In the face of the changing film industry, it's nice to know the action genre is alive and well. From long-awaited legacy sequels to pleasantly surprising takes on classic tropes, these are the best action movies of 2024.
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00:00In the face of the changing film industry, it's nice to know the action genre is alive and well.
00:05From long-awaited legacy sequels to pleasantly surprising takes on classic tropes,
00:10these are the best action movies of 2024.
00:14It will forever remain one of the greatest cinematic tragedies of 2024 that Furiosa,
00:19a Mad Max saga, bombed at the box office. The film deserved so much better as a worthy prequel
00:25to the still-classic Mad Max Fury Road. This time around, audiences get to see the origin
00:30story of Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, as she's taken away from a life of abundance
00:35and must fend for herself in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. This includes proving herself to the
00:40warlord Immortan Joe and seeking revenge against Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth,
00:45in one of the most unique villain performances of the year.
00:48I want them back! That's exactly how I felt. My own family, my own magnificent beauties,
00:55taken so unjustly.
00:56While Furiosa clearly owes a lot to Fury Road, there are some distinct differences.
01:01Fury Road offers mile-a-minute action, with much of the movie devoted to one
01:05exceptionally long car chase. Furiosa leans more into being a character study,
01:10providing insight into Furiosa's psyche and how she just wants to get back to the life she once
01:14had. Through all this, there are plenty of epic set pieces that will excite any Mad Max fan.
01:19From the attack on the war rig to Furiosa's escape from the bullet farm,
01:23director George Miller proved he still has it in him to make it epic.
01:27Beginning with 2011's Rise of the Planets of the Apes, the rebooted Planets of the Apes saga
01:32is one of the most underrated film series of the 21st century. However, the story of ape
01:37leader Caesar ended with 2017's War for the Planets of the Apes, and there was certainly
01:42a lot riding on a follow-up. Luckily, Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes not only offers epic
01:47action, but thoughtful commentary on how mythology and religion can become bastardized by those
01:52wishing to use it for their own nefarious means. Kingdom takes place many generations
01:57after Caesar's death, so our hero this time around is young Noah, who comes into conflict
02:02with the tyrannical Bonobo Proximus Caesar. Each has very different visions for the future of
02:07apekind and their relationship with the remaining humans.
02:10There are more like you.
02:16There used to be more.
02:18The film functions as a fascinating epilogue to the previous trilogy, while setting the stage
02:23for even more stories to be told before the franchise catches up with the events of the
02:27original Planets of the Apes. The ending of Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes questions
02:31whether apes and humans can live harmoniously, and if all parties aren't careful, both camps
02:36may head for yet another war.
02:39The Fall Guy was always set to be something special, judging by the marketing campaign
02:42alone, which heavily emphasized the often-overlooked aspect of stunt work on major
02:47blockbusters. At least The Fall Guy finally gives these amazing performers the spotlight
02:51with the story of stuntman Colt Seavers, who gets wrapped up in a major entertainment
02:56conspiracy where it's up to him to save the day and romantically reconnect with his film's
03:01director.
03:02Save Jodie's movie, and maybe you get the love of your life back."
03:06There's just something to be said for practical effects, and since The Fall Guy includes
03:10several scenes that take place on a movie set, audiences get to see the action in real
03:14time. While it's always fun to see Gosling crack jokes, it's equally fascinating to watch
03:19the long sequences where we just get to see stunts play out, such as Gosling's character
03:24continually being set on fire and flung against a big rock. It truly shows how demanding this
03:30work is, with the stunt team often doing the same things repeatedly until the take
03:34is just right. The Fall Guy ranks up there with Furiosa as far as a year's box office
03:38bombs go, but we hope this is one film that gets more love over time.
03:43Anyone interested in seeing the best of what the action genre has to offer should expand
03:47their horizons beyond American productions. Bollywood and Tollywood have frequently become
03:52the go-to destinations for inventive action flicks, as evidenced by the immensely popular
03:572022 film R.R.R., and this year brought something special for fans with Kill, a brutal film that
04:03sees its protagonist, Amrit, get on a train to try to prevent the love of his life from
04:08marrying another man. However, during his train ride to the wedding, a gang of bandits takes over,
04:13forcing the former commander of the Indian army to stop their reign of terror.
