Top 10 Brutal Over the Top Fight Scenes In Movies
#10: Forest Battle
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“RRR” (2022) Every fight scene in “RRR” goes to 11 and beyond! The epic tale of a fictional bromance between two Indian revolutionaries reaches its climax as Komaram Bheem breaks A. Rama “Ram” Raju out of jail. While their fight during the escape is also wonderfully ridiculous, their fight in the nearby forest is arguably more brutal. Armed with a spear and a bow, Ram and Bheem take on a host of British soldiers. Some of Ram’s kills with an arrow are downright nasty! Through the tree! Plus, the whole battle has a larger-than-life quality, thanks to the chanting soundtrack, epic slow-mo, and borderline superheroic feats the protagonists perform. Like the rest of the film though, it’s an absolute blast!
#9: Ash vs. His Hand
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“Evil Dead II” (1987) Ash Williams’ battles against the evil dead are numerous and frequently bloody. But perhaps the most memorable is the most personal one of all. After Ash’s hand gets infected, the appendage turns against him. Not many people can pull off beating themselves up, but actor Bruce Campbell does a phenomenal job! His hand repeatedly breaks plates against his head and even throws him in a flip. Just when it seems like the hand has won and it begins pulling itself to a nearby cleaver, Ash pins it to the floor with a knife. He then hacks it off with a chainsaw! We’re not laughing, but we are entertained by this violent spectacle!
#8: Bathhouse Fight
“Eastern Promises” (2007) “Eastern Promises” is a gangster film full of twists and turns. Nikolai Luzhin is a cleaner and bodyguard for the Russian mob in London. To fool some angry Chechens, Nikolai’s bosses have him go to a bathhouse, where he’s set upon by two assassins who believe he’s someone else. Nikolai manages to fight off both attackers, stabbing one with the other’s knife and eventually overcoming the other. But just when it seems like the fight is done, the first assassin is revealed to still be alive, and Nikolai must brutally put him down as well! Nikolai being nude the entire fight lends a sense of visceral vulnerability to the whole scene. The blood and broken bones certainly aid in that impression too!
#7: Marv vs. Crooked Cops
“Sin City” (2005) This comic book movie is rife with stylized violence. But one of its bloodiest scenes naturally involves the hulking Marv. After rescuing his parole officer Lucille from the dungeon of a deranged killer, Marv spots some inbound crooked cops. While Lucille tries to knock Marv out and surrender, the cops gun her down. Defaulting to his usual mood, fury, Marv grabs a nearby ax and gets to work cutting down the corrupt police. Some of the strikes are gruesomely absurd, as Marv hits below the belt and in one guy’s dome. Marv loves a damn fine coat, and we love this “damn fine” scene.
#6: Weapons Shop Fight
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“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” (2019) As one of the most feared killers in the world, fictional or otherwise, John Wick’s fights are always incredible and incredibly brutal. Pursued by fellow assassins into a weapons shop, John uses the killing implements around him, along with his incredible skills to deprive every last one of life. There’s a darkly comic edge throughout the fight, from John assembling a custom gun to fire one bullet, to the group essentially having a snowball fight with knives! It’s as outlandish as it is bloody, with the two final takedowns being particularly grisly. We can’t watch without wincing, but we still can’t look away!
#5: Leonidas vs. Persians
“300” (2006) “300” is chock full of over-the-top violence. The story of 300 Spartans holding out against the Persian hordes may be true, but this film certainly embellishes the details. During the first encounter, the Spartans initially use the pass at Thermopylae to their advantage as a choke point. However, that soon goes out the window as they charge their attackers in slow motion. King Leonidas leads the charge. In a long shot edited to appear continuous, Leonidas slices through soldiers with his spear, sword, and shield, with all of it appearing effortless and just ridiculously cool.
#4: Machete Hallway Fight
“The Raid: Redemption” (2011) “The Raid” movies have some of the most brilliantly creative and vicious fight scenes in recent memory. While the final fight with Mad Dog was tempting, our pick goes to the fight in the hallway. Protagonist Rama is caught alone after his SWAT team’s infiltration of a criminal-controlled apartment complex goes wrong. While he initially tries to run away from the machete-wielding gang that attacks him, eventually he has no choice but to fight - and fight he does! Rama breaks backs, uses their machetes against them, and makes deadly use of a broken door! He may take his share of hits, but it’s still a phenomenal and intense fight that only ends when Rama and his last opponent go out a window together!
#3: Church Battle
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) The “Kingsman” films always go all out with their fight scenes, but the church fight is in a league of its own! Agent Harry Hart, a.k.a. Galahad is in a religious hate group’s church when villain Richmond Valentine triggers a signal that turns everyone in the building murderously violent, Harry included. The kills are as quick and frequent as they are ruthless, as Harry methodically makes his way through the various savage churchgoers by using guns, gadgets, and whatever comes to hand. The action is stitched together like several seamless one-takes, with creative camera work and all underscored by the wailing guitar of “Free Bird.” The sequence leaves us breathless, but we’d still love an encore!
#2: Hallway Fight
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“Oldboy” (2003) After Oh Dae-Su escapes the private prison he’s been trapped in for years, he goes after the warden to find out why. He’s eventually confronted by a dozen of the warden’s guards in a corridor. Armed with nothing but a hammer, Dae-su battles all the guards. While not flashy, this fight is all the more brutal because of how realistic it feels, with hammer strikes and body blows hitting hard. By the end of it, Dae-su and his foes are all winded. Plus, it’s all shot in one continuous take. This hallway fight is an utterly gripping battle that never loses its luster. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Bus Fight, “Nobody” (2021)
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Alley Fight, “They Live” (1988)
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Hit-Girl Kills Mafia Goons, “Kick-Ass” (2010)
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#1: The Bride vs. the Crazy 88
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“Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003) Quentin Tarantino is famous for extravagant violence in his films. And while the absurd punchline that is “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”’s finale was on our shortlist, “Kill Bill” just went bigger. Beatrix Kiddo, better known as the Bride, confronts one of her betrayers, O-Ren Ishii. But O-Ren has back-up - a private army of yakuza known as the Crazy 88. The Bride takes her Hanzo sword to town in this fight, slicing limbs off with abandon and turning the restaurant’s water features red. Chock full of absurd blood spurts, pop music, slow-mo, and a detour into black and white, this fight is a Tarantino fever dream that’s so gory and over the top, that it needed to top our list.
