If there’s a truly greatest decade for the action genre, it’s the ’90s, a combo that nearly rivals the ’80s and horror. Sure, for the action genre, the ’80s had Commando, Predator, and The Terminator, but the ’90s had even more hits. It was the decade that served as the rise of Michael Bay with Bad Boys, of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer’s teaming with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and of, well, Steven Seagal. Are those examples double-edged swords to a degree? Absolutely, but Seagal had Under Siege and even Bay had more than one movie in the ’90s that was not only financially successful but also somewhat critically appreciated.
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What did it take for a movie to be included here? One, it still has to be fun, no matter how many times the viewer has seen it. Two, it has to have aged so even the buttoned-up members of modern society could watch it without a grimace. So, no True Lies here. Lastly, it has to be a straightforward action movie. That means no sci-fi actioners or superhero films. Sorry to, respectively, The Matrix and Batman Returns. With all that said, here are 10 ’90s action movies that still hold up in the 2020s.
Point Break
After directing the outlaw biker drama The Loveless and phenomenal vampire movie Near Dark in the ’80s, Kathryn Bigelow set her sights on the action genre for the ’90s. And, as it turns out, all three of her films within the decade are well-worth watching. The Jamie Lee Curtis-fronted grim cop actioner Blue Steel may be dark for some, but its lead delivers one of the best performances of her career. Strange Days, starring Ralph Fiennes, is a compelling genre-blender. In-between those was the best movie she’s ever directed (yes, including The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty): Point Break.
Four years prior to becoming a true action icon thanks to Speed, Keanu Reeves proved himself a natural in the genre as the fantastically named Johnny Utah. In the end, though, this is just as much Patrick Swayze’s movie. His Bodhi, the lead of a group of bank robbers who only work where they can surf, is an intriguing and likable figure, giving the core cat-and-mouse game a compelling edge.
Stream Point Break on Peacock and Prime Video.
El Mariachi
Robert Rodriguez was like his frequent collaborator, Quentin Tarantino, in that he made a big splash in the ’90s with something very small. With a production budget of just over $7,200, El Mariachi was the very definition of a micro-budgeted film. And yet, were one to watch it, they could hardly guess its price tag was that low.
The narrative follows a traveling guitar player who is mistaken for an assassin when he reaches a new town. Now, it’s a fight to the death to get out of this not-so-welcoming town alive. Rodriguez’s sequel, Desperado, essentially has the same plot with a higher budget, and even if it too is fun, it’s not quite as solid as El Mariachi.
Rent El Mariachi on Amazon Video.
Hard Boiled
Before he broke through in American cinema via Hard Target, John Woo was directing Hard Boiled. And, like his The Killer (the original, not the remake he helmed in 2024 starring Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy) and A Better Tomorrow, it’s a classic.
The film (Woo’s last pre-Hollywood Hong Kong film) follows Chow Yun-fat’s Inspector “Tequila” Yuen Ho-yan, who teams up with Tony Leung’s (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) undercover cop Alan to take down triad boss Johnny Wong. People slide down handrails, doves fly through shootouts…it’s the ultimate Woo film.
Speed
Having an antagonist place a bomb on a bus that must go 50 miles-per-hour through crowded L.A.? That’s a genius core concept for an action movie. But there’s an argument to be made that, no matter how well-shot and tightly scripted, Speed wouldn’t be the masterpiece it is without the casting department. Keanu Reeves gives one of his best performances as Officer Jack Traven, and his chemistry with Sandra Bullock’s Annie Porter is sublime. Then, of course, there’s Dennis Hopper, who is having a blast as vengeful bomber Howard Payne.
It’s amazing just how substantial the disparity in quality is between Speed and Speed 2: Cruise Control. In his directorial debut, Die Hard and Black Rain cinematographer Jan de Bont showed a firm grasp on not just white-knuckle action sequences, but compelling interpersonal dynamics. He again showed a mastery of the exciting action sequence in his sophomore film, Twister. Speed 2 was his third film, and it’s nothing short of a disaster that only serves to further emphasize just how effective the original film is. How the same director could helm an uninvolving, turgid sequel to one of the most enthralling films of all time is a mystery.
Stream Speed on Max.
Bad Boys
To be clear, when it comes to being PC, Michael Bay’s Bad Boys hasn’t aged perfectly. But, compared to Bad Boys II it’s essentially a TED Talk on reverence for cultural diversity. Not to mention, it’s not the jumbled mess that first sequel is.
Bay’s directorial debut shows a director who possesses confidence when it comes to bombastic sequences, which is of course something that would be continuously proven as his career progressed. And, thanks to the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, it’s one of the few examples of a Bay movie where the audience can actually care about the central characters.
Stream Bad Boys on Max.
Die Hard with a Vengeance
It may not be on par with the Christmas action classic of an original film, but Die Hard with a Vengeance is a blast, nonetheless. Aided considerably by returning director John McTiernan’s prowess, it’s considered by many to be the best of the four sequels for good reason.
Vengeance‘s ace in the hole is the fact it managed to take the lone wolf John McClane, team him up with a partner, and make it work. The one against 12 nature of the original film was one of its greatest assets, but by the third film that needed to be shaken up a bit, and by adding Samuel L. Jackson to the cast list as a character very different from McClane, the film found the best way to do so.
Stream Die Hard with a Vengeance on Hulu.
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GoldenEye
Easily the apex of Pierce Brosnan’s time as James Bond, GoldenEye is a rapidly paced blockbuster with a pair of great villains, a terrific soundtrack, and air-tight direction from Martin Campbell. It’s no wonder the same director was able to once again inject new life into the franchise via Daniel Craig’s first 007 adventure, Casino Royale.
After the pair of Timothy Dalton Bond flicks failed to make much of an impact, it was crucial for the franchise to become exciting again. Thanks to memorable action sequences on, for instance, a plane with a missile inbound and a speeding train, it’s one of the best of its IP to date.
Rent GoldenEye on Amazon Video.
Mission: Impossible
Is Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible the best of its franchise? It is not, but it’s still a lot of fun and a perfect merger of affinity for the classic television series and modern-day style. Mission: Impossible is the ultimate example of a franchise that’s gotten better as time has gone on, but there’d still be no Mission: Impossible – Fallout without this original film.
The film’s key asset is its ability to build tension. Even if the identity of the villain is pretty obvious early on, it’s still an enveloping process getting to that reveal. And, as for the break-in scene, it’s one of the best stretches of minutes of the ’90s regardless of genre.
Stream Mission: Impossible on Paramount+.
The Rock
Between 1996 and 1997, Nicolas Cage made exactly three movies, and all three have gone on to be deemed action classics. The first was Michael Bay’s The Rock, which was and remains the best movie he’s ever directed.
As the often lab-bound chemical weapons expert Stanley Goodspeed, Cage gets to bring his charm to the film without serving as a traditional action here. The real action hero is Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason, a wrongfully imprisoned former Captain in the SAS/MI6 who can work his way through the titular location with his eyes closed. Capping off the trifecta of perfect casting is Ed Harris as Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, whose motive and ultimate character arc is one of the film’s more compelling elements.
Stream The Rock on Hulu.
Con Air
Of the three Nicolas Cage action movies between 1997 and 1997, Con Air is the silliest by a mile. And, considering one of those movies involved him having his face swapped with John Travolta, that’s no small feat.
But silliness is exactly what helps make Con Air such a joy. Well, that, and Cage’s country fried performance as Cameron Poe and John Malkovich’s against-type work as Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom. Toss in a fun core plot about a bunch of criminals taking over a plane and Con Air is a hoot.
Stream Con Air on Hulu.
