Jason Statham is back on movie theater screens again in “A Working Man,” the new action flick from “The Beekeeper” director David Ayer. The film is, like a lot of Statham’s most beloved and popular blockbusters, a thriller starring him as a man with a deadly skillset and a mission to bring some other very, very bad men to justice. That is an archetype that Statham has become exceptionally good at playing as he has slowly but surely established himself over the years as one of the best B-movie action stars of his generation.
For further proof of that, here are five of his best movies that also happen to be available to stream right now.
“Snatch” (2000)
One of writer-director Guy Ritchie’s earliest films, “Snatch” is a crime comedy about a small-time boxing promoter (Jason Statham) who ends up embroiled in a screwball plot involving a stolen diamond, a group of nomadic Irish Travellers, merciless gangsters and crime kingpins. It is not the kind of explosive, bruising action movie that Statham has become best known for, but it still ranks high among his greatest and most easily recommendable movies. More than anything, it proves that Statham’s likable, effortlessly charismatic presence has always been just as integral to his success as a movie star as his athleticism and physicality.
“Snatch” is streaming now on Apple TV+’s Paramount+ channel.
“The Italian Job” (2003)
Unlike the other entries on this list, “The Italian Job” is more of an ensemble film than a straightforward Jason Statham vehicle. The actor stars in this F. Gary Gray-directed remake of a late ’60s British classic as one member of a heist crew headed by Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg). Statham plays Handsome Rob, the crew’s appointed wheelman/getaway car driver.
While much of “The Italian Job” is focused on a rivalry between Wahlberg’s Charlie and Edward Norton’s slimy Steve Frazelli, Statham provides the film with a much-needed comedic and action-star presence. Beyond that, “The Italian Job” is just an exceptionally fun time — a remake that has no business being as good as it is.
“The Italian Job” is streaming now on Paramount+ and Peacock.
“Wrath of Man” (2021)
A reunion between Statham and “Snatch” filmmaker Guy Ritchie, 2021’s “Wrath of Man” is a lot of things: a heist movie, revenge thriller and a thinly constructed mystery. Statham stands at the center of it all as a cash-truck driver whose remarkable actions in fending off a robbery leads to questions about his past and his motivations.
Not all of the film’s parts work as well as others and its screenplay, co-written by Ritchie, is not as clever as it sometimes thinks. But “Wrath of Man” nonetheless proves that both Ritchie and Statham have become two of the most reliable craftsmen of easy, satisfying mid-budget action entertainment working in Hollywood today. Like a lot of their recent movies, it may not be a film you will remember for long, but it certainly is not one you will regret watching, either.
“Wrath of Man” is streaming now on Fubo, MGM+ and Tubi.
“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” (2023)
Coming off their collaboration on “Wrath of Man,” Statham once again reunited with writer-director Guy Ritchie for the underrated, underseen “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.” The film, which was shelved for a while and then dumped unceremoniously in early 2023, follows a spy (Statham) who is tasked with retrieving a stolen piece of technology from a dangerous arms dealer (Hugh Grant). In order to do so, Statham’s Orson Fortune must help a popular movie star (Josh Hartnett) con his way into his target’s inner circle.
Both an ensemble crime comedy and a Statham-led action movie, “Operation Fortune” is oozing with Ritchie’s trademark style of charm and confidence, which has always paired remarkably well with Statham’s own, unique brand of ruthless British heroism. On top of all of that, “Operation Fortune” also has a trio of scene-stealing supporting performances going for it, which come courtesy of Grant, Hartnett and Aubrey Plaza.
“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” is streaming now on The Roku Channel.
“The Beekeeper” (2024)
One of the most surprising box office hits of the past few years, “The Beekeeper” is about as pure and simple as a Jason Statham action movie gets. Directed by David Ayer, the film stars Statham as a former “Beekeeper,” an independent special forces agent assigned to protect the world from corruption, who takes it upon himself to avenge the scam-induced suicide of the woman who took him in and offered him a second chance. Punctuated by a handful of cheer-worthy, gonzo action sequences and anchored by Statham’s no-nonsense, hard-hitting lead performance, “The Beekeeper” is exactly the movie you think it is. In this case, that’s a good thing.
“The Beekeeper” is streaming now on Amazon’s Prime Video.
