13 Great Action Movies That Will Scare the Sh** Out of You

Some horror movies feature helpless folks fleeing from mortal danger, and others are all about heroes confronting that danger head-on. We're celebrating the second here, as these 13 action flicks are designed to give you thrills and chills. 

'Aliens' (1986)

The original "Alien" was a very intimate, very claustrophobic scare-fest. The sequel shook up the formula by swapping out a crew of helpless space truckers for a squad of fully armed Colonial Marines. They had the firepower, but, unfortunately, their enemy had stabby mouth-tongues. What followed was an action-horror classic that set the standard for the genre.

'Predator' (1987)

It's not easy to make musclebound, gun-toting action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers seem like underdogs. But "Predator" pulled it off, pitting these elite soldiers against an invisible hunter from another world. 

'Army of Darkness' (1992)

The "Evil Dead" franchise made a hard right turn into bombastic action territory with this sequel, sending Ash Williams back in time to lead a medieval army against the Deadites. Somehow, it managed to be gory, funny, and scary all at once. Groovy. 

'From Dusk till Dawn' (1996)

You'd never know "From Dusk till Dawn" was an action-horror movie based on its first half. But the film makes an abrupt shift from witty crime drama to violent gore-fest, delivering a nonstop stream of that stylish violence director Robert Rodriguez does so well.

'Blade' (1998)

Before Spider-Man or Wolverine, Blade was there to show moviegoers that the Marvel Universe could come alive on the big screen. Wesley Snipes became a one-man vampire-slaying army as he sliced and diced his way through techno raves and slaughterhouses.

'The Mummy' (1999)

Still one of Universal's best attempts at rebooting their various monster franchises, "The Mummy" took a lot of what we loved about the 1932 original and added a liberal dose of Indiana Jones-worthy action and adventure. You can also stream "The Mummy Returns," which features more action from our favorite librarian, Rachel Weisz.

'Pitch Black' (2000)

Before he was the face of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, Vin Diesel starred in this clever sci-fi horror movie. He plays Riddick, a hardened felon who must use his night vision to protect a group of survivors from hungry aliens. Skip the two sequels and rewatch this gritty, low-budget original. 

'Blade II' (2002)

"Blade II" upped the ante by forcing the Daywalker to join forces with his enemy to confront a newer, meaner breed of vampire. It also brought director Guillermo del Toro into the fold, resulting in a very stylish and gory superhero movie.

'Dog Soldiers' (2002)

We like vampires and zombies as much as anyone, but sometimes we need a break. Luckily, "Dog Soldiers" proved that werewolves can be every bit as good fodder for survival horror movies as their undead colleagues.

'Underworld' (2003)

14 years before "Blood Wars," "Underworld" was simply the plucky action-horror movie that could. Between the stylish visuals and the surprisingly dense "vampires vs. werewolves" mythology, it's little wonder "Underworld" spawned such a massive franchise. 

'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

We don't know that the original "Dawn of the Dead" truly qualifies as an action-horror film, but the 2004 remake certainly does. Director Zack Snyder borrowed the fast-moving undead from "28 Days Later" to deliver one of the most violent and blood-soaked zombie movies ever filmed.

'Grindhouse' (2007)

Want the most action-horror movie bang for your buck? Watch "Grindhouse." This double feature pays homage to low-budget B-movies by providing two over-the-top horror flicks and a host of excellent faux-trailers (some of which wound up becoming actual movies themselves). Whether you crave the violent zombie carnage of "Planet Terror" or the suspenseful thrills of "Death Proof," there's something for all tastes here. 

'The Purge' (2013)

"The Purge" unfolds in a dystopian America where all crime is made legal for 12 hours each year. And people really get into the spirit of things. The result is scary good fun, although the premise seems a little less implausible with each passing day.