10 Underrated Action Movies In The Last 5 Years (And Where To Watch Them)

The Gorge is the kind of movie studios wish they could create over and over. This movie is about more than two operatives appointed to guard towers on opposite sides of a classified gorge; it’s a love story grounded in two lonely people who find each other at the edge of the world. It’s a horror story about things that go bump in the night, and it’s an underrated action movie, a sci-fi movie, and an adventure movie wrapped up in one. It’s everything. 

To make it even better, Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy have wild chemistry but also embody the multi-genre of it all in their characters. Their Levi and Drasa fall in love with each other, fight for each other, explore a new world with each other, and live for each other. If you were to ask for a recommendation like this movie, it’d be impossible.

If anything, watch it again or watch something with Taylor-Joy like The Menu (2022) or Teller’s Eternity (2025) just to see more of the actors.

You can’t talk about underrated action movies without bringing in the disaster action genre. Case in point, Twisters. The stand-alone sequel to Twister (1996) tells the story of a retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist returning to Oklahoma to work with a new team and technologies. But where there are tornadoes in movies, there’s also a bunch of action, destruction, and epic chase scenes.

A movie like Twisters only works because of the chemistry between its leads, aka the romantic subplot. And Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate has loads of chemistry with Glen Powell’s Tyler. So much so that the ending of this movie has divided fans because of where their connection leads and whether it was the right choice. You just have to watch and make up your mind after they survive destroyed buildings and loads of tension.

If viewers are looking for action movies with a romance subplot that makes everything better, they should check out the classic 1999 movie The Mummy. 

If there’s one action movie I’m grateful to have never watched in theaters, it’s Fall. Even on your TV screen at home, it’s the most heart-pounding and anxiety-inducing movie I’ve watched in years. And at the center of this story are friends Becky and Shiloh. After a loss, Becky has become a shell of herself. So, to shake things up, Shiloh convinces her to climb a 2,000ft TV tower. Except nothing goes as planned because they get stuck up there.

For a movie with such a small set, director Scott Mann made magic. Because, sure, the big shots have an element of CGI. But everything else is practical. Actresses Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner practiced the entire movie on a platform set up in a backyard. Then, they filmed it on a 100ft tower, and that authenticity comes through in every frame as they struggle to survive the tower, but also their friendship. 

Viewers looking for movies that test a character’s will to live in impossible circumstances should also check out Nowhere (2023) or Escape Room (2018).

Even though Sonic the Hedgehog 3 requires you to watch two films to understand what’s going on, it’s so worth it. On the surface, this is just a live-action adaptation of the beloved Nintendo game starring Sonic and his friends. However, this movie specifically sees Sonic teaming up with Knuckles and Tails to battle a powerful new adversary named Shadow, who isn’t what he seems. It’s the culmination of Sonic’s entire journey, but also the most action-packed of the trilogy so far.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, you have Sonic working with a team, understanding the real danger of what he’s doing, and how pain transforms you. All of that is wrapped up in an action-adventure that takes him all over the world and even to the moon. Even better, this movie has an epic motorcycle sequence, impossible sets, and action sequences that somehow end up with you crying because tragedy breaks people and hedgehogs. 

If viewers are looking for more of this world after they watch all three movies, absolutely check out the Knuckles (2024) series. 

M3GAN 2.0 is the epitome of camp. It’s also a superhero thriller with action sequences that leave you wondering what it was like pitching this movie in the first place. Taking place two years after the 2022 movie M3GAN, Gemma rebuilds our favorite robot after a military-grade weapon built with stolen designs goes on a rampage because the only way to defeat an evil robot is with a superpowered one.

When it comes to action, M3GAN 2.0 works because it leans into the camp of it all. It makes M3GAN stronger, faster, and even has a sequence where she’s practicing martial arts at high speed. It tops it all off with memorable costume changes, terrible bobs, and literal high-flying sequences. Add a dash of horror, and you’ve got a bloody, action-packed movie that is an experience.

If viewers are looking for more movies with battles against artificial intelligence, they can try the classic 1999 film The Matrix or the action-packed I, Robot (2004).

Tired of waiting for someone to write a movie like Monkey Man, Dev Patel went ahead and did it himself. Directed, written, and starring Patel, Monkey Man tells the story of an anonymous young man who unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continuously victimize the poor and powerless. 

Acting as a one-person army, Patel’s character Kid is brutal, determined, and an unstoppable force that doesn’t falter, no matter how wounded or beaten down he is. Patel adds gravitas to the role with his physicality. He did almost all of his stunts, trained extensively, and even got injured multiple times—and he still kept going, cementing this Monkey Man as the underrated movie of 2024.

If viewers are looking for other one-person army action movies, check out Ready or Not (2019) or John Wick (2014). 

When it comes to the Predator (1987) franchise, Predator: Badlands is the most refreshing movie yet. Instead of a Predator who is at the top of his game or a focus on the humans trying to stop said foe, we have a new perspective. A young Predator named Dek finds an unlikely companion after being cast out of his clan and crash-landing on a hostile planet. What follows is a journey to prove himself by killing the ultimate adversary.

The movie takes it up a notch by having some really creative alien designs that Dek has to battle. Then, it takes it all a step further by having Dek’s unlikely companion be a Weyland-Yutani android. But this isn’t just an action movie; it’s a journey of finding yourself, betrayal, and claiming your own future no matter what others think. 

If viewers loved the risks Predator: Badlands took, then they should absolutely watch the 2022 Predator movie Prey. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sees former enemies Godzilla and King Kong become allies to save the planet from a hidden threat. Along the way, old allies return and stop the fighting to focus on the real mission. Plus, the secrets of Skull Island and why these Titans are enemies in the first place are revealed in a larger-than-life action movie that makes you want more creature feature battles.

Fans of Godzilla and King Kong will have a good time with the action sequences and the return of our queen mother, Mothra, in The New Empire. But what really makes this movie so much fun is that you don’t need to understand their languages to get what’s going on. Through their body language, roars, and even the looks in their eyes, you slowly but surely see this turn into a buddy action movie of epic proportions. 

Viewers looking for more of these Titans should take a step and watch Godzilla vs Kong (2021), because those fights are just as big.

When it comes to The Fast and the Furious (2001) franchise, Fast X might be the best one. Part action-comedy, part campy joyride, this sequel sees Dom Torretto and his family being targeted by the vengeful son of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. He was killed all the way back in Fast Five (2011), and his son has been slowly piecing together a diabolical plan to tear apart Dom’s entire family.

But what really makes this the most underrated sequel in the entire franchise is the villainous Dante, played by Jason Momoa. He’s this world’s Joker, loves the color lilac, and can easily kill you and then sit in front of you having a conversation while painting his nails. This makes for a terrifying and unhinged villain like this family has never faced before. 

If viewers are looking for other campy joyrides like Fast X, they need to check off the one-shot Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)! 

In a world of sequels and remakes, Violent Night is a refreshing action-comedy that answers the question of: What if Santa had enough and started kicking butt? Starring David Harbour as Kris Kringle himself, this movie is about an elite team of mercenaries who break into a family compound on Christmas Eve. To save the family and his holiday, a disgruntled Santa decides to save the day.

What makes this movie an unexpected holiday win is that it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Santa uses his sack and candy canes to stop the bad guys. He also sasses his reindeer and John Leguizamo’s villainous Scrooge. It’s all done from the perspective of someone just tired of it all, which is totally relatable anytime of the year. 

If viewers are looking for another one-person army during the holidays, check out Violent Night’s inspiration, Die Hard (1988).