After appointing Arnold Schwarzenegger “Chief Action Officer” last year, Netflix‘s list of the best action movies has been getting better every month. Netflix has invested heavily in both original action flicks and in bringing classics from other studios onto the platform. If you need a little adrenaline boost in your life, Netflix is the streaming service for you.
This month, Zack Snyder’s Netflix original Rebel Moon saga continues, the new Matrix movie hits the platform, Oscar-winning genre-bending recent hit Everything Everywhere All at Once arrives, along with a whole lot more.
We’ve also curated guides to the best action movies on Amazon Prime, the best action movies on Disney+, and the best action movies on Hulu if you’re looking for additional recommendations.
Recently added to Netflix
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- The Equalizer2014
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith2005
- Mortal Kombat2021
The Matrix Resurrections (2021) new
147m
Genre Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Directed by Lana Wachowski
More than a decade after the first trilogy, Lana Wachowski brought the world back to The Matrix. Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is once again living unawares in what he considers the real world, working on a video game that he continually pulls from his dreams: The Matrix. When Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) shows up to pull him down the rabbit hole once again, Mr. Anderson must remember what it was to be Neo to take on a more secure, stronger, and dangerous Matrix than ever.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) new
140m
Genre Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan
Directed by Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
The genre-bending hit Everything Everywhere All at Once was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning seven. Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for her portrayal of Evelyn Wang, an immigrant running a failing laundromat, raising a wandering teenage daughter (Stephanie Hsu), and managing a limp relationship with a kind-but-ineffectual husband (Ke Huy Quan). Now, she’s also at the mercy of a ravenous IRS auditor (Jamie Lee-Curtis). Just as real life seems too much to bear, things get extra overwhelming when a more confident version of her husband from a parallel universe shows up claiming that Evelyn is the key to stopping an unraveling split in the multiverse.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023) new
134m
Genre Science Fiction, Drama, Action
Stars Sofia Boutella, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein
Directed by Zack Snyder
Netflix is the exclusive home for Zack Snyder’s action-packed sci-fi war epic Rebel Moon. After mysterious warrior Kora (Sofia Boutella) crash lands on a foreign planet, she makes a quiet life among the peaceful farmers. But when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Free) discovers the farmers have unwittingly supplied insurgents hunted by the Motherworld, they become the target of imperial wrath. Now, Kora must take up arms and lead her newfound people into a rebellion they didn’t ask for. Part two of Rebel Moon is now available on Netflix, too.
The Equalizer (2014) new
132m
Genre Thriller, Action, Crime
Stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Now a trilogy and a network TV show, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington as McCall, a former Black Ops commando who faked his death to settle down in Boston. But when he cross paths with Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl in trouble with the Russian mob, McCall removes himself from his self-imposed retirement to serve vengeance upon those who prey on the helpless. As his thirst for justice is reawakened, McCall adopts the mantle of The Equalizer.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) new
119m
Genre Action, Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Stars Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn
Directed by Doug Liman
A remake of the 1940s movie of the same name (and now the inspiration for an Amazon Original), Mr. and Mrs. Smith stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith, an ordinary suburban couple with a lifeless marriage. Each, however, harbors a secret. They are both assassins for rival organizations, and when the truth comes out, they’ll either have to kill each other or kill anyone else who threatens their newly-discovered passion for one another.
Mortal Kombat (2021) new
110m
Genre Action, Fantasy, Adventure
Stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson
Directed by Simon McQuoid
Violent enough to do the classic videogames justice, Mortal Kombat finds MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) down on his luck, getting beaten to a pulp for money, and not rising up the ranks. But when Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung sends Sub-Zero to hunt Cole down, he soon discovers the truth of his heritage and why Shang Tsung wants Cole dead before he can compete in Mortal Kombat, the ultimate battle for control of Earthrealm. Trying to save his family, Cole joins Lord Raiden, protector of Earthrealm, at his temple to train to stand against the ferocious Outworld adversaries.
The Matrix (1999)
136m
Genre Action, Science Fiction
Stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
Directed by Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
One of the most beloved sci-fi and action movies of the last 30 years, The Matrix pushed special effects and storytelling boundaries in 1999. All three movies in the first trilogy are available on Netflix now. In the original, computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) is hunted by the mysterious Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). The mystery only deepens when he meets Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who tells Neo he’s been living in a virtual dream — the Matrix — built and maintained by machine overlords. Now, he can take the blue pill and go back to blissful ignorance or the red pill and join the resistance movement to free humanity.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
111m
Genre Action, Crime
Stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
One of Quentin Tarantino’s most beloved epics, Kill Bill tells the story of The Bride (Uma Thurman), an assassin who is shot and left for dead at the altar by her employer, Bill (David Carradine), and the rest of her assassination circle. Refusing to succumb, The Bride exacts brutal, meticulous vengeance upon those who plotted against her. Volume 2 is also on Netflix and is just as good.
