Best Action Movies of the 1970s

1. 1
   Star Wars 1977

   Directed by George Lucas · Streaming on Disney Plus
   8.2

   8.2 · 23K votes
2. 2
   The Warriors 1979

   Directed by Walter Hill · Streaming on Netflix, Tubi TV
   7.6

   7.7 · 2.5K votes
3. 3
   The French Connection 1971

   Directed by William Friedkin · Streaming on YouTube TV
   7.4

   7.5 · 2.2K votes
4. 4
   They Call Me Trinity 1970

   Directed by Enzo Barboni · Streaming on Hoopla, Fawesome, Tubi TV
   7.4

   7.5 · 1.5K votes
5. 5
   Dirty Harry 1971

   Directed by Don Siegel
   7.4

   7.5 · 2.9K votes
6. 6
   Watch Out, We're Mad 1974

   Directed by Marcello Fondato · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, Darkroom
   7.4

   7.5 · 908 votes
7. 7
   The Day of the Jackal 1973

   Directed by Fred Zinnemann
   7.4

   7.5 · 722 votes
8. 8
   Duel 1971

   Directed by Steven Spielberg
   7.4

   7.4 · 2.2K votes
9. 9
   Enter the Dragon 1973

   Directed by Robert Clouse
   7.4

   7.4 · 2.2K votes
10. 10
    Sorcerer 1977

    Directed by William Friedkin
    7.3

    7.5 · 715 votes
11. 11
    The Way of the Dragon 1972

    Directed by Bruce Lee · Streaming on Kanopy, YouTube Free, WeTV
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.4K votes
12. 12
    Drunken Master 1978

    Directed by Yuen Woo-ping · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Sony Pictures Core
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.2K votes
13. 13
    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1974

    Directed by Joseph Sargent · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home Free, YouTube Free
    7.3

    7.5 · 671 votes
14. 14
    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin 1978

    Directed by Lau Kar-leung · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Eternal Family
    7.3

    7.5 · 529 votes
15. 15
    Rocky II 1979

    Directed by Sylvester Stallone · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.3

    7.3 · 5K votes
16. 16
    Lady Snowblood 1973

    Directed by Toshiya Fujita · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, YouTube Free
    7.3

    7.5 · 445 votes
17. 17
    A Touch of Zen 1970

    Directed by King Hu · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.2

    7.6 · 239 votes
18. 18
    Superman 1978

    Directed by Richard Donner · Streaming on HBO Max, YouTube TV
    7.2

    7.2 · 4.5K votes
19. 19
    Assault on Precinct 13 1976

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.3K votes
20. 20
    Fist of Fury 1972

    Directed by Lo Wei · Streaming on Philo, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.1K votes
21. 21
    The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed 1979

    Directed by Stanislav Govorukhin
    7.1

    8.1 · 90 votes
22. 22
    The Getaway 1972

    Directed by Sam Peckinpah · Streaming on Kanopy, YouTube TV, YouTube Free
    7.1

    7.2 · 703 votes
23. 23
    Snake in the Eagle's Shadow 1978

    Directed by Yuen Woo-ping · Streaming on YouTube Free, ARROW
    7.1

    7.3 · 379 votes
24. 24
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance 1972

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.4 · 257 votes
25. 25
    Magnum Force 1973

    Directed by Ted Post
    7.1

    7.1 · 1.3K votes
26. 26
    The Driver 1978

    Directed by Walter Hill
    7.0

    7.2 · 547 votes
27. 27
    The Big Boss 1971

    Directed by Lo Wei · Streaming on Philo, Kanopy, Fandango at Home Free
    7.0

    7.1 · 878 votes
28. 28
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx 1972

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    7.0

    7.4 · 201 votes
29. 29
    Vanishing Point 1971

    Directed by Richard C. Sarafian
    7.0

    7.1 · 552 votes
30. 30
    Cross of Iron 1977

    Directed by Sam Peckinpah · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Cultpix
    7.0

    7.1 · 511 votes
31. 31
    The Message 1976

    Directed by Moustapha Akkad
    6.9

    7.1 · 424 votes
32. 32
    The Night Caller 1975

    Directed by Henri Verneuil
    6.9

    7.2 · 290 votes
33. 33
    The Towering Inferno 1974

    Directed by John Guillermin · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.9

    7.0 · 1.1K votes
34. 34
    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 1974

    Directed by Sam Peckinpah
    6.9

    7.1 · 446 votes
35. 35
    Smokey and the Bandit 1977

    Directed by Hal Needham · Streaming on YouTube TV, YouTube Free
    6.9

    7.0 · 844 votes
36. 36
    Crime Busters 1977

    Directed by Enzo Barboni
    6.9

    7.0 · 740 votes
37. 37
    Sholay 1975

    Directed by Ramesh Sippy · Streaming on Tubi TV
    6.9

    7.1 · 338 votes
38. 38
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril 1972

    Directed by Buichi Saitō · Streaming on Criterion Channel, HBO Max
    6.9

    7.3 · 160 votes
39. 39
    El Arracadas 1978

    Directed by Alberto Mariscal · Streaming on NBC
    6.9

    7.9 · 65 votes
40. 40
    The Cowboys 1972

    Directed by Mark Rydell · Streaming on MGM Plus, YouTube Free, Fawesome
    6.9

    7.1 · 278 votes
41. 41
    Death Wish 1974

    Directed by Michael Winner · Streaming on Kanopy, YouTube Free
    6.9

    6.9 · 998 votes
42. 42
    Odds and Evens 1978

    Directed by Sergio Corbucci
    6.9

    7.0 · 455 votes
43. 43
    The Magnificent One 1973

    Directed by Philippe de Broca · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy, France Channel
    6.8

    7.0 · 399 votes
44. 44
    Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1973

    Directed by Kinji Fukasaku · Streaming on Philo, ARROW
    6.8

    7.3 · 128 votes
45. 45
    The Spy Who Loved Me 1977

    Directed by Lewis Gilbert · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.8

    6.8 · 2.3K votes
46. 46
    Nezha Conquers the Dragon King 1979

    Directed by Wang Shuchen
    6.8

    7.7 · 65 votes
47. 47
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons 1973

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    6.8

    7.2 · 141 votes
48. 48
    Mazinger Z vs The Great Dark General 1974

    Directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa
    6.8

    8.2 · 42 votes
49. 49
    C'était un rendezvous 1976

    Directed by Claude Lelouch
    6.8

    7.4 · 92 votes
50. 50
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades 1972

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Tubi TV
    6.7

    7.1 · 168 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Yaadon Ki Baaraat 1973

   Directed by Nasir Hussain
   6.5

   7.9 · 27 votes
2. 2
   Hassanpoulia: The Avengers of Cyprus 1975

   Directed by Kostas Dimitriou
   6.3

   8.6 · 10 votes
3. 3
   Revenge 1978

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   8.2 · 12 votes
4. 4
   The Last Bullet 1973

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.9 · 14 votes
5. 5
   The Last Samurai 1974

   Directed by Kenji Misumi
   6.3

   7.6 · 21 votes
6. 6
   Space Battleship Yamato 1977

   Directed by Toshio Masuda
   6.3

   7.8 · 14 votes
7. 7
   A Police Inspector Calls 1974

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.7 · 15 votes
8. 8
   Space Pirate Captain Harlock: Mystery Of The Arcadia 1978

   Directed by Rintaro
   6.3

   7.4 · 23 votes
9. 9
   With Clean Hands 1972

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.4 · 23 votes
10. 10
    New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 2: Head of the Boss 1975

    Directed by Kinji Fukasaku
    6.3

    7.4 · 20 votes