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Antonio Banderas keeps his mouth shut, and his gun loaded in this divisive action thriller, which is now making some noise on free streaming. Released back in 2017, Acts of Vengeance evokes the best kind of action B-movie in this tale of a lawyer who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, vowing silence and revenge after his family is murdered.

Directed by Isaac Florentine, who is certainly no stranger to the genre, as demonstrated in his frequent collaborations with underrated action icon Scott Adkins in the likes of Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, and Close Range, Acts of Vengeance stars The Boys’ Karl Urban, as well as Paz Vega and Cristina Serafini alongside Banderas. The action outing, which proved deeply divisive at the time, is now getting a second shot at success thanks to the free streaming platform, Tubi, where it currently stands #7 in the top 10.

Upon release,...

One of the best action movies of last year is streaming for free...and you should stop whatever you’re doing right now and check it out. Seriously, stop reading and go. Released in June 2024, Life After Fighting tells the perfect no-nonsense story of a former martial arts champion who has settled into living a quiet life. But, when two of his students are kidnapped by child traffickers, he must put his hard-earned skills to good use to save them. No doubt you now wish you’d taken the advice and stopped what you were doing to watch it.

Directed by and starring Australian actor and martial artist Bren Foster, the supporting cast includes Cassie Howarth, Annabelle Stephenson, Luke Ford, Eddie Arrazola, and Ethan Browne. Life After Fighting is available to stream for free on Tubi in certain territories (such as the United Kingdom) and on Prime Video in others...

Illustrations by Stephanie Lane Gage.As one year draws to a close and a new one begins, we reflect on the releases, restorations, soundtracks, posters, criticism, and more of 2024.Fantasy Double Features of 2024In our seventeenth annual contributors poll, something old and something new.Essential Reads of 2024Highlights from the year’s publishing on Notebook.Fire of Wind.The Best Films of 2024 by Leonardo GoiThis is not a year-end list.A Traveler’s Needs poster by Brian Hung.The Best Movie Posters of 2024 by Adrian CurryOur columnist unveils his favorite designs of the year.Clockwise from top left: Boy Kills World, Life After Fighting, Blade of Fury, Black Storm.The Best Action Scenes of 2024 by Jonah JengA survey ranging from dystopian melees to period set pieces, Qin Pengfei to Bren Foster, France to Japan.Aggro Dr1ft.The Soundtracks of 2024 by Robert BarryIn Aggro Dr1ft, Longlegs, Challengers, and others,...

Kill Earns Two Nominations At The Vulture Stunt Annual Awards 2025 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Lakshya starrer actioner Kill was hailed as a revolutionary film in the genre of action and gore. The film, which is backed by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment, garnered a lot of critical acclaim upon its release in 2024. The movie also did well in the Ott space. Now, if this was not enough, the film has now won big at the Vulture Stunt Awards 2025.

Kill has won a nomination in two major categories at the Vulture Stunt Awards 2025. The film has earned a nomination in the Best Fight category between Lakshya and actor Raghav Juyal who essayed the main antagonist in the same. This category is awarded to hand-to-hand combat sequences that are not a shoot-out but might involve weapons. The award will be presented to the stunt coordinator or the choreographer. The movie has been...

The Action Scene explores the form, history, and visceral power of action cinema through its set pieces.Clockwise from top left: Boy Kills World, Life After Fighting, Blade of Fury, Black Storm.This past year may have been the decade’s strongest yet for action scenes. Half of the honorable mentions could’ve held their own against most main-list entries from previous years, and some of this year’s scenes rank among the best I’ve ever seen within their respective set-piece categories.The following list rounds up my fifteen favorite action scenes of 2024. As usual, I’ve limited myself to one scene per film, and to films that made their US theatrical or streaming debut in 2024. Scenes have been organized by theme to highlight patterns and enhance ease of perusal.On Home TURFTop and bottom: Fury 12 Hours.A testament to the exceptional work being done in low-budget, direct-to-streaming Chinese...

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Officer Black Belt is a South Korean action comedy film written and directed by Joo-hwan Kim. The Netflix film follows the story of Lee Jong-do, a skilled martial arts fighter as he is recruited by a probation officer to help closely manage the criminals wearing electronic ankle bracelets to stop them from hurting innocent people. Officer Black Belt stars Kim Woo-bin in the lead role with Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hae Young, and Kim Yool-ho starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the thrilling action, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in Officer Black Belt here are some similar movies to watch next.

