30. Hobo with a Shotgun (2011, Canada)
This is director Jason Eisener’s one and only feature-length to date, and it’s a damn crime that he hasn’t made more of them. In many ways Hobo With a Shotgun a throwback exploitation movie that yearns for the halcyon days of jizz-stained, dilapidated grindhouse theaters. But this is also sleaze and carnage with a heart. Sure, Hobo is violent as hell and boasts an abundance of impressive — and ultra violent — practical set-pieces, but it’s anchored by a sweet tale of friendship between the titular elderly vagabond and the prostitute who takes him in. Of course, the best part of the movie is watching the late, great Rutger Hauer in a late-career starring role as an action hero, doing his own stunts, and disposing of scumbags with a shotgun. (Kieran Fisher)
29. Man of Tai Chi (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd5WUn2oM8Y
Keanu Reeves has re-entered the action conversation in a big way with his John Wick character, but as well-deserved as that may be it’s not his only contribution to the genre this decade. His sole directing credit is this fight heavy romp pitting Tiger Hu Chen against all manner of martial artists to satisfy the whims of a villainous mastermind named Mark — played by Reeves himself with a performance that shows him clearly having a wonderful time. The fights are varied and fun, and while the plot is basic genre fare Reeves and Chen lift it above the direct to video fray through elaborately choreographed fights that thrill and entertain in equal measure. It’s arguably dumb fun, but I will never understand how that could be a bad thing. (Rob Hunter)
28. Upgrade (2018)
Not my fault. I’m not to blame for the vile things I do. That’s the dream, right? To give yourself to your most wicked ways and not be responsible for all the atrocity you commit. No, just me? Well, Leigh Whannell gets it. Upgrade is a sci-fi spin on a demonic desire to unleash hellish punishment on the world. Logan Marshall-Green has a chip implanted in his body, and the technology takes over, placing the man in the back seat of his own life. Whannell whips his camera around, making the shot an extension of the action itself. The audience becomes as much a prisoner to the violence as the character does. What initially results in great spews of laughter as he mangles his way through henchmen, slowly constricts into inescapable horror. (Brad Gullickson)
27. Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher is mean. We’re not used to Tom Cruise being mean. He’s a cool guy. He’s a nice guy. He’s a weird guy. But he’s not mean. Christopher McQuarrie relishes in putting hard words in Cruise’s mouth. If that sounds dirty, it’s because it is dirty. The director wipes the sheen of celebrity from his star. He needs us to know that this tiny guy can fill the very large body of the novel’s titular character. He may not look the part, but he has to act it. The film itself is not wall-to-wall brutality, but when it kicks off, the violence is incredibly impactful. Tom Cruise dropping dopes in the street is a delight, but the sound of their flesh hitting asphalt is unpleasant. Their brittle bodies never stood a chance against this physical specimen. (Brad Gullickson)
26. Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018, Hong Kong)
If this list has established anything — other than the undisputed fact that every film on it is this decade’s cream of the crop when it comes to action movies — it’s that the Ip Man franchise never disappoints. The main saga is masterful, but this spin-off from legendary Yuen Woo-ping is every bit as good, and it’d be a shame if they didn’t make sequels. This is a redemption story for Cheung Tin-chi (Jin Zhang) following his loss to Ip Man in the third movie, as he must put a stop to some baddies who are portrayed by Kevin Cheng, Michelle Yeoh, and Dave Bautista. The honorable themes and high quality action that defines the franchise are present here, and centering it around a new central character is a gamble that pays off. (Kieran Fisher)
25. Spy (2015)
Some might argue against the inclusion of Paul Feig’s hilarious and ridiculously entertaining Melissa McCarthy-led comedy, but some people are idiots. Feig and friends deliver a movie with an abundance of laughs alongside some sly commentary on the action/spy genre courtesy of Jason Statham’s portrayal of super agent Rick Ford, but while that’s more than enough to satisfy the film goes the extra mile of crafting some truly exhilarating and terrifically fun action beats too. From fights to gun battles to big stunts, the film is alive with energy and brilliance that leaves you cheering, smiling, and wondering when Feig, McCarthy, and Statham are going to get off their asses to make a sequel. The world needs to laugh and gasp again, and they’re the holy trinity who can make it happen. (Rob Hunter)
24. Furie (2019, Vietnam)
2009’s Clash is a terrific action film from Vietnam starring Veronica Ngo as a bad woman with awesome skills who’s forced into violence to save her daughter. Ngo is a force to be reckoned with in the film, and now ten years later she’s back as an ex-gangster forced into violence to save her daughter. The films are wholly different beyond that plot point and their status as kick-ass action movies, and Ngo is every bit as fantastic despite the decade that’s passed in between. She still delivers as a woman capable of handing out beat downs, but her acting chops have increased and improved too meaning the film also hits the emotional beats. (Rob Hunter)
23. John Wick (2014)
What really is there to say about John Wick? No one expected much from this relatively inexpensive action film and its leading man, but in addition to being the start of an increasingly successful franchise the film also reignited Keanu Reeves’ career. Knock his acting style all you want, but he seems tailor made for the role of a retired hit man on a singular quest for revenge, and with former stuntmen in the directors’ chairs the film delivers with an array of exciting and creative set-pieces that have only grown bigger in the sequels. It’s a masterpiece of world-building too and features a fun supporting cast, but at the end of the day it’s the action sequences you’ll return to. (Rob Hunter)
22. Hanna (2011)
Parents just don’t understand. They spit us out into the world. Make demands of our lives, and reveal themselves as traitorous selfish scum. It’s on the children to get free of their tyranny. Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a bullet shot out of the gun fired by her father (Eric Bana). She rips through nefarious CIA assassins and ultimately punches right through the chest of the woman pulling everyone’s strings. However, to find peace, she’s gotta confront papa gunslinger. Hanna is a ferocious little actioner, but every punch carries dread and doom. As bad-ass as she is, and as fun as it is to watch her demolish the grown-ups, the audience knows the happy ending is not quite the one our hero expects at the start of the film. Youth always dies. (Brad Gullickson)
21. The Yellow Sea (2010, South Korea)
Na Hong-jin’s sophomore feature following The Chaser is another slice of South Korean savagery. What begins as a drama about a lowly debt-ridden cab driver eventually descends into chaos, as he begrudgingly accepts an assassination job to erase his debt. Unfortunately for him, it goes awry and he becomes a fugitive, targeted by law enforcement and the criminal underworld. Chaos ensues, and we’re treated to some brutal fight scenes and thrilling car chases that are powered by adrenaline and nail-biting tension. (Kieran Fisher)
Related Topics: Action, Decade Rewind
