by Pete Volk and Austen Goslin
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The action genre had a great 2023, with strong additions to notable franchises and exciting one-off films from established and upcoming creators.
2024 picks up where its predecessor left off. Countries around the world have already made notable contributions to the genre, with big-budget exhibitions and low-budget clinical projects providing the pleasure of impactful action.
Here are the most productive action videos of 2024 so far. They are categorized into two sections: the maximum sensitive level, the must-see videos of the year and the most productive of the rest. This list will be kept up to date throughout the year and will be kept in opposite chronological order, so the most recent videos appear first. Our most recent update added Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Where to watch: In the cinema.
A martial arts epic set in the walled city of Kowloon is a must-see for any action movie fan. Add to this the director of SPL 2: A Time of Consequences, Soi Cheang, and it becomes a must-see for any moviegoer. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In lives up to the hype and is simply the most productive action movie of the year.
Cheang makes the most of the walled city of Kowloon as a setting, with clever uses of the area reminiscent of the cramped quarters of something like Snowpiercer (but executed at a much higher level). The characters move vertically, horizontally and diagonally through the narrow corridors of the city, locating corners in which to hide or pass. The combat choreography combines elements of wuxia and parkour with elements of trendier martial arts movies, all of which overlap a Johnnie To story about gangster drama and generational divides.
Raymond Lam plays a refugee who flees to the walled city of Kowloon after an altercation with a Hong Kong crime lord (played by the legendary Sammo Hung). In the walled city, he forged an almost familial relationship with Cyclone (a common collaborator of Johnnie To, Louis Koo), who was the de facto leader of the network who lived in the walled city. But before Hong Kong passed into Chinese hands, the British agreed to demolish the city, and big players are plotting to take over most of the city. payment of eviction as possible. As the specter of the city’s impending destruction looms over the action, the population cannot escape the chaos that lies ahead. With its incredible choreography, gripping crime drama, and use of an exclusive setting, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is another masterpiece of Cheang’s modern martial arts. –Pete Volk
Where to watch: For virtual rental/purchase on Amazon and Apple TV
Kill rewrites the Bollywood playbook, bringing in a touch of brutality and gore rarely noticed in Indian cinema. The film follows an Indian army commando who sneaks away on an exercise to Delhi in an attempt to prevent the arranged marriage to which the love of his life is forced. But when the bandits attack the exercise, he and his friend are forced to act, resulting in some of the year’s action sequences and an unforgettable instant harvest for fans of the genre.
Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat made Kill after being encouraged by The Raid and a real-life experience where he had a robbery on the job. Veteran action choreographers Oh Se-yeong (Snowpiercer) and Parvez Shaikh (who worked with Oh on the Bollywood blockbuster War) deliver some of their most productive paintings to date, specifically in the film’s violent moment portion , where things speed up considerably. . This division between the first part of the film and its moment also allows Kill to interact in multiple modes of action storytelling, showcasing Lakshya’s skills as a martial artist and actor, and allowing variety in the enjoyment. —PV
Where to watch: For virtual rental/purchase on Amazon and Apple TV
Thelma would possibly be betting on a 94-year-old Oscar nominee, but don’t let that idiot make you think that this is nothing short of one of the most productive action movies of the year. Like the movies on this list, Thelma is about an older woman (June Squibb) who is tricked through a phone scammer. But unlike The Beekeeper, where the revenge falls on Jason Statham, in this film, Thelma herself embarks on the path of revenge, although in a much less bloody way.
Thelma’s quest to get her money back is steeped in action movie vocabulary, drawing explicitly on Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in several scenes. But while it might come across as mean-spirited or seem like a joke about Thelma, director Josh Margolin manages to keep the tone gentle. and funny, framing genuinely exciting action at a speed that suits the film’s nonagenarian characters. In this way, Thelma is a formidable addition to the non-traditional action canon. High-speed chases take place on deceptively fast scooters, falls look damaging. As the guns and explosions take on a more measured scale than in other films, Margolin still manages to place the tension in those moments. —Austen Goslin
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple and YouTube
To fall in love with this micro-budget action mystery from Australian stuntman, writer, director, and star Bren Foster, you have to be the kind of user willing to watch videos made on a relatively zero budget, knowing that some elements won’t. as subtle as what you might see in theaters. Not all viewers are willing to see it, and it doesn’t have to be. But those who are, will be able to enjoy one of the most productive action videos of the year, made for only a fraction of the charge of all the other videos on this list.
