As 2024 draws to a close, movie enthusiasts can dive into an exhilarating lineup of action-packed films, featuring heart-pounding confrontations and breathtaking adventures.
Here are the must-watch explosive action thrillers to end the year on a high note:
1. Don’t Move
Don’t Move is a 2024 American thriller starring Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Moray Treadwell, and Daniel Francis.
The film tells the gripping story of Iris, a grieving mother who unexpectedly encounters a serial killer.
Injected with a paralytic agent, Iris faces a race against time as she must run, fight, and hide to survive before the drug takes full effect and her body succumbs to paralysis.
2. Atlas
Atlas is a 2024 American science fiction action film starring Jennifer Lopez as a skilled counterterrorism analyst grappling with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence.
When a mission to capture a rogue robot goes disastrously wrong, she is forced to confront her fears and rely on the very technology she distrusts as her only hope for survival.
3. Damsel
Damsel is a 2024 American dark fantasy film starring Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie, a young woman whose seemingly promising marriage proposal turns into a harrowing ordeal.
Discovering she is being sacrificed to settle a royal family’s ancient debts, Elodie must summon her courage and wit to escape while fending off attacks from a fearsome dragon lurking in the chasm.
4. Road House
Road House is a 2024 American action film and the third installment in the franchise, serving as a remake of the original classic.
The story closely follows the events of the original, with Jake Gyllenhaal starring as a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse.
Opposite him, Conor McGregor plays the main antagonist, adding a fresh dynamic to this high-octane reimagining of the iconic tale.
5. Rebel Ridge
Rebel Ridge is a 2024 American crime thriller starring Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who finds himself battling a small town’s corrupt police force after they unjustly seize the funds he needs to post bail for his cousin through civil forfeiture.
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a 2024 post-apocalyptic action film and the fifth installment in George Miller’s iconic Mad Max franchise.
Departing from the series’ traditional focus on Max Rockatansky, the film serves as both a spinoff prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and an origin story for Furiosa, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne in different stages of the character’s life.
Set years before the events of Fury Road, the story chronicles Furiosa’s journey over a decade – from her abduction by the forces of the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) to her eventual rise to the rank of Imperator.
The film begins in a lush, solarpunk-like green paradise before transitioning into the gritty, dieselpunk aesthetic synonymous with the Mad Max universe, offering a rich narrative backdrop to explore Furiosa’s transformation.
7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a 2024 American science fiction action film and the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, marking the 10th film in the iconic franchise.
Serving as a standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), the story unfolds many generations after the events of the previous film.
The plot centers on Noa (Teague), a young chimpanzee hunter, who embarks on a transformative journey with Mae (Allan), a human woman.
Together, they face challenges that will shape the future of both apes and humans in a world grappling with its complex, evolving dynamics.
8. Monkey Man
Monkey Man is a 2024 action thriller that follows a young man struggling to survive in an underground fight club.
Night after night, he dons a gorilla mask and endures brutal beatings from more popular fighters in exchange for a meager sum.
However, years of suppressed rage eventually push him to find a way to infiltrate the city’s corrupt elite.
As his childhood trauma resurfaces, his mysteriously scarred hands become the catalyst for an explosive campaign of vengeance, as he seeks retribution against the men who destroyed his life.
9. Twisters
Twisters is a 2024 American disaster film that follows rival groups of storm chasers as they race to investigate a catastrophic tornado outbreak in Oklahoma.
As they navigate the dangers of nature’s most destructive force, they must put aside their differences to survive and uncover the truth behind the unprecedented storm.
10. The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper is a 2024 American action thriller starring Jason Statham.
The film follows a retired clandestine human intelligence operative who embarks on a mission of revenge after his compassionate landlady falls victim to a phishing scam, which steals millions of dollars from the charity she runs.
Driven by a need for justice, he takes matters into his own hands, targeting those responsible for the crime.
11. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a 2024 action-comedy film set during World War II.
The story follows the British military as they recruit a small, elite group of highly skilled soldiers tasked with launching covert strikes against German forces behind enemy lines.
Combining wit, daring missions, and unconventional tactics, the film showcases the unique and audacious approach of these special operatives during the war.
12. Land of Bad
Land of Bad is a 2024 American action thriller starring Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, and Milo Ventimiglia.
The film follows a Delta Force team ambushed in enemy territory, with a rookie officer refusing to abandon his comrades.
Their only chance of survival lies with an Air Force drone pilot, who becomes their eyes in the sky during a relentless 48-hour battle for survival.
The intense, high-stakes thriller showcases grit, determination, and the fight to stay alive against overwhelming odds.
13. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American action-comedy starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
The film follows Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as they team up to clear the name of their late Captain, Conrad Howard, who has been falsely accused of conspiracy.
With their signature blend of action, humour, and chemistry, the duo embarks on a high-stakes mission to uncover the truth and bring justice to those responsible.
14. Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is a 2024 American superhero film.
The story follows Deadpool as he discovers that the Time Variance Authority plans to destroy his universe.
To prevent this, Deadpool teams up with a reluctant Wolverine from another universe.
Together, they must navigate the multiverse and battle the TVA to save their realities, combining Deadpool’s irreverent humor with Wolverine’s fierce determination in this action-packed adventure.
15. Gladiator II
Gladiator II is a 2024 historical epic featuring Hollywood’s big names, including Denzel Washington.
The film picks up after the events of the original Gladiator, continuing the story of Maximus (Russell Crowe), the Roman general turned gladiator.
Following the betrayal and murder of his family by the corrupt Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Maximus fights his way through the ranks of the arena, seeking revenge.
With a new chapter in this iconic saga, Gladiator II explores the legacy of vengeance, power, and survival in ancient Rome.
16. Blink Twice
Blink Twice is a 2024 American psychological thriller that follows a billionaire who invites unsuspecting women to his remote island under the guise of a fun getaway.
However, his true intentions are far more sinister.
Using a memory-erasing perfume, he manipulates and controls his guests, gradually wiping away their memories.
As a result, the women suffer physical and sexual abuse, only to forget each traumatic experience as their memories vanish.
The film explores the chilling consequences of his deceptive and horrifying actions.
Interestingly, Road House premiered at the height of Diddy’s sex scandal, a coincidence that bears an uncanny resemblance to the movie’s themes.
The film’s plot, involving intense conflicts and moral ambiguity, mirrors the real-life drama surrounding the scandal, adding an eerie layer of relevance to its release.
