Movies The 20 best action-romance movies of all time From Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Bonnie and Clyde, read on for EW’s favorite action-packed romances. By Andrew Walsh Updated on June 7, 2023 09:20AM EDT Action and romance: a pair of genres destined for love at first sight. Few things quicken the pulse like a kiss — except maybe a mad dash from a squadron of goons hot on your trail. There's a primal satisfaction in watching the heroes (and, occasionally, villains) fall into each other's arms in the face of certain danger. Many action adventures feature a love interest, but not all of those stories are driven by relationships. Below, EW takes a look at high-octane films in which the heat is generated by both the rocket launchers and the sparks between the leads. From superspy couples literally fighting to keep their marriage together to lovers on the run from forces determined to break them apart, read on to find out which cinematic cuts made it onto EW's list of the 20 best action-romance movies of all time. 01 of 20 20. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection On the surface, John (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) appear to be an average, upper-middle-class suburban couple stuck in a rut. But their boring routine soon comes to an end when their cover is blown and they discover they are both secretly assassins-for-hire working for rival agencies. Years of marital frustration explode — literally and figuratively — when they are assigned to kill each other and the lies they've kept hidden are exposed. Despite all the cool spy gadgets, high kicks, and grenades, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a movie about a couple fighting to fall back in love, and it's the undeniable chemistry between Pitt and Jolie that propels it onto this list. If anything, this action-romance is worth watching to witness the real-life origin of Brangelina, and the sexy cat-and-mouse marital romp doesn't hurt either. 02 of 20 19. True Lies (1994) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in 'True Lies'. Zade Rosenthal/20th Century Fox Helen Tasker (Jamie Lee Curtis), a legal secretary left bored and lonely by her husband Harry's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) long absences, dreams about a life of adventure and romance. Little does she know, her man is a spy masquerading as a computer salesman, but, when he stages a caper to fulfill her fantasies, things go sideways and the game quickly becomes real. As they peel away the layers of secrets, the two find their way back to each other one punch at a time. The over-the-top elements of James Cameron's 1994 hit are grounded by the truth Curtis and Schwarzenegger bring to the Taskers' relationship. As EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review, "[Schwarzenegger] gazes at Curtis with such avid affection that, in the climax, when he reaches down from a speeding helicopter to grab her hand, it's the bond between them — and not just the thriller logistics — that makes the scene crackle." 03 of 20 18. Django Unchained (2012) Andrew Cooper/Weinstein Company/Everett Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's homage to the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Corbucci, is an epic quest fueled by love and revenge. When the enslaved Django (Jamie Foxx) is freed by German bounty hunter Dr. King Schulz (Christoph Waltz), the pair team up to hunt down Django's former captors and liberate his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a brutal plantation owner. In classic Tarantino style, the path to free his enslaved wife is soaked in blood, guts, and some of the most gruesome scenes on film. Beneath the entrails, however, lies one of the auteur's most romantic heroes, as we watch Django risk everything to go into the depths of a literal hell on Earth to rescue his lost love. 04 of 20 17. Casino Royale (2006) Sony Pictures/Everett The first film in the Daniel Craig Bond era is also one of the series' most romantic. Casino Royale is set earlier in the superspy's career, when 007 was less charmer and more brawler. Sent to infiltrate a poker tournament at the titular location in Montenegro, Bond's mission is to fleece an international terrorist, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), and force him to seek asylum with the British government. To complete his assignment, Bond is paired with British treasury agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and the sparks — and bullets — fly. As James and Vesper succumb to their feelings, the players slowly reveal their cards, and the MI-6 operative finds that more than his life is on the line in this high-stakes game of love and intrigue. As EW said in 2006, "Bond hasn't just met a babe; he has met his match. And we have met him, as if for the first time." 05 of 20 16. The Matrix (1999) Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma/Sygma/Getty Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is