Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a 2024 movie flop that could become a cult hit in future, is an unexpectedly fun movie despite garnering low expectations as a silly action film. The genre is often characterized by over-the-top explosions and unchecked violence, which can almost become gimmicky. Moreover, formulaic storytelling has led to the overuse of cliché tropes and, especially because of the popularity of reboots, sequels, and remakes today, it can at times feel like action movies are no longer innovative.

However, many recent films have greatly exceeded our expectations, delivering on promises they never even made. Many new action movies, when initially announced, fail to generate buzz or excitement. Audiences expect them to tell the same story, use the same cinematography techniques, be overly reliant on CGI, and not create memorable moments. However, some of the animated movies that were better than expected were action movies. Consider the underrated 2024 action movies that flew under everyone’s radar, and it’s clear that innovative people are still working in the genre today.

10

Monkey Man (2024)

Directed By Dev Patel

Monkey Man‘s trailer reveals little about the plot details and instead teases the movie’s vibe. For those who have been envisioning Dev Petal as the new James Bond ever since Daniel Craig announced he was done playing the character, it was further proof of how great he could look in an action movie. Monkey Man promised a John Wick-style revenge thriller, but not much more than that. While there was an allusion to Indian mythology, the biggest takeaway was the moody color palette, the grimy aesthetic, and Dev Patel’s bleeding and brooding silhouette.

So, despite the stylish appearance of the film, the expectations weren’t high. People were more intrigued by the knowledge that this was Patel’s pᴀssion project that he’d co-written, produced, and directed alongside starring in it as the protagonist. Monkey Man, however, exceeds all expectations by providing an emotionally charged backstory, and a gritty narrative that is as drenched in Indian cultural references as Patel and his rivals in combat are in blood. The well-choreographed action is relentless, and the shaky cam feels refreshing because of the adrenaline-fueled style of storytelling. It is one of 2024’s best action thrillers.

9

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Directed By George Miller

George Miller came up with the idea for the follow-up to his third Mad Max film back in the late ’80s, but had to wait till ’98 to begin working on production. Even then, due to various events and the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson, whose role as the protagonist needed to be recast, actual filming couldn’t begin for another decade. It wasn’t until 2015, 30 years after the release of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, that the fourth installment in the franchise finally came out.

Naturally, the return of such an iconic franchise managed to create expectations in many fans and film buffs all around the world. Tom Hardy had just delivered an impressive performance as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, and there couldn’t possibly be more hype for Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the best movies like The Running Man. However, no one was prepared for the masterpiece that the film turned out to be. It was nominated for as many as 10 Academy Awards and is considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi action movies of all time!

8

Nimona (2023)

Directed By Troy Quane & Nick Bruno

Fans of ND Stevenson’s webcomic were obviously very excited about the animated feature film adaptation of Nimona. While the source material is somewhat popular among the LGBTQIA+ audience, Nimona has been flying under people’s radars for years. However, with Annapurna Pictures, famous for producing Her, The Master, and Bombshell, attached to the project after it got scrapped when the original studio Blue Sky was closed, the film began generating buzz.

Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed voice the тιтular character and the second protagonist, respectively. Even with such names leading the cast, the expectations weren’t necessarily high for Nimona. So, when it finally came out, we were all blown away by the quality. The trailer had already revealed the beautiful art style, but the thematic blending of medievalism and futurism in both the visuals and the narrative makes it that much more meaningful. Nimona was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

7

Nobody (2021)

Directed By Ilya Naishuller

We have seen him play the shady lawyer Saul Goodman, aka Jimmy McGill, in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, both loved TV shows that should never be rebooted. While the character is shrewd and highly intelligent, he certainly isn’t a physical combatant by any means. So, the idea of Bob Odenkirk leading a John Wick-like action film where his character goes on a violent rampage after some provocation didn’t seem appealing, especially because it risked being formulaic.

However, we were all surprised to discover what is definitely one of the best action movies in recent years. Bob Odenkirk brings a beautifully exhausted sense of rage to his character as he trudges through violent set pieces, delivering more damage than he takes on. The energy in the film is infectious, especially because the slick editing adds to the adrenaline rush. With a killer soundtrack to boot, it features extensive, well-choreographed fight scenes, like the bus scene that lives rent-free in my head.

6

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Directed By Joseph Kosinski

While Val Kilmer’s movies from the 1990s prove that it was the best decade of his career, his breakout role in 1986 as Iceman in Top Gun will always be one of his most memorable characters. With one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, it is an unforgettably iconic action movie featuring Tom Cruise as Maverick, his second most famous role after Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise. So, there was naturally a ton of anticipation for Top Gun: Maverick, where Cruise was to reprise his iconic role over 35 years later.

