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Of all the biggest genres in filmmaking, "adventure" seems the most malleable. Simply defined by featuring a hero on a quest, adventure movies can blend seamlessly into any other genre. Some of the very best examples of the genre include a fantasy adventure in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a Western adventure in Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and a sci-fi adventure in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Although the most famous adventures in cinema are now at least several decades old, that doesn't mean the genre hasn't benefited from several soon-to-be classics in the past decade. With bigger budgets and greater technology helping push the limits of filmmaking, it's rare to find a blockbuster in the 21st century that isn't at least spiritually an adventure movie. So, with all that in mind, here's a list of seven of the best adventure movies of the last 10 years.
'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
With 22 movies and many billions of dollars in its rearview mirror, a lot was riding on 2019's Avengers: Endgame. This ambitious three-hour conclusion to an epic superhero saga would need to pull off a miracle if it wanted to impress everyone. This is why, despite not being perfect, it deserves its place on this list, as a film many consider to be one of the MCU's best.
Avengers: Endgame, directed by the Russo Brothers, is quite the impressive cinematic achievement. Although it might not boast the most detail when it comes to character or narrative detail, what it does instead is take your breath away with several jaw-dropping sequences, all culminating in one final battle that very few films could match.
'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)
The movie that saved cinema. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were genuine fears that the theatergoing experience as we had long known it would be lost to time. Thankfully, the ever-reliable Tom Cruise and his need for speed returned at the perfect time, scoring one of the highest box office revenues of the decade and reminding everyone why there is no better experience than a blockbuster on the big screen.
Director Joseph Kosinski truly understood the high-flying assignment when it came to delivering this epic legacy sequel, managing to both pay homage to the action classic that came before it while navigating this heavy aircraft to a smooth landing. A breathtaking visual experience that reminded the world why cinema matters, cinephiles owe Top Gun: Mavericka lot.
'Project Hail Mary' (2026)
The most recent entry on this list more than deserves its title as one of the best adventure movies of the past decade. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Marytells the emotionally grounded yet impressively ambitious story of Ryan Gosling's science teacher, Ryland, as he is sent to space on a one-way mission to save the universe. During his trip, he becomes unlikely friends with an alien he names Rocky.
Based on the bestseller by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is perhaps the most defining film of 2026 so far. It's long been known that Gosling can easily walk the tightrope between hilarious and heartbreaking, with the Hollywood favorite leaving everyone laughing through their tears in this future sci-fi classic.
'The Wild Robot' (2024)
Thanks to the boundless nature of animation, some of cinema's greatest adventures aren't live-action. In the past decade, perhaps the best example of adventure animation is The Wild Robot, the tale of ROZZUM robot 7134 (Lupita Nyong'o), who is washed ashore on a gorgeous island and must learn to adapt to her new surroundings, finding an unlikely bond with a gosling, whom she names Brightbill (Kit Connor).
Featuring a stacked voice cast including the aforementioned Nyong'o, Connor, and Pedro Pascal, The Wild Robot became not just DreamWorks' best movie in years, but also one of the greatest animated movies of the decade so far. Across the world, audiences were left stunned by undeniably breathtaking animation and left in floods of tears as the film burrowed deep into hearts with a sentiment both universal and personal.
'Paddington 2' (2017)
As an adventure movie, what Paddington 2 lacks in jaw-dropping scope, it makes up for in heart. Everyone's favorite immigrant tale continues as Paddington (Ben Whishaw), now settled into London life, battles cultural misunderstandings and champions diversity and understanding.
Its powerful message couldn't be any more poignant, and Paddington 2 couldn't be any funnier. One of the most hilarious family films of the 21st century, there is no doubt that Paddington 2 isn't just a sequel worthy of enormous praise; it is simply one of the most celebrated films of all time.
'Dune: Part Two' (2024)
Later this year, the final installment in Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune novels will debut to a global audience and will likely earn itself a place on this list. Until then, the masterpiece that came before it will have to do. After the fall of House Atreides, Paul's (Timothee Chalamet) journey continues in this immersive, expansive sequel.
The winner of two Oscars — for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects — the fact that so many remain outraged that Dune: Part Two didn't pick up more on the most prestigious night in the cinema calendar is telling. The limits of filmmaking continue to be pushed, and Villeneuve's epic sequel is the perfect example of what genius can be made with a camera, crew, and, admittedly, a mammoth production budget.
'Everything Everywhere All At Once' (2022)
Spider-Man: No Way Home might've made the most famous example of the multiverse in cinema, but Everything Everywhere All at Once perfected it. Directed by the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), this Academy Award-winning masterpiece shows a seemingly ordinary woman living a dull modern life who is the most important person to exist, with the state of several realities resting on her unsuspecting shoulders.
From the most unthinkable reaches of the multiverse to the beautiful mundanity of doing laundry and taxes, Everything Everywhere All At Once is the most impressive adventure movie of the past 10 years simply for its detailed understanding of the many places adventure can be found. It even broke the record for A24's highest-grossing film of all time, although that has since been broken again by the viral horror hit Backrooms.
