Charlize Theronhas been building an impressive reputation as anactionstar. The 49-year-old Academy Award winner has been in the movie business since the mid-1990s. Her performances in films likeMonsterandNorth Countryhave shown she has some serious dramatic acting skills, but over the years Theron has branched out into comedy, voice acting, and, of course, action movies.
The Old Guard 2
The Old Guard, in which Theron stars as the leader of a centuries-old mercenary group, was a hit for Netflix in 2020. With incredible action sequences and excellent performances paired with a compelling story, the film landed an 80% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. A sequel,The Old Guard 2, came out recently, but reviews have not been as favorable, with only a 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re looking for a Charlize Theron action flick, we suggest passing on TheOld Guard 2and checking out these movies instead.
7’Prometheus' (2012)
Prometheus
Prometheusis the fifth film in theAlienfranchise. In the year 2089, an expedition sets out to a distant moon in search of humanity’s origin. When the ship arrives at its destination, however, the crew quickly learns that something dangerous is among them. Noomi Rapace (Lamb) and Logan Marshall-Green (The Invitation) star as archeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway. Michael Fassbender (Black Bag) plays the spaceship’s android, David. Idris Elba (Luther) is the Prometheus’s captain, Janek. Theron plays the representative for the company funding the expedition, Meredith Vickers. The cast also includes Sean Harris (The Stranger), Rafe Spall (The Ritual), Kate Dickie (Dept. Q), Emun Elliott (The King’s Man), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), and Guy Pearce (Sunrise).
A Visual Feast
Ridley Scott, who made the originalAlienmovie in 1979, returned todirect this prequel. The film received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for the stunning visuals and strong performances.Prometheusearned an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Theron received a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Summer Movie Star. The film currently holds a 73% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
6’The Fate of the Furious' (2017)
The Fate of the Furious
The Fate of the Furiousis the eighth installment in theFast & Furiousfranchise and the first to feature Charlize Theron. The franchise began a decade ago in the world of illegal street racing and has since moved into the realm of heists and espionage with each new installment. InThe Fate of the Furious, retired street racer and criminal Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has settled down. His quiet life is turned upside-down when a cyberterrorist known as Cipher (Theron) blackmails Dom into doing her bidding. The cast sees the return of Michelle Rodriguez (Widows), Tyrese Gibson (Morbius), Jason Statham (The Transporter), and Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise).
Playing the Big Bad
TheFast & Furiousmovies are known for spectacular action sequences featuringall kinds of cars and trucks. While reviews forThe Fate of the Furiouswere mixed, many credit the movie with having great cast chemistry and impressive stunts. Theron has played villains before, but this is a rare action franchise in which she gets to function as the big bad.The Fate of the Furiouswon an award for Best Action Sequence at the MTV Movie Awards and Theron was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain.
Charlize Theron Did Almost All Her Own Stunts in This Underrated Action Movie
And to top it all off it’s streaming free on Tubi.
5’The Italian Job' (2003)
The Italian Job
One of Theron’s earliest action movies is led byStraight Outta Comptondirector F. Gary Gray.Based on the 1969 filmof the same name,The Italian Jobis a fast-paced thrill-ride in which master thief Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) and his team seek revenge on one of their own who betrayed them during a previous heist. The cast includes Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn), Jason Statham (The Fate of the Furious), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Mos Def (Be Kind Rewind), Franky G (Saw II), Aleksander Krupa (Hidden Figures), and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games).
Safe Cracking
Theron plays safe-cracker Stella Bridger, whose father and fellow safe-cracker John Bridger (Sutherland) was killed by Steve Frazelli (Norton) in the last heist when Steve betrayed the team.The ItalianJob proved to be an entertaining heist movie upon its release and continues to hold an 80% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Theron won Outstanding Performer of the Year in 2004 for this movie andMonster.The Italian Jobalso won Best Specialty Stunt at the Taurus World Stunt Awards.
