31 Best Action Movies of 2024 You Can't Miss

The action genre has roared into 2024 with a stunning array of films that redefine what audiences can expect from high-octane entertainment. From pulse-pounding sci-fi epics to gritty, grounded thrillers, this year’s offerings showcase the genre’s unmatched ability to adapt and innovate. With directors blending imaginative storytelling, breathtaking stunts, and unforgettable performances, 2024’s action films prove that creativity knows no limits. Whether it’s futuristic battles or adrenaline-charged chase sequences, this year has delivered edge-of-your-seat moments that will keep you captivated.

What sets 2024 apart is the global and artistic diversity in its action lineup. Filmmakers have embraced fresh ideas and explored bold narratives that transcend traditional boundaries, delivering cinematic experiences as varied as they are exhilarating. From gripping standalone projects to iconic franchises reinvented, the genre continues to evolve, captivating both die-hard fans and new audiences alike. Here, we explore the best action movies of 2024 so far—each a testament to the enduring power and allure of action-packed storytelling.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Director: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
Where to Watch: Max

It is the fifth installment in Miller’s Mad Max franchise, and the first not focused on series protagonist Max Rockatansky, instead acting as both a spinoff prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and an origin story for the Fury Road character Furiosa, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne in the prequel.
Set years before the events of Fury Road, the film follows the title character’s life for over a decade, from her kidnapping by the forces of warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) to her ascension to the rank of Imperator.

Rebel Ridge

Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, James Cromwell
Where to Watch: Netflix

An ex Marine on his way to bail out his cousin from jail finds himself pushed against the wall by a high handed and corrupt chief of police. He then has no option but to confront the cop and despite strong resistance he fights his way out to complete his mission.

Dune: Part Two

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem
Where to Watch: Max

The sequel to Dune (2021), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert.
Following on directly from the events of Dune: Part One, Paul Atreides has earned his right to accompany the Fremen across Arrakis – which is now occupied by his sworn enemies of House Harkonnen. Joined by his mother, Lady Jessica, what does destiny have in store for the prophesied Lisan al Gaib?

Deadpool & Wolverine

Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Aaron Stanford, Matthew Macfadyen
Where to Watch: Disney Plus

It is the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the sequel to Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018).
The Merc with a mouth returns to action and is set upon upsetting, offending, or killing anyone in his vicinity. Deadpool is a genetically modified, ultimately sarcastic, human-weapon with regenerative healing powers and a sharp sense of humor. Gruesomely scarred all over his body from the experimental treatment, Wade Wilson is a gun-toting, maroon suit-donning rogue with no rules. Known for breaking the fourth wall, Deadpool has finally broken through entirely and now sits within the sandbox of other Marvel superheroes and villains. Can he play nice or will this R-rated adventure see him rudely awaken every PG-13 hero just trying to do a job?

Thelma

Director: Josh Margolin
Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Clark Gregg, Parker Posey, Malcolm McDowell
Where to Watch: Hulu

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

Kill

Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Tanya Maniktala and Abhishek Chauhan
Where to Watch: Amazon Video, Apple TV

When army commando Amrit finds out his true love, Tulika, is engaged against her will, he boards a New Delhi-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves led by the ruthless Fani begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, Amrit takes them on himself in a death-defying kill-spree to save those around him–turning what should have been a typical commute into an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride.

The Beekeeper

Director: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad, Jemma Redgrave and Jeremy Irons
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV

The film follows a retired clandestine human intelligence operative, and his crusade for justice after his kind-hearted landlady becomes the victim of a phishing scam that steals millions of dollars from the landlady’s charity.

