Jason Statham's 10 Best R-Rated Movies

Jason Statham‘s best R-rated movies have helped him build a brand as a modern action hero that people always love. Statham’s action movies have found a specific formula that works, making great use of the Fast & Furious star’s tough-guy persona and his ability to deliver high-octane sequences. Of course, this has also resulted in some wild and violent scenes throughout his career.

Statham has had great success with projects aimed at a wider audience. However, his R-rated work includes some of the best and most entertaining movies of his career, and some of Statham’s biggest box office hits. While they often feature bloody action, Statham’s R-rated movies range from intense crime to rare opportunities to show off his comedic side. While not appropriate for all ages, these Statham movies deliver some great R-rated fun.

10

The Beekeeper (2024)

As Adam Clay

The Beekeeper

6/10

Release Date: January 12, 2024
Runtime: 105 Minutes

One of his most recent hits, The Beekeeper proved to be a surprise success in sticking with what works best for Jason Statham’s action movies. Statham plays Adam Clay, a quiet beekeeper who discovers that a friend’s death was linked to an online scam. Returning to his past life as a covert operative, Clay dives deep into who is behind the scam, proving there are no limits to how far he’ll go to serve his brand of justice.

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Statham once again nails his strong, silent hero role with Clay feeling like a machine with how effortless and determined his mission of revenge is. Due to the arrogance of the people he is going up against, there is a lot of satisfaction in seeing him make them brutally pay for their crimes. The movie proved to be a big enough hit that The Beekeeper sequel was quickly put into development.

9

Homefront (2013)

As Phil Broker

Homefront

Release Date: November 12, 2013
Runtime: 100minutes

Statham’s action hero roles typically land as either the lone wolf warrior or the protective family man. Homefront delivers the latter with a story originally envisioned as an action movie for Sylvester Stallone. Statham plays a retired DEA agent, Phil Broker, who is living a peaceful life with his young daughter. However, a simple incident with his daughter at school leads to them getting entangled with a local drug lord.

Homefront wisely keeps things on a smaller scale, with Statham dealing with small-time villains in his own community. There is a grimier tone to the story that makes for some more intense action sequences. He is always effective in a fatherly role, having some genuinely sweet moments with his daughter. The movie is also bolstered by a strong supporting cast, including James Franco, Winona Ryder, and Frank Grillo.

8

The Expendables 2 (2012)

As Lee Christmas

The Expendables movies helped cement Statham as one of the action greats, as he got the chance to share the screen with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren. However, The Expendables 2 is the best of the franchise, as it truly delivers on the promise of a throwback action movie, including all the bloody violence. The movie sees the elite commando squad going after Jean-Claude Van Damme’s villain, who killed one of their teammates.

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage were approached for a role in the sequel.

Despite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis also getting in on the action for the sequel, Statham is still the right-hand man to Stallone as Lee Christmas. He also gets a standout fight scene against fellow action hero Scott Adkins. The movie is a messy and loud ride but perfects the bloody fun that audiences are looking for as well as some tongue-in-cheek humor.

7

The Mechanic (2011)

As Arthur Bishop

The Mechanic

6/10

Release Date: January 28, 2011
Runtime: 93 Minutes

With The Mechanic, Statham leads a remake of an underrated movie from another classic action hero, Charles Bronson. Statham stars as Arthur Bishop, an assassin who specializes in taking people out and making it look like an accident. His careful and precise methods are put at risk when he begins mentoring the reckless son of his former boss.

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Director Simon West is an action movie veteran, having directed other R-rated projects like Con Air. Paired with Statham’s screen persona, The Mechanic makes for a surprisingly bloody ride. It is entertaining to see the various assassinations Statham carries out in the movie, with intricate planning and still a gruesome end. The Mechanic 2 isn’t as fun, but the original captures the hard-edge appeal of Statham’s action offerings.

6

Wrath Of Man (2021)

As Mason Hargreaves

Wrath of Man

7/10

Release Date: May 7, 2021
Runtime: 118 minutes

After more than 15 years, Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie finally reunited for their fourth movie together with Wrath of Man. The 2021 movie stars Statham as a mysterious man who takes a job as an armored truck driver, only to prove he is more capable than he initially appears. As a highly trained group of thieves plan to rob his truck, his true motivations come out.

