The ranking places the John McTiernan-directed film just behind the top title on the publication’s list and highlights why the movie remains a major part of action cinema decades after its release.
The ranking, updated on Dec. 2, 2025, describes Die Hard as a “textbook example” of how to make a great modern action-thriller. The list points to the film’s vulnerable hero, memorable villain, strong supporting characters, setting and carefully spaced action as key parts of its lasting appeal.
Bonnie Bedelia is held down by Bruce Willis in a scene from the film 'Die Hard', 1988.Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images
At the time, Willis was best known for television’s Moonlighting. He had also appeared in movies including Blind Date and Sunset, but he was not yet the major movie star audiences would later know him to be.
Die Hard follows New York City police detective John McClane, played by Willis, who travels to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to visit his estranged wife, Holly, played by Bonnie Bedelia.
The group is led by Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman. Gruber presents himself as a terrorist, but his real goal is to steal millions of dollars in negotiable bonds from the building’s vault.
The film’s hero was different from many action stars of the 1980s. McClane is not presented as an unbeatable fighter. He gets hurt, becomes tired and makes mistakes. That vulnerability became one of the reasons the character connected with audiences.
“Not really. I think it’s inevitable. It’s an action film,” Willis said. “I think what makes our film different is that it’s an adventure, too. And also it’s about people, I think, the audience can relate to. These aren’t larger-than-life characters. These are, for the most part, ordinary people.”
The film also built a strong relationship between McClane and LAPD Sergeant Al Powell, played by Reginald VelJohnson. Powell communicates with McClane by radio while the detective tries to survive inside Nakatomi Plaza.
The film was not expected to become the major success it eventually became.
The film opened in July 1988 and went on to earn approximately $140 million worldwide. It became the highest-grossing action film of 1988 and finished as the year’s 10th-highest-grossing movie worldwide.
Its long-term critical reputation also grew. Rotten Tomatoes lists the movie with a 94% Tomatometer score from 90 reviews and a 94% audience score from more than 250,000 ratings in the provided information.
Despite those early criticisms, Die Hard became widely recognized as one of the greatest action films ever made.
In 2017, Die Hard was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry after being deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Related: 1989 Blockbuster, Directed by Steven Spielberg, Was Just Named the Best Adventure Movie Ever Made
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