Movies in the Action/Thriller genre

Apparently, Shay Hattan’s original screenplay for Ballerina was considerably different from the final version – a stand-alone action/revenge film with no John Wick connections. One could argue that the movie might have been better that way...

After 30 years and eight films, there’s a sense that the Mission: Impossible film series (itself a reworking of the venerable and popular 1960/70s TV series) may finally be played out. Since Christopher McQuarrie came on board and revitalized th...

I can hear the pitch now: “It’s like Bullet Train, only on a plane.” And there you have it – a low-rent version of the 2022 David Leitch thriller except, instead of speeding across Japan, this time things are happening in the not-so-friend...

If John Wick or Payback is a gourmet burger, A Working Man is a Big Mac. A little tacky and neither nutritious nor memorable, the fast food staple nevertheless satisfies a craving while offering a helping of ephemeral, guilty pleasure. This film d...

Stunt coordinator-turned-director J.J. Perry, making his sophomore feature, knows what he wants from his movie and understands the B-movie aesthetic necessary to get it. And there are times when The Killer’s Game works on that level. The stunts ...

In his famous 1944 speech to the Third Army, General George S. Patton said the following: “The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly.” I don’t know whether director Guy Ritchie thought of those w...

Monkey Man, the feature directorial debut of actor Dev Patel, is a blood-soaked revenge tale with a high body count that refuses to pull its punches to make the protagonist more likable. Although generally following a superhero “origin story” ...

Stylish, smartly edited, and bursting with energy, the trailer for Argylle is fantastic. That’s about the only thing related to this movie the superlative could be used to describe. The actual production is a polar opposite: overlong, tediou...

When I think of a “Jason Statham movie,” I think of The Transporter. Or Crank. Or The Mechanic – all relatively mindless (but enjoyable) thrillers that understood the appeal of their deadpan leading man: his ability to give and take physical ...

John Woo directing a revenge-themed thriller…what could be more perfect? After all, Woo is a living legend for his acclaimed action films, The Killer and Hard Boiled, even if his English-language movies haven’t been on quite the same level. St...