We can’t go to theme parks right now. That means no funnel cakes, no turkey legs, no churros, and definitely no roller coasters. What wouldn’t any one of us give to scream our head off on a roller coaster right now? Well, it turns out, you may have one or two in your movie collection.
Since I am desperately missing thrill rides, and maybe you are too, I figured I’d give you a list of genre films that are kind of like rides themselves. We’re talking non-stop action. Beginning to end mayhem. Wall-to-wall carnage. You get the idea. Films that will do their best to duplicate that rush of adrenaline you get on an exciting thrill ride.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Basically, this is the beginning, middle, and end of the list, right? The bulk of the movie is an epic chase scene filled with the kind of stunts and actions fans can only dream of. It’s relentless but also smart and poignant. But, alas, you clicked, we should probably give you a few more to put on your watchlist.
Aliens
Most people think the original Ridley Scott-directed Alien is a better film and I’m not going to argue that. Alien is pretty intense and propulsive but it takes a good long while to get there. That’s not the case with James Cameron’s sequel. It gets started quickly and does not let up for a second.
Gravity
Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity isn’t an action movie in the traditional sense. But holy shit does it keep you glued to the edge of your seat with its unyielding intensity and set pieces. And you can watch it in 3D? Even better.
Dead Alive
Three words: Sumatran rat-monkey. When that little bastard gets his hands on Vera, all hell breaks loose in a quiet New Zealand town, resulting in one of the grossest, most fun horror movies imaginable. “I kick arse for the lord” indeed.
Hardcore Henry
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why doesn’t someone make an entire movie like a first-person shooter?” you haven’t seen Hardcore Henry. That’s exactly what it is. It’s as non-stop and wild as the games it’s based on.
The Crank Films
Was I really going to ignore the fact that there’s a series of movies where Jason Statham has to keep his adrenaline cranked up or he will die and not include them on this list?
The John Wick Films
When a former deadly assassin goes on a revenge-filled rampage, it turns the entire profession against him. And his problems become our delight as John Wick fights his way through life with guns, knives, fists, cars, basically anything you can think of.
Dredd
So, The Raid films aren’t sci-fi. Which means I can’t put them on this list, even though they’re perfect. Thankfully though, there is a pretty damned good sci-fi movie that uses the idea of The Raid (good guys fight a building filled with bad guys) and that movie is Dredd. And it’s great.
Edge of Tomorrow
Time travel films are great for that roller coaster feel because they’re usually so exciting and repetitive. That certainly goes for Edge of Tomorrow, in which Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt try to save the world with time travel and big arse mech suits.
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Avatar
Bear with me here. Avatar may not seem like it qualifies but if you watch it again, you’ll probably understand. The film starts so unassumingly. Like a little seedling. And it grows and grows and becomes so huge and epic it’s kind of breathtaking. Just like a great thrill ride.
Being sci-fi certainly hamstrings this list a bit. There are so many straight action movies that could quality here from all over the world.
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