Baby Driver (2017)
113m
Genre Action, Crime
Stars Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James
Directed by Edgar Wright
Baby (Tokyo Vice‘s Ansel Elgort) is a talented young getaway driver with an incredible soundtrack that’s always playing while he’s working. When he meets Debora (The Iron Claw‘s Lily James), he sees a chance and a reason to get out of the criminal life. But when he’s coerced into a heist that’s doomed to fail by crime boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), he’ll need every ounce of his wits and skills to make a clean getaway.
The Accountant (2016)
128m
Genre Crime, Thriller, Drama
Stars Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons
Directed by Gavin O'Connor
Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a small town CPA with a secret. He also works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s largest and most dangerous criminal organizations. The Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons) is closing in on him, leading Christian to take on a major legitimate client, where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a major discrepancy. Christian comes in to uncook the company’s books but soon finds he’s getting closer to a truth that powerful people don’t want discovered. And the body count is rising.
Damsel (2024)
109m
Genre Adventure, Fantasy
Stars Millie Bobby Brown, Nick Robinson, Robin Wright
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Flipping the script on the medieval knight-saves-damsel-from-dragon tale, Damsel stars Millie Bobby Brown as Princess Elodie, a dutiful damsel who agrees to marry a handsome prince (Nick Robinson). But instead of living happily ever after, Elodie soon discovers that the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. She’s thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon and forced to fight her way out.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
136m
Genre Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
Directed by Marc Webb
There are a lot of Spider-Man movies these days and Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man series served as a quality bridge between Tobey Maguire and the MCU’s Tom Holland Peter Parker. Andrew Garfield stars as the teenage webslinger, who’s struggling to navigate high school while living under the roof of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and Sally Field). The questions only multiply when he discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, leading him down a rabbit hole that emerges at Oscorp and the lab of his father’s former partner, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). Connors, however, has a maniacal urge to gain power, setting his alter-ego, The Lizard, on a collision course with Peter’s alter-ego, Spider-Man.
Ready Player One (2018)
140m
Genre Adventure, Action, Science Fiction
Stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn
Directed by Steven Spielberg
In some ways, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s sci-fi novel Ready Player One is just a giant tribute to his own remarkable body of work. But it’s a pretty fun tribute, if not the best movie Spielberg ever made.
In 2045, the world is on the brink of collapse and people have found salvation in the virtual reality universe called OASIS, which was created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance). Upon his death, Halliday announces he has hidden a digital Easter egg somewhere in the OASIS that holds the key to his life-changing fortune. Young Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) takes up the challenge and enters a reality-bending treasure hunt.
Resident Evil (2002)
100m
Genre Horror, Action, Science Fiction
Stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
Critically panned upon release, Resident Evil nonetheless gained traction with the considerable video game fan base, launching a massive action-horror franchise of games, movies, and TV shows that are still being made today. (Netflix debuted an original series in 2022.) In the first movie, a deadly virus with the power to destroy the entire human race is mistakenly released in an underground lab. With only three hours until the virus mutates and reaches the rest of the global population, a team led by Alice (Milla Jovovich) goes into the lab to destroy the Infected and halt the spread.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
140m
Genre Animation, Action, Adventure
Stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers
One of the best movies of the summer and an early Oscar favorite, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse picks up the Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) saga where Miles is back to being Brooklyn’s one and only Spider-Man. Unfortunately, now that he knows the Multiverse exists and that there are others like him out there, he’s more lonely than ever. So when Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) pops back into his life, Miles can’t resist following her only to discover the Spider Society, a massive organization of Spider-People dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Multiverse … and Miles is the only one who isn’t a member.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
139m
Genre Drama, History, War
Stars Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn
Directed by Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge walks the line of drama and action, telling the story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss (former Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield), who saved 75 men in Okinawa without ever carrying a gun. The only American soldier to fight on the front lines without a weapon, Doss felt World War II was justified, but killing was still wrong. As an army medic, Doss led one of the most fascinating stories of the war and ultimately became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
65 (2023)
92m
Genre Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama
Stars Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman
Directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Dinosaurs vs. spacemen? Sure, why not! Adam Driver stars in the 2023 sleeper hit 65 as a space pilot downed in a catastrophic crash on a mysterious planet. Mills (Driver) quickly realizes he’s not on a foreign planet, though. He’s just on Earth 65 million years in the past. The prehistoric planet is riddled with strange terrain and dangerous creatures, but Mills and the one other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must brave the unforgiving world to reach their only chance of being rescued.
