Most summer blockbusters have some exquisite action sequences, and you can’t throw a tesseract without hitting an explosion in a Marvel movie. And while the fireworks are cracking off everywhere, you can get a dose of high-octane explosions in the comfort and safety of your living room with these films that go boom!

“The Dark Knight” (2008) — I’ll be completely honest, Heath Ledger as the Joker is what I remember most about this movie. The rest of the Bruce Wayne centric storyline is lost because of how good Ledger was in it. Stealing every scene with his over the top character played pitch-perfectly from start to finish. In it, the Joker tries to take over the city of Gotham and Batman (Christain Bale) has to stop him. It is entirely possible that because of Ledger’s untimely death after filming, that is the reason he is so much remembered, but I would argue that his is the best Joker performance we’ve been given (Joaquin Phoenix was great in “Joker,” but that really didn’t need to be a Joker movie and any ties to the universe seemed forced) and it also has one of the best explosions on-screen. Stream it on Hulu or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Die Hard” (1988) — Christmas in July! (The movie was released in July so technically it’s also a summer blockbuster.) You probably already know the story of John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York police officer who saves the day when a group of hostages are detained by a glorified robbery orchestrated by Hans Gruber (the deliciously vile Alan Rickman). Throughout all the shootouts at Nakatomi Plaza and explosions we get to learn how McClane is reeling from his separation with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) who is one of the captives, and there are wonderfully quiet moments where Willis actually seems to give a fig about what he’s doing. There’s a reason this is a seasonal classic for many households. Stream it on HBO Max/GO or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966) — The epic Spaghetti Western is also one the greatest in the Western genre. Starring Clint Eastwood as the drifter Blondie (The Good), Lee Van Cleef as hitman Angel Eyes (The Bad) and Eli Wallach as the grifter Tuco (The Ugly). I will start this off with a major caveat, Eli Wallach was often cast as Latinos in Westerns of this era, wearing brownface during it. Wallach is also one of the greatest actors of his time and never veers too much into parody or stereotype like other performances of black/brown/yellowface, though it’s not an excuse for it. We follow each of the three men as they make their way towards a fortune of 2,000 gold pieces hidden by a Confederate soldier. Tuco is really the character we get to know the most and frankly the one that you’re kind of rooting for by the end. The film includes the sweeping plains of the southwest by way of Spain and features performances from French, Italian, Spanish and American actors all dubbed with English dialogue. It also has the quintessential Eino Morricone score that has become synonymous with Westerns. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Ghostbusters” (1984) — Nothing beats the original. Three paranormal scientists start their own ghost capturing business when New York becomes overrun with spirits and specters. When one particular building is found to be the epicenter of activity the team has to stop it before the entity known as Zuul takes over the world. The music, the script and the acting hold up today still evoking belly laughs and fist pumps when the Stay Puft Marshmallow man meets his end. Rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“The Incredibles” (2004) — Retired superheroes Bob and Helen Parr a.k.a. Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl settle down and have a family, take up a mundane job and generally live the kind of everyday lives we all do until Bob is called up out of retirement to save the world eventually getting Helen and the kids involved too. The animation style is wonderful and the story is both exciting and thoughtful for kids and adults alike. Stream it on Disney Plus or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) — Writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s sixth film is an extravagant revisionist history film that, coupled with “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Tarantino seems to have a knack for. He also has a knack for over the top violence and gore which “Inglorious Basterds” never shies from. This is the film that introduced Christoph Waltz to American audiences and gave him his first Oscar to boot. Following a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers whose sole mission is to hunt and kill Nazi leaders in France during World War II, it features great performances throughout but Waltz is the one that truly shines, making your skin crawl and making you laugh at the same time. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) — Based on the comic book series of the same name, the film follows Eggsy (Taron Egerton) a south London kid who is heading for a life in an out of jail. Quippy and agile, he attracts the attention of a dapper secret agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth) who then recruits him to a highly secret and independent agency known as Kingsman. When tech entrepreneur Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) launches a plane to solve climate change with killing the majority of the world’s population, Eggsy and Harry have to stop him. This is such a surprising movie in the best possible way. Seeing secret agent movies in the past they all follow a fairly predictable formula, this one manages to deviate from it while still holding true to its roots and being a great time throughout. Firth is delicious and makes way for a spectacular fight/explosion scene that leaves you in stitches. Check it out before the prequel drops in theaters (maybe) this September. Stream it on Hulu (with Live TV) or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“V for Vendetta” (2005) — In an alternate universe, a fascist government rises up in the U.K. and has taken power. Spurred by revenge and seeking to free those under this regime, a vigilante known as V (Hugo Weaving) begins to destroy the landmarks of the state beginning with London’s Old Bailey the building that houses the Central Criminal Court of England. Taking a young production assistant, Evey (Natalie Portman) under his protection he opens her eyes to the turmoil of this society and how she must now join the fight for freedom. The stylized movie was written by the Wachowskis (who also wrote “The Matrix”) and is fairly indicative of the time in which it was made, meaning that much of the plot is taken up by the large action sequences and some character development is decidedly absent. Hugo Weaving is as always pretty great even if he is hidden by a mask the whole time, but Natalie Portman chews the scenery with her poor British accent. However, it does have some pretty spectacular explosions all choreographed to classical music which makes it delightful. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“What About Bob?” (1991) — Who said explosions are relegated to just action movies? Bill Murray plays hypochondriac Bob Wiley who gets a new psychiatrist, the self-absorbed Dr. Leo Marvin played by Richard Dreyfuss, just before Leo leaves on a family vacation. Bob makes a breakthrough with one session with Leo and decides to follow him up to his family vacation home at Lake Winnipisaki and makes himself right at home. Bob and the rest of the Marvin family get along swimmingly, but Leo is much less obliging. The comedy does have some antiquated ideals and terminology (for today’s standards) when it comes to mental illnesses but Bob is never really the brunt of the jokes, instead, he’s just the delightfully oblivious doof. Stream it on HBO Max/Go or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

Honorable Mention “Independence Day” (1996) — I couldn’t let the Fourth of July come and go without talking about the amazing explosion that is held within one of the most mediocre of blockbusters. Sure Will Smith plays his part with ease and it’s fun to watch him, and Bill Pullman’s speech is great, but what you’re really here for is the boom! Rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes or Vudu.