Here's my take on the 10 most underrated military action films of the 2010s that surprisingly enough hold up even today in 2023.
1. "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" (2016)
Based on real events, this one's set in 2012 Libya, where an American ambassador is killed in an attack on a U.S. compound. Six members of a security team defy orders and go to the rescue. We're talking guns blazing, buildings collapsing, and tons of close-quarters combat. They have to defend the compound while waiting for air support that, spoiler alert, never comes.
2. "Hunter Killer" (2018)
Gerard Butler plays Joe Glass, a submarine captain who's sent to investigate a missing American sub near Russian waters. Turns out there's been a coup in Russia, and a U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent to rescue the kidnapped Russian president. Glass has to navigate underwater minefields, dodge a rogue Russian sub, and coordinate with the SEAL team to save the day.
The clock is ticking: the U.S. and Russian fleets are dangerously close to starting WWIII.
3. "Lone Survivor" (2013)
This one follows four Navy SEALs sent to Afghanistan to take down a Taliban leader. They're discovered by some local goat herders and have to make a tough call — let them go and risk being exposed or...well, you know. They let them go. Clearly, they shouldn't have done that.
What follows is a brutal firefight against overwhelming odds. Each member gets picked off, one by one, until Mark Wahlberg's character, Marcus Luttrell, is the last man standing, hence the title.
4. "Act of Valor" (2012)
What makes this movie unique? It stars real-life Navy SEALs. The plot revolves around a mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Our SEALs find out there's a terrorist plot to smuggle undetectable suicide vests into the U.S.
It's a globe-trotting adventure — from rescuing hostages in the Philippines to stopping terrorists in Mexico. And the action? Hyper-realistic.
5. "Sniper: Ghost Shooter" (2016)
This straight-to-DVD gem is worth a watch. Elite snipers Brandon Beckett and Richard Miller are tasked with protecting a gas pipeline from terrorists. But here's the kicker: someone on their own side is working against them. The snipers get taken out one by one, and it becomes a race against time to find the mole before they're next.
It's a sniper movie, so expect lots of long-distance shots, but it's got some close combat too.
6. "Red Dawn" (2012)
Remember the '80s version? This movie is the reboot, and they surely did a nice job rebooting it, for once. North Korean forces invade the U.S., and a group of young folks in a small Washington town find themselves right in the line of fire.
Chris Hemsworth leads the pack as a Marine on leave, guiding these young insurgents. They adopt the name "Wolverines" and start causing some serious damage behind enemy lines. From ambushes to sabotage, these kids are no pushovers. But as they're literally kids against a professional army, things get dicey, real quick.
7. "Kajaki" (2014)
This British film set in Afghanistan in 2006, where a group of British paratroopers find themselves trapped in a minefield. Yes, an actual minefield. One of them steps on a mine, and it's a nerve-wracking ordeal trying to get him out without blowing themselves up. The rescue helicopter ends up dropping medical supplies that also land on mines.
8. "Eye in the Sky" (2015)
Who says drones can't be the star of a military action movie? Helen Mirren plays a UK Colonel who oversees a drone mission to capture terrorists in Kenya. A young girl enters the kill zone to sell bread. Now, it's a moral dilemma – take out the terrorists and risk the girl's life or let them go? Multiple parties, including the U.S. drone pilot, have to weigh in, making it a tangled web of ethics and military strategy.
9. "The Wall" (2017)
Two American snipers, one Iraqi sniper, and a crumbling wall between them. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's character gets pinned down by the Iraqi sniper, who also happens to be a bit of a chatterbox, taunting him over the radio.
It becomes a game of wits and aim, as Taylor-Johnson tries to figure out the sniper's location before it's too late. And he's also dealing with dehydration, a leg injury, and a dying comrade on the other side of the wall.
10. "12 Strong" (2018)
A film based on the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. Chris Hemsworth's back, this time as Captain Mitch Nelson, leading a U.S. Special Forces team partnered with an Afghan warlord to take down the Taliban. They have to adapt to local tactics, like riding horses into battle, while still bringing the full force of American military power.