After a long day of work, there’s few better feelings in the world than letting it all out through a no-holds-barred action movie. The vicarious satisfaction of cracking skulls and busting a bad guy’s knee-caps is almost therapeutic. If you’re in the same boat, check out these high rated action movies according to IMDB.

1. The Dark Knight – 9.0

The second installment in the Dark Knight trilogy is considered one of the best superhero action movies of all time, and for good reason. Obviously, it’s great because of Ledger’s Joker, but iconic fight scenes like the one in the garage just add to its significance. 

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 8.9

There’s no dearth of epic battles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and final film truly delivered. Everything from the fights with the Nazgul, to the battle of Rohan, to the ultimate showdown against Sauron’s orc army was magnificent to behold.

3. Inception – 8.8

Nolan’s films often have so much going on that you forget about the impeccably choreographed fight sequences they contain. The hallway fight for one, is legendary, with the dream construct constantly tilting and the centre of gravity switching – damn that was fun. 

4. The Mountain II – 8.8

This Turkish film is about a 4-soldier team fighting a terrorist ambush on the peaks of a mountain behind enemy lines. While it may not be as well known as the others on this list, the fight scenes are definitely top class.

Mubi

5. The Matrix – 8.7

Neo, Trinity, and the rest of their merry, leather coat-wearing clan kicking ass in slow motion will never go out of style. This movie is one of the action greats, and here’s a little reminder why. 

6. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back – 8.7

There are several genres that Star Wars falls into, and action is just one of them. But there’s no denying that lightsaber battles are as fun as they get. It’s like a sword fight, but with lasers!

7. Gladiator – 8.5

Russell Crowe screaming ‘Are you not entertained?’ after brutally taking down a bunch of other gladiators will forever go down as one of the most badass moments in movie history. So good.

8. Léon: The Professional – 8.5

This action-thriller featured Natalie Portman in her film debut, all the way back in 1994. It’s about a professional assassin who begrudgingly teaches Portman’s character about the hitman’s trade. This film is a cult classic.

9. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – 8.5

Arnold is arguably the greatest action star of all time, and this film really cemented his status as that. It was also strange because it was an example of the sequel being more successful than the original. 

10. Oldboy – 8.4

A list of action movie greats can’t be complete without this South Korean neo-noir bonanza. It’s a relentlessly violent sequence of events that isn’t for the faint of heart. 

11. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – 8.4

Watching Harrison Ford literally whip his way through swarms of Nazis before finally finding some kind of hidden treasure is always a good time. Campy action is just so damn ageless.

12. Die Hard – 8.2

Everything from Bruce Willis screaming ‘Yippie ki yay’ to Alan Rickman as a terrorist is iconic about this movie. It’s so famous, they still seem to be making sequels, but the original was just the best, both as an action movie, and as a Christmas film.

Damn, now I feel like playing Tekken.