50 Best New Action Movies of 2024
The highest-rated action movies of the past year, to satisfy all your stunt-driving, barrel-smashing, limb-pummeling urges.
(Photo by Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection. REBEL RIDGE.)
50 Best New Action Movies of 2024
We’re cutting to the chase: 50 of the highest-rated action movies of the past year, to satisfy all your stunt-driving, barrel-smashing, limb-pummeling urges.
The list starts with Certified Fresh movies, which includes: Rebel Ridge, the new one from director Jeremy Saulnier; highest-grossing R-rated movie ever Deadpool & Wolverine; Kill and Monkey Man, bone crunchers from India; hybrids with sci-fi (Furiosa, Dune: Part Two), rom-com (The Fall Guy, Hit Man), and horror (Arcadian).
After that are Fresh movies, many of them box office hits, like Jason Statham’s The Beekeeper, and the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence Bad Boys reunion Ride or Die. Eddie Murphy put the heat back on with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, and, on schedule, Zack Snyder’s out her rehabilitating his new movie with some acceptable director’s cuts (Rebel Moon – Part Two).
Then come the Rotten-rated on the Tomatometer, a few of which have balancing positive Popcornmeter scores from audiences, like Boy Kills World, Argylle, and The Crow.
#1
Adjusted Score: 110708%
Critics Consensus: A stellar showcase for the talented June Squibb, Thelma avoids cheap laughs as it finds the lighter side of some serious issues.
Synopsis: Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin's own grandmother, THELMA puts a clever spin on movies like MISSION:... [More]
Directed By: Josh Margolin
#2
Adjusted Score: 111783%
Critics Consensus: A deceptively dark thriller that's also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell -- and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career.
Synopsis: Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater's sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit... [More]
Directed By: Richard Linklater
#3
Adjusted Score: 98229%
Critics Consensus: An intelligent and gripping vehicle for Aaron Pierre's star-making performance, Rebel Ridge lays down the law on its action-thriller contemporaries.
Synopsis: Terry Richmond enters the town of Shelby Springs on a simple but urgent mission-- post bail for his cousin and... [More]
Directed By: Jeremy Saulnier
#4
Adjusted Score: 123812%
Critics Consensus: Visually thrilling and narratively epic, Dune: Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the beloved sci-fi series in spectacular form.
Synopsis: "Dune: Part Two" will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while... [More]
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
#5
Adjusted Score: 119333%
Critics Consensus: Retroactively enriching Fury Road with greater emotional heft if not quite matching it in propulsive throttle, Furiosa is another glorious swerve in mastermind George Miller's breathless race towards cinematic Valhalla.
Synopsis: Snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers, young Furiosa falls into the hands of a great biker horde led... [More]
Directed By: George Miller
#6
Adjusted Score: 95047%
Critics Consensus: A relentless thrill ride grounded in raw emotional stakes, Kill serves up a knuckle sandwich that action fans will gleefully eat up.
Synopsis: When army commando Amrit (Lakshya) finds out his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is engaged against her will, he boards... [More]
Directed By: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
#7
Adjusted Score: 110166%
Critics Consensus: An audacious effort from debuting director Dev Patel, Monkey Man dispenses action and sociopolitical commentary with equal aplomb.
Synopsis: Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Dev Patel as Kid, an... [More]
Directed By: Dev Patel
#8
Adjusted Score: 88694%
Critics Consensus: Picking up where its predecessor left off, The Three Musketeers: Part II - Milady proves there's still swashbuckling fun to be had in modern adaptations of the Dumas classic.
Synopsis: From the Louvre to Buckingham Palace, to the gutters of Paris to the siege of LaRochelle... in a kingdom divided... [More]
Directed By: Martin Bourboulon
#9
Adjusted Score: 108052%
Critics Consensus: With action, comedy, romance, and a pair of marvelously matched stars, The Fall Guy might be the rare mainstream movie with something to entertain everyone.
Synopsis: He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and... [More]
Directed By: David Leitch
#10
Adjusted Score: 108510%
Critics Consensus: Tough and unsettling by design, Civil War is a gripping close-up look at the violent uncertainty of life in a nation in crisis.
Synopsis: From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they... [More]
Directed By: Alex Garland
#11
Adjusted Score: 102333%
Critics Consensus: Carving out a new era for The Planet of the Apes with lovable characters and rich visuals, Kingdom doesn't take the crown as best of the franchise but handily justifies its continued reign.
Synopsis: Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar's reign,... [More]
Directed By: Wes Ball
#12
Adjusted Score: 107021%
Critics Consensus: Ryan Reynolds makes himself at home in the MCU with acerbic wit while Hugh Jackman provides an Adamantium backbone to proceedings in Deadpool & Wolverine, an irreverent romp with a surprising soft spot for a bygone era of superhero movies.
