15 Action-Horror Movies Like ‘Onslaught’ You Must See If You Loved A24’s Latest Outing

Adam Wingard’s action-horror film ‘Onslaught‘ blends visceral slasher horror with high-octane sci-fi combat as a skilled sniper defends her home against genetically engineered super-soldiers. Audiences drawn to its mix of tactical combat, rogue government experiments, and relentless home defense have a rich catalog of intense cinema to explore.These films span gritty military science fiction, terrifying siege thrillers, and stylish genre-bending action stories. From lethal bio-weapons running loose in rural communities to lone survivors taking a stand against overwhelming forces, each of these features captures the tension and physical intensity seen in ‘Onslaught’.

‘The Guest’ (2014)

Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, this thriller follows a mysterious veteran named David who ingratiates himself into the lives of a deceased soldier’s grieving family. As sudden violent deaths occur in the town, the soldier’s sister discovers that David is the subject of a classified military experiment that removed his inhibitions and transformed him into a living weapon. The film shares the same fictional universe and creative team as ‘Onslaught’, establishing the lethal consequences of covert super-soldier programs. Starring Dan Stevens in a menacing lead role, the story escalates into a stylish, neon-lit siege inside a suburban high school.

‘You’re Next’ (2013)

Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, this home-invasion horror film centers on a fractured family attacked by masked assailants during a countryside reunion. The intruders use military-grade crossbows and tactical traps to systematically eliminate the occupants of the mansion. The dynamic shifts when Erin, a young woman with a background in survivalist combat, utilizes guerilla tactics to hunt down the attackers one by one. Like ‘Onslaught’, the film subverts standard horror tropes by giving its female lead the tactical skills necessary to overpower heavily armed killers.

‘Universal Soldier’ (1992)

Directed by Roland Emmerich, this sci-fi action film follows Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott, two deceased Vietnam War soldiers resurrected through a top-secret military initiative. Re-engineered with enhanced strength and cellular regeneration, the cyborg super-soldiers are deployed on high-risk domestic missions without memory of their past lives. Conflict erupts when Deveraux regains his memories and attempts to protect an investigative journalist from his psychopathic comrade. The production features martial arts choreography and military set pieces that laid the groundwork for modern genetically modified soldier cinema.

‘Overlord’ (2018)

Directed by Julius Avery, this World War II thriller follows a squad of American paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines to destroy a Nazi radio tower. Upon infiltrating the occupied French village, the soldiers discover a subterranean laboratory conducting gruesome medical experiments on the local populace. The research utilizes a mysterious serum to create resilient, reanimated super-soldiers designed to turn the tide of the war. The film blends historical combat operations with bio-horror elements to create an unrelenting survival narrative against enhanced monstrosities.

‘Upgrade’ (2018)

Directed by Leigh Whannell, this cyberpunk action thriller follows Grey Trace, a mechanic left paralyzed following a violent mugging that claims his wife’s life. Trace receives an experimental microchip implant called STEM, which not only restores his motor functions but grants him superhuman reflexes and combat efficiency. As Trace hunts down the enhanced mercenaries responsible for the attack, he slowly loses control to the artificial intelligence governing his body. The film combines brutal close-quarters choreography with technological horror themes comparable to the bio-engineered threats in ‘Onslaught’.

‘Dog Soldiers’ (2002)

Directed by Neil Marshall, this action-horror film tracks a British Army squad participating in a routine military training exercise in the Scottish Highlands. The soldiers stumble upon a decimated special forces unit and quickly realize they are being hunted by a pack of aggressive werewolves. Taking refuge inside an isolated farmhouse, the squad must ration their ammunition and use tactical military discipline to repel repeated attacks throughout the night. The movie combines military combat realism with creature horror in a high-stakes siege environment.

‘The Terminator’ (1984)

Directed by James Cameron, this sci-fi thriller depicts a relentless cybernetic assassin sent back in time to eliminate Sarah Connor before she can give birth to humanity’s future savior. The synthetic infiltration unit pursues Connor relentlessly across Los Angeles, effortlessly overpowering local law enforcement and civil defenses. Connor is aided by Kyle Reese, a human soldier from the future who teaches her the survival skills required to overcome a physically superior predator. The narrative shares ‘Onslaught’s premise of an unstoppable, engineered killer pursuing a mother who must adapt to extreme violence to protect her family.

