Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for action movies like Mission: Impossible II:
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 review of The Gray Man
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.
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 review of John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible isn’t the most polished or emotionally resonant film in the series, but it’s a thrilling, stylish origin from Director Brian De Palma that’s stood the test of time. It introduced one of the defining action heroes of the modern era—Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt—and showed that genre filmmaking could be both smart and wildly entertaining.
Read our review of Mission: Impossible
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 review of Rebel Ridge
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick still feels fresh – for its direction, for its acting, and for its precise attention to emotion and payoff. Every moment feels important and finely tuned, and every actor and actress fits perfectly within this nostalgia-laden juggernaut. A real hit, and one of my favorite movie theater experiences of all time.
Read our review of Top Gun: Maverick
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.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Dead Reckoning surpasses many recent action movies, using Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts as a reason to see them by themselves. Despite a few nitpicks, nothing compares to the practicality that the new Mission: Impossible movie offers.
Read our review of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Bullet Train
Despite Brad Pitt‘s best efforts, Bullet Train comes off as a movie with wonderful action and miserable storytelling. David Leitch tries to inject his usual tricks, but they don’t make up for heartless narratives and cheap jokes.
Read our review of Bullet Train
Knox Goes Away
Knox Goes Away becomes a race against time for the titular character, outrunning the police and attempting to make good on his past before his own memory deteriorates beyond recoverable. Knox Goes Away could’ve been a surprisingly enthralling genre movie, but instead resorts too often to run-of-the-mill technical work and plot choices.