Of all the great film genres, action may just be the most broad and diverse of the bunch. Everything from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Commando or the hitman saga John Wick, to the adventures of Indiana Jones and beyond fall under the action umbrella. The genre is also one of the most enduring in all of cinema, as just about every decade since film’s inception has had popular action movies drawing in crowds.

So everybody knows and loves James Bond, The Terminator, and Mission: Impossible, but there are countless other actioners out there with dedicated fan bases that aren’t as large but are just as spirited as any. In the list below, we’ve counted 11 excellent action flicks that have amassed passionate cult followings over the years.

Overlord (2018)

Overlord is a horror action thriller set in World War II about a team of American soldiers operating behind enemy lines to pull off a sabotage mission. Everything goes according to plan, until a horde of flesh-hungry Nazi zombies show up. Though the concept of occult Nazi experiments going haywire is not a new one for movies, director Julius Avery does a phenomenal job making it feel fresh and exciting (and very, very sticky).

Despite releasing to mostly positive reviews, the film didn’t receive much buzz and vanished from the public eye rather quickly. Don’t let that dissuade you; the small but loyal cult following that this movie has is well-deserved – watch it once, and you’re almost guaranteed to become a follower yourself.

Related: Overlord Review: A Great WWII Movie Gets Invaded by Zombies

Outland (1982)
Warner Bros.

Outland is a sci-fi action thriller about a dogged lawman attempting to restore law and order in a dangerous mining colony on one of Jupiter’s moons. He ends up embroiled in an intense conflict with a band of ruthless drug runners, and nobody on his side to help him in the inevitable showdown. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because the movie is a loose, science fiction-tinged remake of the Western classic High Noon.

In the words of ScreenRant, “Westerns typically don’t take place on a moon of Jupiter, but Outland isn’t your typical Western.” Indeed, this exciting space Western packs plenty of surprises, plus an outstanding lead performance from Sean Connery.

Related: Every Major Franchise Role Sean Connery Turned Down, Explained

The Heroic Trio (1993)
China Entertainment Films

One of Michelle Yeoh’s greatest movies, The Heroic Trio is an ensemble superhero epic about three badass ladies who form an unlikely alliance to take down a monstrous, sewer-dwelling being known as the Evil Master. The titular trio comprises three of Hong Kong’s most beloved female superstars – Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Cheung – while the supporting cast is rounded out by other icons of Hong Kong cinema, including Anthony Wong and Damian Lau.

Despite all the star power and having Johnnie To, one of Hong Kong’s greatest filmmakers, behind the wheel, the movie remains underseen outside its native country. That being said, the film and its wonderful 1993 sequel, Executioners have dedicated cult followings.

Busting (1974)
United Artists

From Peter Hyams, director of the aforementioned Outland and the criminally underrated 2010: The Year We Make Contact, comes Busting – a fun and frequently funny buddy cop flick starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake. It follows two mismatched Los Angeles vice detectives who are tasked with taking down a powerful mob boss.

The movie is tons of fun, and an important stepping stone in the development of the buddy cop genre, which would become so popular in the 1980s. Despite this, Busting is unjustly relatively unknown outside its small but dedicated cult following.

Darkman (1990)
Universal Pictures

Darkman is an underrated superhero movie from Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi. The movie tells the origin story of vigilante hero Darkman, who goes from handsome scientist to horribly scarred and borderline psychotic monster after a run-in with a vicious mob boss. All sorts of vigilante violence, plus a tragically doomed romance, ensue.

The movie fuses superhero tropes with Raimi’s usual predilections for slapstick violence and old-school horror, and the end result is a high-octane revenge thriller jam-packed with surprises. As Den of Geek explains, “Darkman has perhaps the darkest and weirdest look into a superhero’s mind ever committed to film. Peyton has several psychotic breaks and/or hallucinations, and he has no compunction at all about killing people outright (sticking Ted Raimi’s head through the top of a manhole so that it gets squished by oncoming traffic is a personal favorite).” This violent and over-the-top superhero flick has plenty of fans, but it’s never been much of a mainstream favorite.

