Buzz
Stunts in films vary widely in form and complexity, yet their impact remains equally astonishing. From launching gasoline-powered vehicles off cliffs to handling live, dangerous creatures, some actors push boundaries to deliver authenticity, thrilling audiences and satisfying directors' pursuit of realism.
The outcome? Meticulously designed scenes that appear choreographed but were genuinely executed in real life. And there's more to it than meets the eye...
10. Man on Fire: Extraction 2 (2023)
Sam Hargrave’s Netflix action-packed thriller Man on Fire (2020) initially appeared as a standalone showcase for Chris Hemsworth. However, the success of both the original film and its recent sequel proves its enduring appeal and growing legacy.
With Hemsworth reprising his starring role, both he and Hargrave understood the need to raise the stakes—particularly in a post-John Wick era, where viewers demand not just intense action but also a heightened sense of realism. And what could be more realistic than performing the stunts authentically?
For one of the film's major action sequences—the prison escape fight, where Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) endures a Molotov cocktail to the arm—Hemsworth was genuinely set ablaze. Stunt coordinator-turned-director Hargrave revealed that the crew utilized a series of specialized fireproof jackets, layered meticulously to safeguard the international star from severe burns during multiple takes of the scene.
9. Living Birdcage: Batman Returns (1992)
In today’s superhero-dominated era, films share a cohesive visual aesthetic and interconnect within expansive universes. However, in the late 20th century, visionaries like Tim Burton reimagined beloved comic book characters with their distinctive artistic flair.
While modern actors are shielded by contracts and CGI handles the most demanding tasks, Burton’s Batman Returns reflects a bygone approach. Despite relying on elaborate sets, practical effects, and skilled stunt teams to animate the director’s shadowy Gotham, Michelle Pfeiffer committed fully to her role, embodying her character with unparalleled dedication.
Portraying Catwoman, Pfeiffer embraced the role's physical demands, performing most of the whip maneuvers and acrobatics herself. However, it’s her most stationary stunt that leaves us astounded. In a scene alongside Danny DeVito’s Penguin, Pfeiffer placed a live bird in her mouth, holding it for an uncomfortably long time. While such an act would alarm insurers today, Burton captured the moment in a single take, cementing it as a legendary cinematic moment.
8. Canary Island High-Speed Tank Chase: Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Known for its extravagant, physics-defying CGI spectacles (including a trip to space!), the Fast & Furious series once relied on traditional stunt work. A decade ago, Vin Diesel and his crew delivered action the old-school way, with real stunts and practical effects.
In the sixth installment, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his crew face off against a heavily armed mercenary group, resulting in explosive sequences featuring cars, planes, and even a tank. Instead of relying on digital effects, director Justin Lin and his team used an actual tank, filming its high-speed chase on the roads of the Canary Islands.
Constructed from a WWII Chieftain tank, the production team engineered a 60-ton behemoth capable of reaching 60mph (96.5 km/h). A specially built highway section allowed the tank to unleash (government-sanctioned) chaos. The crew even fired it from the front of a 30-ton truck, and the outcome is as spectacular as it sounds.
7. Bees for Breakfast: Candyman (1992)
Emerging from the twisted imagination of horror maestro Clive Barker, the tale of Candyman has haunted both teenagers and adults for over three decades. With three sequels under its belt, the hook-wielding specter continues to terrify audiences worldwide.
What truly makes Candyman terrifying, and the key to its enduring legacy, is Tony Todd’s unforgettable portrayal of the folklore menace. From his chilling, whispery voice to his piercing gaze, Todd fully embodied the role. This commitment extended to the infamous scene where bees emerge from Candyman’s chest, hands, and mouth—a moment that required Todd to endure real bees for the sake of authenticity.
Incredibly, 200,000 live bees were used during filming. Instead of relying on fake bees or artificial substitutes, Todd allowed the insects to cover his body, including his mouth. Fortunately, the actor had a sharp lawyer who secured him an extra $1,000 for every sting he endured.
6. The Trinity Test: Oppenheimer (2023)
As one of 2023’s most significant films and a standout in Christopher Nolan’s illustrious career, Oppenheimer delivers a thought-provoking yet explosive exploration of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb.
Cillian Murphy portrays the conflicted scientific prodigy, tracing his journey from college to his rise and eventual downfall in the eyes of society, the government, and his own conscience. The film showcases Nolan’s signature grandeur, particularly in the Trinity Test sequence—the first-ever nuclear detonation—which is as visually stunning as it is emotionally impactful.
