The Roundup (South Korea)
The second of three South Korean entries on this list of the best action movies of 2022 (so far) is another straightforward affair. The great and charismatic Ma Dong-seok stars as the leader of a police squad that heads to Vietnam to bring back a suspect, but complications arise when more baddies rear their ugly heads. The film is a sequel to 2017’s The Outlaws but seeing that one isn’t a requirement for enjoying the hell out of this movie. Character and humor abound, but if it’s action you’re after, this gem delivers. Gunfights and brawls are the norm, and Ma powers through all of it — particularly via the latter as punches enemies into submission — as the black hole sucking everyone else into his violently entertaining vortex. This is highly satisfying entertainment, folks.
Currently playing in theaters.
RRR (India)
This list is alphabetical, but I’ve been very vocal about RRR (my review) being not just 2022’s best action film, but the year’s best movie so far period. S.S. Rajamouli‘s masterpiece — yeah, I said it — is the total package. It’s fun, thrilling, surprising, bromantic, ridiculous, and mesmerizing in equal measure, and its action sequences are both numerous and spectacular. From a one vs hundreds fight to a terrific foot chase to a bridge rescue that has to be seen to be believed, there’s an embrace of action aesthetics here fueled by pure joy and enthusiasm. And the best action beat is a dance number that is nothing less than absolutely and utterly magical.
Currently playing in theaters and on Netflix.
Top Gun: Maverick
Sequels to long ago hits are nothing new, but while so many of them fail for various reasons — most prominently I’d say they fail to balance staying true to the original while being their own thing — this year is seeing a triumph in Top Gun: Maverick. (The new Kids in the Hall is another example of a long-gestating winner.) Director Joseph Kosinski, filling in for Tony Scott, reveals an eye for beats both human and aeronautical as he sends Tom Cruise‘s Maverick on a mission fueled as much by dramatic emotion as by the need for speed and military hardware. The cast is solid, and the story satisfies (aside from the poor choice to not bring back Meg Ryan’s character), but it’s the jet fighter action that soars above the rest with killer set-pieces captured in the sky as opposed to a computer.
Currently playing in theaters.
The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One (South Korea)
The Witch: Part 1 – Subversion steamrolled its way onto our Best Action Movies of 2018 list and immediately left viewers wanting a follow-up, and four years later that sequel has finally arrived. As the title suggests, this is less of a direct sequel than a film set in the same world with similar threads. Here we follow a different young girl whose escape from the lab leads to all manner of carnage and combat. This one is a lesser experience, mostly because its action is almost entirely “superhero” style meaning CG takes precedence over actual fight choreography. It’s still a fun genre ride, though, and it once again leaves us hungry for more.
Currently playing in theaters.
Wyrmwood: Apocalypse (Australia)
2014’s Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is a fun, oil and blood-fueled tale of post-apocalyptic mayhem from Australia, and its sequel delivers more of the same, which is a good thing. Zombies and souped-up cars that run on zombies — that’s not a joke, and it’s awesome — are the focus here as survivors deal with a world gone mad, and both elements result in plenty of action. Zombie attacks, vehicular combat, gun battles, and more make up the bulk of the film alongside a healthy dose of governmental mistrust.
Currently available on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming.
Other action releases of note: Beast (India), Black Crab (Sweden), The Contractor, Interceptor, White Elephant
Find more about the best movies and shows in our Mid-Year Report.
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