Everyone loves a good shootout – and some of the greatest directors around have filmed some stunning ones. This list comprises the best of the best – the shootouts that really get the adrenaline pumping.
The creators of this bloody cult favorite set out to create a unique gunfight sequence in an otherwise well-worn genre. The violence is taken out of the usual urban context and set in an eerily familiar suburban neighborhood. And how many gunfights involve a cigar-chewing, scripture-spouting Billy Connolly (yes, that Billy Connolly) as a grizzled hitman?
This flamboyant homage to the detective serials of the 40s concludes with a fitting rat-tat-tat. As Warren Beatty and crew ready to take down a gangland nightclub, Al Pacino’s band of miscreants (complete with names like Flat-top, Itchy and Pruneface) burst through the garage doors in their period cars, tommy-guns blazing. Sure it’s over the top, but it’s supposed to be!
Pick any segment of this Hong Kong classic and you’re likely to see some crazy gunplay. It was here that the iconic, John Woo, double-.45 look was born. And way back in 1989, it was still cool! It also paved the way for Yun-Fat Chow’s career in Western films, though he hasn’t yet been able to top this one.
In 1993 there were two separate Wyatt Earp westerns, but this is far and away the superior film. The shoot-out is a must for any respectable western, and many iconic gunfights have risen from this genre. What makes the OK Corral battle in this film unique among them is the proximity of the combatants – eyeball to eyeball in an enclosed space with little cover. It’s a confused and vicious sequence, and is likely very accurate.
A group of Prohibition-era thugs stand on a city street in the pouring rain. Suddenly one drops dead, then another. We see the flickering of machine-gun fire in a dark alley, and the surviving mobsters return fire. There is no sound in this scene, but we know it’s surely deafening. Then, when mob boss Paul Newman’s bodyguards are all dead, Tom Hanks emerges from the shadows. It’s a scene with almost no dialogue; with these two masters, who needs it?
The signature shoot-out of this DePalma gangster flick is a tribute to the famous Odessa Steps sequence from Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin.” As the action unfolds in slow-motion, a baby carriage careens wildly down the steps, miraculously avoiding all those pesky bullets. And stick around for the bridge shoot-out between Al Capone’s rumrunners and the Canadian mounties.
The tone for the showdown in this 2003 western is set when a surprisingly badass Kevin Costner struts up to a gunman and asks “Are you the one who killed our friend?” Those of you who have seen it know what happens next. This is a gritty, exhausting sequence that feels like a genuine Wild West shoot-out, rather than a Hollywood reproduction. No western film collection is complete without this one.
How many SWAT teams do you really need to take out a lonely immigrant and a little girl? Apparently one hell of a lot. A cramped New York apartment may not seem like the ideal place for a massive shoot-out, but it’s disturbingly fun to watch as hitman Leon dispatches wave after wave of armored cops. And it’s especially gratifying to see that mean Gary Oldman get what’s coming to him.
Fortunately in the case of shoot-outs, life rarely imitates art. Not so in the case of this hyper-frenetic gunfight in the streets of Los Angeles, which seemingly inspired an attempted bank robbery by heavily-armed thugs soon after the film’s release. This battle does not exhibit the fancy camera work of other heist films, or the redundant slow motion of a John Woo film. It’s shockingly real. In fact, it’s probably the most realistic shoot-out ever filmed, a fact made all the more unsettling by its real-world counterpart.
If you look at Al Pacino’s portrayal of Tony Montana, you know that it can only end this way. Unlike Michael Corleone (or even Carlito Brigante), Montana exhibits an unfettered recklessness that is the cause of both his rise to power and his meteoric fall. As his Miami mansion is besieged by his rival’s private army, blood-drunk Montana takes a hit from a mountain of cocaine before making his last stand – you know the line. Sit back and enjoy. The world is yours.
Contributor: The Bed-headed Stranger
@Wanderer I just bought Shoot em up, and cant wait to watch it!!!
No ones mentioned the lack of females? La Femme Nikita had some good gunplay with Anne Parillaud, as did The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis. I love a hot woman with a gun movie.
Me: I really liked Equilibrium, but I think that I would rate it like JayArr rated the matrix (comment 59) – I did find the shootouts contrived. But again, I did think the film was awesome though many people didn’t.
