Best New Action Movies - May 2026 in Review

May 2026 gave action fans a mixed bag. Between franchise sequels, video game adaptations, and a couple of original entries, the month had enough variety to keep audiences busy, even if not everything landed. My Dearest Assassin, a Thai action-romance with genuinely ferocious fight choreography, was one of the month’s most pleasant surprises, while Mortal Kombat II delivered the tournament-style brawling fans have been craving. The best new action movies from May 2026 ranged from that genuinely fun martial arts sequel to some big-budget disappointments that couldn’t quite live up to their trailers.

The real story of May was franchise dominance. Nearly every major release was tied to an existing IP, which is fine when the execution is there. Sometimes it was. Sometimes it really wasn’t. And buried among the blockbusters, My Dearest Assassin proved that smaller international productions can punch well above their budget.

The Month’s Best: Mortal Kombat II

The original 2021 Mortal Kombat had its fans, but it also felt like it was holding back. The sequel doesn’t have that problem. Mortal Kombat II leans hard into the tournament structure that fans have wanted since the beginning, and Karl Urban as a new addition to the cast brings a physicality that the first film lacked. The fight choreography is noticeably improved across the board, with the hand-to-hand sequences feeling more inventive and brutal than anything in the original. Simon McQuoid clearly learned from the first outing.

Is it high art? No. The dialogue still clunks in places, and some of the CGI fatalities look more goofy than brutal. A 64% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 46 Metacritic feel about right. This is a video game movie that actually feels like the game, and that’s more than most adaptations manage. If you’re a fan of the franchise, this is the action movie from May you should see first.

Frank Castle Returns

Jon Bernthal has owned the role of Frank Castle for years now, and The Punisher: One Last Kill gives him another crack at it. Reinaldo Marcus Green takes the director’s chair here, which is an interesting choice given his background with more grounded dramas like King Richard. The premise, Frank Castle searching for meaning beyond revenge only to get pulled back into the fight, isn’t exactly new territory. But Bernthal has always been able to sell that internal conflict with his eyes and his fists in equal measure.

This one landed mid-May and delivered something that felt distinct from the noisier releases around it. It’s a darker, smaller-scale entry compared to the effects-heavy blockbusters elsewhere on this list, and that restraint works in its favor. The action feels personal and close-quarters rather than world-ending, which is exactly what a Punisher story needs.

Star Wars on the Big Screen Again

Look, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu was always going to be the biggest release of the month. Jon Favreau brought his Disney+ series to theaters, and the result is exactly what you’d expect from a TV-to-film transition. Pedro Pascal carries the emotional weight behind that helmet, and Grogu is still absurdly cute. The addition of Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver adds some star power.

But here’s the thing. The 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and the 55 Metacritic score tell a real story. This feels like a stretched-out episode in places, with pacing issues that a streaming series can get away with but a two-hour-plus theatrical film can’t. The action set pieces are solid when they arrive, particularly a mid-film dogfight that makes good use of the big screen. The problem is that there’s a lot of walking and talking between those moments. Fans of the show will enjoy it. Everyone else might check their watch. If you’re craving more adventures in that galaxy, browse our sci-fi collection for some alternatives.

Guy Ritchie Does Espionage (Again)

Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal going head-to-head in a Guy Ritchie action flick sounds like a slam dunk on paper. In the Grey puts them in a covert ops scenario involving a stolen fortune and a ruthless despot. If you’ve seen Ritchie’s recent output like The Covenant or Operation Fortune, you know the template: quippy banter, stylish editing, competent gunplay.

The problem is that this one feels like it’s running on autopilot. A 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53 on Metacritic put it near the bottom of the month’s major releases, and it’s earned. Cavill is charming as always, but the plot is so generic that even his screen presence can’t save it. Gyllenhaal seems underused, and Rosamund Pike deserves better material than what she gets here. Ritchie can make entertaining action movies in his sleep, and this one sometimes feels like he did exactly that.

Southeast Asian Action Done Right: My Dearest Assassin

Don’t sleep on My Dearest Assassin. This Thai action-romance from director Taweewat Wantha follows a woman hunted for her rare blood type who fights alongside the assassin she loves when an old enemy resurfaces. It’s a wild premise, and at two hours and eight minutes, it runs a bit long. But the fight choreography has a ferocity that puts some of the bigger-budget Hollywood releases to shame. The hand-to-hand combat feels raw and kinetic in ways that CGI-heavy blockbusters just can’t replicate. A 7.0 on TMDB suggests audiences are responding to it, and rightly so. If you’re a fan of Southeast Asian action cinema, this is worth tracking down.

The Rest of the Pack

May wasn’t just about the big franchise entries and international imports. A couple more releases rounded out the month’s action slate.

One Spoon of Chocolate, directed by RZA, follows a military veteran falsely imprisoned who tries to rebuild his life in Ohio. It leans more into drama than pure action, and that 5.9 on IMDb suggests it doesn’t fully succeed at either. Shameik Moore gives it his best, but the script doesn’t always meet him halfway. RZA’s visual style is interesting, though the pacing drags in the second act.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War brought John Krasinski’s take on the CIA analyst to the big screen after a successful run on Amazon. A 40 on Metacritic isn’t encouraging, and the film struggles to differentiate itself from the show. It plays like a decent season finale rather than a standalone film. Krasinski is reliable in the role, but the conspiracy plot feels recycled from better espionage films.

May 2026 was a month where action movies showed up in force but struggled to truly impress. Mortal Kombat II was the clear highlight, delivering exactly what its audience wanted. The Punisher carved out its own lane with smaller-scale brutality. My Dearest Assassin proved that the best action choreography doesn’t always come from the biggest budgets. And while the Star Wars and Jack Ryan entries have their moments, they both suffered from feeling like extended TV episodes rather than genuine cinematic events. In the Grey, meanwhile, proved that even a loaded cast can’t rescue a script coasting on formula. The month showed that name recognition alone isn’t enough. Execution matters. Browse more action films in our collection if you’re hungry for something that hits harder.