15 Best 2000s Action Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 31, 2025

United States Action intense

The Bourne Identity brought a grittier, more grounded style of action that studios chased all decade, while Gladiator proved sword-and-sandal epics could still fill theatres. Spider-Man 2 and X2 raised the superhero bar, Training Day is a dirty-cop thriller built around a great villain performance, and Live Free or Die Hard has John McClane running through broken glass again. Man on Fire, Children of Men, V for Vendetta, Batman Begins, Casino Royale, The Matrix Reloaded and 300 round out the list.

Spider-Man 2 (2004) 01

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 93% Metacritic 83

Peter Parker's double life as Spider-Man collides with a new, tragic supervillain.

Directed by Sam Raimi · 2h 07m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 Oscar25 wins & 60 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
X2: X-Men United (2003) 02

X2: X-Men United (2003)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 85% Metacritic 68

A military strike on Xavier's school forces mutants and humans into an uneasy alliance.

Directed by Bryan Singer · 2h 13m · Rated PG-13

6 wins & 41 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Training Day (2001) 03

Training Day (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 74% Metacritic 71

A rookie cop's first day with a corrupt narcotics detective becomes a single, brutal test of loyalty.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar18 wins & 23 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, TNT · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) 04

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A veteran cop teams with a young hacker to stop a cyberterrorist attack threatening America's infrastructure.

Directed by Len Wiseman · 2h 08m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, YouTube TV · Rent: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Man on Fire (2004) 05

Man on Fire (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 39% Metacritic 47

A burned-out bodyguard's bond with the girl he's hired to protect turns into a brutal revenge mission.

Directed by Tony Scott · 2h 26m · Rated R

1 win & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Children of Men (2006) 06

Children of Men (2006)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 92% Metacritic 84

Humanity has been infertile for eighteen years, and one miracle pregnancy changes everything.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón · 1h 49m · Rated R

Nominated for 3 Oscars49 wins & 89 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
V for Vendetta (2005) 07

V for Vendetta (2005)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 73% Metacritic 62

A masked vigilante wages a one-man war against a totalitarian British government.

Directed by James McTeigue · 2h 12m · Rated R

7 wins & 29 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Batman Begins (2005) 08

Batman Begins (2005)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 85% Metacritic 70

Bruce Wayne trains abroad before returning to Gotham to begin his crusade against crime.

Directed by Christopher Nolan · 2h 20m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar15 wins & 79 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Casino Royale (2006) 09

Casino Royale (2006)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 94% Metacritic 80

A newly minted 007 takes on a financier of global terrorism in a high-stakes poker game.

Directed by Martin Campbell · 2h 24m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 BAFTA Award28 wins & 44 nominations total

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) 10

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Bigger, stranger, and still visually influential for a sequel.

Directed by Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski · 2h 18m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, VIX · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
300 (2007) 11

300 (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 61% Metacritic 52

Three hundred Spartans hold a mountain pass against an overwhelming Persian army.

Directed by Zack Snyder · 1h 57m · Rated R

19 wins & 57 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Dark Knight (2008) 12

The Dark Knight (2008)

IMDb ★ 9.1 RT 94% Metacritic 85

A district attorney and a vigilante are pushed past their limits by a criminal who wants neither money nor power.

Directed by Christopher Nolan · 2h 32m · Rated PG-13

Won 2 Oscars163 wins & 165 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 13

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 85% Metacritic 69

A betrayed assassin begins her methodical quest for revenge against the squad that left her for dead.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino · 1h 51m · Rated R

Nominated for 5 BAFTA Awards30 wins & 103 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Bourne Identity (2002) 14

The Bourne Identity (2002)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 84% Metacritic 68

An amnesiac trained killer tries to piece together who he used to work for.

Directed by Doug Liman · 1h 59m · Rated PG-13

3 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Gladiator (2000) 15

Gladiator (2000)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 80% Metacritic 67

A betrayed Roman general seeks vengeance on the corrupt emperor who murdered his family.

Directed by Ridley Scott · 2h 35m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars61 wins & 105 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Kanopy, YouTube TV · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.