How about the shootout in Hitchcocks’ original “The Man Who Knew Too Much”?
What?! I was agreeing with every single movie while scrolling down, and then was disappointed entirely!
How could you leave out Face/Off?
Seriously. I know it’s difficult to write a movie list, because everyone will want their favourite movie on it. But to make a shoot-out list, without the amazing shoot-outs Face/Off has to offer i.e. the one in the appartment with “Somewhere over the Rainbow” playing over it…the one at the end, the ultimate showdown between the two Protagonist? Please at least include it as an honorable mention, even if it actually belongs at either first or second place.
who wrote this list snoopy i dont see reservoir dogs…
Well, it seems I’m not the only one who’s a fan of the Gun Kata…
IMO, the Matrix and Equilibrium shootout scenes may seem contrived and over-the-top to some, simply because they’re sci-fi: in both cases, the main shooters are supposed to be super-soldiers with incredible shooting and fighting skills, so the gun-toting, fighting, and acrobatics are gonna be far more elaborate and fantastic than ‘regular people’ shootouts.
But if realism is what you’re looking for in a Hollywood film, then who am I to judge you?
Add me to the list of people who thought “Bonnie and Clyde” when they saw this list. I’d toss in my two cents for Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach squaring off in “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” All told, it may not be much of a battle per se, but the lead in to it makes it all worthwhile.
WTF? Why isn’t No Country For Old Men on here?! Woody Harrleson takes a shotgun blast to the face for crap’s sake!
I agree the shootout in the Matrix should be included and I am really surprised that no one has mentioned the shoot out at the end of True Romance yet. This was another great close quarters shootout.
the matrix shoot out?!?!?! besides that little ***** up a good list overall
No True Romance?
I know, writing these lists has got to be tough because there will always be someone like me questioning your conclusions. So, thanks for the effort.
add another vote for matrix. that was the one that immediately popped into mind when i saw the list title.
what about saving private ryan? 3-4 good choices there.
and now for what i really want to say…
HOW ON EARTH IS SONNY CORLEONE GETTING GUNNED DOWN IN THE GODFATHER NOT EVEN MENTIONED SO FAR?!?!?!?!?
What, no videos? I’m hurt…
You clearly haven’t seen the movie Shoot Em Up because nothing is more badass than that movie.
Technically Saving Private Ryan isn’t really a shoot-out, it’s war. Just because there are bullets flying around doesn’t mean it’s a shoot-out.
And to nit-pick further…I wouldn’t define the scene in Road to Perdition a “shoot-out”. Doesn’t the word itself imply a real gunfight, like in “Heat”, the bank heist and also the end with De Niro and Pacino? Road to Perditions’ scene in the rain, where Tom Hanks opens fire seems more like an execution, as he is never really in danger. (Although I must agree that the sequence is absolutely amazing and beautiful in it’s own way)
Very good list and very good additions in the comments, however when I think of bad ass shootouts, Natural Born Killers is the bad ass of them all!
all these movies are good choices. i especially enjoyed Tombstone. the only movie starring kurt russel in which i enjoyed.
the matrix shoot out is good but the fight scenes are far better
Yeah, Saving Private Ryan might have had some good ones, but that whole movie is way overrated. Not to mention the fact that there were NO flamethrowers in the European Theatre…
Aside from that, I think Natural Born Killers is definatley an honorable mention, there are so many good shootouts at the end, especially the one in the closed space of Mallory’s cell.
The professional (leon) in México it is called “The Perfect Assassin”
Shaaaaaaaaaaaannnne! Come back Shane!
Good lord I love the Killer’s, Heat and Open Range’s shootouts. I haven’t read the comments, but another John Woo/Chow Young Fat movie – A Better Tomorrow also has a fantastic shootout.
Apologies to anyone who’s mentioned LA Confidential’s climactic scene, but I also liked that one as well. I second everlast’s comment #57, Way of the Gun’s shootout was *****en’. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid final scene was awesome too.
I could go on, but I’m not Randall and no one listens to me anymore.
Looks like most of the ones I would have mentioned have been posted by others. But what about The Crow? The scene where Lee confronts the gang in their hideout. The close quarters gunfight in that room was pretty good.
