You can still catch 'Shadow Force' in theaters, the new film by Joe Carnahan, a seasoned director of B-movie action flicks. Let's recall the five best works of the director to date.

Modern Hollywood is a place for sterile and predictable films. But there are directors like Joe Carnahan who can turn even a banal plot into something lively, gritty, and delightfully audacious. His films are always a cocktail of adrenaline, irony, and signature brutality, where heroes don't whine but act, and viewers don't yawn but sink into their seats.

We've put together a selection of the best Joe Carnahan films for you. Here you'll find cops balancing on the edge of the law, hitmen whose business card is a machine gun, and special forces soldiers who should be in a museum but are back in trouble. But the main thing is the eternal struggle for survival, where Carnahan's heroes are like stubborn wolves: chances may be slim, but no one is giving up.

1. 'Narc' (2002)

Carnahan burst into big cinema with this dark thriller about two cops investigating a colleague's murder. Everything here is like the best examples of noir: cold, grime, paranoia. Ray Liotta and Jason Patric deliver such emotions that you forget you're watching a work of fiction.

'Narc' is a true opera about moral compromises where good and evil have long since swapped places. Carnahan is still restrained here, but it's already clear: his style is when the heroes' veins flow not with blood but pure adrenaline.

2. 'Smokin' Aces' (2006)

If 'Narc' is a depressive noir, then 'Smokin' Aces' is a fireworks display of madness and black humor. And perhaps the best film in the director's career, where he shows everything he's capable of at full throttle.

A pack of killers hunts one unlucky magician, and Carnahan gleefully mixes genres, gives the characters the most ridiculous hairstyles, and makes the viewer guess who's even the main character here. The film is like a party where everyone came: from Ben Affleck to Alicia Keys. It's a movie where every shot is with a smirk, and every death is with a spark. Irony, style, and no brakes.

3. 'The A-Team' (2010)

A remake of the cult 80s series, which in Carnahan's hands turned into another crazy attraction with a complete disregard for the laws of physics. Everything here flies, explodes, and tumbles, and the heroes—special forces soldiers with charisma and a sense of humor—are more like comic book characters than real military men.

'The A-Team' is when you want to turn off your brain and just enjoy. Carnahan doesn't even try to seem serious, but honestly entertains, not forgetting his trademark sarcasm and spectacular stunts. An ideal film for those tired of pomposity and just want to have a good evening.

4. 'The Grey' (2011)

Here Carnahan delivered not just an action movie, but a true masculine drama about survival. Liam Neeson is no longer saving his daughter or even chasing terrorists—he's fighting nature, wolves, and, most importantly, his own demons.

The film is cold as February Alaska and harsh as the protagonist's gaze. 'The Grey' hooks not so much with action as with the characters' internal struggle. Carnahan proves he can make the viewer truly empathize.

5. 'Boss Level' (2021)

When it seems the 'time loop' genre has been wrung dry, Carnahan takes it and makes his own version—lively, ironic, with bloody gags and references to the 80s. The main character (Frank Grillo) wakes up every morning to die again and again at the hands of killers. Everything here is on the edge: jokes, action, even dramatic flashbacks. The film doesn't let you get bored for a minute. It's the case where the director isn't afraid to be old-fashioned—and wins precisely because of it.

Joe Carnahan is a director who isn't afraid to be himself. Sometimes he's rough, sometimes funny, sometimes unexpectedly sentimental. If you want a movie that doesn't pretend to be 'great art' but honestly entertains and surprises, then feel free to choose any of these five films. Don't expect perfect movies: Carnahan always has rough edges, but that's where his signature style and true cinematic pleasure lie.