Many blockbusters are either entirely or partially action films, and numerous blockbusters are family-friendly (or at least teen-friendly), so these expensive films are profitable. Still, it’s not uncommon for more extreme films to be profitable even if the audience appeals to a smaller age group, and likewise, some action films cross boundaries in terms of content and end up being decidedly not suitable for all ages.

The following films demonstrate this very well. They deliver gripping action scenes with the aim of showing the brutality of violenceand it does it all in a way that either pushes the boundaries of an R rating, or sometimes even exceeds them. Those with sensitive skin may want to avoid the following action films, but for anyone looking for extreme examples of the genre, these films may be worth a look (best viewed on an empty stomach, just in case).

10 “Mandy” (2018)

Director: Panos Cosmatos

Mandy is a strange fantasy/horror film with Nicholas Cageand in the second half it also becomes an action film. A large part of the Mandy is slow and rather sedate, but at one point things take a horrific turn and Cage’s character is wronged in a way that leaves him thirsting for revenge. At this point things get more action-packed.

It is not a film that shies away from extreme content. Although the violence is not as frequent as in other action films, it is quite bloody and blatant when it does occur. In addition, Mandy Is quite explicit when it comes to things like sexuality and drug use, and also quite bizarre and frighteningall factors that contribute to it feeling more than a little gnarly and extremely deserving of the label.

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9 “The Boxer’s Omen” (1983)

Director: Kuei Chih-Hung

With a title like The Boxer’s Omenand knowing that this is a martial arts film, you might expect things to be serious and even feel like a sports film. However, that is not the case, because the “omen“-part of the title plays a surprisingly large role here, as it offers some pretty brutal martial arts action as well as strong horror/fantasy elements.

The film is intentionally gross and blood-soaked, and all kinds of disgusting things happen. The Boxer’s Omen in a way that is sometimes truly disgusting, perhaps even to those who don’t mind most horror movies. It is a nasty film, but also an exciting and strangely captivating. Much of what is seen on the screen The Boxer’s Omen is difficult to understand or even believe. It shocks, provokes and takes no prisoners from start to finish.

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8 “Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” (1991)

Director: Lam Ngai Kai

Speaking of extremely brutal martial arts films, here is Riki-Oh: The Story of Rickywhich is also one of the cruelest prison films of all time. The title character finds himself in a terribly dangerous prison sometime in the future and Most of the film follows him as he fights various people, with most fights ending in spectacularly bloody fashion.

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky is so over-the-top and relentless in its depiction of violence that you may become desensitized after a while, but the fact remains that few action films have ever been this violent. And it just doesn’t stop, the ferocity of the violence is just as extreme as the amount of brutal fighting. It’s a non-stop assault on the senses, but an unforgettable one, which explains why it’s known as a cult classic among B-movies.

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7 “Old Boy” (2003)

Director: Park Chan-wook

It would be dishonest to call Old boy just an action film and we’ll leave it at that, because it’s primarily a mystery film and maybe even more of a thriller since the action is rare. But when it comes to action, the film is excellent, with one sequence in particular being considered one of the most famous action scenes of the 21st century.

Old boy is also about a man’s desperate search for answers to his mysterious kidnapping and the long imprisonment that follows. The man also seeks revenge on someone else who wants revenge himself. Things start to unravel and the revelations Old boy The results turn out to be shocking and unpleasant. It is a brutal film, but also a psychologically devastating and twisted oneand emphasizes the feeling that it is extreme.

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6 “The 8-Diagram Pole Fighter” (1984)

Director: Lau Kar-leung

It is not immediately apparent that The 8-diagram pole fighter will be much bloodier than most martial arts films of its time, as it feels on the surface (and initially) a bit like business as usual. The main role is played by the well-known martial arts actor Gordon Liuand tells the story of two survivors of a deadly attack on a family who go their separate ways after escaping, both seeking revenge.

The whole thing builds to an incredible climax, which one of the most extreme extended fight sequences in the history of martial arts cinemawith too many painful looking moments to count and so many teeth being brutally knocked out. It almost becomes a bloodbath, with the intensity of that showdown near the end being the only hurdle newcomers to martial arts films will have to overcome if they want to truly enjoy the film. The 8-diagram pole fighter.

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5 “The Raid” (2011)

Director: Gareth Evans

The attack is as perfect as a straightforward, pure action movie can be. It follows a SWAT team that enters an apartment complex on a dangerous mission. Things escalate after the crime boss who runs the place effectively seals it off. Then the SWAT team members must fight their way out after the crime boss orders the criminals in the complex to kill all the cops inside, no matter what.

And that is narratively about as complex as The attack that has a decent amount of build-up and then is almost non-stop action once the main conflict is introduced. It is an adrenaline-fueled film that is also incredibly brutal and feels like a new kind of martial arts film for a generation who may be desensitized to the bloodshed seen in old martial arts movies.

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4 “The Raid 2” (2014)

Director: Gareth Evans

Because as violent and exciting as The attack is that the 2014 sequel improves things significantly in almost every way. It has a more complex crime-related plot and foregoes the cramped setting of the first film, with things taking place all over Jakarta, resulting in more varied fight sequences and what also feels like more of the same in general (helping to this is the fact that The Raid 2 is also much longer than The attack).

One can argue that The Raid 2 is a little less pure and a little more unwieldy, but it’s still a phenomenal sequel because it raises the stakes and takes things much further than expected. It’s incredibly brutal, but also very exciting. If the action wasn’t so well choreographed, it would probably be too horrific, but it strikes just the right balance between gruesome violence and extremely thrilling tension.

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3 “Battle Royale” (2000)

Director: Kinji Fukasaku

A film that ushered in the 21st century with a bang (and with a lot of blood and brutality), Battle Royale is notorious for its violence, bloody and disturbing due to the context of violence. In the plot, numerous high school students are kidnapped and forced to participate in a fight to the death, and they fight to the death.

It is a story that is compared to The Hunger Gamesbut the film adaptations of these books were dark, but in some ways shied away from bloody violence Battle Royale that’s not the case for the most part. The things that happen are disturbing enough on paper, but when you see young people doing these things to other young people, the film ultimately becomes more cruel and extreme, and the whole thing has an even greater impact.

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2 “Brawl in Cell Block 99” (2017)

Director: S. Craig Zahler

Filmmaker S. Craig Zahler shot one of the bloodiest westerns of all time with Bone Tomahawkand two years later he dedicated himself to bringing a unique level of wildness to another genre. Well, in reality Brawl in cell block 99 functioned simultaneously as a crime thriller, a dark action film and was as brutal as the impressive title suggests.

Brawl in cell block 99 does this while Vince Vaughn stars in the lead role, departing from the kind of comedies he’s best known for, and he’s surprisingly good here in the role of a man trying to survive a relentless prison stay. It’s a film that’s uncompromising and quite nihilistic, in an old-fashioned grindhouse way.and is certainly not for the faint of heart.

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1 “The Revenge” (2017)

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Revenge messes around and disproves accusations of “style over substance” by being raw, unrelenting and quite simply one of the cruelest films ever made. After the inciting incident, however, the violence proves to be universally cathartic, with the film following a woman who has been abused and left for dead but comes back from the brink of death to exact revenge on those who wronged her.

It is less about how many people die (the cast is quite small), but more about how people get injured and/or diewith so much pain inflicted in Revengeand it all looks shockingly realistic. You could probably call it a horror film because of the many bloody details, but it is also exciting and action-packed, especially when the first act is over and the protagonist gets her titular revenge.

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