04:17If you thought John Wick was deadly with a pencil, just get a load of Amrit with a fire
04:21extinguisher. This is a movie that continually finds ways to ramp up the brutality, with the
04:26second half of the film having some of the best fights of any recent movie. While an English
04:31language remake is already in the works from the producers of John Wick, we highly recommend giving
04:35subtitles a chance and checking out the original before the remake comes around.
04:40Given Dev Patel's previous credits like Slumdog Millionaire and The Newsroom,
04:44it's understandable if general audiences didn't expect him to make one of the best action films
04:49of 2024. Patel stars in and makes his feature-length directorial debut with Monkey Man,
04:55a movie about a man who comes from nothing and competes in underground fights. He soon takes his
05:00grievances with society to the upper class, enacting vengeance on those who have taken
05:04so much from the lower rungs of Indian society. Introducing the film at South by Southwest,
05:09Patel spoke about wanting to make a real thinking man's action flick. He said,
05:14"...I wanted to give it real soul, real trauma, real pain, and you guys deserve that. And I wanted
05:19to infuse it with a little bit of culture." Monkey Man explores the idea of religious nationalism
05:24taking over a country's politics, but that doesn't mean Patel slouched on the fight.
05:29The movie also suggests that sometimes violence is necessary,
05:32but requires support from a community to be the most effective. Whether you care about
05:37international politics or just want to see one of the most devastating fistfights in recent memory,
05:42Monkey Man is for you.
05:46It's pretty incredible to think that, at one point, Frank Herbert's Doom was considered
05:50unadaptable to film. David Lynch admirably tried in the 1980s to little acclaim,
05:55but Denis Villeneuve has now directed two epic science fiction movies that amazingly
06:00capture the essence of Herbert's work. From the beginning, it's apparent the sequel will
06:04be something awe-inspiring, as enemy forces fly into the air to locate Paul Atreides
06:09but are taken out by Fremen. The rest of the movie follows Paul's rise to galactic supremacy
06:13as he becomes the messiah for the Fremen and ruler of Arrakis. When people think of great
06:18action movies, practical effects and physical fights may often come to mind. Doom Part II has
06:23some hand-to-hand combat, particularly the emotional final battle between Paul and Faye
06:28Rother, but the visual effects are genuinely astounding. From attacking Harkonnen ships to
06:33Paul riding a massive sandworm, Herbert's world has been brought to breathtaking life.
06:38Villeneuve has already expressed his desire to adapt Doom Messiah, but unlike Doom,
06:42that book has more political intrigue than outright action. Given what Villeneuve has
06:47accomplished already, it's likely that a Messiah movie will still entrance audiences,
06:51with or without amazing battles.
06:54The Marvel Cinematic Universe only has one 2024 film entry, but the company definitely
06:59made it count. Deadpool and Wolverine is a billion-dollar-grossing fan-favorite flick
07:04that sees Deadpool team up with the Wolverine variant to save his own universe. Along the way,
07:09there are numerous epic cameos and naughty jokes that fans of the Merc with a Mouth have come to
07:14expect. And when it comes to the copious fight scenes, a killer needle drop is the name of the
07:18game. Things kick off with Wade Wilson murdering a team of TVA agents or busting a move to
07:23N'Singh's Bye Bye Bye. A juxtaposition between poppy-song choices and bloody action is a recurring
07:29theme throughout the movie, as Deadpool and Wolverine chook it out in a Honda Odyssey to
07:33You're the One That I Want from Grease, and the whole story culminates with the duo taking on the
07:38Deadpool Corps while Madonna's Like a Prayer plays. These fights are an ideal encapsulation
07:43of who Deadpool is as a character, silly and ruthless at the same time. Deadpool and Wolverine
07:48is truly a love letter to anyone who's kept up with superhero movies over the last 25 years,
07:53and at this point, Reynolds and Jackman will probably play these characters until they're
07:58both 90.
07:59"...Let's f----- go. Let's f----- go."
