Action movies, by definition, usually feature somelarger-than-life action starsthat are basically invincible from start to climactic finish. They command the screen asthe unstoppable force that dominates and apprehends the antagonists, rarely showing any signs of fatigue, injury, or even slowing down. However, filmmakers sometimes turn typical tropes on their heads and aim to humanize their heroes into something more authentic and relatable.
Creators and the audience alike are now turning to a more refreshing look at the action genre, seeing protagonists who are vulnerable, who can bleed, and who aren’t made infallible by Hollywood plot armor. In movies such asAtomic BlondeandNobody, the stars are seen to be genuinely injured, and include more realistic fight scenes that show exhaustion and believable outcomes.The increased vulnerability and normalization of the leads create some ofthe best action films of all time, with the stories and stakes feeling that much more real and entertaining.
John Wick
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John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
John Wickmight not be the first action film to come to mind when thinking of lead characters who aren’t invincible,as Wick, admittedly, basically becomes invincible in the franchise sequels. So much so that many people have notedthat various scenes inJohn Wickmake no sense, as he survives such devastating attacks and injuries, however, it is these injuries that are precisely why it makes him seem more human after all.
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In the first film,John Wickis definitely more of a realistic hero compared to the sequels, as he is more visibly broken, battered, and tired throughout his fight scenes. Keanu Reeve’s extensive training and preparation for the role further adds a layer of authenticity, andit’s the fact that he receives so much damage that makes his character seem more believable. Rather than simply swan through the plot, effortlessly defeating a slew of enemies with no consequences, Wick is brutalized and tortured many times, but his never-ending onslaught places him further down than other heroes.
Blue Ruin
A mysterious man’s quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his hometown seeking revenge. Proving to be an amateur killer, he ends up in a brutal fight.
In a lesser-known action thriller, Jeremy Saulnier’sBlue Ruinfollows the story of Dwight (Macon Blair), a down-on-his-luck vagrant who goes on a revenge mission against a man who was just released from prison for murdering his parents 20 years earlier.Dwight is an ordinary man with no combat skills or training, so his very being is less heroic and more of a person who has to find the inner strength and will to avenge his personal vendetta.
Rather than an invincible machine, Dwight, masterfully portrayed by Blair, is clumsy and unnerved in many of his encounters. The fumbling and genuine concern he shows in any hostile situation, even those in which he is inflicting the damage, is extremely human and, at times, harrowing to watch. The film captures the essence of his vulnerability in trying to get revenge for a situation that, no matter what happens, can never be solved, andultimately, Dwight pays the price by getting shot and passing away after achieving his aims.
Extraction 2
Extraction 2 is the follow-up to the first Netflix adaptation of a graphic novel, directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo. Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as former Australian spec ops turned mercenary Tyler Rake, having survived the first film’s events. The film will shift to an icy climate where he will again battle against the odds with explosive high-stakes action sequences.
Following the runaway success that was the first installment, Netflix greenlitExtraction 2, which sees Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as Tyler Rake, an unforgiving mercenary who is tasked with almost impossible missions, this time recovering the family of an abusive crime kingpin from prison.InExtraction, Hemsworth is shown to be mortal, being shot and left for dead, with the audience genuinely believing he could be killed in a twist. The sequel continues on with this narrative, as Rake, while obviously an incredibly gifted soldier, faces several perilous situations that all feel like life-or-death scenarios.
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Hemsworth gives another tour de force performance as the mercenary who must go through hell to save those he has sworn to rescue. In the infamous prison break scene, the most iconic of the film,Rake is genuinely brutalized, knocked to the ground, and trampled by a mob of prisoners. Moments like this show that he is not a force of nature, and when outnumbered, he can be susceptible to sustaining severe injuries. Hemsworth expertly carries his pain from scene to scene in a building of damage and tension that creates the illusion of authentic action sequences throughout the film.
Nobody
Bob Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad, and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. However, when two thieves break into his suburban home, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son is disappointed in him, and his wife seems to pull only further away - but the incident triggers the underlying rage in Hutch, leading him down a path to become a dangerous man with brutal skills and the attitude to match.