Although Nolan didn’t detonate an actual nuclear bomb, he filmed massive explosions on location in New Mexico’s desert to recreate the event without radioactive consequences. Using 44-gallon fuel drums rigged with high explosives, the team captured real blasts, later enhanced with visual effects to create a seamless sequence. Every fiery explosion seen on screen was authentically filmed.
5. Hood-Riding Car Battle: Death Proof (2007)
Born from Quentin Tarantino’s love for ’70s and ’80s grindhouse cinema, Death Proof elevates practical stunts to an art form. Known for his old-school filmmaking and reliance on practical effects, Tarantino pushed boundaries in this film. He cast real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell to perform the jaw-dropping stunts, ensuring the action felt as authentic as possible.
In the film’s climactic sequence, Bell (portraying a fictionalized version of herself) participates in a high-risk stunt called Shipman’s Mast, clinging to the hood of a speeding Dodge Challenger. But Tarantino didn’t stop there—he ramped up the danger by having the villain, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), try to crash into her car while she held on for her life.
Every second of this sequence is authentic. Bell risked her safety to fulfill Tarantino’s vision, and instead of using slow-motion or post-production tricks, the cars raced at 80-100mph (128-161 km/h) throughout the entire scene.
4. 222-Step Fall: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Crafted by former stunt professionals, the John Wick series prides itself on delivering traditional, meticulously choreographed action. The films feature extended, uninterrupted takes and fight scenes planned down to the smallest detail.
Keanu Reeves, the franchise’s lead, has embraced the physical demands of the role. However, certain stunts, like tumbling down an extensive and steep staircase, require the expertise of real stunt performers to execute safely and convincingly.
In Paris, the 222-step ascent to the iconic Sacre Coeur basilica on Montmartre Hill serves as the backdrop for one of John Wick: Chapter 4’s most daring stunts. Wick (Reeves) fights his way through a swarm of enemies to reach the summit for a climactic duel. Along the way, he’s repeatedly thrown, kicked, and tripped down the stairs. In one harrowing moment, after nearly reaching the top, he plummets all the way back to the bottom. Stunt double Vincent Bouillon took the brutal fall twice to capture the scene authentically.
3. Melee on the Orient Express: Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part 1 (2023)
The Mission: Impossible series has become a benchmark for jaw-dropping action and stunts, fueled by Tom Cruise’s relentless pursuit of realism. With countless unforgettable moments across seven films, selecting just one is challenging. However, the train-top battle from Dead Reckoning stands out as a prime example.
Echoing the first film’s iconic TGV train fight, Dead Reckoning pits Ethan Hunt (Cruise) against terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales) atop the Orient Express. This time, however, the sequence was filmed with real trains and practical effects, amplifying the intensity and authenticity.
Director Christopher McQuarrie and his team constructed a functional train rigged for filming, capable of reaching speeds up to 60mph (96.5 km/h) on Norway’s tracks. Cruise and Morales performed their high-speed fight on the train’s roof and sides, balancing and battling without the safety of CGI.
2. Bungee Down a Dam: GoldenEye (1995)
When director Martin Campbell and Pierce Brosnan teamed up for GoldenEye, the first James Bond film of the ’90s, they delivered one of the franchise’s finest entries. Determined to make a lasting impression, Campbell opened the film with a breathtaking ten-minute sequence featuring one of Bond’s most daring stunts: a bungee jump off a towering dam.
The introduction of this revitalized 007 was pivotal in establishing the film’s tone, so the sequence had to be grand and authentic. Stuntman Wayne Michaels took on the challenge, leaping 720 feet (220 meters) from Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam, setting a record for the highest bungee jump at the time.
The stunt’s popularity led to the dam being leased to a bungee jumping company shortly after the film’s release. To this day, adventurers can experience the same heart-pounding leap that Bond made over 30 years ago.
1. Anti-Gravity Hallway Fight: Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan consistently pushes his creative boundaries, and Inception stands as a pinnacle of his career, blending intricate practical sets, minimal CGI, and groundbreaking stunt sequences.
The anti-gravity hallway fight is the film’s most awe-inspiring moment. Trapped in a dream layer within a destabilized hotel, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) battles attackers as gravity and perspective constantly shift, creating a surreal and visually stunning spectacle.
While many directors would rely on digital effects for such a complex scene, Nolan chose a practical approach. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, his team built two massive rotating hallway sets—one horizontal and one vertical—allowing Gordon-Levitt to perform the fight sequence in a gravity-defying environment over three intense weeks of filming.