4’Atomic Blonde' (2017)
Atomic Blonde
Atomic Blondeis an action spy thriller in which Theron stars as Lorraine Broughton, a top MI6 field agent investigating the murder of a fellow agent. The movie was written by Kurt Johnstad (300) anddirected by David Leitch(Bullet Train), based on the 2012 graphic novelThe Coldest Cityby Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The cast features John Goodman (Argo), Eddie Marsan (Fair Play), Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon), Toby Jones (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), and James McAvoy (Speak No Evil) as wildcard MI6 Berlin station chief David Percival, who may or may not be helping Lorraine with her investigation.
A “Magnetic” Performance
The action sequences inAtomic Blondeare stylish, innovative, and riveting. The film received a Best Fight nomination at the MTV Movie Awards and won Best Fight at the Taurus World Stunt Awards.Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper called it"a slick vehicle for the magnetic, badass charms of Charlize Theron, who is now officially an A-list action star."
Charlize Theron Gets Candid About ‘Furiosa’ Recasting: “It Was Challenging”
The Academy Award winner wasn’t entirely happy when she found out her character in the action franchise was being recast.
3’The Old Guard' (2020)
The Old Guard
Even if you’ve alreadyseenThe Old Guard, it’s definitely worth watching again. Theron stars as Andromache “Andy” of Scythia, a mercenary with regenerative healing capabilities who has been protecting the world for centuries. She fights alongside her fellow mercenaries Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), all of whom share her regenerative power. This power is not infinite, however, and they all know that one day it will stop working. As Andy’s healing ability begins to wane, they meet U.S. Marine Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne), who turns out to be one of them.
A New Take on the Superhero Genre
The Old Guardwas incredibly successful for Netflix and with good reason. The film seamlessly blends action, adventure and superhero elements all while exploring the nature of mortality.The Old Guardwon Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form at the Hugo Awards and received four People’s Choice Award nominations, including two nominations for Theron. It also won Best Superhero Movie at the Critics' Choice Super Awards.
2’Kubo and the Two Strings' (2016)
Kubo and the Two Strings
Kubo and the Two Stringsisn’t the average action movie. It’s astop-motion fantasy adventuredirected by Travis Knight (Masters of the Universe) with a screenplay by Marc Haimes (Ultraman: Rising) and Chris Butler (ParaNorman). In feudal Japan, 12-year-old Kubo (Art Parkinson) sets out on a journey to find his late father’s magical armor so that he can defeat a vengeful spirit. He is aided in his search by Monkey (Theron), a wooden snow monkey charm that comes to life after his mother (also voiced by Theron) disappears. Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar), Rooney Mara (Carol), and Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) lend their voices to the film as well.
Stop-Motion Action
While the voice actors aren’t exactly doing their own stunts, it doesn’t make the action in this fantasy epic any less impressive. Produced by the stop-motion animation studio Laika,Kubo and the Two Stringsis a remarkable directorial debut for Knight. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive upon the film’s release. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year and for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.Kubo and the Two Stringshas a 97% rating from critics and an 86% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Roadisn’t just Charlize Theron’s best action movie, it’s also one of the most stunningaction movies of the 21st century. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, a drifter named Max (Tom Hardy) and a war rig driver, Imperator Furiosa (Theron), band together to stay alive and protect a cult leader’s “wives” from captivity in the Citadel. The cast includes Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Zoë Kravitz (High Fidelity), Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six), Abbey Lee (Old), Courtney Eaton (Yellowjackets), and Nicholas Hoult (The Menu).
A Science Fiction Masterpiece
George Miller, who made the originalMad Maxmovie in 1979, directs this epic new installment and achieves some epic (though at times dangerous) practical effects. Theron’s Furiosa was instantly iconic, becoming so popular that Miller made a prequel about the character in 2024 starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Gorge).Mad Max: Fury Roadwas nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning six of them. It won Best Director, Best Action Movie, Best Actor in an Action Movie for Tom Hardy, and Best Actress in an Action Movie for Theron at the Critics' Choice Awards. The movie holds a certified fresh 97% rating from critics and 86% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