Midnight Runners (Tubi & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Lotte Entertainment

Midnight Runner is a South Korean action comedy film written and directed by Jason Kim. The 2017 film follows two new students at the Korean National Police University...

Bren Foster’s Life After Fighting is a true work of martial arts cinema. As both writer and director of this labor of love, Foster has crafted a tale of action and drama that will delight fans of the genre.

The film tells the story of Alex Faulkner, a retired martial arts champion who now runs his own dojo. Played by Foster himself, Alex is a master of various disciplines with a mysterious past. When trouble comes knocking, he’ll be forced to rely on his skills to protect his students and new love interest from danger.

Backing Foster’s vision is a talented cast. Cassie Howarth shines as Samantha, the woman who draws Alex back into the world. Luke Ford commands the screen as their antagonist, Victor. And young Arielle Jean Foster tugs at the heartstrings as Alex’s student Violet.

Through it all, the real star is Foster...

Stars: Bren Foster, Cassie Howarth, Luke Ford, Anthony Nassif, Mike Duncan, Arielle Jean Foster, Aaliyah Knight, Annabelle Stephenson, Eddie Arrazola | Written and Directed by Bren Foster

With a title like Life After Fighting, you might think this is a documentary about the lives of boxers and Mma competitors once they’ve left the ring for the last time. Instead, it’s a somewhat misnamed action film about Alex Faulkner a former competitive fighter who now runs a dojo. But we know he’s not done with fighting, or rather it’s not done with him, otherwise this would be a damn short movie.

Much of the film’s first half-hour revolves around Alex and his budding romance with Samantha who he meets when she brings her son Terry (Anthony Nassif) in for classes. It also leads to the film’s first fight when her possessive ex, Victor sics his massive buddy Milan on him.

If you have a thing for old-fashioned action movies, mainly the ones where a single good guy takes on the entire bad world, Life After Fighting must have been a lot of fun for you. Australian actor and martial artist Bren Foster’s directorial debut (where he also stars in the lead role) is far from a perfect action movie. It is a bit too long, and the editing is weak; in fact, there’s a whole subplot the movie could have done away with. But the final hour of it is action-movie lovers’ wet dream, and that’s what counts. Life After Fighting has a straightforward narrative and a very comprehensive ending. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at it, especially the bloodied, action-packed climax, which is clearly the main deal.

Spoiler Alert

What Is the Film About?

Martial arts instructor Alex Faulkner’s...

Vertical and Bren Foster will launch their new martial arts thriller “Life After Fighting” on June 7 in select theaters and on demand. This marks Foster’s feature debut as writer-director and is his first collaboration with producer Navid Bahadori under their newly formed production and distribution company, Spinning Plates.

According to an official logline, “In ‘Life After Fighting,’ the tranquil existence of Alex Faulkner (Foster), a former martial arts world champion, is shattered when the inexplicable vanishing of two young students from his martial arts school culminates in a shocking revelation that strikes close to his heart. As all avenues of hope seem to dwindle, Faulkner’s determination leads to the rescue of the imprisoned girls, revealing an insidious international child-trafficking ring, which ultimately leads to the fight of his life.”

Other cast members include Luke Ford (“Animal Kingdom”), Cassie Howarth (“NCIS: Sydney”), Anabelle Stephenson (“Tidelands”) and Jake Ryan (“The Great Gatsby...

2024 promises to reignite audiences' love for martial arts movies, with a variety of high-octane offerings set to captivate fans worldwide. From realistic martial arts tournament dramas to fantastical revenge stories, the genre continues to evolve and captivate audiences with diverse themes. A mix of veteran stars and rising talent ensures that the martial arts movie landscape in 2024 will be a thrilling and action-packed adventure for fans.

2024 is looking to be a great year for martial arts movies, with some solid action-packed offerings set to break ground in Summer, Winter, and beyond. The martial arts genre is sometimes thought to be a relic of the past, with many of the greatest Kung Fu films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Enter the Dragon having left their mark on pop culture over twenty years ago. But recent years have proven that, if anything, audiences love for hand-to-hand combat is more alive than ever,...