10 Best Action Movies Of 2021, According To Rotten Tomatoes

There is a perception that action movies do not get the same critical attention as other more “serious” genres. While that might be the case in some situations, 2021 proved there were a number of acclaimed action movies that seemed to please critics as much as they entertained audiences.

Looking at the best-reviewed action movies of the year on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clear the action genre has a lot to offer. From big superhero blockbusters to smaller gritty thrillers to movies that combine humor with adventure, these top-rated action movies from 2021 really stand out.

10 Free Guy (80%)

Video games often surpass movies in the terms of the kind of wild action they can feature. However, Free Guy embraces the endless possibilities of video game worlds with its story taking place inside one. Ryan Reynolds plays a mundane everyman who realizes he is a character in a game.

The movie has plenty of fun video game references to please fans while also taking advantage of its clever concept. The blend of outrageous action and crowd-pleasing humor helped to make Free Guy one of the year’s biggest surprises.

9 Copshop (82%)

There have been many great action movies that take place largely in a single location and Copshop is a worthy entry into that subgenre. Frank Grillo plays a con artist who attempts to hide from a relentless assassin by getting locked up in a police station. But when the assassin is locked up as well, a tense and deadly situation unfolds.

The movie’s simple premise allows it to focus on the small cast of fun characters and the claustrophobic tension of the setup. And even though the setting might be minimal, critics found that it delivers the old-school action thrills fans might be looking for.

8 Nobody (84%)

As enjoyable as it is the see typical action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone do their thing, it is always fun to see an unexpected actor step into the genre. Such is the case with Bob Odenkirk in Nobody as he plays a mild-mannered family man with a deadly past.

Critics acknowledged that the movie sticks to the genre expectations quite closely without offering much new material. But they also found that Odenkirk’s lead performance and the visceral violence make it one of the best original movies of the year.

7 No Time To Die (84%)

Daniel Craig gets the rare opportunity to bring closure in his final outing as James Bond. The latest adventure picks up with 007 living a quiet life away from the spy world only to be dragged back in by a new threat and some dark secrets being revealed.

No Time to Die is not the most daring Bond movie in the eyes of most critics, however, as a final chapter in Craig’s tenure in the iconic role, they largely felt it would satisfy the fans of the franchise.

6 Raging Fire (90%)

Donnie Yen is one of the best action stars working in the genre today so it is always exciting to see what new adventure he is involved in. Raging Fire has Yen playing a decorated police officer who is faced with his most challenging case when he goes up against a skilled gang of criminals led by his former protégé.

Critics pointed out that Raging Fire doesn’t have much originality in terms of its characters and story. However, Yen and director Benny Chan Chi-Sun deliver the action in a way that more than makes up for those shortcomings.

5 The Suicide Squad (90%)

After the disappointing first attempt to bring Task Force X to the big screen, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad embraces the violence and weirdness of the source material for this new take. It once again finds a group of oddball villains sent on a deadly mission where they must learn to work as a team.

It was Gunn’s wild and distinct style that turned the franchise around according to most critics. The result is a fast and hilarious action-comedy that has fun with its wildest ideas.

4 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (91%)

While beloved Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Black Widow got solo movies in 2021, it was a new MCU hero who surprised many with his debut. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as the titular hero who is forced to confront his past when his villainous father re-enters his life.

From the exciting martial arts action sequences to the fun humor, Shang-Chi is another crowd-pleaser from the MCU. Critics found that it falls into some of the trappings of the Marvel formula but still delivers a thrilling new origin story.

3 Spider-Man: No Way Home (94%)

Yet another MCU adventure ended up pleasing critics with Tom Holland’s third solo movie as Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker seeks out Doctor Strange’s help only for it to result in some dangerous unwelcome guests coming from the multiverse.

With plenty of crowd-pleasing surprises and an ambitious story, critics called Spider-Man: No Way Home a bolder Spider-Man story than what came before while also delivering the heart and humor that grounds the superhero adventure.

2 Riders Of Justice (96%)

Like Raging Fire, Riders of Justice is another international action story that stood out to critics in 2021. Mads Mikkelsen stars in the Danish action-comedy as a former soldier who goes on a dangerous mission after suspecting his wife’s death was not an accident.

Mikkelsen continues to impress critics with his versatility as his performance was highlighted by many of them. They also hailed the quirky revenge story for its dark sense of humor and considerable depth.

1 The Paper Tigers (98%)

Another action-comedy that fans might have missed but that impressed most critics is The Paper Tigers. The movie follows three former martial arts prodigies who now live mundane middle-aged lives. But when their former teacher is murdered, they must attempt to revisit their old skills and balance their regular lives as they embark on a revenge mission.

Critics found that the movie does a successful job at blending its action and comedic elements with a surprising amount of heart to make for a fun homage to martial arts movies of the past.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2027 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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