In Life After Fighting, former MMA champion Alex Faulkner (Foster) is now a low-key martial arts instructor. When two of his young students are kidnapped through a human trafficking ring, it is up to him to save them and bring the perpetrators to justice. It’s a pretty undeniable formula for direct-to-video action – whether that turns out to be a smart thing to do (I like my virtual TVs simple and undeniable) or not is up to you. And while Life After Fighting has hardly any villains, inconsistent performances, and confusing narrative and character choices, it’s all in service of Foster’s stellar action and compelling functionality as Alex. For me, everything worked, flaws and all.
Foster (2015’s The Last Ship, Mad Max) is a long-time stuntman and action actor who comes out of the shadows and becomes the lead protagonist and director for the first time. The Man Has an Eye for Action: Life After Fighting uses the concept of a martial arts school to preview the techniques used in long-running fights and features a strong combination of taekwondo and fighting. The action scenes use dramatized yet realistic choreography, move relentlessly fast, and Foster’s camera is careful to capture all the good looks and details of the techniques on display.
While they feel like two spoofed DTV videos mixed together poorly (there’s no explanation for this one to be a full two hours long), Life After Fighting obviously stands out in the 2024 DTV crop of action and is a must-have tool for fans of the genre. . . The ultimate act in particular is a relentless marathon of perfect combat, demonstrating Foster’s incredible skill as a combatant and acrobat. His roundhouse kicks are desirable for their mix of speed, power, and grace, and it’s a pleasure to watch him fight one jerk after another. I hope he has some other chance as a lead actor and director, maybe next time with a little more money to act. —PV
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Fall Guy is a love letter to action videos and the stunt people who make them special without making them dangerous. It’s also one of the funniest romantic comedies of the year, directed with endless charm by Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. These two combinations of genres may seem a bit contradictory, but the film combines them exceptionally well, thanks in large part to its variety of stunts and action scenes, and that’s precisely how it makes it onto this list.
The film follows Colt Seavers (Gosling), a stuntman who is injured during the task and disappears from Hollywood, and his girlfriend, camerawoman Jodie Moreno (Blunt). When Jodie’s first film needs an emergency stuntman, Colt jumps at the chance, but finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery about the star he’s dubbing for.
There’s a combination of entertaining and creative fights, ridiculous car chases, destruction all over the city, and of course, plenty of massive stunts. Each scene is imbued with an authentic love of silly cinematic magic and an apparent fondness for what it means to take a fake punch in the face and light a real fire. The Fall Guy is inspired by Jackie Chan’s old films, without the audience being able to enjoy the trick precisely because of the number of paintings involved, instead of looking for both to be perfect. It’s an endearing and outdated technique that gives the film a lot of center and makes it clear how one and both punch, kick and shoot is an arduous labor of love for both involved. In fact, the film even ends with a montage of stunts in the credits. And if that doesn’t form the basis for a list of the most productive action movies, then nothing is. —AG
Where to watch: For rental or virtual acquisition on YouTube and Vudu
The first Baby Assassins was a delight and the sequel lives up to the highest expectations the franchise has ever set. It’s another perfect combination of the killer mystery with the comedy of young life, and stars Saori Izawa and Akari Takaishi present it once again. This time, Joey Iwanaga and Tatsuomi Hamada team up to form a duo of rival young assassins, following our tracks in an attempt to take their jobs.
But enough of the story: we’re here for the action, and Baby Assassins 2 takes care of that. Master combat choreographer Kensuke Sonomura is back with more terrifying action sequences that range from extremely silly battles (girls fighting in full mascot costumes) to desperate. life or death battles. Izawa, in particular, shines once again and continues to prove his bona fides as one of the world’s most promising action stars. I would gladly see 20 more. —PV
Where to watch: Netflix
An understated German film, Sixty Minutes has a cast, a tight script, and a gimmick.
As he prepares to step into the ring for his next big match, professional wrestler Octavio (former German national karate champion Emilio Sakraya) discovers that if he doesn’t make it to his ex-spouse’s space in the next 60 minutes, she will. asking for sole custody of their daughter. He decides to abandon his fight and book it there, angering the elements of the underworld who had a lot of money to make. The film unfolds in real time for 60 minutes, as it runs and makes its way. via Berlin to his daughter (and necessarily seeks to escape from the film he is in).