Related: Darkman: A Look Back at Sam Raimi’s First Superhero Movie

Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)
New Line Cinema

Shoot ‘Em Up is a crowd-pleasing action movie about a carrot-obsessed gunslinger who joins forces with a prostitute to save a newborn baby from a crack team of assassins. While the plot is admittedly quite thin, it strings together awe-inspiring action scenes beautifully, and is elevated by rock-solid performances. Clive Owen is perfectly fit for the snarky lead role, while Paul Giamatti does an excellent job playing against type as a vicious hitman.

One of the most underrated action flicks of the early 2000s, Shoot ‘Em Up oozes with style and brilliantly directed action that’s guaranteed to delight even the most jaded moviegoer. Unfortunately, the movie essentially dropped out of sight after its initial theatrical release, and has never gotten its due respect as the action classic that it is.

Golden Princess Film Distribution

Full Contact is an unabashedly brutal and stylish Hong Kong actioner directed by genre auteur Ringo Lam. It follows the efforts of a small-time crook who teams up with a dangerous gang to pull off a heist in order to help his best friend pay for his gambling debts. When the heist goes haywire, the gangsters turn the tables and leave the hero for dead. An epic quest for revenge follows.

Starring gun-fu legend Chow Yun-fat, this movie is pure bullet-dodging, slow mo-sliding, squib-spurting spectacle – in other words, it’s pure action movie distillate with no exposition, good taste, or morals to slow it down. It’s got a solid global cult following, but in the grand scheme, is little-known outside its native Hong Kong.

Sharky’s Machine (1981)
Orion Pictures

Sharky’s Machine is an ultra-cool neo-noir thriller starring and directed by the late, great Burt Reynolds. He stars as a tough vice detective in Atlanta who falls for a call-girl and runs afoul of a sadistic mob boss. Based on William Diehl’s 1978 novel of the same name, Sharky’s Machine is a pulpy, 80s-ified take on the Dirty Harry formula, and a testament to Reynolds’ skill both in front of and behind the camera. It’s easily one of the mega-star’s greatest films, right up there with Smokey and the Bandit and Deliverance.

Loaded with action, edge-of-your-seat chases, and wonderful performances, Sharky’s Machine was well-received upon release, but isn’t too well-known these days.

The Seven-Ups (1973)
20th Century Fox

The Seven-Ups is a gritty ‘70s cop flick that tracks the exploits of a rugged New York City policeman who’s part of an elite unit known as “The Seven-Ups.” Featuring the always-cool Roy Scheider in one of his best roles, this hard-boiled crime movie perfectly captures that rare and gloriously scuzzy aura of ‘70s New York City, and features one of cinema’s greatest car chase scenes. Directed by Philip D’Antoni – producer of The French Connection and Bullitt (he had a thing for car chases) – The Seven-Ups never quite reached the level of success of other D’Antoni movies, and has essentially fallen into obscurity. That said, those who know of it love it.

On the Run (1988)
Golden Harvest

On the Run is an excellent Hong Kong action movie about a detective who teams up with a hit woman after he’s framed for his wife’s murder and chased by a band of crooked cops. The movie quickly turns into a cold-hearted and gritty revenge thriller, full of juicy headshots and death-defying stunt work. The action is relentless, as nearly the entire movie is made up of one big, deadly chase through the vibrant, neon-lit streets of Hong Kong. The movie also makes room for some genuinely heartfelt, tender moments between the two charismatic leads. On the Run is a cult classic actioner that deserves far more love than it gets.

Blade of the Immortal (2017)
Warner Bros. Pictures 

Blade of the Immortal is an action-packed samurai film starring popular Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura as a samurai cursed with immortality who decides to help a young girl find the assassins who killed her parents. One of Takashi Miike’s best films, Blade of the Immortal boasts nonstop hyper-stylized and gleefully gory hack ‘n slash action, plus moving performances from the two leads. What’s more, the cinematography is utterly gorgeous, and the score is perfectly tuned to the action on the screen. Despite this, the movie did not perform well at the box office, and is not particularly popular globally. It does, however, have a well-deserved and loyal cult following.