However, there was simultaneously a lot of skepticism about the film as well. The slew of formulaic and pᴀssionless sequels and reboots since the 2010s suggested there was a possibility it could be a cash grab. However, right from the opening credits set to the immediately recognizable Top Gun anthem, the dose of nostalgia takes you over. The new cast fits perfectly into the vibe, which is both reminiscent of the first film, and modernized to suit the 2020s. The thrilling flight sequences and Cruise’s charisma as a mentor who becomes an action hero make it the perfect sequel.

5

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Directed By Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

One of the best martial arts adventure movies of all time, the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once was perhaps the biggest surprise hit of 2022. The Daniels, known for their quirky and offbeat humorous films, didn’t fill audiences with confidence even though it was a rare A24 movie starring Michelle Yeoh. Not only did the concept, as revealed in the trailer, seem quite outlandish, but the multiverse was being used by so much of superhero media that it had become exhausting.

So, a tender exploration of womanhood and motherhood in an era where social expectations and norms are changing faster than ever before, isn’t what was expected of Everything Everywhere All At Once. A beautiful cocktail of emotions, buddy humor, and quirky action, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 7 of them, including Best Picture and Best Direction.

4

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directed By Joe & Anthony Russo

If the first phase of the MCU had been focused on introducing and building up the heroes, the second phase was about breaking them down and introducing radical changes to their personalities. Unfortunately, that change, while a happy conclusion for Tony Stark’s story, led to Stark giving up on being Iron Man in Iron Man 3, which led to speculation about how the MCU would look without him and interest began dwindling. It didn’t help that it was followed by the forgettable and mediocre Thor: The Dark World, the disappointing second film the franchise would have to bounce back from.

So, the stakes were at an all-time high for the MCU – would it retain audience interest, or was it just a one-hit wonder? So, the studio took a risk and employed directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who, though world-famous today, hadn’t made anything remarkable up until then. Captain America: The Winter Soldier didn’t just reᴀssure viewers that the MCU still knew what to do with their heroes and had a lot more lore to cover, it is one of the best MCU movies of all time. It exceeded all expectations by exploring Steve Rogers’ crisis of faith.

3

John Wick (2014)

Directed By Chad Stahelski

Keanu Reeves was already a bona fide action star with films like Speed, The Matrix, and Constantine. However, the action genre was flooded with the similar kinds of fast-paced action movies with loose choreography and shaky cam. The revenge subgenre of action cinema began feeling exhausting after the highly refreshing film Taken got a disappointing sequel in 2012, betraying a lack of originality in action blockbuster filmmaking. So, John Wick didn’t seem like an exciting prospect. Yes, a brooding Keanu Reeves as an action hero sounds intriguing, but it could have become the same movie.

Instead, John Wick became one of the most iconic movie characters who helped reshape their genre’s expectations. The film is drenched in a neon color palette that suits the тιтular character’s darkness, and it uses elements of film noir, particularly the mythos, the loneliness and the lack of morality in the protagonist. The violent action sequences have a gritty realism in the choreography, and the film has a commendable amount of technical accuracy regarding guns and other machinery. It’s safe to say that John Wick revolutionized the action genre.

2

Atomic Blonde (2017)

Directed By David Leitch

David Leitch used to be a stunt performer and coordinator and has done stunt work for an impressive number of films, including Fight Club, which features one of the most absolutely unhinged movie protagonists, Ocean’s Eleven, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, V for Vendetta, and The Bourne Ultimatum. However, apart from uncredited directing work on John Wick, and a four-minute short featuring Ryan Reynolds as ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool, the director hadn’t done much directing by 2017.

Moreover, despite the momentum of #MeToo prompting conversations about better representation of women in movies, action films had earned a reputation for overtly Sєxualizing female heroes. So, even with an action star like Charlize Theron attached, an out-and-out action thriller set in the Cold War focused on her stunts and stylish costumes didn’t seem promising. The style-over-substance approach, however, didn’t just pay off, it convinced people of Leitch’s grasp on the genre as he geared up to direct ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2​​​​​. The color palette and the easily hateable villain played by James McAvoy make it that much more enjoyable.

1

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Directed By Gareth Edwards

Apart from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was a follow-up to the extremely disappointing Star Wars: The Last Jedi, there’s possibly never been a Star Wars film that failed to hype up audiences in the months leading to its release. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025, left viewers wanting more, but not just in a bad way. So, a prequel set between the original and prequel trilogies promised to be very exciting, even though it wouldn’t feature any known characters.

However, irrespective of how good or bad people were expecting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to be, it exceeded all expectations as one of the best Star Wars movies ever made. It provides a much-needed glimpse at the rebel alliance outside before Luke and Leia rose to prominence. With tons of references to previous movies, it captures the sense of dread that the Empire made every dissenting individual feel, and also the sense of courage that kept them driven. Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe is an incredible Jedi, and the scene where Darth Vader appears still gives me goosebumps.