Synopsis: Deadpool's peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse. He soon... [More]
Directed By: Shawn Levy
#13
Adjusted Score: 84385%
Critics Consensus: Led by a trio of strong performances, Arcadian blends family drama and post-apocalyptic horror to visceral, emotionally stirring effect.
Synopsis: In a near future, life on Earth has been decimated. Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his twin teenage sons, Thomas (Jaeden... [More]
Directed By: Benjamin Brewer
#14
Adjusted Score: 101562%
Critics Consensus: Summoning a storm of spectacle and carried along by the gale force winds of Glen Powell's charisma, Twisters' forecast is splendid with a high chance of thrills.
Synopsis: Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her... [More]
Directed By: Lee Isaac Chung
#15
Adjusted Score: 91596%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During the investigations of a drug trafficking app, the Monster Cop Ma Seok-do (Don Lee) and his team discover a... [More]
Directed By: Heo Myeong Haeng
#16
Adjusted Score: 59935%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Chisato and Mahiro were banned from performing tasks because they violated the organization's rules?! Needing money to make ends meet,... [More]
Directed By: Yugo Sakamoto
#17
Adjusted Score: 60076%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A legendary, aging action film star is drawn into the real world of violence when feuding yakuza gangs infiltrate the... [More]
Directed By: Yûdai Yamaguchi
#18
Adjusted Score: 81558%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Sam (Nassim Lyes) is a professional boxer about to be released from prison in France, but while on parole, his... [More]
Directed By: Xavier Gens
#19
Adjusted Score: 80766%
Critics Consensus: A colorful spectacle that competes with Hollywood blockbusters while retaining its own distinctive flavor, Kalki 2898 AD marks a rousing breakthrough in Tollywood sci-fi cinema.
Synopsis: In a future ruled by elites who revel in absolute luxury while leaving the rest of the world in darkness,... [More]
Directed By: Nag Ashwin
#20
Adjusted Score: 83417%
Critics Consensus: Cheerfully undemanding and enjoyably retrograde, The Beekeeper proves that when it comes to dispensing action-thriller justice, Statham hasn't lost his sting.
Synopsis: In The Beekeeper, one man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a... [More]
Directed By: David Ayer
#21
Adjusted Score: 41915%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On a remote ranch, a mother (Heather Graham) and her daughter fight for survival when a wounded outlaw seeking refuge... [More]
Directed By: Audrey Cummings
#22
Adjusted Score: 80031%
Critics Consensus: Cranking up a true story of derring-do into a high-octane action flick that's heavy on spectacle if not suspense, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is another solid entry into Guy Ritchie's pantheon.
Synopsis: Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE... [More]
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
#23
Adjusted Score: 71958%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to some exciting set pieces and a smartly assembled cast, Land of Bad stands as a solid survival thriller in spite of an overall reliance on genre formula.
Synopsis: Starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, a covert Special Forces operation in the South Philippines spirals into a brutal 48-hour... [More]
Directed By: William Eubank
#24
Adjusted Score: 68593%
Critics Consensus: Badland Hunters entertains with all-out action, even if the story's far less impressive than the fight scenes.
Synopsis: Years after Seoul turns into an apocalyptic wasteland, a tough huntsman takes matters into his own hands when a teenager... [More]
Directed By: Heo Myeong Haeng
#25
Adjusted Score: 80583%
Critics Consensus: Content to let a very game Eddie Murphy bring all the heat, the fourth Beverly Hills Cop coasts on nostalgia but marks a welcome return for Axel Foley.
Synopsis: Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter's life is threatened, she... [More]
Directed By: Mark Molloy
#26
#27
Adjusted Score: 81937%
Critics Consensus: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence remain good company even when Bad Boys strains to up the ante, proving there's still life left in this high-octane franchise.
Synopsis: This Summer, the world's favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy... [More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 67093%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rebels on a remote moon make an impossible stand in director Zack Snyder's bigger, bloodier cut of his sci-fi saga.... [More]
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#29
Adjusted Score: 61310%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to... [More]
Directed By: Yuichi Sato
#30
Adjusted Score: 43270%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mixed Martial Arts fighter Octavio (Emilio Sakraya) finds himself with just 60 minutes to make it to the birthday party... [More]
Directed By: Oliver Kienle
#31
Adjusted Score: 73094%
Critics Consensus: Road House updates a cult classic for a new generation, happily replicating the original's emphasis on cheesy brawn over narrative brains.
Synopsis: In this adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 80s cult classic, ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer... [More]
Directed By: Doug Liman
#32
Adjusted Score: 67879%
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by Bill Skarsgård's all-in performance, Boy Kills World may offer just enough action thrills to offset its thinly written characters and predictable plot.