In the action thrillerNobody,Bob Odenkirk stars as hapless family man Hutch Mansell, who must return to his former life as a deadly assassinwhen a crime lord targets him and his family. Similar toJohn Wick, those who have seen the film may question the choice, as Mansell goes on a relentless tear in the second half of the film. However, throughout the first half, he suffers from several injuries and beatings that form a realistic groundwork for his character that show him as anything but invincible.
Odenkirk gives one of his finest performances as the worn-down family man who has to go above and beyond to protect his family. The film had gained much popularity and been widelycelebrated for using an actor like Odenkirk, who was 59 when the film was released, far from a chiseled, young behemoth who looks and feels unstoppable. Odenkirk’s more relatable and realistic demeanor and figure make the fight scenes more impactful, such as the impeccably choreographed melee on the bus that sees Bob get injured almost as much as the gang he is facing.
Kate
An action crime thriller, Kate follows the titular character, a skilled assassin at the height of her game. But when she makes a careless mistake and compromises an assignment targeting a member of the Yakuza while in Tokyo, she discovers she’s been poisoned with a deadly serum that slowly kills her from the inside out, giving her less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her killers. As her body swiftly deteriorates, Kate forms an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims.
In a unique narrative twist on the usual action-hero trope,Katesees Mary Elizabeth Winstead portray the titular assassin who is poisoned by radiation at the start of the film, giving her only 24 hours left to live. The premise automatically humanizes the leading star as her physical decline and failing health become more apparent with each passing scene. The narrative is full of suspense and drama as Kate tries to pull off her final mission before succumbing to the poisoning.
Winstead gives an extraordinary performance as a powerful and commanding killer who is placed in an incredibly heart-wrenching and vulnerable position.Kategets dizzy, feels faint, gets involved in a car accident, and ultimately passes away on a roof after completing her mission to kill a high-ranking Yakuza boss. There is no Deus ex machina plot twist that eventually comes to the rescue; it is a beautiful narrative about the determination and resilience of a leading character who follows through on their agreement, even knowing that there will be nothing left in the end.
The Night Comes For Us
The Night Comes For Us is a 2018 Indonesian action thriller film that follows Ito, a former triad enforcer, who must protect a young girl from a gang of assassins while on the run in Jakarta. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, the film features a high-octane mix of martial arts and gunfights as Ito faces off against his former allies.
Timo Tjahjanto is the writing and directing talent behind one of the most underrated Indonesian films in recent memory, the gruesome and action-packedThe Night Comes for Us.Joe Taslim plays Ito, a former top enforcer of the Triadswho is on the run after rescuing a young girl from the syndicate and now must protect her from his former gang, who have been tasked with finding the two. Ito, while showing signs of an incredible combat skill set, is never far away from receiving a brutal beat down.
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The Night Comes for Uswas originally scripted and produced as a graphic novelbefore being adapted into a film, which may lead viewers to assume that the lead character is some kind of all-out superhero. Taslim beautifully portrays a realistic version of his character, far removed from a comic book page, who faces real threats and real adversity. The film is quite literally soaked in Ito’s blood, and he goes through many unrelenting and punishing fight sequences that leave no doubt that the man can be physically harmed or even killed.
Upgrade
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, Upgrade is a Sci-Fi, Action, and Cyberpunk film starring Betty Gabriel, Logan Marshall-Green, and Harrison Gilbertson. The plot sees a man suffering a tragic accident and becoming paralyzed as a result. He soon accepts a STEM implant that gives him back his body and much more.
A leading action star paralyzed by an accident is potentially the quickest way to start a film that proves the character is anything but invincible. Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade is a cyberpunk action film that follows Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green),an auto mechanic who becomes a wheelchair-using quadriplegic after a car accidentbut regains his motor functions after receiving a ‘STEM’ implant from a renowned technological innovator. Though he gains mobility and skills through his AI implant, he still shows moments of vulnerability, often losing control to the system designed to help him.
