
Despite a cool and collected exterior, David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises will surprise you with how violent and visceral it can become. Though more of a thriller than an all-out action movie, the brawl inside the Turkish bathhouse stands up as a piece of beat ‘em up history. In it, the lead character, played ruthlessly by Viggo Mortensen, dons only a towel (at least for the beginning of it) and some badass tattoos as he smashes through Russian mob faces. The hits feel so powerful and painful that you’ll be flinching with every shot that lands. Also, the choice to make the choreography messy and not some flawless set of moves leads to action feeling organic and immersive. Grit your teeth and steel yourself for a grueling struggle for survival.
Drunken Master (1978)
It’s rare that a movie capable of executing high levels of kung fu consistently for the camera is also able to have such a sensitive funny bone. However, with Jackie Chan in the title role, we would expect nothing less. Drunken Master is one of those films that delights us with its creative ways to display masterful skill while delivering laughs. The fight we seek to exalt takes place near the end when Chan’s leading role confronts one of the villains, Thunderleg, played by Hwang Jang-lee. One of the reasons the combat stands out is the extensive demonstration put on by Chan showing off a unique form of kung fu known as drunken boxing. Clumsy, unpredictable, but deadly, Chan harmonizes his drunken movement into unbelievable acrobatics and hilarious antics. To this day, no other production has been able to pull off drunken boxing remotely as good as Chan’s rendition but we’re rooting for whoever tries because we’re desperate to see more like it!
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
Throwing punches faster than the eye can follow, The Raid: Redemption shouldn’t be a surprise to see on this list for any film veteran. For this story, the final fight between Mad Dog and the heroes is where we set our sights. Flawless coordination between the lead action roles, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Donny Almsyah, makes the combat feel spontaneous and reactive. Add onto the actors' ability to make their collaborator’s every hit look like a ton of bricks, it becomes impossible to turn your head away from the screen. What really separates this scene from the rest though, is the sheer speed at which all of this action is happening. The production really captured lightning in a film canister here.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Proving to be one of the most vibrant and creative action franchises of the past decade, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is a satisfying extension to this blockbuster series. It’s difficult to choose just one scene from the set of movies, but if we had to, the antique weapons museum fight scene would have to be the one. It combines everything that’s amazing about this trilogy into a single sequence. With Keanu Reeves brilliantly executing long coordinated combat, imaginative use of the environment to create never before seen stunts, and a hallway packed with the most deadly and unusual weapons to utilize, all of the elements fall into place. Don’t blink because you’ll want to see every second of this crowning achievement.
They Live (1988)
The alleyway fight scene between the two leading heroes in They Live is one you will not soon forget. Directed by John Carpenter, and starring Roddy Piper and Keith David, the film is a certified cult classic. In this confrontation, Piper is attempting to win over David to his side, but David is not having it. What follows is a down and dirty slugfest that prioritizes power over speed as the two heavyweights duke it out. It’s the closest to capturing an authentic street brawl than any other fight, and we respect the hell out of them for it. If other fights on this list are more like poetry, then this fight is like reading the cold and concise prose of Ernest Hemingway.
Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan has left our heads spinning throughout his filmography with his cerebral subject matter on more than one occasion. However, with Inception, audiences we’re treated to a different kind of spin that none of us saw coming. The rotating hallway fight scene with Joseph Gordon-Levitt is without a doubt an astonishing feat to behold. Characters bounce from floor to wall to ceiling as they are locked in a life or death situation. This must-see spectacle will break your brain trying to figure out how this was technically done.
Fist of Fury (1972)
Arguably the greatest action star to ever live, Bruce Lee’s myth has grown considerably since his untimely passing. Though we are unable to confirm some of the astounding real-life triumphs Lee is rumored to have performed, we are lucky to have his movies to give us a semblance of an idea of how good he truly was. In Fist of Fury, the dojo fight scene stands out as an exemplary display of Lee’s skills. It combines his speed, creative coordination, and his iconic screams to assemble a piece of filmmaking history as Lee demolishes an entire school of martial artists. Oh, and did we mention there were nunchucks?
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Chuuurch Fiiight! That’s really what it boils down to with Kingsman: The Secret Service making the list. It is a rambunctious, chaotic brawl to death. Stuck in a church service gone (more) psychotic, Colin Firth’s character must shoot, slash, and slam his way out. This scene is madness turned up to eleven, set on fire, then blown to kingdom come. To top that off, Matthew Vaughn chose to complement the scene with Lynyrd Skynard’s guitar solo from their legendary song "Free Bird". Not as physically impressive as the athletic feats achieved by other actors on this list. However, the church fight scene is arguably the most impressive in regard to the necessary collaboration between every member of the crew, including pre- and post-production, in order to pull this off as well as they did.
Fearless (2006)
Boasting a whole backlog of cinematic ass-kickings under his belt, Jet Li has always impressed us with his knowledge of combat. Li proves you don’t have to sound tough to American audiences as long as you can dish out a variety of convincing beat downs. Making his way onto the list with his film Fearless, Li wastes no time by jumping right into fast-paced action. The scene we seek to highlight is the intro competition sequence against three foreign masters. We get to see Li excel at fists, spears, and swords one after the other. Li’s combination of grace and deadly power set him apart from the rest, resulting in brutal but honorable defeats for his opponents.