In a cinematic landscape in which most major action movies are part of billion-dollar franchises, it’s tragically easy for amazing films to get buried in terms of pop culture relevancy. From superhero franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe to critical darlings like the John Wick saga, action movies can have a difficult time standing out.
It’s safe to say that even if a given action flick doesn’t get its justified praise from contemporary viewers, it’s certain to become a cult classic as the years go on. While only time can tell if several amazing action movie releases in the last few years will get this treatment, it’s safe to say the last decade has seen the release of some of the greatest action movies ever made.
10
Monkey Man
Dev Patel’s Version Of John Wick
Few high-profile action films have had an influence on the 2010s quite like the John Wick franchise, clad in strobing neon lights, pulsing electronic scores, and visceral, fast-paced action. Monkey Man certainly follows in Keanu Reeves’ footsteps as John Wick while still taking the time to establish its own idenтιтy, going thoroughly underappreciated.
Dev Patel stars as a scrappy underground fighter who scrapes by, famed for the ape mask he wears as he engages in brutal tear-down brawls for a living. With all the style and flair of the 2010s’ greatest revenge films, the unique Indian setting peppers in substance to go with thanks to some political undertones that are sure to age gracefully.
9
Boy Kills World
Marries Oddball Comedy With Extreme Violence
Extremely violent revenge movies needn’t always be self-serious affairs with ᴅᴇᴀᴅly real-world implications, as proven by more lighthearted action romps like Boy Kills World. Bill Skarsgård stars as the тιтular lad, who is left deaf and mute after his family is murdered by a state-run execution show. After studying under a martial arts master, he vows revenge.
Boy Kills World has some truly bloodthirsty action that bleeds through its stylish retro-dystopian setting, all punctuated by John H. Benjamin’s hilarious voice-over narration as the voice inside Boy’s head. The film went tragically unnoticed at the time of its release, but is sure to gradually acquire a cult following thanks to its novel charm.
8
Ambulance
Proves That Michael Bay Has Still Got It
While Michael Bay might be better known these days for his hand in the infamous live-action Transformers movies, it can’t be said that he doesn’t know how to direct a thrilling action movie. Enter 2022’s Ambulance, a frenetic, high-strung chase film with enough explosions to be worthy of the Bay seal of approval.
Like many of Michael Bay’s original IP action films, Ambulance has gone underappreciated in its time. The more intimate setting of a high-jacked ambulance used as an ad-hoc escape vehicle for a pair of heist-pulling brothers works wonders for Bay’s ability to explore some quirky characters alongside his typical spectacle.
7
Bullet Train
A High-Octane Murder Party In A Bottle Setting
Ambulance is far from the only exciting action film of recent years to make the most out of a тιԍнт-knit vehicular setting. Enter Bullet Train, which sees a dozen high-profile ᴀssᴀssins stack into a speeding Japanese Shinkansen in hopes of murdering their targets and claiming a high-value briefcase.
The simple but effective premise is carried out excellently by the star-studded cast, especially Brad Pitt’s leading Ladybug, who has some excellent chemistry with his fellow killers even while trading blows with them. Bullet Train is far better than its box office performance and lukewarm critical impression implies, seeming destined for cult classic status already.
6
Army Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
A Rare Heist Zombie Movie Combo
There’s an argument to be made that Zack Snyder’s films are at their best when he’s focusing on zombies, and Army of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ seems to prove this further. The Netflix original stars Dave Bautista, who is hired by Hiroyuki Sanada’s eccentric billionaire to retrieve a vault full of illicit cash from a Vegas zombie quarantine zone before the whole city is nuked into oblivion.
Army of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is laden with the typical number of Zack Snyder plot holes, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun and creative combination of two action flick subgenres that rarely intersect. The colorful cast and Las Vegas setting are the perfect backdrop to pour some gory zombie mayhem over, and the film deserves more credit for it.
5
Gunpowder Milkshake
A Refreshing Female-Led Action Extravaganza
Zack Snyder may have made contributions to the all-female-cast action ensemble genre before, but his film Sucker Punch has since been outdone by the likes of Gunpowder Milkshake. The 2021 film stars Karen Gillan as an ᴀssᴀssin who finds herself being hunted by her mysterious former employers, focused on protecting her daughter.
Gunpowder Milkshake delivers on an amazing female cast of ᴀssᴀssins, including the welcome appearance of legacy names like Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bᴀsset, and Carla Gugino. The hyper-stylized, kinetic violence carried between each fight scene helps fill out the larger-than-life world with a rich flavor.
4
BloodsH๏τ
Vin Diesel’s Campy Comicbook Cadaver
Speaking of the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Vin Diesel played a walking corpse in 2020 in a film that deserves a bit more love than it ever received. Though Diesel already had a great stake in the comic book movie boom as everyone’s favorite talking tree, BloodsH๏τ sees him take center stage as the тιтular anti-hero, resurrected from beyond the grave with nanomachines.
BloodsH๏τ is perfect for those who can enjoy a campy sci-fi action flick that borders on so-bad-its-good territory. Diesel’s mildly disengaged performance and the blistering number of cuts per fight give BloodsH๏τ the earnest charm of an early 2000s edgy action fest that somehow came out right when the movie industry was crashing under the weight of COVID-19.
3
The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’s First DCU Masterpiece
BloodsH๏τ is far from the only action movie hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, with The Suicide Squad‘s kickoff of the new DCU going unfairly overlooked. A fresh attempt at the concept of a team of villains compelled to do good by explosive devices after the disastrous 2016 film, James Gunn’s version of events is properly bloody fun, R-rated for a good reason.
Despite the wackiness of the world and CGI monstrosities populating it, James Gunn’s campy comic book world comes off as earnest, with a few genuine emotional beats buried beneath the action. That being said, the spectacle is far and away the biggest draw, and no one who gives the film a chance will walk away disappointed.
2
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Burdened With Impossible Expectations
Sometimes, being the sequel to one of the greatest action movies ever made can be a huge detriment to a given film’s pop culture profile. Enter Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller’s prequel to the genius Mad Max: Fury Road. Here, a young Furiosa’s life is shown clawing and fighting for survival in a desolate post-apocalypse that only wants her ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and exploited.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga certainly has its problems, falling far short of its progenitor’s impossible line of quality, but that still puts it at a great remove from most other action films in terms of sheer spectacle. George Miller’s eye for haphazard wasteland contraptions and pulse-pounding chase scenes is not to be overlooked, and will surely be appreciated in due time.
1
Guns Akimbo
Frenetic Fun With A Hair Trigger
The post-Potter career of Daniel Radcliffe has resulted in some delightfully strange films, including a daring action movie called Guns Akimbo. Here, Radcliffe plays a programmer who is kidnapped by the organizers of a live-streamed battle to the death, with two M1911 pistols bolted to his hands forcing him to compete in the bloodshed.
Guns Akimbo has a haphazard, meandering plot punctuated with some amazing firefights that make the most of Radcliffe’s sharp sense of humor in an absurdly ᴅᴇᴀᴅly scenario. Certainly an underrated action film, Guns Akimbo is likely to be kind to future movie archaeologists who dig it up while surveying the 2020s.