Bullet Train (2022)
127m
Genre Action, Comedy, Thriller
Stars Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Directed by David Leitch
In Bullet Train, Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is an assassin who has had a string of bad luck leading to a number of gigs going off the rails recently. On his latest mission, taking place on the world’s fastest train, he’s determined to make things go smoothly. Unfortunately, he’s far from the only assassin there, and they all have similar but connected objectives that cause outright chaos to ensue.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
97m
Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Stars Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke
Directed by John Patton Ford
Locked out of the job market due to a criminal record and saddled with student debt, Emily (The White Lotus‘ Aubrey Plaza) takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards. The cards are supplied by handsome middleman, Youcef (Theo Rossi), and the job comes with quick cash and a series of thrills Emily wasn’t prepared for. As Emily grows increasingly attracted to the lifestyle and to Youcef, the pair devise a plan to level up their criminal enterprise in Los Angeles.
Enola Holmes (2020)
123m
Genre Mystery, Crime, Adventure
Stars Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin
Directed by Harry Bradbeer
Millie Bobby Brown stars as Sherlock Holmes’ unheralded kid sister, Enola, in this family-friendly mystery adventure. The world is on the brink of change in 1884 England, and Enola Holmes, raised in seclusion by her eccentric mother (Helena Bonham Carter), suddenly finds herself in the middle of a vast, terrifying political machine. After waking up to discover her mother missing, Enola is suddenly put under the charge of older brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), who decide to send her away to a finishing school for young ladies. Enola, however, refuses to believe that her mother is really gone, escapes, and sets out into London to unravel the mystery on her own. If you like this one, check out the sequel, which is also on Netflix.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
147m
Genre Action, Drama, History, War
Stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
Directed by Edward Berger
Today’s cinematic age of huge budgets and mind-blowing special effects help make the newest adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s seminal war novel All Quiet on the Western Front a worthy update to the classic 1930 film. Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer), Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), and Frantz Müller (Moritz Klaus) all dream of glory and are goaded into enlisting in the German Army by the romantic ideals of heroism flowing during World War I. Enthusiastic to fight for their country, the boys quickly lose their fervor when they arrive at the Western Front and are met with horrific conditions and the brutality of armed conflict.
Black Crab (2022)
109m
Genre Action, Thriller
Stars Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Dar Salim
Directed by Adam Berg
Black Crab is a post-apocalyptic action-thriller from director and co-writer Adam Berg. Noomi Rapace stars as Caroline Edh, a talented speed skater who is recruited to a team of five soldiers in a world torn apart by a vicious war. Tasked with delivering a secret package to a research facility that could bring the fighting to an end, Caroline and her fellow operatives must make a daring trek behind enemy lines if there’s to be any hope for humanity. An icy-cold rendition of the familiar “save the world” action sub-genre, Black Crab is a propulsive film and an adrenaline ride that is buttressed by its harsh locales and brutal acts of war.
The Vault (2021)
118m
Genre Crime, Action, Thriller
Stars Freddie Highmore, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Riley
Directed by Jaume Balagueró
In director Jaume Balagueró’s The Vault, Freddie Highmore stars as Thom, a master engineer who takes up ranks with a talented team of professional thieves. The mission? Break into a hidden underground chamber located below the Bank of Spain to make off with the rumored riches lying within. With the plot unfolding against the backdrop of Spain’s World Cup, Thom and his associates must squeeze the most out of every last second if they’re to make off with the vault’s many prizes. An electric and entertaining film, The Vault may not bring too many original concepts to the fold, but its execution of traditional “experts thinking on their feet” action elements is what makes this one a winner.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
114m
Genre Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Chloe Coleman
Directed by Navot Papushado
As a child, Sam (Karen Gillan) was abandoned by her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), when her life as an assassin overwhelmed her. In the present, Sam follows her mother’s footsteps as an assassin. However, Sam betrays her contract when she uses stolen money to pay the ransom for Emily (Chloe Coleman), a young girl under her protection. As rival assassins and criminals pursue Sam and Emily, Scarlet re-enters her life at an inopportune moment. If either mother or daughter wants to survive, they will have to work together. And as the title of Gunpowder Milkshake implies, there’s a lot of gunplay in this movie.
