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It is that time of year again. that time when we all sit back and contemplate the past year and just how much it truly sucked. I digress as there was a lot of good times as well but I’m really hoping for a new year that is more positive and sans the negative. No one can argue that 2025 was truly and without question a banner year for action cinema and we had a lot to be thankful for when it came to bullets, beatdowns and bravado. Where there stinkers? Yes, yes there was but I am here to focus on the positive and with that we have the first round of the Action-Flix Best of 2025!
This first round consists of my honorable mentions which is the ones that I did enjoy but didn’t quite hit the Top 20. Now let me preface all this by saying that this is my opinion and I’m sure you have yours, but this is all mine, and I back it up, so your argument is invalid here. Also, if I didn’t see it this year or I was unable to see it, then of course, I cannot put it on my list. One example would be The Furious. The martial arts action film from action maestro Kenji Tanigaki and starring martial arts royalty in Joe Taslim, Xie Miao, Yayan Ruhian and JeeJa Yanin was heralded as one of the best action films to hit in years, but it played at the TIFF so obviously, I did not partake in viewing it. I’m pretty sure though that if I did, it would most likely be high on my list as well, but it will have to wait until 2026 when it officially hits distribution.
With all the boring stuff out of the way, let’s rock ‘n roll and start with the honorable mentions!!!
*HONORABLE MENTIONS*
WILDCAT
The latest flick from action director James Nun offered nothing new in terms of plot or surprises but when has that ever been a bad thing. What the film lacked in narrative and twists, it made up for in action and stunts and stars Kate Beckinsale and Lewis Tan were as advertised. Beckinsale has always shined in the action with her starring turn in the Underworld franchise, but it was Lewis who had another stellar outing. Tan continues to pop in the action world, and this was just another reminder that he is destined for big things. Tan serves up the film’s best fight sequence, and his action design was a chef’s kiss.
The film ultimately suffered from a less than satisfying conclusion and finale but getting to that point entertained me enough to highlight this one as an honorable mention. Simply let Tan cook more, and this could have nudged its way into the top 20. Nunn is a gifted indie action filmmaker and next year he is poised and ready to give us what will probably be another banger with One Last Shot starring Scott Adkins. This was an adequate warm up to it through and Beckinsale and Tan brought this one up just a tad more.
TRIGGERED (TOPAKK)
Technically, this film was released in Indonesia in 2023, but it didn’t hit over here until May of this year, so it qualifies for the list. Triggered (TOPAKK) stars Arjo Atayde (Cattleya Killer) as the heroic soldier Miguel Vergara who uses everything from machine guns to machetes to dispatch his enemy with some serious extreme prejudice as he tries to protect the innocent from an army of cutthroats. I think he even uses the kitchen sink at one point. There’s no shortage of extreme fight choreography and relentless muzzle flashes so fans should get their feel and then some with this one. Julia Montes also stars as Weng Diwata with Sid Lucero pulling in double time as the film’s ruthless leader of death squad. Just one hell of a bloody good time!
UNDER FIRE
Retro buddy cop action is back big time with Dylan Sprouse & Mason Gooding running & gunning in this enjoyable rapid-fire actioner! Under Fire is a slick and tidy buddy cop actioner that throws the Hail Mary back to the glory days of action cinema when this type of actioner ruled the theaters and video store shelves. The two very likable leads in Dylan Sprouse and Mason Gooding are a grand slam, and they work fiercely off each other for the desired results. The funny comes almost as fast as the bullets slicing through the air and if we were to see these two together again onscreen, I would welcome it with open arms. That is the biggest compliment that I can give this film, and it is a big one.
RED SONJA
While the original Red Sonja was a tongue planted firmly in cheek sword swinging guilty pleasure, the long-awaited new vision of Robert E. Howard’s classic flaming red hair warrior goes for the jugular and immerses the audience in a savage and visceral world. It manages to keep the fantasy elements present while delivering a barbaric and more grounded and brutal new tone. The action is carnage personified with a ferocious blend of bladed weaponry galore and some brutal beatdowns sprinkled in.
There are issues to be had including dodgy CGI and wooden and uninspired lines and delivery, but Matilda Lutz goes for broke as the one-woman killing machine on a blood-soaked quest of vengeance. There will be those that will bash this one but for the audience that it’s made for should relish in what it has to offer. A banging and bloody way to spend a Saturday night.
HUNT THE WICKED
Martial Arts Icons Tse Miu and Andy On are setting the action cinema world ablaze once again as they are ready and willing to pulverize their bodies for the sake of their craft. Well Go USA and their subsequent HI-YAH! streaming service released this high-octane, hyper-fierce crime thriller Hunt the Wicked back in May and this one delivered all the body snapping, bullet shredding mayhem that action fans can handle!
Hardcore fans who are serious about the genre need no introduction to both Miu and On who have been tearing it up over the last few years in films like Eye for an Eye and its subsequent sequel for Miu as well as Bind War for On. Hunt the Wicked is loaded with enough gun fu extreme action and pulverizing set pieces with the insane action design that China is known for, so this one certainly checks all the boxes for action cinema disciples who crave all things bang and boom.
