15 Best Action Movies Of The Last 10 Years

15. Atomic Blonde

The dying days of the Cold War are given a thoroughly modern action makeover in this Charlize Theron-led espionage drama. Combining the kinetic brutality of the Bourne franchise with the double dealing and double crossing of Bond and with a far more charismatic star in the lead role, this underrated movie could be the start of a great franchise.

Theron plays a typically maverick MI6 asset tasked with recovering valuable intel and reckoning with a possible rogue agent. The film eats up spy movie clichés but it does so knowingly, throwing itself ever further into a winding plot in which no one can be trusted, allegiances and motivations murkier than the river Spree.

Best of all are the fight scenes. Cinematic scraps haven’t come this convincing in many a year. This is primarily down to the stellar work of Theron, who performed a large majority of the stunt work herself. The dedication is obvious: she’s a chameleonic actor, but has never before seemed so capable of absolutely kicking someone’s head in, or graphically using her own high heeled shoe to gain the upper hand in a vicious set-to.