The Shadow Strays

Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Starring: Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan, Taskya Namya, Agra Piliang, Andri Mashadi, Chew Kin Wah
Where to Watch: Netflix

An expert assassin codenamed 13, meets an 11-year-old boy named Monji, whose mother was killed by criminals. When Monji himself is captured by a dangerous crime syndicate, 13 rushes to rescue him. Going against her mentor and the organization she works for, 13 faces the fight of her life to keep Monji safe.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Director: Soi Cheang
Starring: Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Philip Ng, Tony Wu and German Cheung
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Follows troubled youth Chan Lok-kwun as he accidentally enters the Walled City, discovers the order amidst its chaos, and learns important life lessons along the way. In the Walled City, he becomes close friends with Shin, Twelfth Master and AV. Under the leadership of Tornado, they resist against the invasion of villain Mr. Big in a series of fierce battles. Together, they vow to protect the safe haven that is Kowloon Walled City.

Wolfs

Director: Jon Watts
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan
Where to Watch: Apple TV+

A professional fixer is hired to cover up a high-profile crime. But when a second fixer shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.

Alien: Romulus

Director: Fede Álvarez
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu
Where to Watch: Hulu, Apple TV

It is part of the Alien franchise, set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)
Young interstellar travellers find themselves stranded on an alien planet across the galaxy. Forsaken in an unfamiliar landscape they are met by the most terrifying predator in the universe. The troupe must work together to survive against the odds..

The Fall Guy

Director: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke
Where to Watch: Peacock

The film is loosely based on the 1980s TV series. The plot follows a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) working on his ex-girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film’s lead actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

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Monkey Man

Director: Dev Patel
Starring: Dev Patel, Sikandar Kher, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, and Vipin Sharma
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Released from prison in Mumbai, an ex-convict enters an unfamiliar and changed world. He sees excessive corporate greed causing mass poverty and spirituality waning all across society. With no hope of a fresh start, he uses his newfound freedom to seek out those who wronged him in the past. In his righteous frustration, he is fuelled only by his desire for revenge.

Twisters

Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane
Where to Watch: Peacock Premium

The film is based on a story by Joseph Kosinski. Serving as a standalone sequel to Twister (1996).
As storm season intensifies, the paths of former storm chaser Kate Carter, lured back to the open plains after a devastating encounter years prior, and reckless social-media superstar Tyler Owens collide when terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. The pair and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy
Where to Watch: Hulu

It is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot film series and the tenth film overall, serving as a standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). It takes place many generations after the events of War and follows Noa (Teague), a young chimpanzee hunter who embarks on a journey alongside Mae (Allan), a human woman, to determine the future for apes and humans alike.

Road House

Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, JD Pardo, Austin Post, and Conor McGregor
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

A former UFC fighter tries to move on with his life and so takes a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse. Throwing out trouble-makers night after night, Elwood grows fond of his new position. When a dangerous feud threatens the roadhouse, Elwood has to step up to protect his new life but it will be his hardest fight yet.
It is a remake of Road House and the third movie overall in the titular franchise. In May of the same year, a sequel was officially announced to be in development with Gyllenhaal reprising the lead role.

Boy Kills World

Director: Moritz Mohr
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Yayan Ruhian, Andrew Koji, Sharlto Copley, Famke Janssen, H. Jon Benjamin (voice)
Where to Watch: Hulu

The plot revolves around a campaign of vengeance enacted by a martial arts expert, rendered deaf-mute by an attack that killed his entire family, whose thoughts are presented as an inner voice derived from a childhood video game.

Badland Hunters

Director: Heo Myung-haeng
Starring: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young, and Roh Jeong-eui
Where to Watch: Netflix

A standalone sequel to Concrete Utopia (2023), it follows characters trying to survive in post-earthquake Seoul, now an orderless wasteland, three years after the original film’s events.

Gladiator II

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington
Where to Watch: Amazon Video

Lucius has grown up remembering the legacy of the great Gladiator, Maximus. Many years after his death, Lucius undertakes his own epic quest and journeys to understand his destiny.

Hit Man

Director: Richard Linklater,
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, and Sanjay Rao
Where to Watch: Netflix

It follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need. The basic premise was based on the true story of a college professor who worked for the Houston police in the late 1980s and 1990s as a fake hitman, as described in a 2001 magazine article by Skip Hollandsworth.

