There are many reasons people watchhorrormovies. The inherent feeling of being scared resonates with everyone. Feeling the rush of uneasiness as someone is about to turn a corner that the audience knows they shouldn’t go around orjumping out of a seatbecause something leaped out at the characters are experiences many know all too well. Some people can’t stomach horror films, others live for them.
A popular subgenre of horror isactionhorror. These have horror elements with intense action sequences. They have a wider appeal, asaction fanatics can be convincedto go to a horror movie, even if they don’t like being scared. The2000swere a terrific decade for horror action films. It followed up on the impressive 1990s and brought the horror action genre to new heights.
Here are 10 of the best action horror movies from that decade.
10’Planet Terror' (2007)
Planet Terror
An homage to the theaters of old that showed exploitation genres,Grindhousewas a double feature that came from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Tarantino directedDeath Proof, a slasher horror film, and Rodriguez directedPlanet Terror.Planet Terroris a horror action film starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis and Marley Shelton. The film follows a group of survivors trying to outlast a zombie apocalypse.
The movie features outrageous action sequences and shootouts with some disgusting zombie scenes mixed in. McGowan’s character loses her leg to zombies, only to have it replaced with multiple items, including a table leg and a machine gun. The cast all buy in and make the dialogue and action memorable.Planet Terroris over the top and just as mucha zombie movie as it is an action film.
9’Resident Evil' (2002)
Resident Evil
Based off the popular video game series,Resident Evilwas the first in a franchise, featuring Milla Jovovich as thestar and action heroine. Jovovich plays Alice, an amnesiac trying to figure out what is going on around here, all while having to trust a group of commandos who come upon her. They are in Raccoon City and the deadly T-virus has been spread amongst a genetic research facility known as the Hive, infecting everyone inside the building. Alice finds out she was a security guard at the Hive and, after the zombie staff is released, she and the group fight to survive.
The laser defense system scenes are epic and the “lickers” are iconic in both video game and movie lore now.Resident Evilcostars Michelle Rodriguez, James Purefoy, Eric Mabius, Martin Crewes, and Colin Salmon. It made $103M at the box office globally and spawned five direct sequels and two reboot films.
8’Pitch Black' (2000)
Pitch Black
Shortly before he played Dominic Toretto for the first time, Vin Diesel starred in the first film of another franchise,Pitch Black. The film features Diesel as Riddick, a criminal who has to help a group of survivors escape a foreign planet after their ship crash-lands there.Pitch Blackwas directed by David Twohy, who also helmedThe Chronicles of RiddickandRiddick, thenext two films in the franchise.
Diesel stars alongside Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Rhiana Griffith, and Keith David as the group tries to outlast creatures on this dark planet. Riddick is the antihero/leader of the group because he has surgically altered eyes that let him see in the dark. It is up to him to guide the rest of the group to a ship. Diesel has been praised for his portrayal of the character and there is some solid set design as the fight scenes occur in a creepy setting.
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7’Blade II' (2002)
The firstBladefilm was a big hit in 1998, scoring a solid box office haul for New Line Cinema. Wesley Snipes starred as the half-man, half-vampire who became a vampire hunter.Blade IIwas released four years later and was directed by Guillermo del Toro. Snipes returns as Blade as he must team up with a group of vampires to help stop an overlord from killing both vampires and humans alike while trying to create a race of super vampires.
It stars Thomas Kretschmann, Ron Perlman, Kris Kristofferson, Norman Reedus, and others, the latter two of whom provide Blade’s weapons. As they were in the first one, the weapons are a star of the film as well and Snipes shows off in some wild fight scenes. The movie was another hit, grossing $155M at the box office. It produced another sequel,Blade: Trinity, which wasn’t as well received by fans or critics. Theattempts to rebootBladeby Marvel Studios haven’t amounted to much so far.
6’Constantine' (2005)
Constantine
Another film based on a comic book/graphic novel isConstantine, the 2005 outing by Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, an exorcist who can communicate with both the angels and demons. Constantine has the ability to travel from Earth to Hell to try and keep the peace between Heaven and Hell. He frequently communicates with Gabriel, the archangel, played by Tilda Swinton. Rachel Weisz stars as twin sisters Isabel and Angela Dodson, who both require the assistance of Constantine. Peter Stormare played Lucifer.
