I don't want this to turn into a debate of what is an isn't high art, but I think we can all agree there is an invisible line of snobbery that snubs some movies.

Drama is the default for movies that are arbitrarily seen as prestigious. Horror has some of the most respected movies in film (eg Psycho and the Exorcist), scifi has its share of prestige movies (Arrival and 2001) romance is an often overlooked shortcut to Oscar gold, and even fantasy has broken through the prestige barrier, but action seems to be the most dismissed genre (maybe second to comedy). Everything Everywhere all at Once won best picture, but I'd argue that was for high concept sifi/relatable storytelling then for cinematography and action set pieces. War films are always respected, but only if they focus on the character drama and downplay the action (ie: don't have too much fun with it).

Whenever an action movie is popular and has a lot of technical achievements, there's usually a lot of discourse against it (the Transformer movies and Avatar franchise). Granted, a lot of action. Movies are disposable popcorn flix to be enjoyed in the moment and forgotten for the next one, but that doesn't mean they don't have artistic merit.

What are the action movies full of spectacle, set pieces and choreography that service aesthetic more than plot, but no less compelling and artful to the point that they should be held up next to all the other lauded movies of cinema?