1. The Transporter (2002)
Statham plays Frank Martin, a professional driver with a strict code. Stylish action and slick choreography made this his breakout role.

The Transporter is a high-octane action film that launched a beloved franchise and cemented Jason Statham as a modern action icon. Directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen, the movie introduces us to Frank Martin—a former Special Forces operative who now makes a living as a professional transporter. He delivers anything, anywhere, no questions asked… as long as the rules are followed.
But when one job goes sideways and he breaks his own third rule, he discovers his “package” is a kidnapped woman named Lai. Caught between a brutal human trafficking operation and his own code of honor, Frank is forced into a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat and mouse with ruthless criminals, explosive car chases, and brutal hand-to-hand combat.

With stylish choreography, sleek European settings, and nonstop adrenaline, The Transporter set the tone for 2000s action cinema.

2. Crank (2006)
As Chev Chelios, Statham must keep his adrenaline high to stay alive. A wild, fast-paced ride full of chaos and energy.

Crank is a pulse-pounding action-thriller that plays like a sH๏τ of pure adrenaline straight to the heart. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the film stars Jason Statham as Chev Chelios, a hitman who wakes up to discover he’s been poisoned with a synthetic Chinese compound that will kill him if his heart rate drops too low.

With only hours to live, Chev goes on a frenzied rampage through Los Angeles, determined to find the people who poisoned him while keeping his adrenaline levels high by any means necessary—fighting, drugs, danger, and even public Sєx. As chaos unfolds around him, Chev races against time in a cinematic experience that’s hyper-stylized, frenetic, and unapologetically over-the-top.

3. The Mechanic (2011)
Playing an elite ᴀssᴀssin who makes hits look like accidents, this film highlights Statham’s cold precision and intense action sequences.

The Mechanic is a gritty action-thriller remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson classic. Directed by Simon West, the film stars Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop, a professional ᴀssᴀssin with a strict code and a reputation for making his hits look like accidents or suicides. Precision, planning, and detachment are his trademarks—until the job becomes personal.

When his mentor Harry (played by Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is pulled into a web of betrayal and vengeance. He reluctantly takes under his wing Harry’s impulsive son, Steve (Ben Foster), and trains him in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly craft of ᴀssᴀssination. As the pair carry out a series of high-stakes kills, tensions rise and loyalty is tested, leading to a high-octane climax filled with explosive action and moral ambiguity.

4. The Expendables Series (2010–2023)
Statham stands out as Lee Christmas, a knife expert and right-hand man to Sylvester Stallone’s character in this all-star action franchise.

The Expendables series is an action-packed franchise featuring some of the biggest action stars in Hollywood history. Created by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as the lead character, Barney Ross, the films follow a group of elite mercenaries on high-risk missions filled with non-stop action, intense combat, and explosive stunts. The series pays homage to 1980s and 1990s action films, bringing together iconic figures from that era.

The first film, The Expendables (2010), introduces audiences to a team of mercenaries who are hired to overthrow a dictator on a fictional South American island. Along with Stallone, the films feature a who’s who of action stars, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture, with further sequels expanding the roster to include actors like Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and more.

As the series progresses, the stakes and action become even more intense, culminating in The Expendables 4 (2023), which sees the team face off against larger-than-life threats. Each installment emphasizes camaraderie, intense fight sequences, and relentless firepower, making it a treat for fans of pure action cinema.

5. Safe (2012)
A gritty thriller where Statham protects a young girl who holds the key to a corrupt conspiracy. Combines brutal fight scenes with emotional depth.

Safe (2012) is an action-thriller film directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Jason Statham as the lead character, Luke Wright. The movie follows Luke, a former cop who has fallen into a downward spiral after his family is killed. His life takes a sudden turn when he encounters Mei, a young Chinese girl with a pH๏τographic memory, who is being pursued by both the Russian mafia and the Triads. She holds the key to a mᴀssive amount of money, and Luke becomes her protector in a battle against ᴅᴇᴀᴅly criminals.

