Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for action movies like Havoc:
A Working Man
Jason Statham continues his relentless streak of mid-tier action vehicles with A Working Man, a film that feels as workmanlike as its title suggests. Following his roles in Meg 2: The Trench and The Beekeeper, Statham trades giant sea monsters and bee-themed vengeance for a more grounded but also more generic revenge setup. He plays Levon Cade, an ex-Royal Marine Commando turned construction foreman in Chicago, in a film that’s essentially a stripped-down Taken clone without much flavor or personality to distinguish itself.
Read our full review of A Working Man
Rebel Ridge
Jeremy Saulnier is continuing to show that there aren’t many filmmakers capable of making movies like he is. Rebel Ridge occasionally establishes him as an auteur capable of extreme visceral sequences and building up tension that will make you squirm in your seat, but I’m not as sold on his attempt to tie these themes to this story. A good movie made by a director capable of making great movies.
Read our full review of Rebel Ridge
John Wick: Chapter 4
In terms of contemporary action movies, John Wick: Chapter 4 (and the entire John Wick franchise, honestly) has separated itself from the pack. Each detail, idea, and set piece is perfectly crafted to build out a world that feels so fully realized. Somehow, Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski continue to find new ways to keep the franchise fresh.
Read our full review of John Wick: Chapter 4
The Gray Man
When The Gray Man is working at its best, it has the wiseass-ery of Chris Evans at the center, even if it takes a decent amount of runtime for him to even enter the fold. Otherwise, Ryan Gosling barely ties this comatose Netflix action movie together.
Read our full review of The Gray Man
The Amateur
The Amateur plays like a collage of better films. It’s not egregiously bad—just forgettable, over-familiar, and often flat. Despite flashes of life from its supporting cast and a premise that could’ve breathed new life into the spy genre, this is a film that fizzles rather than detonates. If you’re looking for the next Mission: Impossible or Bourne, this isn’t it. It’s not even a great slow-burn alternative. It’s just… there.
Read our full review of The Amateur
The Batman
The Batman is a complete reimagining of superhero genre tropes. A moody noir piece backed by a haunting score and Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader, Matt Reeves’ 2022 blockbuster rewrites what’s possible for these genre films.
Read our full review of The Batman
Carry-On
Jaume Collet-Serra wouldn’t seem like the next director to add to that list, given his recent track record with disappointing Dwayne Johnson vehicles like Jungle Cruise and Black Adam. However, his holiday thriller Carry-On defies expectations, moving quickly and building enough tension to make it a surprisingly worthwhile entry in the Netflix action canon.
Read our full review of Carry-On
The Adam Project
It has a heaping amount of heart and a dash of whit, but The Adam Project failed to deliver the breathtaking science fiction blockbuster that Netflix was hoping it would. The action vehicle for Ryan Reynolds lands with a soft thud.
Read our full review of The Adam Project
Argylle
Apple TV+ dumped Argylle early in the year for a reason. Although the cast is undeniably stacked, including a supporting cast of Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, Henry Cavill, John Cena, and more, it comes off as hollow and drab as anything Matthew Vaughn has made. Skip over this, because the constant plot twists and straining humor is more exhausting than it is interesting.
Read our full review of Argylle
Sisu
Sisu mostly capitalizes on the carnage that it promises – that Nazis won’t make it out of this thing. But outside of a few killer sequences, Sisu can’t quite match the stellar run of competing genre movies, resulting in one with clear influences.
