1988 Hit Film Was Just Ranked the 'Most Entertaining Action Thriller of All Time'

Typically, audiences seek out thrilling action movies to be engaged, enthralled, and thoroughly entertained. However, some action thrillers are simply more entertaining than others. For instance, the publication Collider recently shared a list of the top "10 most entertaining action thrillers of all time."

The ranking, published on May 29, featured beloved movies with plenty of action and thrills like 1994's Speed, The Fugitive from 1993, 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum, andHard Boiled, released in 1992. Collider named the 1988 film,Die Hard, adapted from Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever, the number one most "entertaining action thriller" ever made.

According to Collider, the film, focusing on John McClane (Bruce Willis) bravely and cleverly going against Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), should be recognized for the cast's brilliance as their respective characters.

Die Hard has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent and grossed a total of $83,088,552 worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.

Alan Rickman Shared What It Was Like to Co-Star With Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard'

Collider reported that Die Hard marked Rickman's first time starring in a film. In a 1998 interview promoting Die Hard, Rickman shared that Willis, who had a bit more experience working on movies at the time of filming, helped him feel more at ease while on set. The late British actor explained Willis exuded confidence, kindness, and professionalism while interacting with the film's cast and crew throughout the production of Die Hard.

"He was great. Because he knows exactly what he was doing," said Rickman, who died in 2016 at the age of 69. "And you know, if you got somebody who you can just see as just confident on the set, and also, off, when the cameras aren't rolling, just watching somebody who handles that situation, as well as he does, handles his relationship with the crew, and is very professional about being ready and knowing what he has to do. And not wasting anyone's time."

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:24 PM.