LONE SAMURAI
I finally got to see Lone Samurai over the holiday break and I’m glad that I did as it was truly a sleeper hit of the list. The film centers on a shipwrecked warrior who battles cannibals in one hell of a savage and unflinching sword slicing actioner! This is a samurai movie with an existential twist, and it is a sword swinging fever dream that nightmares are made of. The Raid’s Yayan Ruhian also stars and shine as he always does and the insane action design and ferocious visuals connect for a sweeping action-drama where all is not what it seems.
Lone Samurai goes for the jugular with the most savage, raw and primitive action design seen as of late and leading man Shogen is redefining the one-man army trope of action cinema in a film that radiate unflinching, uncompromising and unforgiving action sequences and violence. I. Was. All. In.
SAFE HOUSE
Lewis Tan strikes again with another action-thriller that came out of nowhere. Regardless of whether or not you thought Lewis Tan wasn’t needed in the first Mortal Kombat movie as a brand-new character, there’s no denying that he has leading man action star quality and he still brought much needed bravado to the table in that film. Tan is, without a shadow of a doubt, proving that he has the brightest of futures in the action genre, and his latest vehicle Safe House is a solid notch in the actor’s filmography arsenal as he is highlighted in deploying all of his insane skill set in a fast paced and kinetic thriller where no one is to be trusted and the audience will be guessing.
Tan headlines the ensemble cast that also includes a few genre favorites including Lucien Laviscount (EMILY IN PARIS), Hannah John-Kamen (THUNDERBOLTS*), Ethan Embry (SWEET HOME ALABAMA), Michael Bradway (CHICAGO FIRE), Brian Van Holt (COUGAR TOWN) and Holt McCallany (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING). Jamie Marshall directs from a script penned by Leon Langford. Veteran martial arts screen bad ass Arnold Chon served as stunt coordinator on the project and instructed the actors so well that a lot of them did many of their own stunts.
I’m a fan of Tan’s work as well as his father Phillip Tan who was a big product of the 90’s DTV action craze. Seeing him leap into action in this solid looking action flick bodes well and I cannot wait to see him do his thing more in the future. The set pieces are slick and the action design fluid so hopefully this one eventually resonates with audiences in the future. Safe House deserves to be on my must-see list rounding out the later part of 2025 and Tan is an assault on the senses!
SAMURAI FURY
Samurai Fury polishes off those deadly swords and takes audiences on a blood-soaked ride with relentless action and drama encompassing rousing heroics and throwback thrills. The film is filled with enough body limb ripping and ferocious choreography to satisfy hardcore fans. These types of period flicks were a staple in the heyday of samurai action that flooded cable and video store shelves. It’s pretentious in it’s over the top theatrics but in the best way possible and the nearly hour long finale is everything fans could want in a body dropping climax.
11 REBELS
You’d be hard pressed to find an action cinema freak not like a samurai flick. I mean, if done right, these kinds of lightning paced martial arts epics are equal parts adrenaline soaked and horror movie violent for the ultimate results in home viewing. Action design was most assuredly developed for sword wielding fight films and Well Go USA delivered another heaping helping of lightning paced sword action. 11 Rebels checks all the boxes with sympathetic characters and heroes mixed with unbelievable fight choreography that is unrivaled and just like the previous entry, the climax is extended and evolved with don’t blink bloody action.
THE WORKOUT
Found footage films Got a massive shot of bruising adrenaline in 2025 with the vengeance laced action-thriller called The Workout! This film is another solid notch in the indie action film arsenal and serious hardcore fans should check it out for the creativity on hand. Is it perfect? No, but any lags in production values and acting are overcome by a solid lead cast led by Peter Jae and Josh Kelly and add in an unflinching plot that erupts with unforgiving flavor, this movie says something amidst the desired violence and carnage. The action is brutally satisfying mixing a hellfire of bullets with savage MMA combat and one can do way worse at the end of the day. This film is a testament to what talented people can do even with limited resources and means and that is the greatest victory of all when all is said and done.
The Workout overcomes the standard flaws of indie films and rises to the top delivering a brutally paced revenge thriller with blunt force action and true heartfelt emotion!
BEAST OF WAR
Filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner Delivers a Raw, Visceral & Savage Shark Thriller that Never Shys Away from the Horrors of War…and Nature
Beast of War is a true indie cinema triumph as it combines the best, and worse, of shark thrillers and war films. It’s an unrelenting and feverishly paced film that never winces from the horrors of what man and nature are capable of and it packs quite a wallop for it speedy running time. The cast, especially Mark Coles Smith, are perfect in their execution of new recruits thrown into a savage and unforgiving situation and the violence and gore are exclamation points on the film that never lets you breathe. The visuals are both beautiful and raw with the shark instilling a true sense of dread and fear. A real contender for a best of list and it grips the audience in a visceral and ferocious environment that resonates pure dread and fear.
[…] are now out (you can check out the list of the action films that didn’t quite make it here) and I’m sure there will be much deliberation as to what films I included but this next list […]