10 best action movies to watch led by age-defying older actors

In the crowded field of Netflix original programming vying for viewer attention, it’s difficult to stand out and be noticed. There has to be something that causes the endless scrolling to stop for a moment, for the potential viewer to linger on a title in hopes that it will intrigue enough to warrant a press of the play button — a hook.

This is the latest film by streaming giant Netflix Lou, about a desperate mother’s attempt to rescue her kidnapped child from the wilderness with the aid of a mysterious hardened tracker, certainly has an intriguing hook. Allison Janney is the unorthodox choice to portray the mother as a grizzled, heroic figure with a mystery past.I, Tonya). Some might be offended that the Oscar-winning actress, 62 years old, is playing an active role in this film. Cinema has always placed older actors at the center of action movies. John Wayne was the first to do so. True GritKeanu and Bob Odenkirk were the ones who killed Russian gangsters from John Wick. NobodyThe older hero of action has a rich tradition.

To coincide LouWe have put together a list with movies and a show that you can watch on Netflix. It features stars who are just as good at laying down the beatdowns than anyone else.

Ip Man: Final Fight

Image by Well Go USA Entertainment

The “wise old master” is a common trope in martial arts films. Their purpose is usually to assist the main characters in their journey, teaching them secrets techniques and wisdoms that will help defeat powerful foes. They are often not the main focus of a film. Which is why 2013’s Ip Man: Final FightThe film is fascinating and both notable. It was originally a separate film that developed out of Donnie Yen’s Ip Man series. The movie is about Donnie Yen and the dramatic adventures of Bruce Lee, a real kung fu master. Ip Man: Final Fight is one of a glut of Ip Man movies and TV series that appeared in the wake of Yen’s successful franchise, attempting to cash in on the popular trend. This is the only movie that puts a new spin on this concept.

The film’s director, Herman Yau, and star, Anthony Wong, are known for some of the wildest exploitation films to ever come out of Hong Kong (like The Untold StoryThe pair take an introspective look at the last martial arts teacher as he closes his doors and starts to instruct students in Wing Chun style kung fut. There are many embellishments to the film. The film features rain-soaked street fights that feature expertly choreographed action choreography. It also has melodramatic side story plots and the necessary villains. But Wong’s elderly take on the modern-day folk hero never feels dishonest or exploitative. Wong’s subdued attitude and dedication to completing all the physicality required for him make a difference. Ip Man: Final Fight a satisfying folk tale of the mythic real-life figure’s twilight years.

Ip Man: Final FightYou can watch it on Hi-Yah! for free, with advertisements on Peacock and Tubi, Plex and Crackle or free with a Kanopy or Hoopla library card.

Petta

Image: Sun Pictures

International success for RRRThere has been a significant increase in interest in South Indian film genres. Anyone adventurous enough to dive into that world has likely discovered one of the mainstays of that region’s cinema is action films with older leads. It is not uncommon for actors to change roles with age, as shown in other examples. However, many Indian stars buck the trend. Their audiences still expect them to engage in the same fisticuffs and gunplay as they do today.

Rajinikanth, a 71-year old actor is the best example of such a phenomenon. Nicknamed “Superstar,” he has been at the very top of the Tamil-language film industry for decades. His film for 2019 PettaThis is an interesting introduction to his long-standing status as an action hero. The enjoyment of it may initially seem steeped in irony as the viewer watches Rajinikanth, with his paunchy physique and obvious toupee, fight and dance his way through the film’s many wild action scenes and bombastic musical numbers. As the film’s nearly three-hour run time passes by, that cynicism will likely melt away under its epic tale of decades-long revenge and the unique charisma of one of India’s most enduring cinematic icons at its center. Also, it’s likely the only movie to feature a senior citizen fighting off a gang of hoodlums, in the middle of a basketball court, using a pair of nunchucks.

PettaYou can watch it on Netflix.

Rambo

Lionsgate Image

Having already taken a contemplative look at aging with one of his classic characters in 2006’s Rocky BalboaSylvester Stallone was back two years later and had a totally different approach to John Rambo. Twenty years later, the fourth installment in this series features the brave Vietnam veteran who is tasked to save captured missionaries from Burma. Stallone’s action film is based on this simple plot.

It is simply titled “The Film.” RamboThe idea of regretting and growing older is something that a lot of people pay lip service to. In its relentless pursuit of screen carnage, however, the film quickly forgets that and can enjoy an old but still formidable Stallone as he mowed through thousands of enemy soldiers in many bizarre and gory ways. John Rambo is less a character here than he is the very concept of militarized violence made flesh and bone — an unstoppable golem of bloody wartime conflict. For those who can stomach its bleak outlook and excessive amounts of grisly death, they will be rewarded with one of the strongest films in Stallone’s long career, and certainly the most action-packed.

RamboYou can watch it on Netflix.

Taken

Image: 20th Century Fox

It’s easy to forget due to all the lackluster sequels, parodies, and the glut of similar films that appeared in its wake, but 2008’s TakenIt is still a very entertaining film. This film, about a retired spy trying to rescue his daughter from human traffickers, was so successful, both financially and creatively, that it completely altered the viewing public’s perception of Liam Neeson as a performer. Prestige dramas are the most popular. Schindler’s List Rob RoyAt that moment in Neeson’s long career, this European slice of action exploitation saw the 6-foot-4 actor reimagined as an unstoppable and destructive force of parent fury. This reinvention from serious dramatic lead to “older man of action” became the de facto on-screen identity for Neeson and still defines the roles he finds himself in more than a decade after TakenFirst hit the multiplexes.