an office drone by day, and the hacker "Neo" by night. His double life spins out of control when a fellow hacker, the enigmatic Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), leads him down a reality-check rabbit hole and reveals the truth about the "Matrix," and thus, one of modern cinema's most alluring couples is born. Underneath the cyberpunk aesthetic, pleather, and flashy kung fu wirework, the core program of The Matrix is the "love story between Trinity and Neo," as star Keanu Reeves told EW ahead of the fourth film in 2021. When all hope seems lost, it's Trinity's kiss that saves him, initiating the transformation of Neo into humanity's prophesied savior. He may be the One, but the love affair of this dynamic duo is the enduring legacy of the Wachowskis' dystopian saga. 06 of 20 15. Avatar (2009) Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington in 'Avatar'. 20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The highest-grossing film of all time is a special effects spectacle with groundbreaking CGI and, you guessed it, a romance at its center, featuring a burgeoning love affair between Sam Worthington's Marine Jake Sully (who lives with paraplegia) and Zoe Saldaña's Na'vi warrior princess Neytiri. Set in the 22nd century on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system, Avatar is an environmental cautionary tale, action-packed thrill ride, and romantic epic all rolled into one. Sully is sent undercover amongst one of the planet's native tribes in a genetically engineered "avatar" body designed to make him look like one of the Na'vi. His mission is to discover the secret location of a natural resource Earth is desperate to exploit, and, in return, his superiors will help him regain the use of his legs. His allegiance shifts, however, as he becomes entangled — in more ways than one — with Neytiri. As their connection grows deeper, he transforms from a self-interested spy to a warrior against imperialism thanks to Neytiri's love. 07 of 20 14. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty A remake of the 1968 Steve McQueen–Faye Dunaway classic, this sexy '90s update finds Rene Russo's steely insurance investigator Catherine Banning matching wits with Pierce Brosnan's dashing billionaire art thief, Thomas Crown. When Crown steals a Monet from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Banning sets a seductive trap for the cat burglar, but quickly finds the tables turned as both parties begin to find themselves drawn to each other in more than a professional capacity. Although it may be sacrilege to some to choose the remake over the original, the palpable heat between Russo and Brosnan gives this version a slight edge. As EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote in his 1999 review, "Catherine and Thomas have sweaty, thrashing sex (on the stairs, on a desk...), and for once an acrobatic movie love scene earns its passion." 08 of 20 13. Romancing the Stone (1984) Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in 'Romancing the Stone'. 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection When timid romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) heads to Colombia to exchange a treasure map in her possession for the safe return of her sister, Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor), she finds herself in a madcap adventure straight out of one of her stories. In way over her head, she joins forces with the smarmy, handsome smuggler Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas), and the pair of opposites fight (and flirt) their way through the jungle. With the kidnappers hot on their trail, they generate heat of their own as they try to resist capture (and each other), with a combined charisma that shines brighter than the lost emerald they are seeking to find. 09 of 20 12. Speed (1994) 20th Century Fox/Everett Pop quiz, hotshot: What happens when two stars with intense chemistry board a bus rigged to explode if it goes under 50 miles an hour? The answer: 1994's action blockbuster Speed. Although Sandra Bullock's heavy-footed passenger-turned-driver Annie tells Keanu Reeves' LAPD hotshot Jack that relationships formed under intense circumstances never work out, the movie's romantic duo has gone on to be one of action cinema's most endearing couples. It's no small feat that even amongst the thrilling edge-of-your-seat set pieces, the most captivating part of the movie is the palpable heat between Reeves and Bullock. 10 of 20 11. The Getaway (1972) FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives/Getty Carter "Doc" McCoy (Steve McQueen) is four years into a 10-year sentence for armed robbery when his wife, Carol (Ali MacGraw), secures his release with the help of influential Texas businessman Jack Beynon (Ben Johnson). There's only one catch: Doc must plan a bank heist and deliver the $500,000 in stolen cash to Beynon to retain his freedom. When the couple is double-crossed, they take the loot and go on the run, chased by both the cops and Beynon's henchmen as they race to cross the border into Mexico. This Sam Peckinpah-directed and Walter Hill-penned thrill ride is another entry on this list where the stars' combustible attraction ignited off-screen into a torrid love affair of its own. 11 of 20 10. