Money is rarely a great indicator of quality.
This is never more true than it is at the cinema.
Even action movies with stars likeAngelina Jolieor directors likeMichael Baystruggle alongside mid-budget comedies and arthouse offerings.
Image via Lionsgate
In the 1990s a film likeThose Who Wish Me Deadwould have reigned supreme.
The decade saw similar films likeCliffhangerandBackdraftdominating at the box office and recouping their budgets easily.
It’s sobering to consider how much an industry and its motivations can change in a generation.
Image via Warner Bros.
Instead, there are Judges, who serve the roles of judge, jury and executioner.
Running the lab is crime kingpin Ma-Ma (Lena Headey).
To get to her, Dredd and Cassandra will have to get to the top of the 200-story high-rise.
They’ll also have to get through the hundreds of gang members who stand in their way.
Dreddis considered somewhat of a cult classic.
This is a status that a film can only achieve by way of some amount of failure.
InDredd’s case, this failure was financial.
However, the grimy charm of this film couldn’t be stifled by a less than stellar theatrical run.
Thankfully,Dreddfound its audience in its home video release.
The idea was original and vintage all at the same time.
Tarantino and Rodriguez each directed their own feature-length films.
Outside the United States and Canada,Death ProofandPlanet Terrorwere released as stand-alone films.
The DVD release was also muddled and confusing.
Despite the messy release and disappointing box office,Grindhousehas had an incredible legacy.
During a high-stakes job, things go wrong and Bradley is arrested.
Image via Lionsgate
Unwilling to give the police information about his associates, he’s sentenced to seven years in prison.
It isn’t surprising thatBrawl in Cell Block 99didn’t perform well at the box office.
Its theatrical release was small, and the film’s content is grim, violent, cynical and stomach-turning.
Based on the comic character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Dredd is a sci-fi action movie that stars Karl Urban as Judge Dredd, a law enforcement officer who can commute sentences as quickly as he issues them. Set in a dystopian New York-like city called Mega-City One, Dredd is tasked with hunting down a drug lord who controls a massive 200-story apartment complex named Ma-Ma, pushing a new addictive drug called “Slo-Mo” that has become widely used in the slums.
In that way, the film shares a lot of DNA with writer and directorS.
Craig Zahler’s other work.
After numerous complaints and suspensions the pair are hanging on to their careers by the skin of their teeth.
Danny is a career criminal in the process of arranging a $32 million bank heist.
Strapped for cash, Will ignores his better judgment and agrees to help with the heist.
Overflowing with style, stunts and nauseatingly thrilling camera work,Ambulanceis one of Bay’s best.
Image via Dimension Films
The Guestis an action-thriller with a Midwest-gothic sensibility.
While the combination is unconventional, it’s absolutely perfect forthisAdam Wingardfilm.
The warehouse is a meeting place for two vastly different groups of criminals with a mutual interst.
Personal rivalries and changes to the deal crank up the tension and the meeting devolves into an enormous shootout.
Free Fireis an incredible action-comedy that doesn’t waste any time getting to the good bits.
Almost the entire film is dedicated to a no-holds-barred shootout, which is an incredible achievementconsidering the small budget.
Next:The 10 Best Action Movies of 2023, Ranked
Image via RLJE Films
Image via Icon Productions
Image via RJLE Films
Image via Universal Pictures
Image via Picturehouse
Image via StudioCanal
Image via Open Road Films
