Jason Statham is one of the best action stars of his generation, as there are very few stars within the space that are as thoroughly committed to the genre. While the allure of prestige projects or superhero films has inspired many potential stars, Statham mostly focuses on action cinema, inciting many comparisons to 1980s action heroes like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mel Gibson.
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There's a fairly high quality of work that Statham attains, as even one of his more mediocre action films is generally more entertaining than a majority of the studio-produced projects that are released in a given calendar year. At their best, Statham's work can be considered among the best in its genre, and are even regarded as potential modern classics. Here are the ten essential Jason Statham movies that define the action star's career.
10 'Spy' (2015) Directed by Paul Feig ✕ Remove Ads
Spy offered a far more creative use of Statham's acting abilities, as he was able to lampoon his image as a tough, emotionless action star with a more comedic performance. Statham co-stars in Paul Feig's espionage parody as an experienced British intelligence agent who reveals himself to be far more self-congratulatory than he is legitimately heroic.
Statham always has great comedic timing, and manages to have excellent chemistry with Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne. Although Spy does have a surprising amount of action, it's the extent of Statham's commitment to the physical comedy aspects that make the film far more entertaining that it would have been as a straightforward genre thriller. It's impressive that within a film with a stacked cast that includes standout performances from Allison Janney, Jude Law, and Bobby Cannavale, Statham managed to become the single most entertaining supporting character.
Spy RComedyAction
A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent diabolical global disaster.
Release Date June 15, 2015 Director Paul Feig Cast Melissa McCarthy , Rose Byrne , Jude Law , Jason Statham , Raad Rawi , Jessica Chaffin , Miranda Hart , Sam Richardson Runtime 120 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Paul Feig Studio 20th Century Fox Tagline From writer & Director Paul Feig, the director of Bridesmaids and The Heat. Expand ✕ Remove Ads
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9 'Furious 7' (2015) Directed by James Wan
Furious 7 marked the first installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise in which Statham appeared, and it fundamentally changed the series forever. While the series had always struggled to come up with villains that were as charismatic as Dom (Vin Diesel) or Brian (Paul Walker), Statham's performance as Shaw was legitimately compelling, as he was on a legitimate path of revenge after the death of his brother (Luke Evans) in Fast & Furious 6.
Statham proved to be a perfect fit for the style of The Fast and the Furious series, and developed great chemistry in particular with Dwayne Johnson. While he appeared in several subsequent sequels, as well as the spinoff Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw alongside Johnson, Furious 7 represents his best contribution to The Fast and the Furious franchise, and one of its best entries in general.
✕ Remove Ads Furious 7 PG-13CrimeActionThriller
After defeating international terrorist Owen Shaw, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew have separated to return to more normal lives. However, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Owen's older brother, is thirsty for revenge. A slick government agent offers to help Dom and company take care of Shaw in exchange for their help in rescuing a kidnapped computer hacker who has developed a powerful surveillance program.
Release Date April 3, 2015 Director James Wan Cast Tyrese Gibson , Jason Statham , Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Luke Hobbs , Dwayne Johnson , Dominic Toretto Runtime 2h 20m Writers Chris Morgan Budget 190-250 million Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Sequel(s) F9: The Fast Saga1 , The Fate of the Furious prequel(s) fast five , The Fast And The Furious , 2 Fast 2 Furious , The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift , Fast and Furious 6 Franchise(s) Fast and Furious Expand
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8 'The Expendables' (2010) Directed by Sylvester Stallone
The Expendables is a throwback to the classic era of action films, and united many of the most iconic stars of the era for an epic team up adventure. While Stallone obviously positioned himself as the protagonist of the series, given that he also directed the film, Statham was arguably the second best character in the film. If Stallone represented the history of action cinema, Statham provided a way for younger film fans to get invested in this nostalgic franchise.
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The Expendables is easily the best film in its franchise, as it managed to combine legitimately ruthless action scenes with some heartfelt moments, particularly due to a romantic subplot involving Statham's character. While Statham does not necessarily give a bad performance in any of the subsequent entries, they largely miss the point of what the first installments was attempting to accomplish.
The Expendables RActionAdventureThriller Release Date August 3, 2010 Director Sylvester Stallone Cast Sylvester Stallone , Jason Statham , Jet Li , Dolph Lundgren , Eric Roberts , Randy Couture Runtime 103 Main Genre Action Writers Dave Callaham , Sylvester Stallone Tagline Choose your weapon. Website http://ExpendablesTheMovie.com/ Expand
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7 'Opération Fortune: Ruse de Guerre' (2023) Directed by Guy Ritchie ✕ Remove Ads
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre was another successful collaboration between Statham and director Guy Ritchie, who had been working together since the late 1990s. While the first batch of films that they worked on together fell into the "London crime thriller" subgenre, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a satirical heist adventure in which Statham got to team up with Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, and Cary Elwes.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre offers a fun combination of heist movie shenanigans and satire of Hollywood, as it is just as sharply written as any of the other films that Ritchie has made. It is actually somewhat unfortunate that the film did not perform better at the global box office, as the final moments suggest that Statham could have returned to reprise his role in a sequel that united the same cast.
