Top 20 Underrated Action Movies

Here are twenty action films that delivered inventive set pieces strong casts and distinctive settings yet slipped under many radars on release. Each one offers clear hooks such as practical stunt work singular fight choreography or unusual time periods and locations. You will find projects from the United States Europe and Asia covering crime thrillers samurai epics sci fi mashups and period adventures. Use this guide to discover titles that pair energetic pacing with specific craft details worth seeking out.

‘Dredd’ (2012)

Director Pete Travis and writer Alex Garland set this adaptation inside Mega City One with Karl Urban under the helmet as Judge Dredd and Olivia Thirlby as rookie Anderson. Production used 3D rigs and heavy slow motion sequences tied to the street drug Slo Mo. Filming took place largely in South Africa with extensive set builds for interiors. The film earned a modest worldwide gross that contrasted with later home media growth.

‘The Raid’ (2011)

Indonesian filmmaker Gareth Evans crafted a contained story about a police team storming a high rise in Jakarta. Star Iko Uwais brought pencak silat techniques that shaped the choreography. The project worked within a relatively small budget and emphasized on set physical fights. International releases spread through festivals and specialty distributors.

‘Upgrade’ (2018)

Leigh Whannell wrote and directed this near future thriller about a man fitted with an experimental implant named STEM. Logan Marshall Green trained for long takes that mixed robotic movement with close quarters fights. The film shot in Melbourne with a compact budget and a focus on practical camera rigs. Distribution came through Blumhouse Tilt with a limited theatrical run before digital platforms.

‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)

Guy Ritchie brought the 1960s television property to the Cold War with Henry Cavill Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander. The story moves across European locations with production design emphasizing period fashion vehicles and gadgets. A Warner Bros release the film posted strong international numbers compared with domestic returns. The soundtrack highlights era specific styles and original scoring.

‘Haywire’ (2011)

Steven Soderbergh assembled a cast including Gina Carano Ewan McGregor Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender. Fight scenes were staged with clear framing and minimal visual effects to showcase grappling and close strikes. David Holmes supplied a jazz inflected score that underscores surveillance and pursuit sequences. Filming occurred in locations across Ireland and the United States.

‘Ronin’ (1998)

John Frankenheimer staged extended car chases through Paris and Nice using practical driving and multiple camera mounts. Robert De Niro and Jean Reno lead a heist team tracking a mysterious briefcase across Europe. The production minimized digital effects and leaned on experienced stunt coordinators. Composer Elia Cmiral delivered a restrained score that supports the planning and pursuit beats.

‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ (1996)

Renny Harlin directed Geena Davis as a small town teacher with amnesia whose past resurfaces during a violent conspiracy. Samuel L Jackson co stars as a private investigator who helps track her former handlers. Shane Black wrote the script which interweaves holiday settings with government black ops. Filming took place in locations across the United States and Canada.

’13 Assassins’ (2010)

Takashi Miike remade a 1963 jidaigeki with a focus on Edo period warfare and tactical planning. Kōji Yakusho portrays a leader who recruits samurai to ambush a ruling clans sadistic heir. The production designed an entire village for the climactic battle that runs for a substantial continuous stretch. Costuming and weapon work follow historical references for late shogunate Japan.

‘Hardcore Henry’ (2015)

Director Ilya Naishuller used head mounted cameras to present the story entirely in a first person perspective. The production coordinated parkour stunts vehicle work and wire assists to keep the viewpoint continuous. Sharlto Copley appears in multiple guises that intersect during chase and shootout sequences. The film was partly crowdfunded and later released theatrically worldwide.

‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)

Timo Tjahjanto set this Indonesian crime saga around a triad enforcer caught between loyalty and survival. Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais anchor fights built around knives machetes and improvised weapons. Principal photography used practical blood effects and elaborate environment gags. The finished film launched globally through Netflix.

‘The Villainess’ (2017)

Jung Byung gil opens with an immersive corridor assault that switches to wide frames for motorcycle and stage fights. Kim Ok vin plays a government trained assassin whose missions cross personal history. The film screened at Cannes in a midnight slot that drew attention to its technical approach. South Korean locations include rehearsal facilities designed for long take action.

‘Ong-Bak’ (2003)

Tony Jaa performs Muay Thai techniques without wire work or digital doubles under director Prachya Pinkaew. The plot follows a villager retrieving a stolen Buddha head from Bangkok criminals. Chases use footwork through markets and acrobatic jumps over obstacles. The film helped introduce Thai stunt methodology to broader international audiences.

‘The Way of the Gun’ (2000)

Writer director Christopher McQuarrie staged a southwestern kidnapping that spirals into a cross border standoff. Ryan Phillippe and Benicio del Toro move through small towns and desert compounds with emphasis on tactics and cover. The finale employs overlapping fields of fire and patient blocking. Shooting locations included New Mexico with practical squibs and blank fire.

‘Shoot ‘Em Up’ (2007)

Michael Davis built a series of escalating set pieces around gun fu choreography and prop driven gags. Clive Owen plays a drifter who protects a newborn while pursued by Paul Giamatti. Production shot largely in Toronto with soundstage builds for aerial and warehouse sequences. New Line distributed the film to theaters and home media.

‘Safe’ (2012)

Jason Statham portrays a former cop who must protect a girl carrying a numerical code sought by rival gangs. Director Boaz Yakin stages multiple pursuits through New York City subway stations and Chinatown streets. The story weaves triad and Russian mob factions with corrupt officials. Lionsgate handled the theatrical release.

‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’ (2001)

Christophe Gans dramatizes the Beast of Gévaudan case with period costumes martial arts and flintlock firearms. Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos track attacks across rural France amid court intrigue. The production used elaborate sets and outdoor locations to capture forests and chateaus. The film became a major French box office success with broad export.

‘Deep Rising’ (1998)

Stephen Sommers sets mercenaries and thieves against a creature aboard a luxury cruise ship in the South China Sea. Treat Williams and Famke Janssen lead a cast navigating flooded corridors and engine rooms. The film mixes practical sets with late 1990s computer generated effects for tentacle attacks. Hollywood Pictures handled release under the Disney umbrella.

‘John Carter’ (2012)

Andrew Stanton adapted Edgar Rice Burroughs science fantasy with Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins. Production filmed across Utah deserts and British soundstages to create Barsoom environments. The movie combined live action with extensive motion capture and creature animation. Worldwide grosses contrasted with high production and marketing costs.

‘Reign of Fire’ (2002)

Rob Bowman places dragon attacks in a near future United Kingdom with survivors sheltering in castles and quarries. Christian Bale leads a community while Matthew McConaughey arrives with a militia unit. The production shot in Ireland with large practical sets and heavy machinery props. Visual effects integrate animatronics and computer imagery for flight and fire.

‘Ninja Assassin’ (2009)

James McTeigue directs Rain as a trainee turned rogue who targets a clan specializing in contract killings. The film features blade work close quarters combat and chase scenes across European streets. Production took place in Berlin with studio support from the Wachowskis and producer Joel Silver. The release emphasized contemporary pop and electronic scoring during action beats.

Share your own overlooked favorites in the comments so everyone can discover more high energy gems.