10 Worst Action Movies of the 2010s, Ranked

Every decade has its fair share of trashy action movies and the 2010s were no different. For every action-packed hit, countless movies floundered, plagued by weak scripts, incoherent plots, subpar acting, or a combination of all three. Many of them actually had big budgets and star-studded casts, but still turned out abysmal. They have more than earned their place in the cinematic Hall of Shame.

The following is a look at ten action films from the 2010s that exemplify the worst missteps that can occur in the genre. Whether it’s through laughably bad dialogue, unconvincing special effects, or directionless plots, these movies failed to capture the excitement and energy that fans crave from action films. From misguided superhero flicks to low-budget straight-to-video releases, these projects show what happens when action goes wrong. They’re ranked not only on how bad they are, but how far they fell short of their potential.

10 ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)

Directed by David Ayer

“I’m known to be quite vexing. I’m just forewarning you.” Suicide Squad was set up to be a disappointment. The hype and anticipation were too big, and Heath Ledger‘s towering Joker performance meant that Jared Leto was guaranteed to be judged harshly. But the finished product was still even worse than one would have expected, with a messy plot, choppy editing, and a lot of cringe-y dialogue. Some of the conversations wind up being unintentionally funny, rather than tense.

Fundamentally, Suicide Squad is dull and predictable, feeling more like a generic blockbuster than the edgy, unconventional film it aims to be. It looks and feels like something out of the bottom of Michael Bay‘s filmography, but no amount of violence, profanity, or quirkiness can compensate for a lack of engaging characters. Although the movie made a good profit, it remains a textbook example of squandered superhero potential. Fortunately, the franchise righted itself with James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad.

Suicide Squad

A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.

9 ‘Dragon Eyes’ (2012)

Directed by John Hyams

“You want to rule this town? I’ll break you first.” This martial arts flick follows Hong (Cung Le), a mysterious drifter who finds himself caught between two warring gangs in a crime-infested neighborhood. Under the guidance of Tiano (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Hong decides to take matters into his own hands and clean up the streets. While this premise may sound like a recipe for a thrilling revenge-o-matic, Dragon Eyes very much falls flat.

The story lacks tension, with director John Hyams failing to raise the stakes as it rolls along. This kind of movie promises a big action finale, but instead, it serves up a tepid showdown in a warehouse. In addition, the main characters frequently act without logic, to the point that it becomes frustrating and ruins the suspension of disbelief. Speaking of characters, Van Damme also doesn’t actually feature very much, despite his name being front and center on the promotional material.

8 ‘Setup’ (2011)

Directed by Mike Gunther

“Trust no one, not even your best friend.” In Setup, a group of friends plan a diamond heist, only for things to go terribly wrong. Starring Bruce Willis, Ryan Phillippe, and 50 Cent, the movie had the potential to be a decent thriller, but it quickly descends into mediocrity. The pacing is glacial and the plot is bogged down by unconvincing performances. 50 Cent, in particular, is a letdown (for a superior performance by the rapper, check out Southpaw, while Phillipe is lame as the villain. Willis is fine, but his role is little more than a cameo.

The whole thing just screams “amateur”, especially the way director Mike Gunther apes Guy Ritchie‘s style, minus the swagger. It’s the most run-of-the-mill of action plots, brought down by subpar execution. It’s not even so-bad-it’s-good; it’s just boring, and feels overlong despite clocking in at a lean 85 minutes. In short, this movie can safely be skipped.

7 ‘Getaway’ (2013)

Directed by Courtney Solomon

“If you stop, she dies.” In Getaway, former race car driver Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) is forced to follow the commands of a mysterious voice in order to save his kidnapped wife. Selena Gomez co-stars as a young hacker who unwillingly becomes Magna’s sidekick in his quest. On paper, this sounds pretty cool, and the leads are very likable, but the movie is a major misfire. Getaway was eviscerated by critics and flopped at the box office, bringing in just $11.8m against an $18m budget.

The movie has all the depth of a Need for Speed cutscene. It’s unimaginative and simplistic, ripping off countless better action movies and mostly stringing together an endless series of car chases. The characterization is thin, with very little explanation given for the villain’s motivations, and the attempts at emotional moments don’t land. The frantic editing and shaky camerawork also the viewer queasy rather than engaged.

Brent Magna, a former race car driver, must rescue his kidnapped wife by following the commands of a mysterious villain. He commandeers a custom Shelby Cobra Mustang and, with an unwitting passenger, embarks on a high-speed race against time, pursued by the police and criminal henchmen.

Runtime

90 Minutes

Writers

Sean Finegan , Gregg Maxwell Parker

6 ‘Bullet’ (2014)

Directed by Nick Lyon

“I don’t have time for this. I’m a cop, not a babysitter.” Danny Trejo leads this one as Frank “Bullet” Marasco, a tough-as-nails cop who takes matters into his own hands when his grandson is kidnapped by a drug cartel. While Trejo is known for his gritty, hard-hitting roles, even he can’t save Bullet from B-movie oblivion. The plot is predictable, filled with clichés, and lacks any real surprises. The dialogue is cheesy, and the action scenes, which should be the film’s saving grace, are decidedly unexciting.

