The action genre had a fantastic 2023 , with strong new entries in banner franchises and exciting one-off movies from creators established and upcoming alike. If the first half is any indication, 2024 is picking up where its predecessor left off. Nations around the globe have already contributed stellar entries to the genre, with big-budget spectacle and clinical low-budget projects alike providing the joys of hard-hitting action.
Here are the best action movies of 2024 so far. This list will continue to be updated throughout the year, and will be sorted in reverse chronological order, so the newest movies always show up first. Our latest update added Thelma , The Fall Guy , The Roundup: Punishment , Chief of Station , City Hunter , and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Where to watch: In theaters June 21 Thelma may star a 94-year-old Oscar nominee, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that it’s anything less than one of the year’s best action movies. Much like another movie on this list, Thelma is about an older woman (June Squibb) who gets duped by a phone scammer. But unlike The Beekeeper , where vengeance falls to Jason Statham, in this movie Thelma herself sets out on the path for revenge — albeit a significantly less bloody variety.
Thelma’s quest to get her money back is steeped in the vocabulary of action movies, with her explicitly taking inspiration from Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in several scenes. But while this could feel mean-spirited or like .
