5 best Jason Statham action movies to watch right now

Jason Statham as Adam Clay in "The Beekeeper" now streaming on Prime Video

(Image credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo / Amazon MGM Studios)

Essential Jason Statham action movies

"Furious 7": Statham’s most menacing performance as the villainous Deckard Shaw.
"The Beekeeper": A brutal, bone-crunching throwback to classic revenge cinema.
"Crank": Adrenaline-fueled chaos and arguably Statham’s most iconic role.
"Spy": A hilarious subversion of his tough-guy image via deadpan comedy.
"Hobbs & Shaw": A high-octane buddy-action spin-off with elite star chemistry.

One of the silver screen’s sexiest slapheads, Jason Statham is perhaps the U.K.’s most iconic action star. With his latest movie “Shelter” now in cinemas, we thought now would be the ideal time to look back at the hardman’s finest action movies.

Statham isn’t your traditional meathead action star, either. First proving his chops in Guy Ritchie’s iconic gangster film “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," The Stath has consistently proven skilled at pulling off sarcastically glib one-liners. Whether battling giant sharks in “The Meg” or teaming up with Sly in “The Expendables," Statham can always be counted on for wry insults and badass beatdowns.

Before you watch The Shelter, brush up on Jason Statham’s breathless back catalogue, as we revisit the unmistakable actor’s best action movies.

‘Furious 7’

Arguably the best film in the “Fast & Furious” franchise casts Statham as one of the series’ more effective villains. Yes, we now look at Deckard Shaw as a mostly redeemed member of Dom Toretto’s increasingly bloated "family," but Stath is legitimately menacing in “Furious 7." He’s also one of the few stars in Hollywood who could semi-believably lay the smackdown on The Rock.

Less absurd than the entries that would follow, "Furious 7" strikes a good balance between high-octane action and schlocky sentimentality. It’s obviously still pretty absurd — see Dom attacking a helicopter with his Dodge Charger. Yet that final scene of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker wordlessly saying goodbye is genuinely moving, in no small part because the latter actor died during the movie’s production. While this Fast entry will always be remembered for Walker’s tragic passing, Statham’s contributions to one of Hollywood’s most successful ever franchises can’t be overlooked.

Buy/rent Prime Video

‘The Beekeeper’

An old-school action flick with bruising and bloody fight scenes, “The Beekeeper” is a welcome throwback to before the genre became so knowingly meta. Statham is Adam Clay, an unassuming beekeeper who goes on the warpath after his neighbor falls victim to a phishing scam.

Stath isn’t actually a mild-mannered honey gatherer, of course. That would be silly. Instead, he’s actually a former Beekeeper (a shady society of hardened agents with dubious links to government agencies). As the movie’s action ratchets up, Statham finds increasingly unpleasant ways to do away with his former colleagues, including some winsome finger-chopping antics.

Slickly directed by the director of “Training Day,” David Ayer, "The Beekeeper" ably shows why Jason Statham remains such a safe pair of hands when playing it straight in no-nonsense action films.

Watch on Prime Video

‘Crank’

This slick and absurd 2006 action flick contains the scene with the most Big Stath Energy of any movie from the iconic British star’s career. The finale of “Crank” sees our boy’s hitman, Chev Chelios, beat the bad guy mid-air after they’re both flung from a helicopter. Not content with his parachute-free skydiving antics, Statham spends the last thousand feet of his deadly descent declaring his love for his girlfriend via a voicemail message. Talk about a top-tier reception.

This being Jason Statham, there was obviously a sequel in 2009 that almost made this list purely for its all-time banger of a tagline: “He was dead… but he got better." The original "Crank" remains the superior film, though. Essentially playing out like “Speed” but Stath is the bus, his hitman must constantly indulge in adrenaline-boosting activities after he’s injected by a synthetic drug that slows his heart rate.

Cue Statham going out of his way to pick fights, drive with wildly reckless abandon and commit carnal activities with his other half in decidedly public forums. "Crank’s" central romance is actually weirdly sweet, giving this knowingly brainless actioner some welcome heart.

Buy/rent on Prime Video

‘Spy’

Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham in Spy (2015) — (Image credit: Alamy)

With his gravelly deadpan delivery, Statham has proven he can be a dab hand at comedy when given the chance. His oh-so-muscular funny bone gets a thorough workout in 2015’s “Spy," an action comedy caper that once again sees director Paul Feig squeeze a winning tune out of Melissa McCarthy following the success of “Bridesmaids."

Though he plays second fiddle to McCarthy’s desk jockey-turned-unlikely CIA field agent, Stath brings welcome jaded sarcasm and surprising warmth to his character, Rick Ford. His onscreen chemistry with the movie’s unlikely lead works far better than you’d expect, culminating in a genuinely side-splitting final scene.

Statham has regularly shown he does his best work as part of an ensemble — see Guy Ritchie’s 2000 crime comedy “Snatch” — and that’s the case with Spy. Jude Law, Rose Byrne and Allison Janney all provide solid support, but it’s Statham and McCarthy who hold your attention most easily. Feig’s flick is also probably the closest we’ll ever get to seeing Stath playing James Bond.

Watch on Disney+

‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in 'Hobbs &amp; Shaw'. — (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

This fun and flighty spin-off sees the Fast & Furious saga wholeheartedly embrace big buddy action/comedy vibes. Where once Statham’s Deckard Shaw and Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs were fully committed to killing each other, now they’re happy enough just to merely swap barbs … and occasionally slap each other silly.

Though it doesn’t reach the planet-saving excess of FF’s recent mainline entries, “Hobbs and Shaw” remains a lot of fun. With slick action pieces, a winning final act set in Samoa, and a cracking cameo from Dame Helen Mirren as Stath’s mom, this speedy franchise detour is hugely watchable. Also, Idris Elba is literally called Brixton Lore. What more could you want?

Watch on Netflix

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Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting edge laptops to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist for 15 years, with bylines across GamesRadar+, PC Gamer and TechRadar. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, buying new TVs at an embarrassing rate and obsessing over his beloved Arsenal.

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