In many ways, this movie feels like it was made by a student filmmaker who was really into Breaking Bad. There are plentiful desert scenes, drug dealer standoffs, and a gruff performance from Jonathan Banks, but none of this adds up to anything fun. All told, Bullet comes across like a vanity project, probably pleasing Trejo but not holding enough interest for the average viewer.

5 ‘A Hitman in London’ (2015)

Directed by Ara Paiaya

“If you want a job done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” A Hitman in London (also known as Skin Traffik) follows Bradley (Gary Daniels), a contract killer seeking redemption after becoming entangled in the world of human trafficking. Director Ara Paiaya assembles a decent cast, including Michael Madsen, Mickey Rourke, and Daryl Hannah) but fails to draw any winning performances from them. Daniels, while a skilled martial artist, struggles to bring depth to his character, and the film’s low-budget special effects kill much of the tension.

Given the cast and the budget, this movie should have been way better. It’s obviously not quite as outrageously bad as a Z-grade exploitation film, but it’s arguably even less entertaining because it’s lukewarm and boring. Rourke’s performance, in particular, leaves a lot to be desired. Plus, the movie simply tries to juggle too many storylines, leaving the narrative feeling disjointed and difficult to follow.

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4 ‘Hijacked’ (2012)

Directed by Brandon Nutt

“They hijacked the wrong plane.” Hijacked stars Randy Couture as Paul Ross, a special agent tasked with stopping terrorists who have taken control of a private jet. It’s basically Die Hard on a plane but with a shoestring budget. Unfortunately, Couture, known more for his MMA career than his acting, struggles to bring any real emotion or depth to his character, and the supporting cast doesn’t fare much better. Even footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones isn’t that enjoyable here.

Beyond the acting flaws and script shortcomings, the technical execution of Hijacked doesn’t help its case. For example, many of the crowd scenes and a sequence at a big gala feel oddly sparse, as if the production couldn’t afford to hire enough extras. The filming of the fight scenes is also notably bad, with a lot of close-ups obscuring most of the action. Maybe this was intentional, and a deliberate means of concealing some of some poor stuntwork. Either way, it’s not effective from a viewing perspective.

3 ‘Kill Speed’ (2010)

Directed by Kim Bass

“Fly fast, die young.” Kill Speed follows a group of adrenaline junkies who use high-speed planes to smuggle drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border. They find themselves on an unusual mission when the authorities enlist them to rescue a DIA agent from a cartel’s clutches. The pitch was probably Top Gun meets Breaking Bad, but the end result crashes and burns.

Kill Speed was a direct-to-video movie but, even by those low standards, it’s a failure. It swings erratically between tones, sometimes goofy, sometimes deadly serious, something which is not helped by the terrible writing. Some of the dialogue is clearly intended to be badass but winds up being cheesy to the max. The acting is equally disappointing, with wooden performances that make it hard to care about the characters or their fate. This kind of all-style-no-substance action flick can be a ton of fun – but only if it actually has style.

2 ‘Gutshot Straight’ (2014)

Directed by Justin Steele

“Luck runs out for everyone.” Gutshot Straight centers on Jack (George Eads) a professional gambler who finds himself in over his head after getting involved with a dangerous mobster. King of bad action Steven Seagal appears as the gambler Duffy, who makes demonic wagers with his victims. In yet another case of gimmicky marketing, he’s not on-screen very much but, when he is, he’s not great.

The movie struggles to hold the viewer’s interest, and often feels like it’s simply stretching things out to fill the required runtime. Indeed, it’s got more filler scenes than the anime Bleach. They mostly consist of awkward character interactions, or shots of Eads wandering around, seemingly with no purpose. Adding to the film’s woes is the fact that Eads’s character is thoroughly unlikable. For all these reasons, Gutshot Straight becomes a slog and is best avoided. It’s painfully dull, even by Seagal’s shaky standards.

1 ‘Assassin’s Bullet’ (2012)

Directed by Isaac Florentine

“Trust no one, especially not yourself.” When it comes to the very worst action movies of the 2010s, it’s hard to top this clumsy thriller/drama. Making it even more egregious is the fact that it actually features good actors. Christian Slater leads the cast as Robert Diggs, a former FBI agent who is brought in to investigate a series of assassinations in Europe. Donald Sutherland and Timothy Spall appear in the supporting cast.

The plot is convoluted and hard to follow, involving multiple personalities, dark histories, and plot devices ripped straight out of La Femme Nikita. Visually, Assassin’s Bullet is chaotic, with cartoonish, almost awkward action scenes and a grating overuse of slow motion. Similarly, some of the dialogue is almost painful to sit through (like Spall waxing lyrical about the female form). Taken together, these elements add up to a baffling bad project, way less than the sum of its parts.

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