20 Upcoming Action Movies That Could Beat Mad Max: Fury Road

By Jack Pooley /

18. American Ultra

Release Date: August 21 (US) / August 28 (UK) Why It Could Beat Fury Road: Because there's no action movie coming out this summer quite like American Ultra. Essentially a stoner take on the Jason Bourne formula, the movie sees Mike Howell (Jason Eisenberg), a former secret agent, targeted for elimination, but his old skills come surging back to the surface, making him a mighty (and very, very high) force to be reckoned with. The mental trailer shows off Howell killing two men with a spoon, playing a game of catch with a grenade, and of course, the classic, 'ol frying pan and bullet trick. Plus, Kristen Stewart plays his fellow stoner love interest, Phoebe. How Likely Is It?: 4/10. As brilliant as the film looks, it's going to be balancing action with comedy all the way, so though it's probably going to be a ton of fun, the technical precision of the action likely won't be at a premium. Still, the surely R-rated tone gives it a certain edge over many films on this list, so it may deliver quality mayhem rather than quantity (though in fairness, Mad Max has both).