Casey Chong presents ten brutal fight scenes…
The best action movies are the ones that keep you glued to your seat, even making you sit up straight to immerse yourself in the stunt work or choreography. This can be seen in everything, from car chases to shootouts, and of course, fight scenes. The latter is typically divided into a glossy, mainstream-friendly style and significantly violent and realistic moves. This article focuses on the latter, as we have compiled and handpicked our top ten brutal fight scenes that ever graced the screen…
The Trailer Park Fight Between The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo and Elle Driver in Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
Whereas Kill Bill Vol. 1 hits hard with its highly violent martial arts cinema, the second and final part is noticeably different in tone and style as Quentin Tarantino deliberately shifts his movie into the operatic slow-burn of a Spaghetti Western. But that doesn’t mean the action has been entirely compromised, as Kill Bill Vol. 2 showcases the Bride, a.k.a Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman), facing Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) in a sword battle.
In a cramped location within the trailer, that is. The extremely limited and narrow setting means their sword fight has to be improvised accordingly, even stripping away the gracefulness of how two samurai would encounter each other. In other words, the action here is rather claustrophobic and messy, to the point it ends with a shocking scene that’s impossible not to look away from.
The Church Massacre in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Manners may maketh man in Kingsman: The Secret Service, but when it comes to action, director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn goes straight for the jugular. This can be seen during the famous church fight, and what follows is that Harry Hart (Colin Firth) has no choice but to fight against the angry mob of a violent hate group, who gets brainwashed after Richmond (Samuel L. Jackson) uses a mind-control technique through the SIM card transmissions.
The signal happens to affect Harry, forcing him to resort to violence as well. The fight scene inside the church is kinetically shot to mirror Harry and everyone’s state of uncontrollable delirium, complete with the cinematic illusion of one-take camerawork that’s seamlessly stitched together. Vaughn doesn’t shy away from the brutality throughout the scene, and what’s remarkable is how he manages to subvert Firth’s typically charming on-screen persona seen in dramas and romantic comedies into an uncompromising savage killer.
The Hallway Hammer Fight in Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook’s second film of The Vengeance Trilogy is one of his best and most recognizable directorial efforts, showcasing the South Korean auteur’s prowess in combining brutal revenge thriller with psychological drama. One that doesn’t play safe, complete with a cruel twist revolving around the forbidden love between Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) and Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung). Oldboy is also known for its unsettling, matter-of-fact violence, notably the continuous three-minute sequence filmed in a single take, with Chan-wook’s camera navigating horizontally as Dae-su fights his way through a corridor filled with armed thugs using a claw hammer.
The fight is raw and unrelenting, even highlighting the sheer amount of pain and physical exhaustion that not only Oh Dae-su, but also the thugs have to go through with all the beatings and punishments. Shooting and choreographing the hallway hammer fight scene reportedly took 17 takes over the course of three days, but the result is worth the time and effort and has since become among the most talked-about scenes even today.
The Stairwell Fight in Atomic Blonde (2017)
David Leitch knows best when it comes to propulsive action set pieces, and this is where he delivers in Atomic Blonde. Based on Antony Johnston and Sam Hart’s 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City, the movie features Charlize Theron’s sexy yet physically demanding performance as the MI6 field agent Lorraine Broughton. Her best scene comes from the middle stretch – a seven-minute action sequence seemingly shot and edited in a long, unbroken take as we witness Lorraine take on the bad guys inside the stairwell of a building.
Leitch eschews the standard Hollywood polish of a spy thriller in favor of flawed, exhaustive fight scenes, showcasing that even a highly trained MI6 field agent like Lorraine is a human after all. She may have been skilled in weaponry and close combat, but she isn’t indestructible, resulting in an action that feels brutally real. The elaborate choreography relies on improvisations to highlight Lorraine’s desperate fight for survival and her physical sacrifice, from suffering a bruised face to broken bones. Theron, who is no stranger to action movies, proves to be a committed actor who reportedly performed around 98% of her own stunts.
The Naked Bathhouse Fight in Eastern Promises (2007)
David Cronenberg reunites with Viggo Mortensen after A History of Violence, shifting from the gritty action drama to an equally brutal gangster thriller in Eastern Promises. Mortensen, who plays the tattooed fixer Nikolai Luzhin working for the mob family, showcases one of the best performances yet of his career. But his acting isn’t the only thing worth praising here, as Cronenberg puts him through the wringer during an unforgettable fight against the knife-wielding assailants in a Russian bathhouse… stark naked from top to bottom.
This instantly adds a high-stakes danger and vulnerability since Nikolai is left completely exposed to stabs and slashes. The fight itself is choreographed with none of the flashy style, relying instead on pure, visceral realism, making it hard to watch as we see Nikolai fighting for his life throughout the scene. And, interestingly, Mortensen is even committed to performing his own stunts without a body double, even to have his fight scene crisply shot in a mix of medium and wide angles, minus the fancy camera or editing tricks.
