Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for action movies like Playdate:
The Beekeeper
While David Ayer‘s The Beekeeper is a lot of fun and has some surprisingly effective and exhilarating action sequences that are decked out with every possible way you could break a bone or die, it’s still too odd and ill-conceived to be taken seriously. And for that reason, it’s a perfect Dumpuary movie. Jason Statham stars a rogue special forces agent.
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.
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.
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.
Fight or Flight
Fight or Flight feels like it’s trying to play in the big leagues of modern action but without the distinctive characters, choreography, or creative spark to back it up. It’s neither grounded enough to be gritty nor wild enough to be fun. While Josh Hartnett remains an intriguing actor in the right roles, this isn’t one of them. It’s a forgettable detour in a genre full of better, more fully realized flights.
The Killer
The Killer is nothing short of a triumph for David Fincher and a treat for fans of his filmography. It may be the most Fincherian movie ever made, but far from devolving, it solidifies his mastery of the medium. A calm Michael Fassbender performance helps seal The Killer as on of the best movies of 2023.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mission: Impossible – Fallout isn’t just the high point of its own franchise—it’s a modern action masterpiece, arguably one of the greatest action films ever made. As the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible series, Fallout takes everything that made the previous films thrilling and dials it up to a level that almost feels physically exhausting—in the best possible way.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
After successfully delivering a grounded superhero movie in 2019, Shazam! Fury of the Gods aims for new heights, losing it’s own magic in the process. A film filled with generic villains and poor CGI work, Fury of the Gods leaves a lot to be desired.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
I rarely subscribe to the notion that a movie can be “so bad that it’s good,” but there’s a rhythm to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that occasionally worked for me. I acknowledge so many of the aspects that cause it to fall short, but in an era of superhero movies (particularly DC superhero movies) that are content with being unadventurous, at least The Lost Kingdom finds some glossy, overly indulgent ways to be weird. It has the usual James Wan touch.
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 MORE: Playdate (2025)
