Action Picks

Jason Statham plays Cole Reed, a man who watches his billionaire boss get killed, takes the blame, and boards a cargo ship on a one-man revenge run that peels open an international conspiracy. Director Jean-Francois Richet keeps this action thriller tight and mean, exactly the confined, high-stakes brawl a big screen amplifies. Screenings are thin this week, so plan ahead if you want to catch it.

Ridley Scott drops you into a wiped-out world where a lone man, his dog, and a hard-edged gunman guard an airplane hangar, until a stray radio transmission sends them hunting for its source. This science fiction thriller trades on tension, isolation, and a hard question worth chasing, and Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce give it real weight. It plays across two cinemas this week, so it is easy to line up a seat.