Rama vs. The Assassin in the Kitchen in The Raid 2 (2014)
The stakes are higher in The Raid 2, and that’s what matters the most. Returning director Gareth Evans, whose impressive 2011 predecessor, ratchets up the brutal action-packed mayhem with three major set pieces, beginning with the down-and-dirty prison brawl and Rama’s (Iko Uwais) hallway fight against the Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle) and Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman).
But it was Rama’s encounter with The Assassin (Cecep Arif Rahman) that excels the most, showcasing both of their martial arts prowess in Pencak Silat. The Assassin even wields unique weapons – a pair of curved Karambit knives, to be exact – during a subsequent fight scene that escalates to another level. Setting the entire fight within the brightly lit interior of a sterile, white kitchen offers a sharp contrast between the background and the visceral thrills of Rama and The Assassin’s hand-to-hand combat. Every punch, kick, and stab is highlighted without making the fight scene look obviously staged, favoring genuine wide-shot realism over glossy, heavily edited rhythm.
The Final Five-Way Brawl in The Furious (2025)
First unveiled to overwhelmingly positive responses at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival before its subsequent theatrical rollout in June 2026, Kenji Tanigaki goes all out in his martial arts actioner, The Furious. The story is simple: the mute father Wang Wei (Xie Miao) joins forces with the journalist Navin (Joe Taslim) to find their respective missing daughter and wife, and face various bad guys along the way.
Action set pieces are what Tanigaki wants to highlight the most, and for that, he delivers them in spades. The fight scenes are some of the best ever seen in recent memory, and that includes the climactic third-act showdown between Wang and Navin against three main attackers (Yayan Ruhian, Joey Iwanaga, and Brian Le) in the police station. The fight is expertly choreographed in a clean and dynamic angle, allowing us to appreciate each of these fighters’ respective martial arts style and movement without relying heavily on all sorts of editing to stitch everything together.
The Factory Showdown Between Wong Fei-hung and John in Drunken Master II (1994)
Never mind the fact that Jackie Chan looks too old to play a young and rebellious Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II. And yet, it’s hard to deny the sheer youthful energy that he brings to his iconic role. In the climactic third act, which takes place in a steel factory, Wong single-handedly defeats the henchmen before facing John (Ken Lo), the main enforcer who is highly skilled in his fast kicks. What makes the final scene unforgettable is the visceral showcase between two fighters with contrasting martial arts skills, highlighting both Jackie’s complex drunken boxing and Ken’s rapid-fire precision of Taekwondo prowess.
The ensuing fight is uncompromisingly brutal, with Jackie himself reportedly directing the final action scene. Drunken Master II was a big hit at the time of its release, grossing a then-astounding HK$40.9 million in the Hong Kong box office. And it comes as no surprise that Lau Kar-Leung (who also served as the director of the sequel) and Jackie Chan Stunt Team won the much-deserved Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, beating stiff competitors like Fist of Legend and The Bodyguard from Beijing.
The Alleyway Fight Between Inspector Ma Kwun and Jack in SPL (2005)
Wilson Yip’s 1990s-set action thriller deftly combines character-driven drama (thanks to the stellar supporting cast of Simon Yam, Liu Kai-Chi and Danny Summer) with a gritty crime thriller and violent action-movie tropes. For the latter, this is where Donnie Yen shines the most, playing the straight-arrow cop Inspector Ma Kwun. SPL may not have been an action-packed thrill ride, but when it gets there, Donnie Yen’s award-winning choreography showcases some of the best brutal fights ever put in a Hong Kong film.
This is especially true during the climactic third act, notably Ma’s encounter with Wong Po’s (Sammo Hung) top enforcer and assassin, Jack (Wu Jing), in the alleyway. Armed with a collapsible police baton, Ma fights against the knife-wielding Jack. The choreography is a visceral close-combat mayhem that moves dynamically fast while still maintaining a crisp shooting style, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the scene. Given the two actors’ extensive martial arts backgrounds, it helps that their fights are as real as it gets, with none of the sped-up camerawork or editing typically seen in a Hong Kong action movie. Just plain, raw physical performances at their best.
The House of Blue Leaves Showdown in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The House of Blue Leaves, referring to the Tokyo restaurant-bar location, serves as the blood-soaked battleground for the Bride (Uma Thurman) in an iconic black-striped yellow jumpsuit that pays a direct homage to Bruce Lee’s Game of Death. Equipped with a custom-made katana, Quentin Tarantino’s ode to old-school martial arts films in his sprawling first chapter of the two-part Kill Bill saga showcases legendary Yuen Woo-Ping’s intricate choreography.
It’s a one-against-many, all masterfully yet brutally staged with an orgy of blood and violence as the Bride stabs and slashes her way against an army of masked samurai, a.k.a. The Crazy 88, led by Johnny Mo (Gordon Liu) along with the schoolgirl-wearing bodyguard Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) and the leader of the Yakuza, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu). The entire sequence, lasting around 10 minutes, is shot in a mix of vibrant color, silhouette, and even a stark black-and-white at one point, where the latter is a deliberate choice to avoid the NC-17 rating.
Fortunately, fans of the Kill Bill movies can experience the iconic action scene in its entirety, minus the color changes in Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which was released twenty-two years after its original theatrical release.
What are your favourite brutal most fight scenes? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