Synopsis: Bill Skarsgård stars as "Boy" who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen),... [More]
Directed By: Moritz Mohr
#33
Adjusted Score: 60792%
Critics Consensus: John Woo recaptures some of his legendary action bravura in this gallic reimagining of his very own The Killer, although the kinetic set pieces don't quite compensate for the overall lack of personality.
Synopsis: Legendary action director John Woo, the visionary filmmaker of Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II, Paycheck, Broken Arrow and Hard Boiled returns... [More]
Directed By: John Woo
#34
Adjusted Score: 29071%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A Navy SEAL battles a group of mercenaries while racing against time to stop a bomb from detonating.... [More]
Directed By: James Nunn
#35
Adjusted Score: 64260%
Critics Consensus: Damsel has an appealing action hero in Millie Bobby Brown, whose gutsy performance is often enough to balance the scales against the film's underpowered story and occasionally unconvincing effects.
Synopsis: A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a... [More]
Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
#36
Adjusted Score: 55317%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Framed as Enemy No. 1, Salman Khan aka Tiger hunts with vengeance to clear his name in Tiger 3! One... [More]
Directed By: Maneesh Sharma
#37
Adjusted Score: 50594%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In action-thriller RED RIGHT HAND, Cash (Orlando Bloom) is trying to live an honest and quiet life taking care of... [More]
#38
Adjusted Score: 53385%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Zack Snyder's sci-fi saga expands with his hardcore director's cut about a search for warriors to defend a peaceful moon.... [More]
Directed By: Zack Snyder
#39
Adjusted Score: 36215%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Desperate to provide for his family, undocumented immigrant Cesar is hired alongside day-laborer Alfonso to work for Donnie, a brute... [More]
Directed By: John Stalberg Jr.
#40
Adjusted Score: 21760%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ben is a former CIA station chief whose world comes crashing down after his wife, a former operative, dies in... [More]
Directed By: Jesse V. Johnson
#41
Adjusted Score: 44164%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: ONE FAST MOVE is an action-adventure thrill ride about a young man down on his luck who seeks out his... [More]
Directed By: Kelly Blatz
#42
Adjusted Score: 28693%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When the skeletal remains of eleven women and girls are discovered in the New Mexico desert, an extensive investigation is... [More]
Directed By: Asif Akbar
#43
Adjusted Score: 50010%
Critics Consensus: The alchemy of Casey Affleck and Matt Damon's knucklehead rapport provides some charm, but this laidback caper unravels due to a lack of intrigue and pulse.
Synopsis: Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob... [More]
Directed By: Doug Liman
#44
Adjusted Score: 43104%
Critics Consensus: While its imprint may dissolve soon after the credits roll, The Union could provide sufficient thrills to household duties.
Synopsis: Mike, a down-to-earth construction worker, is thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents when his high school... [More]
Directed By: Julian Farino
#45
Adjusted Score: 35240%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In Lights Out, a homeless veteran, Michael "Duffy" Duffield (Frank Grillo), meets a talkative Ex-Con, Max Bomer (Mekhi Phifer) who... [More]
Directed By: Christian Sesma
#46
Adjusted Score: 54021%
Critics Consensus: Argylle gets some mileage out of its silly, energetic spin on the spy thriller, but ultimately wears out its welcome with a convoluted plot and overlong runtime.
Synopsis: Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose... [More]
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
#47
Adjusted Score: 35250%
Critics Consensus: Despite having a cast and crew of comedy all-stars on hand, Jackpot! provides little payout thanks to a puerile script and erratic pacing.
Synopsis: In the near future, a 'Grand Lottery' has been newly established in California -- the catch: kill the winner before... [More]
Directed By: Paul Feig
#48
Adjusted Score: 33104%
Critics Consensus: Lift may be a passable streaming option for viewers seeking mindless entertainment, but that doesn't excuse its thinly written characters or formulaic, haphazardly written story.
Synopsis: An international heist crew is recruited to prevent a terrorist attack, and must pull off the heist on a plane... [More]
Directed By: F. Gary Gray
#49
Adjusted Score: 29521%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: How do you catch a brilliant monster? When a sadistic murderer surfaces in Scotland, terrified local authorities call on a... [More]
Directed By: Terry McDonough
#50
Adjusted Score: 30114%
Critics Consensus: Dreary and poorly paced, this reimagining of The Crow doesn't have enough personality or pulse to merit the resurrection.
Synopsis: Bill Skarsgård takes on the iconic role of THE CROW in this modern reimagining of the original graphic novel by... [More]
Directed By: Rupert Sanders
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