TakenHulu has it available for you to view.

The Foreigner

STX Entertainment

Jackie Chan was extremely strict about his film roles. For most of his life as a leading actor, he never let himself be seen to be anything except a cheerful, happy-go-lucky guy who happens to have the ability to flip, tumble and fight with incredible grace and agility. This steadfast commitment to his on-screen persona and what constitutes a “Jackie Chan film” is what makes his turn in 2017’s The Foreigner so compelling. Chan’s demeanour is sluggish and haggard. Any fighting Chan engages in has the intensity and viciousness that comes from a true struggle. Continue reading Wishes for deathMore than Drunken Master II, this radical departure for Chan is a great example of subverting audiences’ expectations to deliver something truly compelling. The film cleverly acknowledges that Chan has finally had enough of the risky stunt work and physical labor required to be a Hong Kong action hero.

The ForeignerYou can watch it on Netflix.

The Last Stand

Lionsgate Image

Arnold Schwarzenegger, once the greatest action star of the world, was now transitioning to acting full time. The type of testosterone-fueled “one-man army” films he was known for had fallen out of favor with audiences. His impressive body was no longer enough to attract viewers. He also had to be in his late 60s. His awareness of these changes is readily apparent in 2013’s The Last Stand.

Schwarzenegger portrays the role of sheriff in a border town, who must deal with a drug lord fleeing to Mexico. This modern-day neo-Western still has elements of the megastar’s early days — comedic sidekicks (Luis Guzmán and Johnny Knoxville answering the question, “What if we gave the Three Stooges guns?”) and copious amounts of bad guys being blown away in a hail of gunfire. Yet, the aura of invincibility that previously surrounded the Austrian actor’s on-screen persona is nowhere to be found here — replaced with a sense of world-weary experience, a willingness to share the spotlight, and plenty of self-deprecating humor. The humble attitude is matched by practical and squib-heavy action taken care of by the visionary South Korean filmmaker Kim Jeewoon.The Devil Was HereHelpful Links The Last Stand work as a fitting emotional coda to Schwarzenegger’s career as an action star.

The Last StandTubi allows you to view it for free, with no ads.

Limey

Image: Artisan Entertainment

This tale of an elderly British career criminal (Terence Stamp) traveling to California to find the truth behind his daughter’s mysterious death and to make those responsible pay for it might, at a glance, seem formulaic. Steven Soderbergh’s skillful hands make it seem like a formula. LimeyThe film is a visual journey through time that beautifully illustrates the impact of regrets and fleeting memories as we age. The film’s unconventionally structured visual approach is anchored by an all-time tough guy performance from Stamp and a subversively charming turn by the great Peter Fonda as the person waiting at the end of Stamp’s mournful rampage. You will find many movies that have similar stories to this one. LimeyHowever, none of them capture the unique combination of anger, intense sadness, and violent rage.

LimeyYou can watch it for free on Vudu and Pluto TV or with an Kanopy library card.

The Old Man

Photo: Prashant Gupta/FX Networks

In the lead-up to FX’s The Old Man This is the only television show that made it onto this list. The advertising compared the prestige TV series to John Wick films. Although the story does involve an old badass who is pulled from retirement to be forced into violence again, there are more thrilling moments than that. It offers the type of comfort only series can offer. The Old ManThe thoughtful discussion of responsibility and identity is a good way to approach the topic of violence’s cyclical nature. This measured approach is perfectly suited for the man on which the entirety of the series hinges — Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges. Here he gets to show all the range that has made him one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. This series is a celebration for him, at 72 years of age and just after his battle with cancer. The truth is that The Old ManAlso, the film features an engaging story and a solid supporting cast that includes Alia Shawkat (and John Lithgow), as well as a return of smaller-scale character driven work. Spider-Man has no way homeDirector Jon Watts is a great bonus.

The Old ManHulu has it available for you to view.

Yakuza

Warner Bros.

Sydney Pollack’s 1974 hardboiled film (The FirmPaul Schrader (authors)The Card CounterLeonard Towne, whose brother provided the story), and Robert TowneChinatownIt was about Robert Mitchum, a former private eye who returned to Japan in order to save his daughter from Japanese gangsters. While the action sequences here would no longer register to any modern viewer as excessively gruesome, they still manage to thrill with their remarkable execution, whether it’s Mitchum blasting his way through a gangster’s hideout with dual-wielded firearms or Japanese film icon Ken Takakura skillfully brandishing a katana against multiple armed attackers. Outside of the film’s impeccable noir vibes and timeless action beats, Yakuza’s engrossing story of betrayal, lost love, and the heavy burden of obligation make it one that shouldn’t be ignored by younger generations of movie fans.

YakuzaYou can watch it on HBO Max.

Never Forgiven

Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s fitting that this list concludes with Never Forgiven. Clint Eastwood’s 1992 unsentimental farewell to the Western genre features every element touched on by the other entries in this list. A renowned actor (Eastwood) returning to the type of action roles that made him famous after decades away, performers not known for physicality (Morgan Freeman) stepping into that world to get their hands dirty, an unflinching portrayal of violence, and a melancholy tone steeped in regret are all present here in this somber story about a retired gunslinger’s inability to stay away from a life of conflict. Never Forgiven is arguably the pinnacle of Eastwood’s career as an actor and filmmaker. He attempted to dissect the Western and gave it one its best entries, with this award-winning multi-Academy Award film.

Never ForgivenYou can watch it on HBO Max.