The action genre is not something that most people immediately associate with the word ‘art’. Explosions, high-speed chases, exciting fighting, and stereotypically, some bad acting and terrific one-liners all come to mind, but why does it belong in an arthouse cinema?   

Stereotyping or sidelining action cinema as mere spectacle or simple entertainment would be an oversight in considering its far-reaching influence and the often industry-shifting craft involved in its creation. After all, even Ingmar Bergman had a beloved VHS copy of Die Hard.  

At Showroom, we’re dedicated to promoting classic cinema of all kinds. Throughout November and December, as part of the UK-wide ‘Art of Action’ season, there will be an extended celebration of the cinematic artistry, skill and craft involved in creating action cinema, engaging with the historic roots and cross-cultural influences of the genre.  

The deep roots of action in cinema reach back to the beginning of film history and Showroom’s Art of Action season begins by looking at some of the pioneers of action in early cinema. Not only did the likes of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd make the most successful films of their day, often packed with death-defying stunts, but they remain household names today due to their ingenuity and ability to amaze to this day. Likewise, 1927’s Wings will return to our screens, itself the first Academy Award winner for Best Picture and an aerial action extravaganza.  

Outside of technical wizardry and human daredevilry, the action genre has featured progressive and pioneering contributions across global cinema, and our extensive season is designed for audiences to consider how the action genre has evolved over the last century.  

Action cinema is certainly an art form and the nineteen films playing in this season will not only convince any naysayer, but more importantly, they’re all thrilling and a lot of fun.   

Showroom’s Art of Action season runs from 1 November – 15 December. Book now: /artofactionseason