From The Meg to Furious 7, Jason Statham has starred in some of the best action movies of his career in the past decade. Over the last 10 years, the traditional movie star has quickly become a thing of the past. The new stars that draw crowds to movie theaters are superheroes and cartoon characters. Moana and the Avengers are more likely to attract a huge audience than Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock. But Statham is one of the few exceptions. He’s one of the only actors left who can get audiences out to theaters with their name alone.
Since 2015, Statham has joined the Fast & Furious franchise, parodied his own career with a self-deprecating spoof role, and fought a 75-foot prehistoric shark with his bare hands. Statham reunited with Guy Ritchie for a jaw-dropping heist thriller and teamed up with David Ayer for an adrenaline-fueled revenge thriller. The past decade has delivered some of the greatest action movies of Statham’s storied career.
When a deep-sea diving expedition accidentally releases a 75-foot prehistoric shark, it’s up to Statham to save the day in The Meg. As the megalodon heads to the shore to feast on unsuspecting tourists, Statham’s Jonas Taylor scrambles to figure out a way to kill it.
Jonas was the perfect role for Statham. Not only did this character utilize his abilities as a badass action hero; it utilized his skills as a former member of Britain’s national diving team. The Meg is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds, but Statham makes it work.
As usual, no matter how ludicrous the plot gets, Statham plays it totally straight. He brings a real earnestness to Jonas’ attempts to slay the ancient sea monster — and his attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife. The Meg is a ton of fun from start to finish.
4The Beekeeper (2024)
On the surface, The Beekeeper seems like a typical, formulaic Statham vehicle. He plays a retired assassin who sets out to avenge someone he cares about and takes down a sinister conspiracy in the process. But his reason for revenge — an unscrupulous phishing scam against his sweet-natured landlady and her charitable organization — is both a timely commentary on a despicable modern-day scam and a poignant storyline that makes his character easy to root for.
In an age of overcomplicated plots, The Beekeeper is a refreshing throwback to old-school action movies with simple motivations and simple execution. The Beekeeper finds Statham doing what Statham does best: kicking butt in a gritty B-movie with a wide range of hateable villains and thrilling fight scenes. Pardon the pun, but The Beekeeper packs a powerful sting.
3Wrath Of Man (2021)
16 years after they last collaborated on Revolver, Statham reteamed with director Guy Ritchie to remake the French action thriller Cash Truck. Wrath of Man stars Statham as a newly hired cash truck driver with a mysterious past. When he effortlessly thwarts an armed robbery, his colleagues question where his particular set of skills came from.
2Spy (2015)
Statham parodied his own on-screen persona in Paul Feig’s action comedy Spy. Melissa McCarthy stars as a government desk jockey who’s tasked with going into the field when her partner’s cover is compromised. Statham’s character, Rick Ford, is an absurd lampoon of every invincible action hero he’s ever played. He pulls off impossible feats like driving a car off a freeway on top of a train while he’s on fire.
In the classic Leslie Nielsen tradition, Statham plays the absurdity completely straight, which makes it even funnier. Rick survives these encounters mostly due to his luck; he’s shown to be a bumbling buffoon who’s as clumsy as he is confident. McCarthy is the star of the movie, but Statham steals the show.
1Furious 7 (2015)
Statham joined the Fast & Furious franchise in the post-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6, where he was revealed to be the man who killed Han Lue. Statham plays Deckard Shaw, the brother of Fast & Furious 6 villain Owen Shaw, and the death of Han marked the beginning of his crusade for vengeance against Dom Toretto’s crew. In Furious 7, Deckard went after the rest of them.
Furious 7 changed a lot during production. When Paul Walker passed away, the film was retooled as a touching tribute to the late actor. After all the behind-the-scenes setbacks and personal tragedy, Furious 7 surprisingly emerged as one of the strongest entries in the franchise. It functions as a perfect, heartfelt send-off for a beloved franchise star — and Jason Statham makes for an unforgettable villain.