Esquire Names 26 Best Action Movies of 2025: Explosive Picks
Esquire highlights 26 standout action films of 2025, ranging from high-speed chases and explosive stunts to tense espionage, spanning sequels, reboots, and bold new thrillers for action cinema fans.
Esquire has released a list of 26 standout action films for 2025, celebrating big-screen stunts, car chases, and intense battles. The picks appear in no particular order, inviting readers to choose their own top thrill ride of the year.
The lineup opens with Sinners, a film that blends horror atmosphere with high-energy action to set the tone for the slate. The Naked Gun reboot draws both laughs and debate, with some critics calling it the year's most playful comedy. One Battle After Another stands out as a strong Oscar contender thanks to its ambitious scale and gripping combat scenes.
Among European entries, Reflection in a Dead Diamond offers a spy thriller that feels both classic and surreal — a Bond-like adventure filtered through a vivid, blood-dark kaleidoscope. Other notable titles include the low-budget El Diablo about a former inmate who enters a dangerous path, the Thai thriller Ziam set during a zombie outbreak, and the Japanese drama Cloud about a con artist fleeing a crowd seeking retribution.
In addition to these, the list features a range of beloved franchises and bold new concepts — from revived killer sagas to science-fiction tales about clones and covert missions. Several smaller projects are highlighted for their inventive approaches to action and storytelling.
26 Best Action Movies of 2025 by Esquire
- Sinners (Sinners, 2025)
- The Naked Gun (The Naked Gun, 2025)
- One Battle After Another (One Battle After Another, 2025)
- Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Reflection in a Dead Diamond, 2025)
- Shinkansen Disaster (Shinkansen Daibakuha, 2025)
- El Diablo (Diablo, 2025)
- Predator: Badlands (Predator: Badlands, 2025)
- Ziam (Ziam, 2025)
- Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, 2025)
- Nobody 2 (Nobody 2, 2025)
- Superman (Superman, 2025)
- Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, 2025)
- Heads of State (Heads of State, 2025)
- Ballerina: From the World of John Wick (Ballerina: From the World of John Wick, 2025)
- Thunderbolts (Thunderbolts, 2025)
- Cloud (Cloud, 2025)
- Red Sonja (Red Sonja, 2025)
- A Working Man (A Working Man, 2025)
- Cleaner (Cleaner, 2025)
- Blue Fight (Blue Fight, 2025)
- Den of Thieves: Pantera (Den of Thieves: Pantera, 2025)
- Novocaine (Novocaine, 2025)
- Mickey 17 (Mickey 17, 2025)
- The Accountant 2 (The Accountant 2, 2025)
- Warfare (Warfare, 2025)
- Black Bag (Black Bag, 2025)
How many of these titles have you managed to watch so far this year?
Expert comment: Film critic Alex Rivera notes that 2025 blends blockbuster spectacle with sharper storytelling, delivering a diverse mix of styles. He adds the lineup balances beloved franchises with fresh, inventive voices for a wide audience.
Summary: The Esquire list captures a broad spectrum of action cinema, from gigantic epics to clever thrillers with twists. It shines a light on both established franchises and new creators, offering English learners a rich vocabulary for genre terms. For viewers, it serves as a practical guide to the year's must-watch films.
Key insight: In 2025, audiences seek spectacular scale paired with inventive storytelling, creating a vibrant and diverse action cinema landscape.