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Bo "the Bandit" Darville (Burt Reynolds) and Cledus "the Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) have been hired to smuggle a truckload of Coors beer east of the Mississippi (which, at the time, was unavailable for sale on the East Coast). Then, suddenly, Carrie (Sally Field), a runaway bride who left the son of a Texas sheriff at the altar and leaps into Bandit's Trans Am. From there, a legendary cinematic couple was born. They formed such a great pair, in fact, that the costars went on to act in three more films together, and formed a real-life relationship that lasted five years. 12 of 20 9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Moviestore/Shutterstock In this critically acclaimed wuxia film, two sets of would-be lovers pursue the legendary sword Green Destiny in 19th-century China. When the sword is stolen by a mysterious thief (Zhang Ziyi), security agent Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) is tasked with recovering it and delivering the weapon to the benefactor of her secret love, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat). The plot may revolve around the sword, but the thrust of this epic saga is the two tragic would-be couples that seek to claim the blade — one thwarted by allegiance to ghosts of the past, and the other by a future betrothed to another. As director Ang Lee told EW in 2001, the fight scenes are about more than just trading blows: "It's an emotional tool — about sense and sensibility, about righteousness about emotional entanglement. It's storytelling, heart-wrenching." In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, true love cuts deeper than any sword. 13 of 20 8. Bound (1996) Everett Collection Mobster's moll Violet (Jennifer Tilly) yearns to escape from her violent lover, Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). When she begins a passionate affair with Corky (Gina Gershon), an ex-con repairing the apartment next door, the duo hatch a plan to steal $2 million from the gangster and start a new life. Bound, a groundbreaking film noir about two femme fatales falling in love is a steamy, bloody affair that subverts the age-old Hollywood tropes of who gets to be the romantic hero. It was also the Wachowskis' feature directorial debut, setting the stage for some of their later distinctly genre-bending films. 14 of 20 7. True Romance (1993) Warner Brothers/Getty In True Romance, Elvis superfan Clarence (Christian Slater) and Detroit escort Alabama (Patricia Arquette) are swept up in a whirlwind 24-hour love affair that ends with their impromptu nuptials. Intent on freeing his newfound sweetheart from her abusive pimp, Drexl (Gary Oldman), the foe ends up dead and the newlyweds accidentally find themselves in possession of a large bag of stolen cocaine. The lovers hit the road for California, hoping to sell the drugs and start a new life, with the mob hot on their heels seeking to recover their lost merchandise. With the kinetic flash of Tony Scott's direction, plus the twisted wordplay of Quentin Tarantino's script, the film redefines the meaning of true romance, turning acts of violence into romantic gestures while crafting a gory, modern-day fairy tale of love at first sight. 15 of 20 6. Desperado (1995) Columbia Pictures/Getty On a quest for revenge, the man known only as El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) has forged a bloody path through Mexico in pursuit of the drug lord Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida). Injured in a bullet-ridden barroom showdown, his wounds are tended to by a local bookstore owner, Carolina (Salma Hayek), whom he shielded during the melee. She hides him from Bucho's men, and the two share a passionate night together, joining forces to take the capo down. Writer-director Robert Rodriguez's follow-up to his low-budget breakout, 1992's El Mariachi, is a spaghetti Western homage that leans into all its pulp influences, including the time-honored trope of the steely heroine falling into the arms of a mysterious, alluring stranger. 