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Marshall-Green does an excellent job at portraying his character’s internal conflict at being joyful to regain his former movements, but also apprehensive at the new technology that has turned him into a lethal fighting machine.There are many poignant and sad moments throughout the film, with Grey attempting to take his own lifeafter coming to terms with his initial diagnosis. Though the implant turns him into an invincible cyborg of sorts, the human qualities and emotions exhibited masterfully convey the vulnerable and sensitive side of the main character.
Monkey Man
Monkey Man is a 2024 action-thriller film directed by and starring Dev Patel. Following his release from prison, a man known as “Kid” makes a living by engaging in anonymous underground fights in a mask where he is beaten down each night. However, after witnessing greed and corruption consuming his city, Kid breaks into the upper echelon of society to find those who destroyed his life and take them down.
In his directorial debut, Dev Patel also gives one of the most iconic performances of his career inMonkey Man, a film that sees him play Kid, a child who grew up to become the titular star, working as a heel and jobber at an underground fight club. Kid grew up in a village that saw his mom and fellow locals slaughtered by a corrupt police chief in a bid to conquer their land. His haunted past and quest for vengeance definitely ground his role, as we see the pain and anguish from his past as the young boy helpless to prevent the death of his mother.
Seeing the leading star, capable of beating down multiple assailants at once, as a small child facing incomprehensible horror makes the grown-up version shown seem a much more human and relatable figure. Patel gives a perfectly balanced portrayal of a brutal underground fighter who is haunted by his past and physically his body is beaten and shattered through many intricate and gory fighting sequences. In the end, he gets his revenge, but his body is battered, almost beyond repair, as he collapses just before the credits roll.
Bullet Train
Bullet Train: Released in 2022, Bullet Train follows unlucky assassin Ladybug as he seeks a peaceful mission amidst a web of globally connected and conflicting adversaries on the world’s fastest train. The film explores themes of fate and interconnected objectives, creating a tension-filled narrative in a high-speed setting.
Bullet Trainis an action film that puts an unusual and perfectly executed vulnerable twist on the leading star by making him the opposite of what is usually expected in a leading role.The action archetype is one of poise, confidence, and unmatched athleticism, capable of clearing and dominating any room, so Brad Pitt’s portrayal of an assassin, “Ladybug” who has bouts of crippling anxiety, doubts himself, and who deems himself a bad omen is an excellent counter to the usual tropes. Pitt nails the brief of a complex, anxious character while still maintaining his suave nature and deadly skills.
Ladybug believes himself to be bad luck after several missions see several people die around him in accidental deaths, a hilarious concept for an assassin who is paid to murder. His misadventures, combined withPitt’s spot-on portrayal,make a deeply human foundation for his role while showcasing his underrated comedic timing. He is exposed to snake venom, poisoned, attacked, and beaten while dealing with his own mental issues, which truly creates a character who seems anything but an unstoppable hero.
Atomic Blonde
Based on a graphic novel, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent who is attempting to locate a sensitive list of double agent spies before it is smuggled from East to West Germany, just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Theron is joined by a cast that includes James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, and John Goodman.
In a film that shows the true vulnerability and honest detraction of its lead,Atomic Blondesees the wonderful Charlize Theron portray M16 spy Lorraine Broughton, who is tasked with finding a list of deadly double agents.Unlike an ‘invincible’ spy like James Bond, Theron gives a relatable and realistic portrayal of a female agentwho has to take on multiple assailants or larger male figures. The film and direction don’t shy away from the physical mismatch, and rather than allowing Theron to simply overpower the large foes in an illogical way, she wins by skills, training, and street smarts.
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In perhaps her most intense action role,Theron is visibly shaken, battered, and bloodied after each encounter, showing the brutal realities of fighting, something that is rarely shown in such an honest way. The infamous scene in the apartment stairwell sees her almost beaten to death, and she is forced to use every tactic in her arsenal to survive, showcasing incredible resilience and grit. While often physically outmatched, the narrative is driven by the spy’s heroics despite the incredible odds, and the fact she is so deeply humanized makes the triumphs and accomplishments that much more impactful.
