Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for action movies like The Furious:
Ballerina
Considering the rocky production history behind it, Ballerina emerges as a competent entry in the John Wick universe—though one that never quite matches the highs of the mainline films. At its center, Ana de Armas delivers a strong performance as Eve, bringing physicality and grit to a role that demands both, while the action—particularly in the second half—benefits greatly from the influence of Chad Stahelski, who stepped in alongside Keanu Reeves to help reshape much of the film after original director Len Wiseman’s version assumingly faltered.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller finds so much new ground to cover with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga that perfectly justifies its own existence. While Fury Road was interested in such a contained story propelled by larger-than-life action sequences and big rig warfare spawning from a game of cat and mouse, Furiosa fills in the gaps of a world much larger than what is expected. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth stun in a prequel well worth the wait.
Blade
Wesley Snipes turned Blade into a swaggering icon in 1998, and the best parts of Blade still feel cooler than most modern comic book spectacles. From the blood-rave opener to the warehouse brawls, the choreography snaps, the leather-and-sunglasses styling is laser specific, and Snipes sells every sword swing and snarl. The movie’s R rating gives Stephen Norrington room to lean into splatter and attitude, which is exactly why Blade became a word-of-mouth hit and a box-office success for Marvel in the pre-X-Men, pre-MCU era.
The Killer
Some movies just have it. Some movies just have the juice. It is hard to quantify, but you know it when you see it. The Killer is that kind of lightning-in-a-bottle movie, and it feels like the moment John Woo fully crystallizes every motif he had been building toward across the 1980s. If A Better Tomorrow is the spark and A Better Tomorrow II is the messy explosion, The Killer is the operatic synthesis. A film that could only be made by John Woo, at the peak of his powers, with the kind of confidence that turns an action picture into an instant template other filmmakers will spend decades borrowing from.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 MORE: Is The Furious Scary?, Movies Like The Killer, Movies Like Ballerina