I, the Executioner

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Starring: Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in
Where to Watch: Amazon

The sequel to Ryoo’s 2015 film Veteran, it follows veteran detective Seo Do-cheol teaming up with a young detective, Park Sun-woo, in a high-stakes pursuit of a serial killer.

One More Shot

Director: James Nunn
Starring: Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Alexis Knapp, and Tom Berenger
Where to Watch: Netflix

It is a direct sequel to One Shot (2021). Following the black site attack in Poland, Navy SEAL Jake Harris (Scott Adkins) must use all his battle-honed skills to survive an airport siege from mercenaries attempting to capture high-profile terrorist suspect Amin Mansur. With a bomb threatening the State of the Union Address, Mansur is the only person who may know its location. Still reeling from the loss of his team, Harris must protect the man he brought in for justice at any cost. Edited to appear as one continuous take, One More Shot also stars Michael Jai White, Alexis Knapp, and Tom Berenger.

The Killer

Director: John Woo.
Starring: Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Eric Cantona, and Saïd Taghmaoui
Where to Watch: Peacock

It is a remake of Woo’s 1989 film. The kinetic action thriller follows Zee, a mysterious and infamous assassin known, and feared, in the Parisian underworld as the Queen of the Dead. But when, during an assignment from her shadowy mentor and handler, Zee refuses to kill a blinded young woman in a Paris nightclub, the decision will disintegrate Zee’s alliances, attract the attention of a savvy police investigator and plunge her into a sinister criminal conspiracy that will set her on a collision course with her own past.

Civil War

Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman
Where to Watch: Max

The plot follows a team of war journalists traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. during a civil war fought across the United States between a despotic federal government and secessionist movements to interview the president before rebels take the capital city.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Director: Adil & Bilall
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Jacob Scipio, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Joe Pantoliano, Rhea Seehorn
Where to Watch: Netflix

The fourth installment of the Bad Boys film series, and the sequel to Bad Boys for Life (2020). The story follows Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are attempting to clear the name of their late Captain, Conrad Howard, after he is falsely accused of conspiracy.

Damsel

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright
Where to Watch: Netflix

A young woman, Elodie, meets a handsome prince and they fall in love. At their wedding it is revealed that the prince had more sinister reasons for courting her: she is to be sacrificed to a dragon that has been terrorising the kingdom. Elodie now has to fight for her survival.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer
Where to Watch: Starz Apple TV

Based on the 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, the film portrays a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Postmaster.

Carry-On

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler and Jason Bateman
Where to Watch: Netflix

It’s Christmas Eve and young TSA agent Ethan Kopek (Edgerton) receives a call from someone else’s earpiece and finds himself caught up in a deadly game. A stranger (Jason Bateman) demands to let a package of explosives onto a flight, threatening the life of Ethan’s lover (Sofia Carson).

The Union

Director: Julian Farino
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, and J. K. Simmons
Where to Watch: Netflix

Construction worker Mike is thrust into the world of espionage when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne, recruits him for a high-stakes intelligence mission.

Uprising

Director: Kim Sang-man
Starring: Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, Kim Shin-rok, Jin Seon-kyu, Jung Sung-il, and Cha Seung-won
Where to Watch: Netflix

Set in the Joseon era during a tumultuous time in the aftermath of war, take a journey through the lives of two childhood friends-turned-adversaries: Cheon Yeong, a slave with remarkable martial prowess; and Jong Ryeo, Cheon Yeng’s master and scion of Joseon’s most influential military family.

Life After Fighting

Director: Bren Foster
Starring: Bren Foster, Cassie Howarth, Luke Ford, Annabelle Stephenson
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Retired martial arts world champion, Alex Faulkner, has settled into a simple life, when the disappearance of two of his students leads to an unthinkable discovery close to home. Just when all hope of finding the children is lost, he locates the imprisoned girls and surfaces an international child trafficking operation, which draws him back into the fight of his life against those behind it.