16 of 20 5. Natural Born Killers (1994) Sidney Baldwin/Warner Bros. Listen, not all romances are warm and fuzzy. Some, like the one between serial killers–turned–media superstars Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) are fiery, savage affairs. This controversial trip from the mind of Oliver Stone is an exercise in what happens when true love goes wrong as two twisted people find their soulmate. But the lovebirds aren't the only relationship explored in the film. Natural Born Killers is equally a meditation on America's obsession with televised scandal and the viewer's relationship with consuming it. As EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote in an A– rated review, "At any given moment, Mickey and Mallory's story has the texture of a home movie, a documentary, a lush Hollywood romance, a slapdash reenactment on a TV crime show, or an image caught by a surveillance camera." If you're in the mood for an action-packed romance devoid of sentimentality, look no further than Natural Born Killers. 17 of 20 4. Charade (1963) Silver Screen Collection/Getty American expatriate Regina "Reggie" Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the debonair Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) while on holiday in the French Alps. She returns to Paris intending to divorce her husband, Charles, but finds their apartment ransacked and Charles murdered. Before long, she and Peter are pursued through the City of Light by three of her late husband's former comrades-in-arms who seek to regain a fortune he stole from them. As she and her new paramour dig deeper into Charles' past, Reggie discovers that Charles wasn't the only one keeping secrets. If the wardrobe, locales, and twists don't make you swoon, the pairing of these iconic old Hollywood stars surely will, whose chemistry former EW critic Chris Nashawaty called "electric." 18 of 20 3. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) LMPC/Getty Yes, there is a conventional romance in the classic Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid between Robert Redford's Sundance and Katharine Ross' Etta Place, but the heart of the film is one of cinema's most enduring romances. This story of a couple of outlaws who commit daring train robberies and try to outwit the lawmen on their trail has remained a cultural touchstone thanks to the palpable chemistry between Redford and Paul Newman. And while, for a time, the three leads form an outlaw throuple, the film ultimately returns to the pairing of the title, as the legendary duo stands together against insurmountable odds and a hail of gunfire, refusing to leave each other's side. 19 of 20 2. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Everett Collection When Bonnie and Clyde was first released in August 1967, early reviews panned the film, calling it, among other things, "a cheap piece of bald-faced slapstick comedy." A month later, critics had changed their tune, declaring the film a "milestone." History would prove the later reviewers right, and today, Bonnie and Clyde is credited with inciting a revolution of cultural appetites, after which formerly illicit topics like sex and violence became de rigueur in cinema. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, Depression-era outlaws who get their rocks off by robbing banks. Antiheroes for the ages, their ill-fated criminal spree comes to an end during an extended sequence of violence that must have seemed riddled with prescience for an audience only halfway through the Vietnam War. Also starring Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, and Estelle Parsons as the rest of Bonnie and Clyde's criminal crew, Bonnie and Clyde, an EW critic writes, is about "outsiders, outcasts, outlaws who fought the man — even though, in the end, the man won. He always does." 20 of 20 1. Titanic (1997) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in 'Titanic'. Merie Weismiller Wallace/Paramount Yes, this is James Cameron's third entry on the list, but the man knows how to combine action and romance into a potent mix that audiences can't seem to get enough of (as evidenced by the filmmaker's multiple box office achievements). His first entry onto the all-time highest-grossing film list, the first film to earn $1 billion in revenue, and the winner of the Oscar for Best Picture, Titanic is arguably the most popular romance in cinematic history. The tragic love story of impoverished artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and heiress Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) aboard the doomed ship is not only a tear-jerking historical drama, but also a thrilling action-adventure. After the RMS Titanic has its ill-fated run-in with the infamous iceberg, the hours that follow have viewers on the edge of their seats, as the cruise liner slowly sinks into the icy waters of the Atlantic. Despite the cataclysmic ending to their affair, the romance between Jack and Rose has continued to go on in the hearts of audiences for more than two decades — with many viewers still refusing to accept the outcome. Related content: Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reflect on the moments that defined The Matrix James Cameron says he got the Titanic's sinking 'half right' in his film after multiple model tests Juliette Lewis looks back on media disdain for Natural Born Killers: 'They were so, so mad at us'