The film has a supernatural feel to it and the scenes in Hell and the exorcism scenes are dark and scary. The stylized action is something that fans appreciated, as the film made nearly $231 million at the box office worldwide. A long-awaited sequel to the filmis supposedly in the works, but NBC did make a TV show based on the character that ran for one season.
5'30 Days of Night' (2007)
30 Days of Night
Another comic book adaptation,30 Days of Nightcame out in 2007 and is another vampire-led story. But this one has a unique setting: a town in Alaska that is dealing with a polar night, a period when the sun doesn’t come up for extended time. The sheriff, played by Josh Hartnett, along with a group of eight others, must battle a band of vampires that arrive in the town. The main villain, played by Danny Huston,is bloodthirsty and maniacal.
The film features a lot of gore, as the band of vampires slaughters most of the town. There are some great action sequences, including one with a snow plow and tractor that is memorable in its execution. The final battle scene is epic, with Hartnett and Huston putting on a show. The movie did fairly well at the box office, making $75.5 million and helping to launch a franchise of miniseries and sequels.
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4’I Am Legend' (2007)
I Am Legend
2007 was a great year for horror action films, as a third film on the list from that year was the most successful.I Am Legendis also the second film from director Francis Lawrence to make this list, as he directedConstantine. The movie stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, a virologist who is one of the last people left on Earth. He lives in New York after a lethal virus killed 90% of the Earth’s population. Those that didn’t die turned into Dayseekers, an albino mutant vampire whose goal is to kill the 1% of the population that was immune to the virus.
Neville spends his days trying to find a cure for the virus and sending out broadcasts for any possible survivors. The Dayseekers and Neville have some crazy encounters, leading to chases and spooky battles. The film was a star role for Smith and earned $585M at the box office. A sequelhas been in the worksfor quite a while.
3’The Host' (2006)
The Hostis one of the biggest films in South Korean film history as the horror action film is widely regarded as a premiere monster movie. The film was co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho and followed a man trying to get his daughter back from a monster that lives in the Han River in Seoul. He must do this all while the country is in lockdown after a virus produced by the monster spread. The movie featured Song Kang-ho, one of Bong’s frequent collaborators, as the man trying to save his daughter.
It has a unique blend of humor, action, drama, and horror and the idea forThe Hostcame from a real-life incident where people dumped formaldehyde into the Han River. The monster is terrifying and some of the action sequences are breathtaking. The movie earned more of a global presence years later during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the film’s premise lent well to comparisons of that time in the world.
2’Zombieland' (2009)
Zombieland
Zombielandis a true blend of horror, action, and comedy with a unique twist on the zombie genre. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as a misfit group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse. They band together to try and make their way across America, looking for survivors and trying to find Harrelson a Twinkie. Eisenberg is the goofy protagonist who lives by certain rules on how to best survive in the world they currently face.
The segment of “Zombie Kill of The Week” is very funny and adds a joking aspect to a dire situation. The kills themselves are where the action lies and the final sequence that takes place at a carnival features a horde of zombies surrounding the group, leading to an epic showdown.Zombielandwas a big hit, making over $102 million at the box office and spawning a sequel,Zombieland: Double Tap.
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1’Underworld' (2003)
Underworld
Underworldis a unique blend of horror and action, as it features both vampires and Lycans, a breed of werewolves, as characters in the same film. One of the more stylish vampire films ever made, Underworld features Kate Beckinsale as Selene, a vampire assassin who is very much a part of the war between vampires and Lycans. The Lycans are after a seemingly normal man played by Scott Speedman and Selene’s role is trying to figure out why. The film also stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Shane Brolly, and Erwin Leder.
Selene being an assassin ratchets up the violence and action, as there are seismic chase scenes, epic weaponry, gun battles, and everything that comes with fighting a vampire or a werewolf. The role was a star turn for Beckinsale andthe movie has the right amountof both horror and action. Fans bought in to the original story, as it made $95 million at the box office and created a franchise with three sequels and a prequel.
