(Photo by Netflix/courtesy Everett Collection.)

The Best Action Movies of 2020, Ranked by Tomatometer

We’re putting the team together: Every Fresh and Certified Fresh action movie from the year with at least 20 reviews. From hard-hitters (Extraction) to superheroes (Birds of Prey) to sci-fi (Tenet), these are the best action movies of 2020, ranked by Tomatometer. —Alex Vo

#14

Project Power (2020)
61%

#14

Adjusted Score: 71333%

Critics Consensus: Although it wastes some of the potential of its premise, Project Power is a slick, fun action thriller - and features a star-making turn from Dominique Fishback.

Synopsis: A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers.... [More]

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Rodrigo Santoro

Directed By: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

#13

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
58%

#13

Adjusted Score: 85178%

Critics Consensus: Wonder Woman 1984 struggles with sequel overload, but still offers enough vibrant escapism to satisfy fans of the franchise and its classic central character.

Synopsis: Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s -- an era of excess driven by the pursuit... [More]

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal

Directed By: Patty Jenkins

#12

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
64%

#12

Adjusted Score: 78606%

Critics Consensus: Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game-inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy -- and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career.

Synopsis: The world needed a hero -- it got a hedgehog. Powered with incredible speed, Sonic embraces his new home on... [More]

Starring: James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter

Directed By: Jeff Fowler

#11

Extraction (2020)
67%

#11

Adjusted Score: 79748%

Critics Consensus: Spectacular stunt work and an electric performance from Chris Hemsworth can't save Extraction from being dragged down by its aimless violence.

Synopsis: A black-market mercenary who has nothing to lose is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime... [More]

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Golshifteh Farahani

Directed By: Sam Hargrave

#10

Archenemy (2020)
76%

#10

Adjusted Score: 78344%

Critics Consensus: Archenemy fails to follow through on some of its more interesting ideas, but Joe Manganiello's lead performance and the picture's infectious raw energy make for a fun action-adventure.

Synopsis: Max Fist (Joe Manganiello) is a local drunk who claims to be a superhero from the planet Chromium. He tells... [More]

Starring: Joe Manganiello, Skylan Brooks, Zolee Griggs, Paul Scheer

Directed By: Adam Egypt Mortimer

Tenet (2020)
70%

Adjusted Score: 92471%

Critics Consensus: A visually dazzling puzzle for film lovers to unlock, Tenet serves up all the cerebral spectacle audiences expect from a Christopher Nolan production.

Synopsis: A secret agent embarks on a dangerous, time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III.... [More]

Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Cut Throat City (2020)
72%

Adjusted Score: 73663%

Critics Consensus: An evolution for director RZA, Cut Throat City overcomes occasionally muddled storytelling on the strength of its raw, infectious energy.

Synopsis: When Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, four desperate friends band together to pull off a daring heist in the heart... [More]

Starring: Shameik Moore, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson

Directed By: RZA

Mulan (2020)
72%

Adjusted Score: 91251%

Critics Consensus: It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual marvel that serves as a stirring update to its animated predecessor.

Synopsis: To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial Army, a fearless young woman disguises herself as a man... [More]

Starring: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An

Directed By: Niki Caro

Greenland (2020)
77%

Adjusted Score: 85847%

Critics Consensus: Beware, comets of Greenland: Gerard Butler is here to protect Earth -- and show audiences an improbably entertaining time.

Synopsis: John Garrity, his estranged wife and their young son embark on a perilous journey to find sanctuary as a planet-killing... [More]

Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn

Directed By: Ric Roman Waugh

The Gentlemen (2019)
75%

Adjusted Score: 89567%

Critics Consensus: It may not win writer-director Guy Ritchie many new converts, but for those already attuned to the filmmaker's brash wavelength, The Gentlemen stands tall.

Synopsis: Mickey Pearson is an American expatriate who became rich by building a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word... [More]

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Bad Boys for Life (2020)
76%

Adjusted Score: 91659%

Critics Consensus: Loaded up with action and a double helping of leading-man charisma, Bad Boys for Life reinvigorates this long-dormant franchise by playing squarely to its strengths.

Synopsis: The wife and son of a Mexican drug lord embark on a vengeful quest to kill all those involved in... [More]

Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Jacob Scipio

Directed By: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
79%

Adjusted Score: 105745%

Critics Consensus: With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.

Synopsis: It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her... [More]

Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett

Directed By: Cathy Yan

The Old Guard (2020)
80%

Adjusted Score: 96712%

Critics Consensus: The Old Guard is occasionally restricted by genre conventions, but director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings a sophisticated vision to the superhero genre - and some knockout action sequences led by Charlize Theron.

Synopsis: A group of mercenaries, all centuries-old immortals with the ablity to heal themselves, discover someone is onto their secret, and... [More]

Starring: Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts

Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood