The 1990s contained some of the very best films the action and thriller genres had to offer, and even though the 1980s are often hailed as the peak of the action world for American cinema, its follow-up decade might genuinely contain even more all-time great entries.
Whether they’re cops-and-crooks dramas, sci-fi extravaganzas, or larger-than-life explosion-fests, the action thrillers of the 1990s were some of the most technically proficient, crowd-pleasing works the genre has ever seen, and the cinematic world might genuinely never reach that peak again. There are plenty of excellent action thrillers that have been released since the 1990s, but audiences haven’t gotten the kind of consistency of quality in the genre since its peak decade.
The Rock Is Michael Bay’s Best Work
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Michael Bay is one of the most controversial and debate-inducing directors in the entirety of the modern action movie landscape. His Transformers film series has been debated for years now, with some calling the films terrible, ugly bores, and others hailing them as misunderstood masterpieces of bad taste.
Regardless of thoughts on his other works, most viewers would have to agree that the director’s 1996 action thriller, The Rock, is his best work. Starring Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery as they take on a group of former soldiers who have taken hostages on Alcatraz Island, The Rock is an epic, explosive, and surprisingly emotional hit, and it utilizes all of Bay’s strengths while minimizing his weaknesses.
The Last Boy Scout Is A Buddy Cop Joint With A Mean Streak
Bruce Willis as Joe Hallenbeck and Damon Wayans as Jimmy Dix in The Last Boy Scout 1991
Image via Warner Bros.
Like Michael Bay, director Tony Scott has had his fair share of controversy and debate surrounding his action flicks. Though he’s responsible for the iconic Top Gun, Scott has also been at the helm of many films that received mixed reviews at the time of their release. His works with Denzel Washington, for example, were generally middlingly received, despite their actual quality.
Before he reinvigorated the action genre with films like Man on Fire and Deja Vü, Tony Scott teamed with writer Shane Black to bring audiences one of the funniest, most mean-spirited, and most action-packed buddy cop flicks of the decade in the form of 1991’s The Last Boy Scout. The film follows Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans as a cop and a football player, respectively, as they team up to uncover a mystery involving corrupt politicians, football teams, and enough epic action to cement the film as one of the decade’s very best.
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Keanu Reeves has remained one of the most well-known and most beloved figures in Hollywood since his earliest roles, and though he might now be more known for roles in films like the John Wick franchise and The Matrix, his 1991 outing as Agent Johnny Utah in director Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break is easily one of his finest roles.
The film follows Utah as he goes undercover to take down a dangerous group of thrill-seeking bank robbers led by Patrick Swayze’s charismatic Bodhi. The relationship and rivalry between Utah and Bodhi is one of the decade’s very best, and every action scene is utterly unbelievable. Point Break is non-stop action, and each set piece tops the last.
Mission: Impossible Kicked Off A Legendary Franchise
Ethan almost screws up the heist in Mission: Impossible.Â
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The Mission: Impossible franchise has spanned over two decades, and while this year’s Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning has seemingly wrapped up the series in epic fashion, it’s hard to argue that Brian De Palma’s 1996 classic isn’t the best entry in the franchise. Bringing Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt to the big screen for the first time, Mission: Impossible has some of the series very best action set pieces, and its character work is bar-none.
The Mission: Impossible series would go on to have more bombastic stunts, more complex plots, and more supporting characters, but the original film still holds up as one of the tightest, most tension-filled action films of its kind, and it has been wildly influential on the action genre as a whole. Brian De Palma is a legendary director, and he was able to bring charm and creativity to a film that would go on to become one of the most important franchises of all time.
True Lies Is An Over-The-Top Delight
Harry pilots a fighter jet in True Lies
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Though director James Cameron might certainly have had a few films in the 1990s that were better than 1994’s True Lies, there’s no denying that the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led action epic is one of the decade’s most bombastic and exciting entries. Co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis in one of her most charming and hilarious roles, True Lies is one of the biggest, most jaw-dropping action entries of its decade, and it still holds up today.
