Top 10 Most Realistic Fight Scenes in Movies

“Haywire” (2011)

Years before becoming a controversial figure on social media, Gina Carano was an MMA star looking to transition into film. Her big break came in 2011 when she was offered the lead in director Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller “Haywire.” Unlike other contemporary films, “Haywire” eschewed over-the-top action for a more contained and realistic feel. The movie didn’t break any box office records, but it was a hit with critics. Carano’s MMA background is used to full effect as she goes on the warpath from the movie’s opening moment. She rips Channing Tatum like he was made out of cotton. Later, we get a flashback where she takes on Michael Fassbender in some grippingly authentic close-quarters moves.

“The Yards” (2000)

In the movies, fight scenes can seemingly last forever. In real life, fights really take it out of you. Director James Gray remembered that when choreographing the fistfight scene in his crime drama “The Yards.” A baby-faced Mark Wahlberg stars as a recent ex-con looking for some work. His best friend Willie, played by an equally young Joaquin Phoenix, helps him out. Corruption, crime, and murder set the two at odds, and they fight. True to life, the brawl is dirty, scrappy, and over in about a minute. Both men spend most of it on the ground grappling. By the time it’s done, both are completely winded. It’s not the prettiest fight ever committed to film, but it’s certainly one of the most convincing.

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)

“Saving Private Ryan” is considered to be one of the most accurate war films ever produced. At the time of its release, the VA had to add emergency staff to their phone counseling line. The opening scene had triggered flashbacks to Omaha Beach for dozens of vets. But Steven Spielberg’s eye for gritty realism didn’t end with the blockbuster sequences. Towards the film's conclusion, the American squad decides to defend the town of Ramelle from German attack. The fight becomes granular, street to street and building to building. One soldier, Stanley Mellish, engages in desperate hand to hand combat with a German while his friend watches, too terrified to move. It’s desperate and horrifying, as Mellish’s strength is slowly drained and he’s stabbed to death.

“The Revenant” (2015)

When it comes to Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio spent most of his career coming up short. Leo was nominated for best actor four times without a win. Finally, on his fifth try, Leo won for his role as Hugh Glass in “The Revenant.” After getting mauled by a bear and getting betrayed by a fellow fur trapper, Glass survives in order to seek revenge. Glass ultimately catches up with his quarry, Tom Hardy’s John Fitzgerald. He ambushes Fitzgerald and chases him down. The fight between the two trappers is brutal, as they hack away at each other with knives and a tomahawk. Fingers are lost and blood stains the snow. Glass finally gets his vengeance in a scene so swift and brutal it leaves you breathless.

“Atomic Blonde” (2017)

“Atomic Blonde” was Charlize Theron’s answer to “John Wick.” The Cold War action spy thriller features Theron as a triple agent in Berlin on the cusp of the fall of the Wall. International intrigue sees her battling Communist thugs all over Berlin. After years of starring in dramas and comedies, Theron shows off her combat prowess with one of the best fights ever recorded. For seven minutes, she wades through a coterie of cops to escape an apartment building. Her brutal and efficient blows take out one henchman after another. Still, unlike other movies in the “one man army” genre, the fight takes its toll on her. She escapes, but every hit shows in her exhaustion and the wounds on her body.

“They Live” (1988)

“They Live” is a 1988 sci-fi comedy action movie starring former WWE star Rowdy Roddy Piper. He plays Nada, a drifter who stumbles upon an alien conspiracy to conquer the world. He finds a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the aliens’ true faces. Meeting up with his coworker Frank, played by Keith David, he tries to convince him of the truth. Frank is only convinced that Nada is a nut. What ensues is one of the most beloved fight scenes ever shot. The two men pound on each other for over five minutes. Though they rehearsed the scene for three weeks, it feels off-the-cuff like an actual fight. Both men spend half the time wheezing in the gutter.

“A History of Violence” (2005)

David Cronenberg was once called “the most audacious and challenging narrative director in the English-speaking world.” His visual and narrative style, as well as his straightforward approach to violence, has long been the source of both admiration and controversy. His first two collaborations with Viggo Mortensen feature incredibly convincing fights. “Eastern Promises” is well-known for its infamous naked bathhouse brawl. But two years earlier Mortensen starred in “A History of Violence.” He plays an ex-mafioso living a quiet life in a small Indiana town. His past comes crashing back after he makes the national news by violently putting down a pair of robbers. Cronenberg doesn’t shy away from gore or brutality.

“Raging Bull” (1980)

Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” may be a boxing movie, but it’s more of a slow-burn drama than an action film. Jake LaMotta's story is a Greek tragedy; his temper made him a force in the ring, but it hurt him outside of it. Still, “Raging Bull” is the story of a boxer, and Scorsese handles the fight sequences with aplomb. LaMotta’s loss to Sugar Ray Robinson, in particular, stands out as one of the most famous scenes of all time. We go in and out of Jake’s perspective, stylized one moment and realistic the next. The combination gives the viewer an authentic feel of what it’s like to be Jake in that moment. His blood flies into the stands as he takes a career-ending defeat.

“John Wick” (2014)

The “John Wick'' franchise taught the world to never mess with Keanu Reeves' dog. With each sequel upping the action-packed stakes, the original feels a bit more grounded in reality. Wick’s second big fight at the Red Circle let the whole world know exactly who John Wick is. Thanks to Reeves’ intensive combat and martial arts training, every punch and gunshot feels like it could be from a documentary. His combat reflexes, his ammo awareness, and his conservation of movement are conducted with military precision. While he may be a one-man army, Wick isn’t invincible. He takes real damage and it’s reflected by the way he moves over the course of the fight.

“Oldboy” (2003)

Revenge movies are a staple of modern cinema, and nobody does revenge like South Korea. The 2003 masterpiece “Oldboy” is the second installment in Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy. It stars Choi Min-sik as boorish businessman Oh Dae-su. He is kidnapped and locked up in an apartment for fifteen years with no explanation. Dae-su spends his time dreaming of revenge, training his body to both endure and inflict pain. After effecting an escape, Dae-su hunts for his tormentor. His quest ultimately leads to the film's famous hallway fight. Dae-su takes on a whole gang of men, brutalizing them while taking a huge beating himself. The long take meant that Choi himself was exhausted by the end of the scene, lending the fight a genuine authenticity.

Ready to throw down for your favorite realistic fight scenes? Let us know if there are any other knock-out contenders we should add to our list. Join the brawl in the comments below.