Sakraya excels in this role, in a truly stellar performance. He manages to make it clear that Octavio has been an absent father (this ultimatum doesn’t come out of nowhere), but that he actually cares about her daughter and has now made a decision that he will do anything for her. He’s also a formidable fighter, and even if Sixty Minutes rarely cuts the combat scenes too short for my liking, the choreography is strong and Sakraya is up to the task in those moments. —PV
Where to watch: Netflix, virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV and Vudu
In 2021, director James Nunn and star Scott Adkins teamed up for an experimental action film, One Shot. It combined the one-shot gimmick of films like Birdman and 1917 (note: One Shot written before 1917, but released after) with the wave of post-John Wick tactical action films, all in one exciting package that surely seemed exhausting for its star. . So, of course, they came back to do it three years later, and this time they did it even better.
The best replacement for the original One More Shot is its setting. The first was set in a Guantanamo-style military criminal, a setting that made sense for the film, but was pretty drab, all things considered. One More Shot was able to film in a real foreign airport, giving audiences instant familiarity with the environment and allowing for even safer use of the device and real time in space.
Adkins is fantastic again as the film makes the most of his abundant skills as an actor and athlete, and this time action legends Michael Jai White and Tom Berenger support him in the cast. But the most productive fight is between Adkins and Aaron Toney (Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther stuntman) in a 30-mile-per-hour motion race. He makes fantastic use of space, particularly the exercise poles, as movement and violence equipment. Like much of the rest of the film, the truth is tangible and shines through with utter delight. —PV
Where to watch: Prime Video, or virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu
David Ayer brought back the ironic actor of the ’80s and early ’90s with The Beekeeper, a surely ridiculous and over-the-top Jason Statham vehicle, designed for the star to present a bee-themed one. Liner after a bee-themed one-liner.
If it was just Statham’s charisma, silly bee antics, and golden-hued cinematography (Ayer told Polygon that it was meant to summon honey), that would have been enough to get The Beekeeper on this list. But the film went ahead and hired Jeremy Marinas (John Wick: Chapter Four) to direct the second unit and choreograph the combat sequences. It’s one of the most productive in the business and is helping to take The Beekeeper to the next level of action movies with fast-moving choreography that makes wonderful use of props. Buzz buzz, check into the hive. —PV
Where to watch: AMC Plus, or purchase or purchase digitally on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu
A brutal masterclass on how to choreograph and frame the action of some of the Gangs of London spirits, the French mystery Mayhem!(aka Farang) is a must-see delight for fans of the action genre.
A revenge mystery about a working-class fighter (former French national kickboxing champion Nassim Lyes) who hopes to avenge the loss of a loved one at the hands of unsavory people, Mayhem! It stands out from other narratives by adding main points and desires to lives. of their characters.
But Chaos really excels in the combat sequences. Second unit director and combat choreographer Jude Poyer comes from Gareth Evans’ school of motivated camera movement (Poyer worked with Evans on Gangs of London), employing the camera in conjunction with choreography to decorate the scene. an effect on each shot. Add to that a high-caliber fighter like Lyes and one of the greatest elevator combat scenes of all time, and a new generation of action has been officially created. —PV
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple and YouTube
In many ways, the two halves of the Bad Boys tetralogy are mirror images: succeed where the other fails and fail where the other succeeds. Which one you prefer depends entirely on your tastes and preferences. I’m lucky enough to love all 4 Bad Boys movies and Ride or Die is no different.
Although Adil’s Bad Boys movies
But what makes Ride or Die work is Martin Lawrence’s performance as Marcus Burnett. In each of the four Bad Boys movies, anything happens to Marcus that adjusts his relationship to the rest of the movie, foreshadowing being Will Smith’s Mike Lowrey in the first one. , or accidentally tripping on ecstasy in the second, or taking a vow of nonviolence in the third. In Ride or Die, Marcus has a near-death delight and necessarily realizes that he is the protagonist of an action movie and that he can’t die. This leads him into great danger (much to Mike’s dismay): ending up in traffic or in the middle of an intense shootout. It’s a clever track, and Lawrence is more than just playing to make other people laugh a lot. , a lot. –PV
Where to watch: Netflix
I went into this Netflix original with modest expectations, as I was disappointed several times with some of Netflix’s action offerings. But I was pleasantly surprised with this economic action thriller, which has an intriguing core narrative, lots of engaging characters, and solid action design.