Following along with a secret agent and his unaware wife, True Lies is as funny as it is thrilling, and that’s not especially easy to pull off. Tongue-in-cheek while still being supremely engaging on a sincere level, True Lies is a masterpiece of action filmmaking, and it makes sense that it came from one of the genre’s absolute masters.
Face/Off Is John Woo’s American Opus
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta point guns at one another in Face/Off.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Nicolas Cage has starred in his fair share of incredible action movies — notably, the aforementioned The Rock, as well as the underrated Con Air, but none come close to his finest action work alongside legendary Hong Kong director John Woo — 1997’s Face/Off. The sci-fi action epic is one of the decade’s finest films, and it’s easily one of the best of Cage’s career.
Following Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as rival cops and criminals, Face/Off forces the two actors to portray versions of each other onscreen, and they do so to marvelous effect. Not only is the premise hilarious and exciting, but Face/Off’s action set pieces and choreography are utterly stunning. Woo might not have had as much success in America as he did in Hong Kong in the action genre, but Face/Off is proof that he’s still one of the most capable and exciting filmmakers in the genre’s history.
The Matrix Is An Undisputed Masterpiece
Trinity points a gun on a rooftop in The Matrix (1999)
Image via Warner Bros.
The action and science fiction genres would absolutely not be what they are today without the Wachowskis’ 1999 masterpiece, The Matrix. The film has influenced countless action and sci-fi flicks in the years since its release, and even its sequels, which were arguably unfairly maligned by critics and audiences, have gone on to showcase some of the finest craft the action genre has to offer.
Keanu Reeves once again showcases his action chops as Neo, the chosen one of The Matrix’s dystopian future world, and the entire supporting cast, including Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving, all shine in their roles. The Matrix changed everything for American action filmmaking, and it remains one of the ultimate examples of the genre’s possibilities on the big screen.
Hard Boiled Is A Game-Changing Work of Genius
Chow Yun-fat is sliding down stairs while firing guns in Hard Boiled.
Image via Golden Princess Film Production
Before he came to America and gave audiences films like Face/Off, John Woo wowed audiences with his Hong Kong action films — most notably, his 1992 classic, Hard Boiled. Featuring some of the absolute greatest movie shootouts of all time, Hard Boiled is the textbook example of what an action cop flick should be.
Following two Hong Kong cops as they each utilize their various skills and knowledge to take on a dangerous smuggling ring, Hard Boiled’s action sequences are utterly transcendental. If even one of the action set pieces was featured in another film, it’d be the highlight of its entire runtime, so the fact that Hard Boiled has so many is a testament to Woo’s abilities and a spectacular win for action fans.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day Is The Ultimate Sci-Fi Action Flick
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator firing a machine gun from Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Image via Orion Pictures
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While James Cameron’s original The Terminator is certainly one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of all time, its 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, ups the ante in almost every way. Utilizing groundbreaking special effects, spectacular action set pieces, and a genuine emotional edge, Judgement Day is the ultimate sci-fi action flick.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been better than in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Linda Hamilton’s portrayal of Sarah Conner is one of the most compelling and exciting female action heroes ever put to screen. Nothing compares to Judgement Day’s bombastic brand of sci-fi violence, and it remains nearly unbeatable within the sci-fi action genre.
Heat Is One Of The Finest Action Thrillers Ever Made
Lt. Vincent Hanna holds an automatic rifle in a shootout in Heat
Image via Warner Bros.
Director Michael Mann is arguably one of the single most important figures in the entire modern American cinematic landscape. Early masterpieces like Thief, Manhunter, and The Last of the Mohicans all cemented him as an excellent director, but 1995’s Heat pushed him towards the very top of the pack.
Starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as rival professionals — one a cop and one a robber, Heat is the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse. Not only is it a thrilling and engaging drama, but its action is some of the best ever captured on film. In fact, the bank heist that leads into the shootout on the streets of Los Angeles is easily one of the greatest action scenes ever conceived, and nearly every single action film made since Heat owes a debt of gratitude to Michael Mann’s masterpiece.