It is not overly stylish, going for a grounded approach that works even better and makes the violence more impactful.

Ritchie is channeling famed action directors like Michael Mann and Walter Hill with this stripped-down and gritty crime thriller. It is a movie filled with morally gray characters and Statham again nails his calm and collected operator. It is not overly stylish, instead going for a grounded approach that works even better and makes the violence more impactful.

5

Spy (2015)

As Rick Ford

Spy

7/10

Release Date: June 15, 2015
Runtime: 120 Minutes

Statham had perfected his action-hero persona in many movies over the years, but he was bold enough to poke fun at it all in this hilarious spy comedy. Spy stars Melissa McCarthy as a desk worker at a covert spy agency who is forced to go into the field when her friend goes missing in action.

Paul Feig wrote the role of Rick Ford specifically for Jason Statham.

While McCarthy proves to be a surprisingly capable heroine, Statham steals the movie as reckless and dim-witted spy Rick Ford. Though he sees himself as one of the characters Statham would normally play, Ford is actually a bumbling fool who keeps making things worse. Statham’s comedic delivery of the R-rated humor is top-notch, while the movie is also filled with hilarious people, including Rose Byrne, Jude Law, and Peter Serafinowicz.

4

The Bank Job (2008)

As Terry Leather

The Bank Job is perhaps Statham’s most underrated movie and a true crime gem. The movie deals with the real case of the 1971 bank robbery in which thieves tunneled into a bank vault on Baker Street in London and stole the contents of several safety deposit boxes. Statham leads as Terry Leather, the criminal in charge of the operation.

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Those fans who come looking for an action-packed Jason Statham movie will be disappointed as this one is much more of a caper. However, that doesn’t make it any less thrilling, as the heist elements themselves are intricate and clever, while there is the added intrigue of all the elements surrounding it, including a royal scandal. It is a pulpy ’70s crime movie that feels like another throwback and features a more reserved performance from Statham.

3

Crank (2006)

As Chev Chelios

Crank

7/10

Release Date: August 31, 2006
Runtime: 88 minutes

Crank doesn’t feature huge action set pieces like some of Statham’s other movies, but it is certainly the wildest title in his filmography. This time, Statham stars as hitman Chev Chelios, who learns he has been poisoned by a rival and that the poison will kill him if his heart rate gets too low. With a mixture of sex, drugs, and violence, Chelios keeps his heart pumping long enough that he can get his revenge.

The premise is a brilliant one to set up one vulgar and violent situation after another. Statham gets to play the entertaining tough guy, but he also fully commits to the movie’s depravity. It is violent but also hilarious, with a chaotic filmmaking style that perfectly fits the non-stop pace. Crank: High Voltage is an amusing sequel, but doesn’t match the freshness of the first movie.

2

Snatch (2001)

As Turkish

Snatch

Release Date: January 19, 2001
Runtime: 102 minutes

After making his breakout movie, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Guy Ritchie continued to cement his style in the British crime genre while bringing Statham along for the ride. Snatch is a funny and grimy crime-comedy that follows a collection of interconnected characters in London’s criminal underbelly, all revolving around a stolen diamond.

While Snatch is sometimes seen as a Tarantino imitator, it stands on its own as a hugely entertaining crime-comedy.

Statham serves as the narrator and the closest thing to a protagonist as Turkish, a small-time boxing promoter who finds himself involved with a dangerous mobster. Snatch features a stellar cast, including Benicio del Toro, Vinnie Jones, and a scene-stealing Brad Pitt. Ritchie’s clever sense of humor shines through in the movie’s dark comedic take on violence. While Snatch is sometimes seen as a Tarantino imitator, it stands on its own as a hugely entertaining crime-comedy.

1

Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

As Bacon

Statham makes for one of the rare actors whose first movie is their best. Statham was plucked off the streets by Ritchie to star in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, the director’s low-budget crime comedy that introduced his style to the world. The movie follows a group of friends who find themselves owing money to a crime boss and decide to pay it off by robbing their drug-dealer neighbors.

Jason Statham plays Bacon, the most level-headed member of the group, which helped build his cool and confident screen persona. Like Snatch, the movie is a smart and complicated saga of different storylines weaving in and out, while leading to a fun climax. The violence, shady characters, and rough humor display the fun Ritchie has when playing with an R rating.