210 Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre RActionThriller Release Date March 17, 2022 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Jason Statham , Aubrey Plaza , Josh Hartnett , Cary Elwes , Hugh Grant , Kaan Urgancioglu Runtime 114 Minutes Main Genre Action Writers Ivan Atkinson , Marn Davies Expand
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✕ Remove Ads 6 'Wrath of Man' (2021) Directed by Guy Ritchie
Wrath of Manis one of the darkest films within Statham's filmography, and certainly allowed Ritchie to operate in a much different space than he had before in any of his previous films. Wrath of Man is a straight up revenge thriller that feels inspired by exploitation classics like Rolling Thunder and First Blood.
Although he is often accused of playing the same exact character within every film that he appears in, Statham got to show his range in Wrath of Man by playing a grieving father who is desperate to get revenge on the men that were responsible for his son's death. Ritchie constructs the film in a non-linear way that makes the revenge plot more exciting, and Statham does an excellent job at bringing more vulnerability to his performance than one might expect from such an excessively violent vigilante thriller.
✕ Remove Ads Wrath of Man RActionCrimeThriller
A mysterious new security guard for a cash truck company surprises his co-workers with his precision skills during a heist. His motives are gradually revealed as he becomes embroiled in a complex revenge plot tied to his dark past and a tragic loss that drives him.
Release Date May 7, 2021 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Jason Statham , Josh Hartnett , Scott Eastwood , Jeffrey Donovan , Holt McCallany , Laz Alonso Runtime 119 Minutes Main Genre Action Writers Ivan Atkinson , Nicolas Boukhrief , Marn Davies , Guy Ritchie Tagline A one man army. Expand
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5 'The Beekeeper' (2024) Directed by David Ayer
The Beekeeperis a love letter to classic action films, and is so gleefully ridiculous that only someone as uniquely charismatic as Statham could have pulled it off. While director David Ayer has some misses in his filmography with Suicide Squad and Bright, The Beekeeper proved that he was perfect for gritty, ruthless genre thrillers with a dark sense of humor.
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The Beekeeper draws heavy influence from many classic vigilante thrillers, but manages to create a new mythology surrounding a secret covert government program that is legitimately intriguing. Considering that The Beekeeper was a surprise hit that became one of the highest-grossing original films of 2024, it will be exciting where Statham and Ayer choose to take the franchise next when the inevitable sequel goes into production. Regardless, it may be hard for them to top what they did with the first film.
The Beekeeper RActionThriller
In The Beekeeper, one man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as "Beekeepers".
Release Date January 12, 2024 Director David Ayer Cast Jason Statham , Jeremy Irons , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Minnie Driver , Josh Hutcherson , Phylicia Rashad Runtime 105 minutes Main Genre Action Writers Kurt Wimmer Studio(s) MiraMax Distributor(s) Amazon MGM Studios Expand
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4 'Crank' (2006) Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor ✕ Remove Ads
Crank has a concept so ridiculous that only Statham could have pulled it off, as he stars in the film as a hitman who is forced to keep his heart rate up in order to prevent the bomb placed in his chest from detonating. Although the film was loosely inspired by a classic noir thriller, Crank managed to heighten its own absurdity at every given moment, and often conforms to the logic of a video game.
Crank revealed that Statham had a darkly comedic side, as much of the film relies upon his character acknowledging to the audience how inherently ridiculous the central concept is. While this is an era in which many action films get too complicated for their own good, Crank seems to have no other goal than to ensure that the audience is thoroughly entertained the entire time as the story gets increasingly sillier.
Crank RActionCrimeThriller
Chev Chelios, a professional assassin, finds himself in a desperate situation after being poisoned by a rival. The deadly toxin in his system will kill him unless he maintains a constant surge of adrenaline. Racing against time, Chev tears through the city, causing chaos and destruction as he fights to keep his adrenaline pumping.
Release Date August 31, 2006 Director Mark Neveldine , Brian Taylor Cast Amy Smart , Keone Young , Sam Witwer , Dwight Yoakam , Chester Bennington , Jose Pablo Cantillo , Jay Xcala , Efren Ramirez , Reno Wilson , Jason Statham , Glenn Howerton Runtime 88 minutes Main Genre Action Writers Brian Taylor , Mark Neveldine Box Office $42.9 million Cinematographer Adam Biddle Producer Richard S. Wright, Skip Williamson, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Michael Davis Production Company RadicalMedia, Lakeshore Entertainment Sfx Supervisor Matt Kutcher Budget $12 million Expand
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✕ Remove Ads 3 'Crank 2: High Voltage' (2009) Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Crank 2: High Voltage is one of the rare sequels that is just as good as its predecessor, which is relatively rare within the action genre. While iconic action sequels like Die Hard 2: Die Harder and RoboCop 2 simply felt like pale imitations of their predecessors, Crank 2: High Voltage expands on the first film's conceit to the logical extremes, and manages to insert Statham's anti-hero character into even more ridiculous situations.
