Best Action & Thriller Films on KLM (July 2026): Critic-Ranked

Best Action & Thriller Films on KLM Flights — July 2026

KLM's July 2026 catalog has genuine depth in action and thriller: from stone-cold classics like Bullitt (90%) and Speed (86%) to 2025 releases like One Battle After Another (94%) and Predator: Badlands (78%). All scores below combine Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic into a single percentage.

→ Browse the full KLM action catalog with critic scores — inflight.guide

Why Action Films Work Well at 35,000 Feet

Action films are the genre most suited to aircraft viewing. The kinetic pacing keeps attention from drifting, the visual spectacle fills even a small screen, and the noise-cancelling headphone environment on KLM's 787-10 handles action soundtracks better than most living rooms. Mad Max: Fury Road at cruising altitude with good headphones is a genuinely different experience to watching it at home.

The Best Action & Thriller Films on KLM in July 2026

1. One Battle After Another (2025) — 94%

Runtime: 2 hr 41 min | RT Score: 94% | Metacritic: 95/100

Paul Thomas Anderson's crime epic is the most critically acclaimed action film on KLM this month — a Metacritic score of 95 is exceptional for the genre. Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro circle each other through an Los Angeles underworld that feels simultaneously mythic and grubby. Dense, long, unhurried. This is the film for a night flight to New York or Los Angeles when you want something that earns its runtime.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) — 94%

Runtime: 2 hr | RT Score: 97% | Metacritic: 90/100

George Miller's desert war epic remains the purest action film of the 2010s. Charlize Theron's Furiosa drives a war rig through a post-apocalyptic wasteland; Tom Hardy's Mad Max barely keeps up. The film runs at the pace of a sprint for its entire two hours — something that sounds exhausting and is instead exhilarating. One of the handful of action films where the critical consensus is, if anything, understated.

3. Sinners (2025) — 90%

Runtime: 2 hr 17 min | RT Score: 97% | Metacritic: 84/100

Ryan Coogler's period horror-action hybrid — set in 1930s Mississippi Delta, combining a story about twin brothers with something much stranger — arrived as 2025's most original genre film. Michael B. Jordan in a dual role; Hailee Steinfeld alongside. A 97% Rotten Tomatoes score is extraordinary for a film this committed to its own weirdness. Not straightforward action, but action fans who give it the benefit of the doubt will find it unforgettable.

4. Bullitt (1968) — 90%

Runtime: 1 hr 54 min | RT Score: 98% | Metacritic: 81/100

The car chase that all car chases are compared to. Steve McQueen's San Francisco hill pursuit remains the most purely cinematic action sequence ever filmed, and the film around it — a crisp, unhurried detective story — holds up completely. At 98% on Rotten Tomatoes it's one of the best-reviewed films in the entire KLM July catalog, and at just under two hours it fits neatly into a long flight's natural rhythm.

5. Speed (1994) — 86%

Runtime: 1 hr 56 min | RT Score: 95% | Metacritic: 78/100

Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, a bus that can't drop below 50 mph. Speed is the platonic ideal of a popcorn thriller: clear premise, escalating stakes, expertly executed. A 95% Rotten Tomatoes score is genuinely surprising for a film this cheerfully commercial, and justified. At just under two hours it's a near-perfect fit for the stretch after the meal service.

6. Ford v Ferrari (2019) — 86%

Runtime: 2 hr 32 min | RT Score: 92% | Metacritic: 81/100

James Mangold's account of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles building the Ford GT40 that beat Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are exceptional together. The racing sequences are the best committed to screen since Rush — genuinely tense, physically felt. At two and a half hours it's a long watch but never a slow one. Essential viewing for anyone who appreciated F1: The Movie on the June lineup.

7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) — 84%

Runtime: 2 hr 28 min | RT Score: 90% | Metacritic: 79/100

George Miller's prequel to Fury Road gives Anya Taylor-Joy the lead as the young Furiosa. It's a longer, more episodic film than its predecessor — less a chase movie, more an origin story told in chapters — and it rewards the patience that a long-haul flight encourages. Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus is doing something extraordinary. Watch Fury Road first if you haven't already.

8. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) — 88%

Runtime: 2 hr 20 min | RT Score: 94% | Metacritic: 82/100

The trilogy conclusion — Andy Serkis's Caesar facing Woody Harrelson's Colonel in a western-influenced finale — is the most emotionally ambitious blockbuster of its era. A 94% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects genuine critical respect for a franchise that consistently punched above its commercial origins. If you've seen Rise and Dawn on previous KLM flights, this completes the arc properly.

9. Logan (2017) — 85%

Runtime: 2 hr 17 min | RT Score: 93% | Metacritic: 77/100

James Mangold's farewell to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine — a western-flavoured road movie, deliberately small-scale — is the best superhero film that transcends superhero films. Patrick Stewart as an aging, diminished Professor X. Dafne Keen as the child Logan must protect. This one has made people cry at altitude before. I've seen it happen.

10. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) — 81%

Runtime: 1 hr 53 min | RT Score: 91% | Metacritic: 71/100

Tom Cruise in a time-loop military sci-fi that functions simultaneously as a clever piece of genre mechanics and an extremely entertaining action film. Emily Blunt is excellent. At 81% combined it's the most underrated film in this category — its 91% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects critical consensus that the film was significantly better than its marketing suggested.

Action & Thriller Rankings — July 2026

Rank Title Year Runtime RT Metacritic Combined
1 One Battle After Another 2025 2h 41m 94% 95 94%
2 Mad Max: Fury Road 2015 2h 00m 97% 90 94%
3 War for the Planet of the Apes 2017 2h 20m 94% 82 88%
4 Sinners 2025 2h 17m 97% 84 90%
5 Bullitt 1968 1h 54m 98% 81 90%
6 Speed 1994 1h 56m 95% 78 86%
7 Ford v Ferrari 2019 2h 32m 92% 81 86%
8 Logan 2017 2h 17m 93% 77 85%
9 Furiosa 2024 2h 28m 90% 79 84%
10 Edge of Tomorrow 2014 1h 53m 91% 71 81%
11 Predator: Badlands 2025 1h 47m 86% 71 78%
12 F1: The Movie 2025 2h 35m 82% 68 75%
13 True Lies 1994 2h 21m 77% 63 70%

→ Filter all KLM action films by score on inflight.guide

Action Viewing Tip

KLM's noise-reducing headphones handle action soundtracks well, but the ambient cabin noise at cruising altitude means dialogue-heavy scenes can muffle. For films like One Battle After Another — which alternates quiet dialogue with bursts of intensity — turn the volume up slightly before the action sequences begin, not during. Your neighbours will thank you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does KLM have action movies available on all flights? KLM's full action catalog is available on long-haul widebody flights (Boeing 787 and 777 routes) with individual seatback screens. Short-haul European flights on the A321neo have a smaller personal device catalog — the full action selection is exclusive to long-haul routes.

How often does KLM's action movie selection change? Monthly. This article reflects July 2026's selection. New titles join at the start of each month and some leave. Visit inflight.guide for the current lineup.

Is F1: The Movie still on KLM in July 2026? Yes — F1: The Movie (2025, Brad Pitt, 75% combined score) remains in KLM's July 2026 catalog. It first appeared on the June lineup and carries over into July.

What's the best action film for a short flight? Speed (1 hr 56 min, 86%) or Bullitt (1 hr 54 min, 90%) — both are under two hours and sustain energy throughout.

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