Film

London Has Fallen

Name: London Has Fallen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: 2016
Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo

A globe-trotting action thriller where Gerard Butler's Secret Service agent fights terrorists targeting world leaders at a London state funeral. It's the kind of movie that asks you to turn your brain off and enjoy ninety minutes of explosions, quips, and improbable heroics. Pure popcorn cinema for people who loved the first one or just want to watch someone punch their way out of an international incident.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a lean, loud blockbuster where momentum matters more than plausibility, and you enjoy a bruised hero grinding through a city under siege with little time to think.

Skip it if you find the jingoistic swagger and rapid-fire gunfire wearing thin, or you need characters with real interiority, since this one trades nuance for relentless noise and thin villains.

What it asks of you: Ninety-nine minutes of nonstop, bloody set pieces, with the plot mostly serving as connective tissue between them and little room to breathe.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

White House Down2013

Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in a similarly ridiculous siege film with better chemistry, sharper wit, and action that feels slightly less mean-spirited. It knows exactly what it is and has fun with it.

But The plot is equally dumb and the runtime even longer. If you found the first film's politics uncomfortable, this won't help.

Die Hard1988

The obvious ancestor: a single American hero trapped in a foreign location, outnumbered and underpowered, fighting impossible odds with quips and improvisation. This is where every action film of this type learned its moves.

But It's forty years old and the pacing will feel glacial compared to modern action. Also, it's actually good, which is a different experience entirely.

Olympus Has Fallen2013

The first film in this exact series. Same actor, same director, same premise but set in Washington. If you haven't seen it, this is the proper entry point—slightly tighter and with fresher ideas.

But It's grimly violent and treats terrorism with a kind of casual brutality that hasn't aged well. The humor feels thin when the body count is this high.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from London Has Fallen

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

In the Loop2009

Both films treat a gathering of world leaders as a pressure cooker, but where London Has Fallen asks 'who can save them?', In the Loop asks 'how did they create this situation?' It's the same scenario seen from the opposite angle.

A blistering political satire about miscommunication and ego leading to international disaster. Same basic idea—world leaders in crisis—but told as a profane, hilarious character piece instead of an action film. Peter Capaldi's obscenities alone are worth the ticket.

But It's a 2009 British political comedy that assumes you know how government actually works. The humor is in subtext and procedure, not explosions, and it moves fast enough that missing a joke means missing a laugh.

Angel Has Fallen2019

The third installment, which somehow leans harder into both the action and the absurdity, making it more fun than its predecessor. Morgan Freeman gets more to do and the set pieces are bigger.

But By this point the formula is completely exhausted and the film knows it. If you're tired of the premise, this won't convert you.

The Foreigner2017

Jackie Chan plays against type in a revenge thriller with actual dramatic weight. Same globe-trotting spy action beats but with a real emotional core and a performer who brings genuine star power.

But It's slower and more serious than what you're signing up for. The action is less frequent but also less cartoonish, which some find less satisfying.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation2015

Tom Cruise doing the international action-thriller thing with style, humor, and stunts that genuinely impress. It's absurd but built on a foundation of real craft and wit.

But It's longer, smarter, and assumes you care about plot coherence. If you want pure dumb fun, this film respects you too much.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation poster

RED 22013

Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren playing retired agents in a globe-hopping action comedy. It's lighter and goofier, more interested in character banter than body counts.

But The action is often secondary to the comedy, which doesn't land reliably. The plot is a mess and the film doesn't seem to mind.

Kingsman: The Secret Service2015

A modern action film that uses violence and style as satire. It's cleverer than anything in the Banning universe but still delivers genuine thrills and the same guilty pleasure energy.

But It's deliberately provocative in ways that feel designed to offend. The violence can read as gratuitous rather than fun, depending on your tolerance.

Central Intelligence2016

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in an action-comedy with better humor than most spy thrillers. It prioritizes character charm over plot sense, which makes it easier to enjoy.

But The action sequences are forgettable and the film coasts on star power. If you need actual stakes or coherent storytelling, you'll be frustrated.

Children of Men2006

Both are action thrillers built around protecting a political figure amid chaos, but Children of Men asks what it actually costs to survive, while London Has Fallen asks how many one-liners you can land. It's the same premise stripped of glamour.

A grimly beautiful action film where every chase and fight feels consequential because the world itself is dying. The long takes and practical effects create a kind of immersive dread that no explosion can touch. Cuarón's masterpiece.

But It's slow, bleak, and interested in ideas rather than heroics. The hero doesn't win in any traditional sense. If you need an optimistic ending or constant movement, this will test your patience.

Four Lions2010

Both films are about stopping an attack on a high-value target, but Four Lions tells the story from inside the antagonists' perspective, making them people rather than props. It's the inverse moral argument: if London Has Fallen makes you cheer for the lone hero, Four Lions makes you uncomfortable about why.

Chris Morris's comedy about incompetent terrorists trying to pull off an attack. It's absurdist, darkly funny, and genuinely unsettling—a film that trusts the audience to laugh at something serious without endorsing it. Razor-sharp and alive.

But The subject matter is terrorism, played for laughs, which is a high-wire act. Some scenes are awkward rather than funny. It's British, indie, and operates on a completely different wavelength from mainstream action films.