Jessica Alba plays Parker, a special forces commando who returns to his home in the Southwest after the sudden death of his father. There, he discovers a conspiracy in his hometown involving a violent gang. Underrated by men who knew her when she was younger (and I don’t know how fatal she is now), she’s an attractive setup for motivated action. Director Mouly Surya, best known for his Indonesian dramas, captures oddly evocative footage for a Netflix movie, giving the film an extra touch of flavor. I’m not completely sold on Alba’s performance, especially when the film needs her to explain her pain, however, it’s precisely the kind of modest-budget genre work I wish Netflix would do more of. —PV
Where to watch: Theaters
Few action franchises are as reliable as Ma Dong-seok’s The Roundup films. Its coherence is discovered in its premise (Big Cop Punches And Slaps Bad Guys Hard), its positive qualities (everything the incredibly charismatic Ma does in those films), its negative qualities (comic jokes about police brutality that make you cringe. shudder) and his performance. . with the public, dominating the Korean box office.
This time, Ma and the gang go after a cybercriminal organization, which leads to a lot of funny jokes about Ma’s lack of technological knowledge, which adds constant confusion about what “the cloud” is. If you liked any of those movies, love them all. and the punishment is no different. —PV
Where to watch: Hulu, or hire or purchase digitally from Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Jesse V. Johnson (Avengement), a star of direct-action video, has the chance to star in a low-budget Bond film, starring Aaron Eckhart, who finds himself in an era of DTV action star. The Station Master is a fake mystery spy who recovers many recognizable faces from some of JVJ’s most productive films (Daniel Bernhardt, Olga Kurylenko, Nick Moran, Nina Bergman). It doesn’t rewrite the spy genre and has a rather bland script (if accurate discussion and clever plot are vital (for you, move on), however, Johnson’s films are entertaining and he has a willing sense of action and tension.
Station Chief has less action than most of the films on this list, but features a fierce fight between Eckhart and the reliable Bernhardt. It’s the more astonishing of Eckhart’s two action cars this year (on Renny Harlin’s The Bricklayer). —PV
Where to watch: Netflix
Part action comedy, part sex comedy component, City Hunter is the latest adaptation of the manga series about the world’s horniest personal detective. Jackie Chan had already tried it in 1993, after a poll among his Japanese enthusiasts chose the sexy detective Ryo Saeba as the character they would most like to see him play. While this adaptation lacks some of that version’s jaw-dropping stunts, it’s still a funny and extremely silly moment, with clever action sequences and a relentless barrage of immature humor. Based on this description, I bet you know where to land on this one. —PV
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Basically Guy Ritchie’s version of a real-life edition of Inglourious Basterds, Ministry of War Ungentlemanly is precisely as smart, gory, and fun as that premise implies. The film follows a band of British spies sent into World War II on a project to break the Nazi submarine blockade. In reality, the film is just a few minutes away from its next impressive action set piece, whether it’s a marvelous battle on a ship, the explosion of an enemy camp, or the infiltration of a fortress. All of those action beats are punctuated with their own big moments that keep everyone feeling fresh, while Ritchie’s trademark peppy camerawork helps keep everything moving at a brisk pace. But what stands out here are the actors, with the Henry Cavill-led organization employing their same old charm and flair for sarcasm, and Alan Ritchson’s star turn as Reacher. Ritchson is the real star, as a big Swedish assassin device who delivers some of the film’s most productive combat and coolest moments. —AG
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple and YouTube
Inspired by films like Gladiator and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Martin Bourboulon’s hit two-part adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ vintage novel recaptures big-budget action-adventure period pieces. The costumes and sets are very good (Milady won Best Design at the César Awards, one of the film’s six nominations), the actors are excellent as some of the most recognizable fictional characters (especially Eva Green as Milady and Louis Garrel as King). Louis XIII, but the entire cast is great), and the action sequences trade sword fights and fisticuffs with aplomb.
Be sure to start with the first movie: The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan. I slightly prefer it to this new installment, but they’re the kind of multi-genre blockbuster adventure story that we’ve been missing in American theaters since the Pirates of the Caribbean movies went out of style. There is action, there is romance, there is drama, there is comedy. The Three Musketeers really have it all, just as they do. —PV
Where to watch: Peacock, or hire or buy digitally on Amazon, Apple and YouTube
We hope Dev Patel’s directorial debut marks the beginning of an action film career for the taekwondo black belt and former bronze medalist at the 2004 AIMAA World Championships. He directed, co-wrote and starred in Monkey Man, the story of a damaged guy in India. who undertakes a quest for revenge. But, in a classic action story, his path to revenge modifies his revenge motivation to do the right thing, and he discovers a web along the way.
