In terms of action filmmaking, the genre has seen many great directors over the decades.
This is a selection of the 10 most underrated action movie directors.
Leterrier began his working career alongside fellow French directorLuc Besson.
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Some of Wheatley’s earliest directorial efforts, includingKill ListandSightseers, established his skill in genre-blending and black comedy.
It wasn’t until 2016 withFree Firethat Wheatley would display his talents as an action filmmaker.
For his first foray into action filmmaking,Free Fireis an impressive yet subtle achievement.
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Helander wouldn’t let hisapplication to film school being rejecteddissuade him from pursuing a career in film.
Harlin would follow that up with his two most prominent action movie efforts,Die Hard 2andCliffhanger.
His second effort,Nobody, saw even greater success, witha sequel scheduled for release this year.
A former special forces operative works as a highly skilled driver, transporting dangerous goods for shadowy clients. His strict rules ensure efficiency, but when he breaks one of his own by opening a mysterious package, he becomes entangled in a deadly human trafficking operation, leading to intense action sequences.
Naishuller is an innovator of the genre with a bright future ahead of him.
Being avisual effects artist since the age of 16, Blomkamp has always had a creative spirit.
It’s clear that he was born to create.
InUpgrade, Whannell’stechnical proficiency as an action director is on full display.
Ridiculously violent, inventively shot and incredibly entertaining,Upgradeis one of the best genre blends in recent memory.
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.
Evans would double down in terms of scale in his follow-up, the equally thrillingTheRaid 2. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
Wan also helmedFurious 7, one of the best entries in the long-runningFastfranchise.
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Wan is truly a master of his craft,whether it be spine-tingling horror or pulse-pounding action.
However, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Owen’s older brother, is thirsty for revenge.
NEXT:10 Essential Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Movies, Ranked
Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shoot-out and a game of survival.
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Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.
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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.
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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.
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Two hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.
