Top 10 Horror/Action Movies

Basically an action movie version of “The Three Little Pigs,” this film pits a group of British soldiers trapped in an isolated cottage against a pack of werewolves. After a training mission against an SAS unit in the Scottish highlands goes awry, the unprepared soldiers are taken in by a zoologist who offers them shelter from the ravenous beasts hunting them. The film then becomes a battle for survival as the soldiers defend the house from the werewolves’ siege. Packing plenty of bloodshed, terror and laugh-out-loud humor, “Dog Soldiers” is a stellar example of how horror and action can go hand in hand… or claw in claw.

On the run from both the FBI and the Texas Rangers, bank-robbing brothers Seth and Richie Gecko take a vacationing family of three hostage to aid in their escape across the Mexican border. Planning to meet a contact in a remote strip club, the Geckos and the captive Fuller family soon discover that the club’s employees are bloodthirsty vampires. Joining forces with biker Sex Machine and Vietnam War-veteran Frost, the unlikely heroes band together to survive the onslaught of the undead. An exhilarating collaboration between Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, “From Dusk till Dawn” is a wickedly fun love-letter to B-movie madness.

Although we also could have gone with the first “Blade,” we here at WatchMojo feel “Blade II” was the superior outing when it came to delivering both horror and action in equal amounts. Picking up where the first film left off, “Blade II” sees Wesley Snipes don the shades once more to team up with a squad of vampires called the Bloodpack to take on a new breed of mutant vampires called Reapers. Featuring plenty of more blood-soaked action, as well as introducing a terrifying new villain, “Blade II” arguably surpasses its predecessor, which is an impressive feat for a sequel.

Another explosive entry from the team of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, “Planet Terror” is one half of the pair’s “Grindhouse” double feature. When a chemical weapon is released into the air as a result of a military deal gone bad, the toxic gas transforms most of the inhabitants of a nearby town into murderous zombie-like creatures. The film then follows a small group of survivors as they attempt to fight their way to safety through the hordes of sickos and the corrupt soldiers who inadvertently unleashed them. Bolstering a star-studded cast, including Rose McGowan, Bruce Willis, and Josh Brolin, “Planet Terror” lives up to its grindhouse-style billing.

A bold leap forward in the zombie subgenre, this post-apocalyptic film from Danny Boyle added new dimensions to the formula laid out by the films of George Romero. After infected chimpanzees unleash a hyper-aggressive virus, most of the British population is rapidly transformed into savage flesh-eaters. The film follows a small group of survivors as they attempt to find refuge from the zombie epidemic. While help appears to arrive in the form of a battalion of soldiers, things quickly go from bad to worse when it becomes clear their intentions are not heroic. Fast-paced and with all the gruesome gore you’d expect from a zombie flick, “28 Days Later” is worth sinking your teeth into.

The third film in Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” series, “Army of Darkness” cranks up the crazy by having Ash Williams sent back in time to the Middle Ages to help fight a war against the demonic Deadites. Embracing the slapstick-violence of “Evil Dead 2” even further, this film sees Ash face off against an evil clone of himself as he searches for the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, his only hope for returning to his own time. Packing plenty of chainsaw and boom-stick action, “Army of Darkness” solidified Bruce Campbell’s status as a genre icon and helped pave the way for countless horror action films to come.

A thought-provoking indictment of corporate fascism, John Carpenter’s “They Live” stood in stark contrast to the conformist nature of Reaganomics and made an action icon out of wrestling legend Roddy Piper. “Hot Rod” plays John Nada, a construction worker who discovers a global conspiracy to brainwash humanity by wealthy elites who are actually monstrous aliens. In addition to having one of the all-time great movie fight scenes, “They Live” draws inspiration from the sci-fi and horror films of Carpenter’s childhood, which gives it a vintage drive-in feel. Make sure to keep a good supply of bubble gum handy.

In this loose remake of the classic “The Thing from Another World,” the team of director John Carpenter and special effects master Rob Bottin created a masterpiece of terror. Starring action icons Kurt Russell and Keith David, “The Thing” follows an Antarctic research team, which comes face to face with a shape-shifting monstrosity from outer space. Unfortunately for them, bullets, flamethrowers, and dynamite only slow down the malevolent creature that seeks to imitate them. Bolstered by an all-male ensemble cast, this film combines eerie paranoia, horrific visuals, and explosive action to create an instant classic in its own right.

Blending the slasher movie formula with the ultra-masculine action movies of the era, “Predator” took the best of both worlds and spawned a franchise. Arguably the horror genre’s answer to the testosterone-fuelled action flicks of the 80s, this film pits an elite team of mercenaries against an intergalactic big-game hunter looking for additions to his collection. With a cast of memorable characters who likely would be unstoppable heroes in any other film, “Predator” takes the squad of badasses led by Dutch Schaefer and reduces them to mere prey against their hideous, spine-collecting adversary. If only that chopper had gotten there sooner.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:

“The Guest” (2014)

“Tremors” (1990)

“I Am Legend” (2007)

While Ridley Scott’s “Alien” was a gothic horror film set in space, James Cameron’s sequel added a prominent action element and cemented Ellen Ripley’s status as a total badass. After spending nearly sixty years in suspended animation, Ripley awakens and leads a team of space marines to rescue the inhabitants of a Xenomorph-infested colony. Maintaining the same claustrophobic terror of the original while imbuing it with plenty of 80s action bombast, “Aliens” takes the foundation of its predecessor and builds on it to create a film, which satisfies both horror and action cravings simultaneously.