As Luke and Mei go on the run, they must navigate through a maze of corruption, violence, and power struggles. The film features intense action sequences, martial arts combat, and Statham’s signature style of tough, relentless action heroism.

6. Parker (2013)
In this slick heist movie, he plays a thief with a code of honor, seeking revenge against his own crew.

Parker (2013) is a crime-action film directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Jason Statham as the тιтular character, Parker. Based on the novel Flashfire by Donald E. Westlake, the movie follows Parker, a highly skilled and meticulous thief who is betrayed by his own crew during a heist. Left for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, he survives and embarks on a mission of revenge, vowing to take down those who betrayed him.

With the help of a resourceful woman named Leslie, played by Jennifer Lopez, Parker hunts down his former ᴀssociates across various cities. As he plans to retrieve the stolen money and get his revenge, Parker must navigate through dangerous territory filled with double-crosses and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly enemies. The film showcases tense heists, fast-paced action, and Statham’s usual no-nonsense atтιтude.

7. Homefront (2013)
A retired DEA agent tries to protect his daughter in a quiet town that’s not so quiet after all. Strong dramatic edge with hard-hitting action.

Homefront (2013) is an action-thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring Jason Statham as Phil Broker, a former DEA agent who seeks to start fresh in a quiet, rural town after his undercover operation goes south. Broker’s goal is to leave his violent past behind and live a peaceful life with his daughter, but trouble finds him when he crosses paths with local criminals.

The town is under the control of a violent drug dealer named Gator (James Franco), who escalates tensions with Broker when a confrontation turns ᴅᴇᴀᴅly. With his past expertise in law enforcement and combat, Broker is forced to defend himself and his family from dangerous enemies. The film showcases brutal confrontations, intense action sequences, and Statham’s trademark no-holds-barred style.

8. Wrath of Man (2021)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, this revenge thriller shows Statham at his coldest and most dangerous.

Wrath of Man (2021) is a gripping action-thriller directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Jason Statham as H, a quiet and enigmatic man with a hidden agenda. When H takes a job as a guard for an armored truck company, his exceptional skills and cold demeanor quickly draw the attention of his colleagues. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that H is not just any ordinary man – he’s on a mission to track down those responsible for a violent robbery that left him with a personal loss.

With a unique structure, the film reveals its plot in pieces, slowly peeling back layers of H’s past and motivations. What appears to be a straightforward heist movie transforms into a deep exploration of revenge, justice, and the consequences of violence.

9. The Bank Job (2008)
Based on a real-life London bank heist, it’s more grounded but just as thrilling, showcasing Statham’s dramatic range.

The Bank Job (2008), directed by Roger Donaldson, is a British heist thriller inspired by true events. Starring Jason Statham as Terry Leather, the film follows a group of criminals who plan to rob a bank in London’s Baker Street. What begins as a simple job soon spirals into a high-stakes situation when they uncover more than they bargained for – compromising pH๏τos of a royal family member, hidden evidence, and dangerous secrets that put everyone involved in grave danger.

The film is set in the 1970s and delivers a tense, action-packed story based on a notorious heist that remained a secret for decades. As the criminals face mounting pressure and dangerous enemies, the stakes grow higher, leading to a heart-pounding conclusion.

10. Fast & Furious Franchise (2013–present)
As Deckard Shaw, Statham joins the high-octane world of Fast & Furious, blending slick driving with bone-crunching fights.

The Fast & Furious franchise (2013–present) is a globally renowned action film series that began in 2001, but it reached its explosive peak after 2013 with the continuing saga of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his team of high-speed criminals, who are often seen pulling off increasingly daring heists, racing through unimaginable obstacles, and battling the forces of crime. Known for its over-the-top action sequences, heart-pounding car chases, and emphasis on loyalty and family, the franchise became a cultural phenomenon and redefined the action genre for a new generation.

The films center around high-stakes driving, daring stunts, and unforgettable characters like Dom, Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). With themes of brotherhood, revenge, redemption, and loyalty, each installment introduces fresh characters and new thrilling storylines, all set against a backdrop of fast cars, street races, heists, and explosive showdowns.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

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November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.