08:03Ma Dong-seok proved he could kick butt in Train to Busan, which helped him attain
08:07leading man status in future South Korean productions. His latest is Badland Hunters,
08:12the sequel to 2023's Concrete Utopia, in which an earthquake devastates Seoul and turns it into
08:18a lawless society. Badland Hunters takes place several years after that initial earthquake,
08:23with Ma's character and other survivors trying to make peaceful lives for themselves. However,
08:28all of that is thrown into turmoil when one of their own is kidnapped as part of horrific
08:32scientific experiments. Rescuing someone who's been kidnapped is as basic as it comes for action
08:37movie plots. However, the thing that sets Badland Hunters apart is that it leans into sci-fi and
08:42horror elements as well as B-movie sensibilities. There's an array of fighting styles on display to
08:47differentiate the set pieces, but some of the best scenes come from Ma Dong-seok simply barreling his
08:52way through combatants with his fists. With Concrete Utopia and Badland Hunters coming
08:57out in quick succession, one can imagine even more stories being told in this universe.
09:02It's always a pleasant surprise when a legacy sequel to a beloved film from decades ago
09:07actually turns out to be good. 1996's Twister is a solid disaster movie following a group of
09:13storm chasers, and Twisters pretty much does the same thing for modern sensibilities. The film
09:18follows Kate, who's trying to right some wrongs from the past, as she initially butts heads with
09:22a group of YouTuber storm chasers led by Glenn Powell's Tyler before ultimately teaming up with
09:27them.
09:28"...Hillbillies with a YouTube channel."
09:30Strong enemies proficient in martial arts can certainly make for engaging foes. However,
09:34it's another thing entirely to go toe-to-toe with Mother Nature, and Twisters has some
09:39spectacular VFX to show off the visceral carnage caused by tornadoes. At first, it may seem like
09:44there's nothing to do but drive as fast as you can from the wind, but Kate has some tricks up
09:49her sleeve. Much like Top Gun Maverick, Twisters harkens back to simpler times of blockbuster
09:53entertainment before cinematic universes ran rampant. Granted, Twisters is a sequel based on
09:59pre-existing intellectual property, so it's not like it's a completely original idea. But given
10:04how well Twisters stood at the box office, it's a good reminder that you don't always need a
10:08superhero to sell tickets. Sometimes, you just need a cocky lead in a cowboy hat.
10:13Twilight of the Warriors' Walden draws from the history of Hong Kong and its infamous Kowloon
10:18Walled City. Within that historical setting are some of the best fight scenes of the year,
10:22as the protagonist seeks refuge in the crime-ridden enclave but soon triggers an
10:27all-out gang war between those inside and outside the city. Walden draws heavily from
10:31Bruce Lee films of the past, but director Soi Chong told The Hollywood Reporter that he also
10:36kept one eye toward the future. He explained,
10:39"...I hope to see a new generation of filmmakers take Hong Kong action cinema forward in innovative
10:44ways, rather than simply relying on nostalgia. It's important for these new voices to
10:49bring fresh perspectives and reinterpret the genre for a new era."
10:53The fight choreography is second to none, with the bus fight in particular needing to be seen
10:58to be believed. Granted, bus fights are nothing new to the action genre, but this one's truly
11:03something special. Plus, Walden fans should be pleased to hear that both a prequel and
11:07sequel are in the works, so expect more martial arts-infused fights in the near future.
11:13Alien Romulus has been a solid hit with audiences, and it would be easy to credit
11:17this success to its various Easter eggs, small details, and references to past Alien movies.
11:22However, Romulus manages to stand on its own with some truly inventive set pieces
11:27that provide for both ample horror and action. The setup harkens back to the original Alien,
11:32as a group of young folks venture to an abandoned space station to get the
11:36equipment they need to start new, better lives elsewhere. Unfortunately,
11:39there are facehuggers and xenomorphs waiting for them, and not everyone makes it out alive.
11:44The setup may be more akin to Alien, but one sequence calls to mind the more action-oriented
11:48Aliens, when Rain gets hold of a pulse rifle to do some serious damage to the xenomorphs.
11:53And that's even before the ludicrously amazing final act. Alien wouldn't be much of a franchise
11:58if every single character got killed by a creature without much of a fight.
12:02Rain follows in a long line of superb Alien heroines
12:05who know how to fight back and ramp up the already mounting tension.
12:14you