The Best Action Movies of 2024

2024 was loaded with action in theaters, and a lot of it was quite good. From aliens to superheroes, here’s our list of the best action movies of 2024.

Alien: Romulus

This movie could also be found on any sci-fi or horror list, but Alien: Romulus is loaded with action. It’s a wonderful return to form for the series, with a standalone romp on a deserted station filled with Xenomorphs. Not since the original Alien in 1979 has the series captured this type of tension and horror.

From self-aiming guns that look like something out of Call of Duty to an impressive zero-gravity scene, Alien: Romulus is a whole lot of fun. Fede Alvarez brought new life to the franchise, which had been largely spinning its wheels in recent years. Here’s hoping the standalone model continues in future entries.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The fourth film in the Bad Boys franchise is surprisingly one of the very best. With the long absence being dealt with in Bad Boys For Life, this film could just focus on the action. Which it did in great fashion. Martin Lawrence’s Marcus is the one facing mortality in this entry, with the team trying to uncover corruption from within their own ranks.

The third act features typical shootout craziness, which is the highlight of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. But don’t overlook an excellent plane sequence in the middle of the film. Will Smith getting slapped—hard and repeatedly—may be worth the admission price alone.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Sure, it’s mostly fan service. Who cares? Deadpool & Wolverine delivered a team-up that had been teased for years and was the first MCU appearance for both titular characters. Its fan service was tongue-in-cheek, and the film was definitely in on the joke. In fact, they knew that it was the center of the joke.

There are a lot of fun action sets in Deadpool & Wolverine. Starting with Chris Evans’s cameo and leading up to the battle against the horde of Deadpools set to “Like a Prayer,” there’s a lot to like. The entire time I watched Deadpool & Wolverine, I knew I wasn’t seeing a top-10 MCU film. But I was having a lot of fun, and that’s the point—the only point—of this movie.

Dune 2

Dune 2 is another movie that could be categorized as sci-fi, but, like Alien: Romulus, it’s loaded with action. The people saying it’s this generation’s The Empire Strikes Back are getting carried away, but Dune 2 is a great film and will probably be a Best Picture finalist at the Academy Awards in early 2025. (It won’t win—Anora and The Brutalist are both a lot better—but it’s one of the best films of 2024, nonetheless.)

The huge set pieces in Dune 2 are a lot of fun. Scenes like Paul Atreides riding the worm and the massive fight around the ship will be what many people remember. However, I’m most sold by the visceral nature of the final battle between Atreides and Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha. The brutality of the fight met the stakes, and it was an incredible scene. The Dune films will also be remembered as the vehicle that propelled Timothee Chalamet into superstardom.

The Fall Guy

If you want to talk about movies that exceeded expectations, The Fall Guy would be at the top of my list. The Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt-driven remake of a 1980’s TV show didn’t have me expecting a lot. But wow, was I pleasantly surprised.

The Fall Guy is an homage to stuntmen everywhere, with action scenes that fit the plot beautifully. It also has the right amount of ’80s nostalgia for fans of the original series. The house fight scene and final confrontation in the third act are the film’s high points, but you’re bound to find fun throughout.

Gladiator II

No, Gladiator II isn’t the original, but it’s still pretty good. Paul Mescal is fantastic as Lucius, but Denzel Washington absolutely steals the show as Macrinus. With the actor stating that he might only have three films left after Gladiator II, it’s great to see a legend at the top of his game in this film.

The battles inside the Coliseum are bloody, violent, and amazing. Like the original, Gladiator II also begins with an epic battle, this one with the invaders approaching from the sea. This film also snaps a bit of a losing streak for Ridley Scott, who saw The Last Duel, Napoleon, and House of Gucci all come up short of expectations.

Monkey Man

Since its release in March, I’ve been screaming to anyone who would listen about how good Monkey Man is. Dev Patel’s directorial debut is more than just a great action film – it’s a powerful statement about class inequities and the plight of those without money or power.

The fight scenes in Monkey Man are intense. Patel broke his hand in the first fight scene he filmed and worked through it for the rest of the very physical shoot. The third act features a fight up the floors of a high rise, with each floor representing a different level of class and power. It culminates with Kid coming face to face with the man responsible for his mother’s death.