‘Prey’ (2022)

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, this prequel to the ‘Predator’ franchise follows Naru, a young Comanche warrior seeking to prove her hunting skills in the Northern Great Plains in 1719. Naru discovers that an extraterrestrial hunter equipped with advanced weaponry and physical cloaking is stalking the local wildlife and human tribes. When French fur trappers and local warriors are effortlessly slaughtered by the entity, Naru uses her environmental knowledge, tracking ability, and tactical cunning to wage a solitary battle. The film emphasizes survivalist combat and a resourceful female protagonist fighting against an overwhelming adversary.

‘Soldier’ (1998)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, this sci-fi action film centers on Todd 3465, a veteran soldier raised from birth to follow orders without emotional attachment. Todd is rendered obsolete and discarded on a waste-disposal planet after a new generation of genetically engineered soldiers outperforms his unit. When the bio-engineered platoon lands on the planet to eradicate the peaceful civilian colony that took Todd in, he wages a solo guerilla war to defend the settlers. The storyline explores the lethal potential of genetically modified combatants through practical action sequences and tactical warfare.

‘VFW’ (2019)

Directed by Joe Begos, this action-thriller centers on a group of aging military veterans celebrating at a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Their gathering is interrupted when a young woman seeks sanctuary in the building after stealing a supply of a hyper-addictive combat drug from a ruthless gang. Surrounding the post, the drug-crazed gang members launch an all-out assault, forcing the veterans to fortify the building and construct makeshift weaponry. The film delivers an intense, blood-soaked siege dynamic with military veterans employing combat experience to hold off feral attackers.

‘Green Room’ (2015)

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, this survival thriller follows an underground punk rock band that becomes trapped in a remote venue after witnessing a violent crime. The venue’s owner, a methodical leader of a neo-Nazi syndicate, deploys armed enforcers and trained attack dogs to eliminate all witnesses inside the building. The musicians must barricade themselves in the backstage green room and improvise weapons from whatever materials they can find. The film delivers raw, grounded physical violence and mounting claustrophobia as civilians fight for survival against organized killers.

‘Hardcore Henry’ (2016)

Directed by Ilya Naishuller, this first-person sci-fi action movie follows Henry, a man resurrected from the brink of death as a cybernetic super-soldier. Henry escapes an aerial laboratory in Moscow after a telekinetic warlord kidnaps his wife with the intention of mass-producing a cyborg military army. Navigating the city while his bio-batteries drain, Henry utilizes improvised combat techniques and heavy firearms to slaughter waves of mercenaries. The narrative features relentless pacing, extreme stunt work, and hyper-violent encounters with technologically modified soldiers.

‘Becky’ (2020)

Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, this violent thriller focuses on a rebellious teenager spending a weekend at a secluded lakefront house with her father. The retreat is invaded by a group of escaped neo-Nazi prisoners searching for a mysterious key hidden on the property. When the convicts take her family hostage, Becky retreats into the surrounding woods and uses tactical stealth and improvised tools to eliminate the invaders. The movie mirrors the brutal home-defense and slasher-style retribution found throughout ‘Onslaught’.

‘Project Power’ (2020)

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, this action thriller takes place in New Orleans, where an illicit pill granting unpredictable superpowers for five minutes hits the streets. A former military operative teams up with a local police officer and a teenage dealer to track down the shadowy defense contractor orchestrating the drug trials. The military corporation tests the formula to manufacture biological super-soldiers capable of extreme resilience, thermal manipulation, and dense armor. The story incorporates high-level tactical firefights, bio-enhancement experiments, and covert government testing themes.

‘Predator’ (1987)

Directed by John McTiernan, this action-horror classic follows Major Dutch Schaefer and his elite special forces team on a covert rescue mission in a Central American jungle. After completing their objective, the commandos are methodically tracked and slaughtered by an extraterrestrial warrior utilizing cloaking technology and thermal vision. As modern military firepower fails against the creature’s superior physical prowess, Dutch must discard conventional tactics and rely on primal traps and camouflage. The film serves as a foundational template for stories combining elite military personnel with overpowering, lethal antagonists.

Share your favorite super-soldier action films and survival thrillers in the comments.