Unforgiven
Equilibrium
Bonnie & Clyde
Pulp Fiction
and if you want to go over the top Rambo 2 and 3
“HOW ON EARTH IS SONNY CORLEONE GETTING GUNNED DOWN IN THE GODFATHER NOT EVEN MENTIONED SO FAR?!?!?!?!?”
[Sean Connery voice] “Leave it to a Dago to bring a car to a gunfight.” That wasn’t a gunfight: That was an ambush.
rule #2 no writing in cap locks
What about Face/Off? The scene when the police bust into the condo with the little kid in the middle of all the action!
yay scarface!
Miller’s Crossing – the Danny Boy scene – worth a mention.
I’m with Everlast on the exclusion of Unforgiven.
That final shootout was so realistic! Once it was revealed that he was THE William Munny who dynamited a rockfall onto a train (or the train itself?) killing men, women and children to get the loot; also THE William Munny who had killed a US Marshall (absolute badasses by all accounts) the ***** hit the fan.
William Munny, the stone cold killer, won because he kept his head after his shotgun misfired and panicked deputies shot in all directions and bullets flew everywhere and he cocked, aimed, fired. Cocked, aimed, fired.
Simple, brutal, beautiful!
The Killer is a great movie. Personally, I think Hard Boiled has better gun battles, but still a great choice and list.
Now, in Scarface, it is debatable whether the word “*****” was used more than the times bullets hit Toni, or someone in general. Personally I think it was the F Bomb that was used more.
although technically not a shootout, the final scene of dirty harry are kickass
i meant is
jojo (#27) – check the bottom of the followup emails – it includes instructions
No Butch Cassidy? Sacrilege.
I would also include “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (not the final showdown, but the scene where Tuco and Blondie make there way through the center of town in search of Angel Eyes and his gang).
Also, “The Terminator” (police station), “Desperado”, “Die Hard”, and “High Noon”.
Oh, yeah, Add “Young Guns”, too.
And “Road Warrior”.
City on Fire- the final scene in this movie is what inspired the whole of reservoir dogs just so tarentino could re-make the scene.
What about Reservoir Dogs???
The Matrix anyone, the one scene in the building when Neo and Trinity want to rescue Mopheus?
Clearly you have not seen shoot’em’up and yes the Matrix to
Wyatt Earp is 16 1/2 times better than tombstone.
anyone else thinking Smokin’ Aces???
the movie wasn’t all that great but the shootout on the top floor with all the FBI guys, alicia keys (at least i think that was her), and the other black girl just unloading with a .50 cal sniper from afar. i enjoyed it at least haha.
or even just the elevator shootout between ray liota and that assassin guy. two guys, two guns w/ full clips, point blank range… madness ensues.
There is one scene in Revolver that blew my mind away; the one where the mob hitman started killing his crew.
Sometimes I think some of these “best of” lists could be more accurately called “most popular” lists…like in the case of scarface being #1.
no love for Four Brothers? The House shootout was the best I’ve seen in recent memory!
Leaving that out of a shootout list, not even as an honorable mention, is BLASPHEMY!
Oh come on. High Noon no question.
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch
One more vote for the Matrix. Also, the scene in Predator where the team assaults the rebel camp.
Great shootouts some others
Unforgiven ending
Boogie Nights (don’t mind Cosmo)
Hot Fuzz ending really funny
Die Hard (Shoot the glass)
your right though Heat is one of the best.
oh forgot True Romance
Scarface all the way
Hey you guys forgot A Fistful of Dollars. (Get three coffins ready. (gun fight) My mistake, make that four.)
And also its kind of a funny one but Dogma where he pulls up the eagle in the golden calf office.
No. 1 has to be from The Wild Bunch.
Um….Does anchorman count as one? lol
I feel Equilibrium deserves some mention.
The Battle of Bloody Porch from the Wild Bunch?
A perfect blend of both high quality, and bullet flying quantity. It set the standard for all shootouts to come!
The final shootout in The Wild Bunch deserves to be in the top 3, but it’s not even on the list. Furthermore, how did it happen that De Palma is on here more than John Woo? The police station shootout from the Terminator is also missing.