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Gerard Butler has been in a lot of action thriller movies, and I've watched a surprising amount of them. In fact, I just started the year by watching two of them back to back: "Greenland" and its new sequel, "Greenland 2: Migration." So it felt like the perfect time to put together the list of the five best Gerard Butler action thriller movies and then rank them.
Spoiler alert: only one of those two movies makes this list. I had to make some tough cuts. Since this is a list of the best Gerard Butler action thrillers, some of Butler's best work isn't on this list. "300" is more of a historical action epic, so it didn't feel right to include it on the list. "The Vanishing" is a psychological thriller that can't really be classified as "action-packed." And in an effort to be objective, I couldn't put "Gamer" on this list, even if it might be one of my favorites of Butler's movies.
5. 'Law Abiding Citizen' (2009)
What's it about: "Law Abiding Citizen" stars Gerard Butler as engineer Clyde Shelton, who seeks justice for the brutal murder of his wife and child. But he won't just stop with the murderers; he's going to take down the criminal justice system that failed him.
Why it's ranked here: It was either "Olympus Has Fallen" or this movie making it on the list, and I chose "Law Abiding Citizen" for three reasons. One, I lived in Philadelphia, where the action thriller is set, when this movie came out. It holds a place in my heart. Two, Clyde is a vigilante, but could also easily be viewed as a serial killer. It's a surprisingly complex character compared to Butler's usual fare. Finally, there's an absolutely brutal kill involving macaroni and cheese, and how many action thrillers can claim to have that?
Rotten Tomatoes score (critics/audience): 26%/75%
Stream "Law Abiding Citizen" on Tubi (free with ads) now
4. 'Copshop' (2021)
What's it about: "Copshop" stars Gerard Butler as hitman Bob Viddick, who gets himself arrested to end up in the same police station as conman Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo). There, he reveals he's there to kill Murretto, but things get complicated when another hitman, Lamb (Toby Huss), arrives to kill Murretto on the same contract as Viddick. Trying to stop all this death and destruction? Rookie cop Val Young (Alexis Louder), who definitely didn't sign up for this.
Why it's ranked here: I'll freely admit, this is the lone movie on this list I haven't seen, though I'll be fixing that after watching the trailer and the absolutely unhinged scene where Lamb arrives at the police station as a balloon delivery man. Objectively, it's one of Butler's higher-rated films in general, though, so it needed to be on the list.
Rotten Tomatoes score (critics/audience): 83%/74%
Stream "Copshop" on Prime Video (free with ads) now
3. 'Greenland' (2020)
![Greenland | Official Trailer [HD] | On Demand Everywhere December 18th - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vz-gdEL_ae8/maxresdefault.jpg)
What's it about: An apocalyptic survival film, "Greenland" follows engineer John Garrity (Gerard Butler) as he and his family try to make it to a classified bunker in Greenland to survive an extinction-level event.
Why it's ranked here: "Greenland" really impressed me when I watched it earlier this year. The performances aren't the strongest, but the way the movie is crafted has you on the edge of your seat for most of it. It's arguably the movie on this list that Butler has the least impact on, but perhaps that's for the best. I could see "Copshop" making it above here once I've seen it, but for now, I'm going with what I know.
Rotten Tomatoes score (critics/audience): 78%/63%
Stream "Greenland" on HBO Max now
2. 'Den of Thieves' (2018)
What's it about: "Den of Thieves" follows the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Major Crimes Unit, led by Detective "Big Nick" O'Brien (Gerard Butler), as it tracks a team of ex-Marines turned criminals led by Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber). Caught in the middle? Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), the gang's getaway driver, whose day job is as an LA bartender.
Why it's ranked here: This movie is awesome. I don't get the low ratings from the audience viewers (I can see my fellow critics turning up their noses at it), but I suspect it's because this movie is just a bit longer than it needs to be. But while there is some fluff, the action set pieces of this heist movie are excellent, particularly the film's climactic showdown, weaving through LA traffic with automatic weapons.
Rotten Tomatoes score (critics/audience): 42%/63%
Stream "Den of Thieves" on Peacock now
1. 'Plane' (2023)
What's it about: Plane," Butler stars as commercial airline pilot Brodie Torrance, who is looking to spend the Christmas holidays with his daughter. But when his plane crashes on Jolo island, he and a fugitive who was being transported on the plane (Mike Colter) must team up to get the remaining passengers to safety.
Why it's ranked here: I unabashedly love this movie. "Plane" is my favorite Gerard Butler movie, regardless of genre. It's slick, features some great fights, and leans into the fact that Butler, an aging former RAF pilot, isn't in prime fighting shape like Colter's ex-French Legionnaire, Louis. Butler gets his butt kicked more than once, and it gives the movie a grounding that other star-driven action thrillers often lack.
Objectively, it's also the highest rated of these movies by audience viewers, so don't just take my word for this movie's deserved spot as the best Gerard Butler action thriller.
Rotten Tomatoes score (critics/audience): 78%/94%
Stream "Plane" on Disney Plus and Hulu now
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