This book delves into the heart-pounding world of Hollywood action cinema, focusing on the often-overlooked yet crucial element of the fight scene. By examining a wide array of fight sequences from some of Hollywood’s most iconic franchises, this book reveals how architecture and space shape the choreography and intensity of these cinematic spectacles. From stairwells to streetscapes, the spaces in which fights unfold dictate the violence, weaponry, and movement that define action cinema's kinetic energy. Key concepts explored include the spatial dynamics of fight scenes in franchises like John Wick, Mission Impossible, Fast and Furious, and Jason Bourne. Each chapter dissects how specific architectural settings—be it a bathroom brawl or a dance club showdown—craft unique combat experiences. This analysis uncovers the stylistic conventions and tropes that make fight scenes a distinct cinematic language, offering readers a fresh perspective on how these sequences are constructed and perceive. Ideal for scholars of film studies, media violence researchers, and anyone fascinated by the mechanics of action cinema, this book provides an in-depth look at the choreography of combat. It invites readers to consider critical questions about media violence, affect, and the representation of physicality in film. Whether you're an academic or an interested layperson, this study offers valuable insights into the visceral world of cinematic fighting. 

Lindsay Steenberg is Reader/Associate Professor in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University where she is Chair of their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Research Network and coordinates the BA programme in Film. She has published widely on the crime and action genres and is the author of Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture: Gender, Crime, and Science (2017) and Are You Not Entertained? Mapping the Gladiator in Visual Culture (2020).

Lisa Coulthard is Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia. She has published extensively on film violence, film sound, and film philosophy. She currently holds a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grant studying the fight scene in cinema and a SSHRC Insight Development Grant on Digital Dark Tourism.