Where videos like John Wick about an incredibly competent person, Monkey Man emphasizes the importance of the network in solving problems, even in the face of violence. I found the film to be flimsy and blurry in its first part, but the second part exhausted me: it’s an ending forged with wonderful action sequences that bring home the character and themes of the film. I can’t wait to see what Patel does next. —PV
Where to watch: Prime Video, free with library card on Hoopla, free with classified ads on Tubi, or book or shop digitally on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu
One Percenter (aka One Percent Warrior), a quirky meta-actioner with amazing combat choreography, is one of the more outlandish entries on this list. True cult action hero Tak Sakaguchi (Versus) plays a character who is just an edition of himself. : Takuma Toshiro, a serious action star who invented his own martial arts strategy and achieved a cult following a few years ago. One Percenter tells the story of Toshiro’s quest to make a “pure action” movie: he is tired of the dance scenes. genre and wants something a little more dangerous. While on location for an independent project, he stumbles upon a yakuza dispute, which is the best chance for him to get footage for his film. Then Toshiro takes out dozens of gangsters with his Wave. strategy, dodging bullets and unloading on poor fools.
Sakaguchi, a former underground street fighter who is one of the top action stars of his generation, is fascinating as Toshiro, employing his Wave strategy to clever effect. Sakaguchi’s pairing with fight choreographer Kensuke Sonomura (Baby Assassins), perhaps the most productive in the industry at what he does, is a dream. The two have teamed up several times in the past, most recently in the very clever Bad City, and it’s a pleasure to see their talents working together again.
One Percenter gets a little stuck in its own narrative tricks towards the end, but it’s a fun time for fans of the genre that has an all-time choreographer-star duo (and an extended combat scene just a flashlight that sees Sonomura innovate once back into cinematic expression through action).
A note before you watch: The Japanese theatrical release of One Percenter has been canceled twice following sexual assault allegations against Sakaguchi, who in the past admitted complicity in a sexual assault through director Sion Sono. —PV
Where to watch: Netflix, virtual rental, or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu
Land of Bad pairs the other two Hemsworths (Luke and Liam) with Russell Crowe in a well-executed military mystery from Underwater director William Eubank. It doesn’t reinvent the genre wheel, and it’s not the kind of thoughtful war mission that spends time wondering the point of this all-out conflict. Instead, it’s a high-octane action movie on a relatively limited budget that offers constant thrills and plenty of tension, and with plausible characters. Crowe specifically shines as a drone pilot sitting at his desk. , desperately seeking to get his fellow officials to stop watching March Madness and help him provide remote control to the surface team. —PV
Where to watch: Netflix
There are few joys as consistent as Ma Dong-seok fucking some guys.
Badland Hunters, a (tonal) sequel to the much more serious drama Concrete Utopia, is set in a post-earthquake apocalypse, where an organization of survivors tries to save a kidnapped teenager from a mad scientist.
Badland Hunters may not succeed on the heights of Ma’s Roundup films, however, it is a very fun genre film that puts the burly action star in the middle of a sci-fi story and lets him do his job. Directed by former stunt coordinator Heo Myeong-haeng (who directed the fourth Roundup film), Badland Hunters features action scenes wrought with other fighting styles for the three main protagonists. But the star of the show, as always, is Mom and her strong fists. Wherever they go, I will stick to them. —PV
Where to watch: For virtual rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu
The 3 films in director Kim Han-min’s trilogy about the mythical Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin are dense old dramas. But they succeed thanks to the attention to detail in their intense naval battles and the top-notch production design in the work of the time. Noryang: Deadly Sea, the newest film in the series, is no exception.
Each of the 3 films had another notable Korean star, Admiral Yi; this time it’s Kim Yoon-seok (Escape from Mogadishu), as well as Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave). ) of the first two. All three are very capable of bringing the headstrong but brilliant Admiral Yi to life, but those videos shine when they take a step back to show off naval tactics.
The combat sequences are shown from a bird’s eye view to better perceive the tactics of both sides, which is exciting. When you upload a measured use of single-take sequences highlighting the carnage of war, those films do the perfect job of showing the mix of deep calculation and chaos inherent in those battles. And you’ll understand better if you watch those movies: the last 90 minutes of Noryang are necessarily one long naval battle. —PV
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