A good action sequence is genuinely impressive to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range, and in 2024, we were given some unique spectacles.
For me, the best action scenes excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation, and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand, like stunt coordination or the 2nd unit.
2024 was the year that action dominated both the big and small screen, so much so it was hard to get this category down to a shortlist, given how many good examples we got. However, power through I must, and here we go with the rich and varied world of action.
Our Highly Commended Films in 2024 are: A Quiet Place: Day One, Civil War, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Jackpot!, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Sixty Minutes & Thelma
Our Highly Commended TV in 2024 are: Black Doves, Citadel Honey Bunny, Dune Prophecy, Fallout, The Gentlemen, Halo, Reacher, Shōgun & X-Men ’97
So, without further ado, these are the moments of action that awed us in 2024. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers ahead.
The Nominees Are –
Star Wars: The Acolyte
Just when you thought there was nothing new under the sun when it came to lightsabre battle, Acolyte showed up to show you that was far from true.
The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper’s opening gambit is trashing a call centre, beating some guys senseless and then torching the place to make a statement, and that is only where it starts.
Hundreds of Beavers
Hundreds of Beavers shows us that the pratfall and slapstick action scene is not dead. In fact, not only that, but it can also thrive in the modern media landscape.
Kill
What happens when you combine South Korean stunt excellence with Indian cinema? Well, you get Kill.
Monkey Man
Monkey Man is gritty, chaotic, and in your face. It shifts styles on a dime, and it works because everyone in front and behind the camera is committed to making it work.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith had the strength to turn most of their final episode into one long-running action scene across New York, and that works because they spent the time building everything up to make it work.
Rebel Ridge
Rebel Ridge is fascinating because our antagonist is trying to disarm while everyone else is trying to kill, and that dichotomy creates fantastic action sequences.
And the Winner is!!!!! – Kill
Directed by – Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Second Unit Direction – Rishabh Dixit
Action Coordination by – Su-bong Lee, Se-yeong Oh, Parvez Shaikh & Shin Young-hoon
Often, people hear the word ‘fusion’ and immediately think it is a lesser product as if history has not been a case study of fusion or the profusion of ideas and techniques. If there was ever a good case study on this, it would be Kill. This is a film that is rooted in Indian narrative themes around love, duty, and family. But they take these narrative roots and then combine them with South Korean technical excellence, which creates this shrinkingly unique visual style.
That visual style would have gotten it on the list, but what takes it to the top is how they used every part of their location in the action. By setting most of this film on a train carriage, you create all of these action possibilities. Attackers could be hiding at every turn because all the sleeper compartments make for places where people can hide, creating ambushes that can come from anywhere. You and the characters are constantly on edge, wondering where the next attack will come from. Add to this the physicality of lead star Lakshya, who, unlike many modern Hollywood stars, takes a beating in the film, and you get a fascinating action film that defines the pinnacle of ACTION in 2024. What are your favourite action moments from 2024? Let us know in the comments below.
By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.
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Credits – All images used were created by the respective studio and artists of each film
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