Now it’s time to get our action yah-yahs out. 2018 is coming to a close so as is our usual wont to do, we’re running down many of the particulars of the year in cinema; Best Films, Posters, Trailers, Breakthrough Performances, and much more to come. Action is an art, but it’s not always artfully crafted, sometimes placing a premium on noise, loudness, chaos, and all the things Michael Bay values. But the best action sequences we always tend to love always put a focus on staging, crafty editing, tension, and orchestration. That said, there’s no one way to make a thrilling, unforgettable action sequence and this year’s list of the best action scenes and sequences of the year demonstrate how different filmmakers will employ all kind of tricks all kinds of techniques to dazzle, overwhelm and wow audiences—comedy, fear, anxiety, emotional resonance, dizzying camera illusions, visual grandeur, taut economy, the element of surprise, and much more.
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2019
Keeping audiences entertained, leaving them begging for more, and creating that social media water cooler talking point that audiences won’t stop discussing, action is an art, so let’s break out a well-chosen hammer, steal a helicopter, grab a stolen egg, some Pez and leap out of a plane with us to our death as we examine, pour over, scrutinize and celebrate the best action sequences of 2018.
Click here for our complete coverage of the best and worst of 2018.
20. “Aquaman” – The Trench
A last minute late addition to crash this list like an unwieldy tsunami, as my “Aquaman” review will soon detail, James Wan’s superhero movie is ridiculously over the top, goofy as hell and kind of an amazing feat all at the same time. Its VFX are confounding too; gaudily designed, eye-sore colors, cheaply detailed and yet framed within shots and sequences that are undeniably epic and visually impressive. Perhaps nowhere is this more prevailing than “The Trench” scene where a race of ravenous sea creature men (The Trench) attack Aquaman and Mera on a fishing boat (they never need a boat, but they take all kinds of ships, look this movie makes no sense). The creatures are sort of the prototypical face monster; all gnashing teeth, gaping month, and disfigured body, but it’s a thrilling sequence. While there’s no full visual context or reference below, when Aquaman and Mera dive into the water to escape and literally what seems like millions of Trench creatures come out of the deep blackness to pursue them it is not only nerve-wracking, but trust us when we saw it’s one of the most awe-inspiring things you’ll see on screen all year. – Rodrigo Perez
19. “Widows” – The Climactic Heist
Steve McQueen’s “Widows”—a movie about wives left to pick up the pieces of their lives after all their criminal husbands are killed and then finish a heist they planned—spends much of its run-time focusing on the eponymous central ensemble’s struggle to figure out what exactly they will eventually rob. McQueen and Gillian Flynn masterfully build the multiple narratives to all coalesce around this central moment. They manage to tie all of the threads, even those that seem most on the periphery, all back to this culmination. The reveal that the central widows will be robbing the safe in the politician Jack Mulligan’s (Colin Farrell) home massively pays off on the work that McQueen and Flynn ask the viewer to do in the first half of the movie. More than just laying out the geography of the home and sequence, McQueen and Flynn hinge the heist around the emotional core of the film. These women are not just taking their fates into their own hands; in finishing their husbands’ job, they reckon with their grief and reclaim the agency that has been stolen from them by the men who have wronged them. Filmed with McQueen’s signature visual panache and unflinching brutality, the climactic heist in “Widows” rewards the audience with palpable tension, visceral action, and a cathartic emotional release. – Ted Silva
18. “Incredibles 2” – The Early Team-Up/Citywide Destruction Scene
With 14 years of build-up between the cliffhanger at the end of Brad Bird’s animated 2004 masterpiece “The Incredibles” and the long-awaited sequel, there were major expectations when it came to the resolution of the deliciously-teased brawl between our titular superhero family and the Underminer. Among the sequel’s biggest question was, how exactly would the super Parr family take down the groundbreaking villain? Gorgeously animated with state-of-the-art CG animation, Brad Bird’s talent for kinetic-yet-fluid high-speed action is on full display. Each member of the Parr family showcased their wits, talents and, of course, connective superhero powers while working as a team. The scene is impeccably laid out and better shot and choreographed than your average superhero climax. Even when the action sequence descends into chaos, it’s to Bird’s credit that control and competency remain at the helm, resulting in a scene that’s smooth, controlled and even-handled even while destruction and disorder take over. Say what you will about “Incredibles 2” and it possibly not living up to the anticipation, but this opening is aces and totally worth the wait. – Will Ashton
17. “Free Solo” – The Final Ascent
If you suffer from even mild vertigo, casual fear of heights, panic attacks or heart conditions, the incredible, dizzying documentary “Free Solo” (which mind you had grossed an outstanding $10 million so far, a terrific amount for a doc) is not for you. From the team that brought you the nail-biting climbing doc “Meru” (E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin), “Free Solo” centers on the abnormal climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to climb the face of the world’s most famous rock surface, the 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park… without a rope. Beautifully edited (if we did a feature for this, “Free Solo” would absolutely be on it again), “Free Solo” is utterly anxiety-inducing. It’s last act, 30 minutes or so devoted to Honnold’s stressful, grueling, perfection-or-death climb up the rock may not be the most traditional action sequence—there’s obviously nothing fake about it and the stakes are as high as humanly possible, but this tense and nerve-racking extraordinary feat of athleticism and superhuman mental determination will leave you breathless and your heart leaping out of your chest. – RP
16. “Black Panther” – The Car Chase in South Korea
For all the bombastic moments in Marvel’s brilliant “Black Panther,” few were as triumphant as that shot of T’Challa, in the Black Panther suit, landing on a moving car and blasting a beam of kinetic energy to blow up said vehicle while Ludwig Göransson’s orchestral horn section blares in the background. Oh, and he lands back onto his car he’s perched on in perfect synchrony as soon as that’s over. The nearly-five minute chase through the streets of Busan features some of Ryan Coogler’s smoothest action sequencing in the film, backed in part by the booming rap track “Opps,” specifically made for the film. Yes, it is cool to have Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples blaring as cars race through tight alleys and bustling streets in fast-paced action scenes, but their slick tunes actually amplify both the tension and thrills. The levity between Shuri’s quips behind the scenes of the remote control car and the final shot of Okoye and Nakia’s vehicle (well, what’s left of it, anyway) show how effortlessly the film can blend in different tones into one fantastic sequence. Oh, and to bring it back to Okoye, Coogler makes sure to stress the female warriors in this movie are going to take no backseat to any man. – CW