The top 20 movie stunts of all time - ranked in latest poll!

A poll, of 2,000 movie buffs, saw Neo’s impressive bending technique in the 1999 science fiction smash ranked above Tom Cruise’s antics in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, where he gripped onto the side of an airborne plane.

Other highly rated stunts included the car skydive sequence from Fast & Furious 7, where real cars were dropped from a plane 12,000 feet above the ground - and the iconic chariot race from Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston.

Daniel Craig’s fight scene as Bond from Skyfall made the top five - with Craig, Reeves and Cruise all making the top 20 more than once.

The research was commissioned by Samsung, which has teamed up with stunt director Tony Christian from Spectrum Stunts, to reveal the planning that goes into creating some of the most iconic scenes from movies in instant slow-mo, following the launch of its Galaxy S24 FE.

Tony said: “We’re all captivated by big-movie action stunts, and it is undeniable that the detail looks epic in slow motion.

“The research reveals some utterly iconic stunts we’ve been able to enjoy through the years in film. They can be the main moments you remember from an action film and there’s so much incredibly detailed work that goes into making them a reality.

“With a stunt to be impressive, it doesn’t always have to be the most difficult move, but something that really captures the attention which this top 20 list shows a real variation of.”

Don’t try this at home

When associating actors do their own tricks, Tom Cruise stood out more than anyone else, followed by Jackie Chan, Jason Statham and Keanu Reeves.

Cruise was also rated as the best of all when it came to not relying on a stunt-double - with 67 per cent reckoning actors are more dedicated to the role when they do so.

Some 72 per cent think stunts are often the most iconic moments of any action film, with 86 per cent believing they up the excitement element.

And 48 per cent are more drawn to a movie if it includes a major one, according to the OnePoll.com data.

Falling from height, fight stunts and anything to do with vehicles were seen as some of the most impressive feats - with 79 per cent believing there should be more recognition for such performers in the industry.

It also emerged the choreography and complexity involved was what made the elite manoeuvres stand out from others.

More than half (52 per cent) also thought slow motion sequences enhance the scene, with 17 per cent believing it allows you to enjoy the precision and detail involved, with 58 per cent saying they would appreciate film stunts even more if they could see behind the scenes.

A spokesperson from Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, which enables you to make videos fit for the cinema at the touch of a button, added: “It goes without saying that stunts should be left to the professionals. But one thing people can enjoy is giving their own content a cinematic feel with slow-mo.”

Top 20 movie stunts of all time:

1. The Matrix (1999) – Bullet Dodging Backbend
2. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – Hanging from a Plane
3. Fast & Furious 7 (2015) – Car Skydive Sequence
4. Ben-Hur (1959) – Chariot Race
5. Skyfall (2012) – Train Roof Fight
6. Die Hard (1988) – Jumping Off Nakatomi Plaza Rooftop
7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Motorbike Chase Into Canal
8. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) – HALO Jump
9. Speed (1994) – Bus Jump Over Freeway Gap
10. Casino Royale (2006) – Crane Chase Parkour Scene
11. Jackie Chan's Police Story (1985) – Mall Pole Slide
12. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – Liberty Island Fight
13. The French Connection (1971) – Car Chase Under the Elevated Train
14. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – Truck Dragging Scene
15. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – Parachuting Off a Cliff
16. Deadpool vs Wolverine (2024) - Opening fight
17. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) – Tangier Rooftop Chase
18. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – Tank Battle
19. GoldenEye (1995) – Dam Bungee Jump
20. Inception (2010) – Rotating Hallway Fight