10 One Man Army Movies Not To Be Slept On
Don't get in the way of these men and women on a mission.
A "One Man Army" film is one where the protagonist, often a soldier or some sort of ex-military figure, faces insurmountable odds but is able to overcome them with an ungodly amount of violence.
Famous examples of this action movie staple include First Blood, the movie that gave the world John Rambo, Die Hard, which made John McClane a household name, and the John Wick series. Hmm, seems like being called "John" is also a prerequisite for this genre.
Everyone knows those films, though, so it's about time that some lesser-known samples got the spotlight. Ones where the hero isn't always named John.
The following ten flicks all follow the tried and tested One Man Army formula, although some do mix things up a little. In fact, one of them isn't a One Man Army film at all, if you follow, but more on that later. If you're a fan of blood-soaked heroes blasting their way through wave after wave of enemies and surviving gunshot wounds that would kill an elephant in real life, then check out some of these overlooked gems.
10. Out Of The Furnace
Russell Baze (Christian Bale) is a nice guy who works in a steel mill and is just trying to get by in life. That is, until he goes to jail for manslaughter after a drink-driving accident.
Whoops.
Once he gets out, Russell discovers that his brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) has become embroiled in illegal bare-knuckle fighting. When Rodney goes missing after refusing to take a dive, it’s up to Russell to get him back.
This is Out of the Furnace, a 2013 flick directed by Scott Cooper, who would go on to helm the fantastic supernatural horror Antlers.
Though it takes a little while to get to the bit where Christian Bale tears through bad guys like they were made of string cheese, once it does, Out of the Furnace is a mile-a-minute, full of great action set-pieces backed up by compelling performances from all involved.
The brotherly relationship between Russell and Rodney is a nice touch and not one usually explored in these sorts of films, as both Bale and Affleck are very convincing in their love for each other.
If only it’d have been Ben, this film would have had two Batmans in it.