The best action films of 1981

20 action films from 1981, ranked by a 0–100 score from IMDb ratings, critics, major awards and box office, compared with every film from the same year.

1. The Road Warrior Score 66.3 · IMDb 7.6 · Tomatometer 93% · Metascore 77 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
2. Escape from New York Score 65.5 · IMDb 7.1 · Tomatometer 70% · Metascore 76 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
3. Thief Score 58.7 · IMDb 7.4 · Tomatometer 80% · Metascore 78
4. Clash of the Titans Score 58.1 · IMDb 6.9 · Tomatometer 65% · Metascore 59
5. For Your Eyes Only Score 57.3 · IMDb 6.7 · Tomatometer 69% · Metascore 54
6. Southern Comfort Score 51.0 · IMDb 7.1 · Tomatometer 81% · Metascore 63
7. Sharky's Machine Score 46.9 · IMDb 6.3 · Tomatometer 83% · Metascore 58
8. Dragonslayer Score 46.8 · IMDb 6.6 · Tomatometer 84% · Metascore 68
9. The Professional Score 44.1 · IMDb 7.4
10. Outland Score 40.6 · IMDb 6.6 · Tomatometer 58% · Metascore 48