The finest 2023 action films span the spectrum from superhero epics to underappreciated gems, and they collectively contribute to the year’s strong start in the box office. Action movies have thrived in 2023 and are among the best films the year has to offer, thanks to skyrocketing box office figures and a definite shift in the direction of the Hollywood blockbuster. Even while superhero films and their sequels still predominate the release schedule, a few original films have made it to the big screen to provide fresh looks into the direction action movies are headed in without being based on well-known intellectual rights.
Despite the fact that action movies are sometimes derided by critics and shunned by the movie elite, a number of 2023 releases have challenged the status quo and shown that the genre is a potential source for high-caliber cinema. Even if a ton of thrilling 2023 action films are still to come out, it will be challenging to beat many of the explosive releases that have already made the year a huge success for the film industry. Nearly every major action picture release has managed to surpass expectations, and smaller-budgeted efforts in the genre have started to show their dominance as well, even while some of the biggest 2023 films have flopped critically and commercially.
Creed III (2023)
Creed III, the ninth installment in the cherished Rocky trilogy, allowing the title character to finally emerge from the shadow of his illustrious boxing coach. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), a boxer, is in great shape when Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a character from his past, shows up to test him both physically and mentally. In the 2023 action blockbuster, Michael B. Jordan, who was directing for the first time, pulled off a fantastic double act. His take was more gritty than the ones in the previous two movies. Despite the relatively predictable plot, the emotional conflict outside of the squared circle has just as much energy as the brutal combat inside.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was a significant redo for the well-known role-playing franchise, and it served the inspiration for many of the biggest 2023 action films. The movie pays homage to the mythology of the video game series by focusing on charming rogue Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) organizing an adventure party of outcasts to retrieve a mystical relic. Without losing its sharp sense of humor, Honor Among Thieves contained plenty of fantasy hijinks and D&D Easter eggs. The movie avoided getting mired down in the intricacies and succeeded in making the information understandable to all viewers—even those who had never used a twenty-sided die before.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 harkened back to what first made the MCU a cherished franchise, despite the MCU’s recent production being notoriously erratic. The struggling Guardians of the Galaxy are forced to save the cosmos because they are unable to mourn the loss of a team member. Without sacrificing any of the cosmic action or the astute comedy that made the series popular, Vol. 3 added a heart-wrenching serving of dramatic tension. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 certainly left the characters on a high note, albeit it is uncertain if it will be the final installment.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (2023)
Guy Ritchie, the master of action movies, made a more subdued film debut in 2023, but The Covenant nevertheless met all the criteria for a great action war film. When Master Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) gets injured in action during the Afghan war, interpreter Ahmed Abdullah Yousfi (Dar Salim) must accompany him over miles of hostile terrain. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant chose for tense tension over extensive action sequences, and the suspenseful thrills are considerably more satisfying than any amount of bloody combat. Gyllenhaal gave a standout performance, and the movie was a subtler but no less potent war drama than many others in recent years.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
There are many similarities between John Wick: Chapter 4 and the popular action franchise, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) travels the world waging a never-ending war against the High Table, facing off against ever-more-deadly adversaries. The combat scenes in Chapter 4 were even more expertly planned, and the neon-lit surroundings made it one of the best action films of 2023. The fourth John Wick movie punched and kicked its way into the annals of action movie history by being itself on an even grander scale, proving that simplicity is best when it comes to heart-pounding intensity.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is arguably the largest of the 2023 action films, with a plot that is too expansive to include in a single movie. To prevent a lethal new weapon from getting into the hands of international adversaries, IMF spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) returns once more. Dead Reckoning Part One expanded the global adventure to a virtually extreme degree while employing as many real stunts as possible, similar to earlier films in the franchise. The fact that MI: Dead Reckoning Part One left several questions unsolved means that the upcoming eighth installment in the series will probably be equally popular.
Plane (2023)
Although the one-word title didn’t exactly exude confidence, the 2023 action film Plane managed to surpass its financial constraints. Pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) is forced to make an impromptu landing on a war-torn island nation after his passenger plane is struck by lightning. The independent action comedy placed a lot of faith in Butler’s star power to carry the picture, and together with the rest of the A-list talent in Plane, his sincere performance improved the script. Plane, which relied more on suspense and tension than on fast-paced action, was successful because it raised the stakes and gave each decision a serious impact on the course of the narrative.
Polite Society (2023)
While the majority of 2023 action films have focused on traditional action clichés, the British indie hit Polite Society was successful because of how much it changed the genre. Ritu Arya’s character, Lena, a martial artist in training, devises a bizarre and action-packed heist in an effort to thwart her sister’s imminent marriage. Bollywood verbosity was given a funny feminist message by director Nida Manzoor, whose vision served as a critique of the entire action genre. Even though Polite Society recycled a well-known plot device from Everything Everywhere All at Once, its humor and aesthetic more than made up for any plot holes.
Sisu (2023)
The Finnish movie Sisu raised the bar even higher, despite the over-the-top nature of revenge-based action movies like John Wick. Finn prospector Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is robbed by a bunch of Nazis who are fleeing in the closing stages of World War II, and he exacts deadly vengeance. Sisu is not based on an actual tale, but the hotter-than-hot WWII backdrop made for an intriguing addition to the revenge subgenre. Director Jalmari Helander chose to use a lot of blood and gore in the combat scenes, and the catharsis of the revenge was portrayed on an epic scale.
Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse finds a way to not only justify its existence but also blow many of the Wall-Crawler’s prior films out of the water, even as Spider-Man movies have become a plentiful commodity in Hollywood. In order to defend the precarious universe, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is propelled throughout the Spider-Verse and gets into a confrontation with other Spider-Mans. Across the Spider-Verse nevertheless took time to remind fans why they loved the character, despite its zany aesthetics and nonstop action. Despite numerous 2023 action films’ best efforts, Across the Spider-Verse may be the closest any movie has ever come to recreating the spirit of comic books.
