Best Action & Adventure Movies 2023

It didn’t quite reach the heights of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, but Dead Reckoning, Part One still offered plenty of intrigue, high-octane action, a few unexpected twists, and — of course — Tom Cruise performing a ridiculous, death-defying stunt, all of which led to an equally impressive reception from the critics and a win for Best Action & Adventure Movie of 2023.

#1

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
96%

#1

Adjusted Score: 121006%

Critics Consensus: With world-threatening stakes and epic set pieces to match that massive title, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One proves this is still a franchise you should choose to accept.

Synopsis: In Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most... [More]

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg

Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie

#2

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
94%

#2

Adjusted Score: 116003%

Critics Consensus: John Wick: Chapter 4 piles on more of everything -- and suggests that when it comes to a well-dressed Keanu Reeves dispatching his enemies in lethally balletic style, there can never be too much.

Synopsis: John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick... [More]

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne

Directed By: Chad Stahelski

#3

Godzilla Minus One (2023)
99%

#3

Adjusted Score: 110373%

Critics Consensus: With engaging human stories anchoring the action, Godzilla Minus One is one kaiju movie that remains truly compelling between the scenes of mass destruction.

Synopsis: Japan is already devastated by the war when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster.... [More]

Starring: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka

Directed By: Takashi Yamazaki

#4

Sisu (2022)
94%

#4

Adjusted Score: 103703%

Critics Consensus: Narratively lean as it is deliriously gory, Sisu is an inspired pastiche that gives bloody satisfaction to action aficionados.

Synopsis: During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat... [More]

Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo

Directed By: Jalmari Helander

#5

Polite Society (2023)
91%

#5

Adjusted Score: 100451%

Critics Consensus: Polite Society throws, kicks, and punches the genre etiquette book out the window to deliver a fun film that blends Bollywood splendor and British wryness.

Synopsis: A merry mash-up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, POLITE SOCIETY follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes... [More]

Starring: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Shobu Kapoor, Ella Bruccoleri

Directed By: Nida Manzoor

#6

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023)
83%

#6

Adjusted Score: 89087%

Critics Consensus: A satisfying, well-acted war thriller with surprising dramatic depths, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant tells a solid story with impressive restraint.

Synopsis: Guy Ritchie's The Covenant follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After an... [More]

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim, Antony Starr, Alexander Ludwig

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

#7

The Wrath of Becky (2023)
89%

#7

Adjusted Score: 91363%

Critics Consensus: Bringing Lulu Wilson back for another round of whooping on bad guys, this Wrath is one Becky with the good sequel.

Synopsis: Two years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care... [More]

Starring: Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, Denise Burse, Jill Larson

Directed By: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote

#8

Plane (2023)
79%

#8

Adjusted Score: 88391%

Critics Consensus: Plane charts a standard action-adventure course with its cruising altitude just a few miles above Direct-to-Video -- but with Gerard Butler in the cockpit, thriller enthusiasts will still find this a fun flight.

Synopsis: In the white-knuckle action movie PLANE, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making... [More]

Starring: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda

Directed By: Jean-François Richet

#9

Extraction 2 (2023)
80%

#9

Adjusted Score: 87228%

Critics Consensus: Bigger, bolder, and in some respects even better than its predecessor, Extraction 2 is an over-the-top action thriller done right.

Synopsis: Chris Hemsworth returns as Tyler Rake in EXTRACTION 2, the sequel to Netflix's blockbuster action film EXTRACTION. After barely surviving... [More]

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Tornike Gogrichiani, Adam Bessa

Directed By: Sam Hargrave

#10

The Equalizer 3 (2023)
76%

#10

Adjusted Score: 84970%

Critics Consensus: Another entertaining outing from Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington, The Equalizer 3 mostly makes up for its formulaic story with generous helpings of cathartic action.

Synopsis: Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things... [More]

Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Eugenio Mastrandrea

Directed By: Antoine Fuqua