Best Action & Thriller Films on KLM June 2026: Critic-Ranked

KLM's June 2026 action and thriller selection is unusually strong — and the reason isn't just the new arrivals. The catalog carries some of the most critically acclaimed action films ever made, alongside fresh 2025 titles. These are the standouts, ranked by combined Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic score.

→ Browse KLM's full action and thriller catalog with critic scores — inflight.guide

Why Action Films Work at 35,000 Feet

Long-haul action cinema has a specific quality that suits the cabin: it doesn't ask you to follow dense dialogue through ambient engine noise. The best films in the genre communicate through movement, pacing, and sound design — and KLM's noise-cancelling headphones handle action soundtracks better than most passengers expect. The 787-10's screen is legitimately large enough for a proper Mad Max experience.

The Best Action & Thriller Films on KLM in June 2026

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

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama | Runtime: 2h 41m | RT Score: 94% | Metacritic: 95/100

The highest-scoring action title on KLM this month is also one of the best-reviewed films of 2025 overall. A 94% Rotten Tomatoes score matched by a near-perfect 95 on Metacritic puts it in genuinely rare company. Without spoiling the specifics: it's a crime-adjacent action film that prioritises character and consequence over spectacle, and it rewards the long runtime. 2h 41m is a lot on paper; it doesn't feel that way watching it.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) — 94%

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Runtime: 2h 0m | RT Score: 97% | Metacritic: 90/100

A decade on, Fury Road remains the standard against which modern action cinema is measured. The two-hour runtime is almost entirely composed of a single extended chase sequence — a structural choice that sounds exhausting but is, in practice, the opposite. George Miller designed it to be watched at high volume. That's exactly the condition you're in, on a long-haul flight with noise-cancelling headphones, at cruising altitude.

3. Dunkirk (2017) — 93%

Genre: Action, Drama, History | Runtime: 1h 46m | RT Score: 92% | Metacritic: 94/100

Nolan's most disciplined film. Three timelines, no expository dialogue, almost no named characters — and still the most viscerally effective war film of its era. At 1h 46m it's also one of the more efficient entries in his filmography, which makes it an ideal flight watch. The aerial sequences hold up especially well on a decent screen.

4. Sinners (2025) — 90%

Genre: Action, Drama, Horror | Runtime: 2h 17m | RT Score: 97% | Metacritic: 84/100

Ryan Coogler's genre-blending 2025 film is one of the most discussed films of the year. It crosses action with Southern Gothic horror to an effect that's genuinely distinctive — and the 97% RT score suggests critics agreed. The Mississippi Delta setting gives it a texture that most action films can't claim. One of the better cases for watching a film on a long flight rather than waiting for home.

5. The Dark Knight (2008) — 90%

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama | Runtime: 2h 32m | RT Score: 94% | Metacritic: 85/100

Still the benchmark for superhero-adjacent action filmmaking, seventeen years later. Heath Ledger's performance is what most people come for; what they stay for is Nolan's architecture — the way the film builds dread without depending on it. At 2h 32m it suits a transatlantic flight where you want something that actually demands your attention.

6. Bullitt (1968) — 90%

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller | Runtime: 1h 54m | RT Score: 98% | Metacritic: 81/100

The car chase that all car chases reference. Steve McQueen, San Francisco, a Highland Green Mustang 390 GT, and eleven minutes of practical stunt work on actual streets. Bullitt is on KLM's catalog this month and sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes — a score that reflects both its technical accomplishment and its continued hold on film culture. If you've never seen it properly, this is a good time.

7. Ford v Ferrari (2019) — 86%

Genre: Action, Biography, Drama | Runtime: 2h 32m | RT Score: 92% | Metacritic: 81/100

For anyone boarding a flight after watching F1: The Movie, this is the natural follow-on. Matt Damon and Christian Bale's account of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles at the 1966 Le Mans is the gold standard for racing biographical filmmaking — and it has the emotional depth that F1 trades for spectacle. Le Mans '66 (its UK title) is the better film; Bullitt is the purer action experience. Ford v Ferrari is the one that earns both.

8. F1: The Movie (2025) — 75%

Genre: Action, Drama, Sport | Runtime: 2h 35m | RT Score: 82% | Metacritic: 68/100

Produced with full Formula 1 access and shot on real race weekends, this is as close to the cockpit as any film has ever put a viewer. Brad Pitt plays a retired driver returning to the grid; the story follows the formula. Worth watching for the racing sequences alone — the technology involved in capturing those shots is extraordinary. At 2h 35m, it fills a transatlantic flight exactly.

9. Speed (1994) — 86%

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller | Runtime: 1h 56m | RT Score: 95% | Metacritic: 78/100

The bus that can't drop below 50mph premise has become a pop culture shorthand for high-concept action — but Speed earns that reputation. Jan de Bont's direction is precise, the tension is genuinely engineered rather than manufactured, and Keanu Reeves was the right choice in a way that wasn't obvious at the time. A lean 1h 56m.

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

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Runtime: 2h 28m | RT Score: 90% | Metacritic: 79/100

The prequel to Fury Road divided audiences in a way that Fury Road itself never did — but the critical consensus is clear. Furiosa is a more narrative-focused, less purely kinetic film than its predecessor, and it rewards the patience it asks for. If you've seen Fury Road and want to go deeper into the mythology, this is the natural follow-on.

Action & Thriller Rankings — June 2026

Rank Title Year RT Metacritic Combined Runtime
1 One Battle After Another 2025 94% 95 94% 2h 41m
2 Mad Max: Fury Road 2015 97% 90 94% 2h 0m
3 Dunkirk 2017 92% 94 93% 1h 46m
4 Sinners 2025 97% 84 90% 2h 17m
5 The Dark Knight 2008 94% 85 90% 2h 32m
6 Bullitt 1968 98% 81 90% 1h 54m
7 Speed 1994 95% 78 86% 1h 56m
8 Ford v Ferrari 2019 92% 81 86% 2h 32m
9 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 2024 90% 79 84% 2h 28m
10 F1: The Movie 2025 82% 68 75% 2h 35m

Combined score = (RT + Metacritic) / 2, rounded. Scores verified against inflight.guide as of 31 May 2026.

→ Filter all KLM action films with live scores — inflight.guide

Action Viewing Tip

KLM's 787-10 operates most of its European long-haul routes — Amsterdam to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo. The 787-10's seatback screens are among the largest in any economy cabin at 13.3 inches (34cm), and the seat-to-screen distance is shorter than older widebody configurations. For action films especially, this matters: the practical difference between a 13-inch screen at 80cm versus a 10-inch screen at 110cm is significant.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does KLM have action movies available on all flights? Long-haul widebody flights (787, 777) carry the full IFE catalog including all action and thriller titles. KLM's short-haul A321neo flights typically lack seatback screens; entertainment is streamed to personal devices via onboard Wi-Fi, with a more limited title selection. European routes on the 737-800 do have seatback screens but carry a smaller catalog.

How often does KLM's action movie selection change? The catalog rotates monthly. New titles arrive and some depart — this article reflects the June 2026 lineup. F1: The Movie and Predator: Badlands are new additions this month. Check inflight.guide for the current catalog.

Does KLM have subtitles for action films? Most English-language titles offer Dutch subtitles as a minimum; many also offer French, German, and Spanish. Subtitle availability varies by title — check the IFE system once onboard.

What's the longest action film on KLM in June 2026? One Battle After Another at 2h 41m is the longest action film this month. Avatar: Fire and Ash (3h 17m) is in the catalog but classified as action/fantasy. Both suit ultra-long-haul routes.

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