Top 5 R-rated action films of 2022

2022 has been a year of numerous exciting releases across the genres of action, drama, thriller and fantasy. With multiple high-profile releases such as Top Gun: Maverick, Prey, The Gray Man, Bullet Train, Uncharted and more, action received the most attention in 2022, and audiences have gotten their fair share of high-octane movies to get their blood pumping.

But fans of the genre prefer some hardcore, gruesome sequences compared to mellowed-down versions. R-rated action movies pack that punch of extra blood, extra gruesomeness and extra excitement. In this article, we list and explore some of our top picks of R-rated action films that will satiate the action film junkie in you.

Bullet Train, Beast, Prey and more - some of our top picks of R-rated action flicks of 2022

1) Bullet Train

Bullet Train has been a long anticipated action thriller of 2022 with an ensemble cast. Directed by David Leitch and adapted from the novel Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka, the film stars Brad Pitt alongside Joey King, Sandra Bullock, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, and others.

Bullet Train follows Ladybug, an assassin who is back to work after taking a hiatus for his mental wellbeing. This time around, his job is to retrieve a briefcase from a bullet train enroute to Kyoto from Tokyo. But unbeknownst to him, the train is crowded with many other assassins. With every assassin after the briefcase, they all get involved in a game of survival while trying to complete their jobs.

With a star studded cast and well chorographed action sequences, Bullet Train is set to entertain you for its full duration. It definitely deserves to be on the list of the best action flicks of 2022. Bullet Train was released in theaters on August 5, 2022.

2) Beast

Beast is among the latest releases on this list. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur, the movie is adapted to screen from a story by Jaine Premik Sullivan. Beast features Idris Elba alongside actors Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Sharlto Copley.

Idris Elba plays the character of recently widowed doctor Dr. Nate Samuels, who is on a trip to South Africa with his daughters. He hopes to reconnect with them on the land where he first met their mother. But when a blood-thirsty lion starts hunting them, their trip through the savanna turns into a fight for survival. After years of being hunted by poachers, the lion sees all humans as enemies.

Beast has turned heads at the box office with the epic fight scene between Elba and the king of the jungle. It is an action-packed title that depicts an intense showdown between man vs. wild. The film was released on August 19, 2022 in theaters.

3) Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Image via A24)

Everything Everywhere All at Once is an absurd action comedy and science fiction from the house of A24 films. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the movie was released in March 2022 with the Russo brothers producing it along with the Daniels. The movie features Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Harry Shum Jr. and others.

Everything Everywhere All at Once follows the life of Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Quan Wang, owner of a struggling laundromat. As she along with her family goes to the IRS for an audit, her life is upended as she is told about the multiverse by an alternate version of her husband Waymond. The film explores familial bonds on a multiversal stage and is executed as an action fantasy film.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a unique film that is sure to keep you entertained for the entire duration of 2 hours. The film was released on March 25, 2022 to positive reviews by critics and audiences alike.

4) Prey

Prey is the fifth installation in the Predators franchise released by 20th Century Fox exclusively for the streaming platform Hulu. The prequel tells the story of when the advanced predators first landed on Earth during the 1700s. The film stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp and others.

Set in 1719 in the Great Plains of North America, Prey follows Naru, a Comanche woman who dreams of becoming a great warrior like her brother Taabe one day. While fighting mountain lions and grizzly bears is more than an ordeal for her, she next has to face an enemy of unparalleled proportions. The predator hunts humans for sport and takes down its enemies with relative ease.

Prey revolves around Naru's encounter with the predator and how she emerges victorious in the fight for survival against the ultimate predator. Prey was released exclusively on Hulu on August 5, 2022.

5) The Northman

The Northman is an epic historical action thriller by Robert Eggers. Adapted heavily from Norse mythology, the film is set in AD 895 on the Icelandic island of Hrafnsey. The title stars Alexander Skarsgård in the lead role alongside Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy and Björk.

The Northman tells the story of Viking prince Amleth as he sets out on a journey to avenge his father's death. He escaped from the island after his father's murder, and grew up living with a band of Vikings. When he gets a vision of his future from a seeress that he would get his long awaited revenge, Amleth sets off to return to his village.

The film follows Amleth's journey of vengeance, which uncovers unpleasant truths about his own family. The Northman is an action-packed Viking movie that is sure to get your blood pumping.

Edited by Somava