Crank 2: High Voltage is a bigger, weirder, and angrier film than its predecessor, and ends with possibly the wildest moment in Statham's entire career. As genuinely depraved as it gets at some points, Crank 2: High Voltage maintains a consistent tone because Statham is able to wink at the audience and assure them that none of the madness that they are watching should be taken too seriously.
✕ Remove Ads Crank: High Voltage RActionComedyCrimeThriller Release Date April 16, 2009 Director Mark Neveldine , Brian Taylor Cast Jason Statham , Amy Smart , David Carradine , Dwight Yoakam , Bai Ling , Clifton Collins Jr. , Jose Pablo Cantillo , Efren Ramirez , Julanne Chidi Hill , Reno Wilson , Keone Young , Art Hsu , J. J. Soria , Corey Haim , Geri Horner , William Brent , Jamie Harris , John de Lancie , Ho-Kwan Tse , Galen Yuen , Shu Lan Tuan , Anne Girard , Yeva-Genevieve Lavlinski , Reid Harper , David Scott Rubin , Chester Bennington , Setu Taase , Eidan Hanzei , Najja Meeks , David Rolas , David Dooyun Kim , Portis Hershey , Atticus Todd , Peter Mark , Chad Damiani , Jai Stefan , Tom Roach , Maynard James Keenan , Danny Lohner , Danna Hansen , Keith Jardine Runtime 85 minutes Main Genre Action Writers Mark Neveldine , Brian Taylor Character(s) Chev Chelios , Eve , Poon Dong , Doc Miles , Ria , El Huron , Ricky Verona , Venus , Dark Chocolate , Orlando , Don Kim , Johnny Vang , Chico , Randy , Karen Chelios , Young Chev , Talk Show Host , Fish Halman , Chinese Doctor 1 , Chinese Doctor 2 , Asian Nurse , Nevada , Pepper , School Classmate , Teacher , Hollywood Park Guy , Shot Gun Triad , Long Beach Nose Punch Triad , Sierra , Low Rider #1 , Young Asian Dude , Cypress Triad Hood #1 , Cypress Fat Chinese Guy , Los Vatos Punk , Strip Please Cop #1 , Donut Cop #1 , Donut Cop #2 , Dog Walker #1 , Dog Walker #2 , Glenda Lansing , Inglewood Pedestrian Expand
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2 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' (1998) Directed by Guy Ritchie
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is the film that put Ritchie on the map, and became one of the most successful independent films of the 1990s. While there were many young writer-directors who were attempting to replicate the success of Quentin Tarantino with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Ritchie created a subgenre of London-based caper films that he would return to at several points within his career with The Gentlemen and RocknRolla.
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Statham proved to be an essential part of making the film so thrilling, as he was perfectly cast as a normal man who is unexpectedly thrust into a complex web of crime. While Statham has succeeded in the past at playing a wide variety of soldiers, hitmen, vigilantes, and commandos, it was interesting to see him give a more grounded performance that members of the audience could actually relate to.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels RComedyCrime
Eddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.
Release Date August 28, 1998 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Dexter Fletcher , Jason Flemyng , Nick Moran , Jason Statham , Steven Mackintosh , Vinnie Jones Runtime 106 minutes Main Genre Comedy Studio Gramercy Pictures Expand
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1 'Snatch' (2001) Directed by Guy Ritchie ✕ Remove Ads
Snatchis by far the best film that Ritchie has ever made, as it perfectly combined his interest in fraternal relationships, criminal conspiracies, money laundering, and comically dark humor into one wild blending of genres. Ritchie would later attempt to get "bigger" when he directed major blockbusters like The Man From U.N.C.LE. and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Snatch represents the more personal side to his filmmaking.
Statham is excellent in another gangster role that allowed him to bring both dramatic intensity and a dark sense of humor, and manages to be the film's standout amidst the stacked cast. While Statham would go on to play many other iconic characters, some of which he was able to revisit in sequels, Snatch remains the film that he will most likely be remembered for throughout the rest of his career.
Snatch RCrimeThriller
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
Release Date September 1, 2000 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Jason Statham , Benicio Del Toro , Brad Pitt , Alan Ford , Stephen Graham , Dennis Farina Runtime 103 Main Genre Crime Writers Guy Ritchie Tagline For every action there is a reaction... and a Pikey reaction is quite a thing Website http://www.snatch-themovie.com/ Expand
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