What were the best action movies of 2021? The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic era have left the release of many movies in a state of flux, with numerous films originally scheduled for 2020 either going to streaming platforms or jumping to safer waters in 2021. Action movies were no less affected, and the havoc the state of the world has wreaked on the release calendar continues to have lasting effects.

Despite this, 2021 still had plenty of great action movies for audiences to thrill to. Coming from all corners of the world, some leaned into comedy, while others were all about keeping viewers on edge. A few even brought some unique technical gimmicks to the game, along with a lot of exhilarating gunplay, chases, and martial arts fights.

With 2022 now here, audiences have a new slew of exciting action movies to look forward to, though sadly, the highly anticipated John Wick: Chapter 4 will have to wait until 2023. At the same time, the best of what 2021 had to offer is more than worthy of looking back over. Here are the best action movies of 2021.

The Paper Tigers


Bao Tran's crowdfunded indie kung-fu comedy The Paper Tigers captured the hearts of millions in 2021, and deservedly so. Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, and Mykel Shannon Jenkins play Danny, Hing, and Jim, a trio of former kung fu students now largely distant from their martial arts days. The Three Tigers, as they are known, find themselves forced to unite and get back in shape to avenge the murder of their Sifu Cheung (Roger Yuan). The Paper Tigers is as endearing as it is hilarious, deconstructing the age-old kung fu movie trope of the student avenging the teacher in a modern context with out-of-practice former warriors. Fans of the YouTube series Enter the Dojo will also revel in the appearance of Matt Page as the trio's kung fu rival Carter, who steals the show in the movie's best and funniest fight scene. The Paper Tigers is the best action and comedy combo of 2021, and a fun exercise in flipping a classic martial arts movie plot on its head.

Prisoners Of The Ghostland


If Prisoners of the Ghostland isn't everything great about Nicolas Cage going into overdrive distilled into one movie, nothing is. Cage plays the film's protagonist, known simply as "Hero," who is tasked with retrieving Bernice (Sofia Boutella), one of the "granddaughters" of Samurai Town's ruler Governor (Bill Moseley). To ensure his compliance, Cage's anti-heroic Hero is outfitted with a jacket covered in explosives and given three days to complete his mission. Prisoners of the Ghostland relishes in taking its Twilight Zone post-apocalyptic premise for everything its got, bringing viewers into a section of Japan that's half Samurai-era throwback and half Mad Max: Fury Road. Tak Sakaguchi also makes a (silent) Western debut as Governor's sword-wielding right-hand man Yasujiro, breaking out his skills in the slashfest movie's action scenes. Prisoners of the Ghostland is a descent into insanity in all the best ways, and with Nicolas Cage on board, there's no shortage of entertaining overacting.

No Time To Die


Daniel Craig's James Bond swan song finally arrived in October 2021, and despite numerous delays, No Time To Die was well worth the wait. Craig's Bond is now happily living in Italy with Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), until the sinister terrorist Safin (Rami Malek) forces him out of retirement. With his fellow MI6 agent Nomi (Lashana Lynch) now the new 007, Bond faces a daunting challenge in Safin's nanobot-based plot. Craig will go down in history as the most physical Bond actor by far and he closes out his 007 tenure with amazing action sequences. No Time To Die's opening car chase through the tight streets of Italy is already worthy of the Bond top ten list, while Craig's dry banter with Lynch gives his Bond finale a sprinkling of levity. The fact that No Time To Die goes where it does in its closing moments also ensures it'll be remembered as the most unforgettable finale any Bond actor has ever gotten. Daniel Craig had an amazing run as James Bond, and No Time To Die is as heartfelt and action-packed a farewell as anyone could've asked for.

Kate


The assassin action movie train keeps on trucking, and Netflix's Kate brought plenty of firepower and fisticuffs to the game. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays retirement-bound assassin Kate, who develops a crisis of conscience after having to kill a yakuza boss in the presence of his child. She soon finds herself protecting the child of her target, Ani (Miku Martineau) while afflicted with a slow-acting poison in her bloodstream. Winstead really shows her capability in leading an action movie in Kate, and the film puts its anti-heroine through the trenches with harsh, visceral martial arts fights and gun battles. Kate also brings some genuine pathos to the title character's story and her relationship with Ani as her last grasp for a life of normalcy she yearns for, but is too entrenched in the criminal underworld to achieve. On the basis of its ending, Kate is probably a one-and-done, but for 106 minutes of a war of assassins with one determined to get out to the other side, it delivers everything it promises.