Spectral (2016)
109m
Genre Science Fiction, Thriller, Action
Stars James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, Gonzalo Menendez
Directed by Nic Mathieu
Spectral was one of the early Netflix original films, and it poses an unusual problem for its lead character, Clyne (James Badge Dale). As a DARPA scientist, it’s Clyne’s job to investigate when U.S. soldiers in Moldova encounter ghost-like apparitions that can not be killed, harmed, or easily seen. After meeting up with General Orland (Bruce Greenwood) and his men, as well as CIA officer Fran Madison (Emily Mortimer), Clyne discovers that the apparitions are a man-made threat. But knowing this and finding a way of stopping them are two different things. And nothing seems to slow down their rampage.
Army of the Dead (2021)
148m
Genre Action, Adventure, Horror, Crime
Stars Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick
Directed by Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder got his start with his remake of Dawn of the Dead, but Army of the Dead is all his. After Las Vegas falls to the zombie plague, casino owner Bly Tanaka (Shōgun‘s Hiroyuki Sanada) wants to recover his lost millions from a vault before Sin City is nuked off the face of the Earth. That’s where Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) comes in. He’s an ex-mercenary who is convinced by Tanaka to put a team together and try to make it in and out of Vegas before the bombs drop. However, the mission is complicated when Scott’s estranged daughter, Kate Ward (Ella Purnell), insists on coming along. And none of Scott’s team is prepared for what they’ll find in the ruins of Vegas.
The Old Guard (2020)
125m
Genre Action, Fantasy
Stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
In a year largely without theaters, this comic book adaptation has stepped up to fill the blockbuster void. Charlize Theron headlines The Old Guard as Andy, a warrior who was once Andromache of Scythia. Andy and her fellow immortal mercs are exposed by ex-CIA spook James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor). However, Andy’s quest to reclaim her secrets is complicated by the emergence of Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne), a Marine who becomes the first new immortal in a long time. Andy reluctantly takes Nile under her wing as previously unknown enemies close in on them. We could be looking at a franchise here, as Theron herself told Variety that a sequel script is complete with filming to begin in early 2022.
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
121m
Genre Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Asha Kenyeri Bermudez
Directed by Timo Tjahjanto
The Night Comes for Us might legitimately be the goriest action flick in recent memory. Indonesian action films have an intensity that many of their American counterparts can’t match. Joe Taslim stars as Ito, an assassin for the South East Asian Triad. But when Ito is ordered to kill a young girl, Reina (Asha Kenyeri Bermudez), he turns against his masters. That’s why Ito’s former masters send his ex-friend, Arian (Iko Uwais), after both of them to finish the job. There will be blood … lots of it.
The King (2019)
140m
Genre Drama, History, War
Stars Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris
Directed by David Michôd
For those who prefer their action with a more historical bent, The King is a smartly reimagined, modernized version of Shakespeare’s Henry V. It’s too bad Shakespeare lived before the age of cinema because, with gorgeous cinematography, incredibly broad set pieces, and harrowing depictions of medieval war, director David Michôd delivers a glorious war movie. Wonka‘s Timothée Chalamet stars as young Henry V, an unaspiring heir who has the crown forced upon him after his father’s untimely death. Believing Henry weak and ineffectual, the Dauphin of France takes the opportunity to incite a war. But there’s more afoot than meets the eye. Robert Pattinson’s performance as the Dauphin alone is worth the watch.
Wheelman (2017)
Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
Cast Frank Grillo, Wendy Moniz-Grillo, Caitlin Carmichael
Frank Grillo tends to play a lot of villains or supporting characters and has appeared in a wide range of TV shows and movies, from Law & Order and Billions to Avengers: Endgame. But in Wheelman, Grillo gets to take the lead as the unnamed getaway driver who finds himself in over his head after a double-cross. Someone set up the Wheelman for a deadly fall, and he’s not going to take it lying down. Throughout the course of the movie, we learn a bit more about the Wheelman’s past and his broken family life. But the real attraction here is the dynamic driving and action scenes, which Grillo pulls off with gusto.
Triple Frontier (2019)
125m
Genre Action, Thriller, Crime, Adventure
Stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam
Directed by J.C. Chandor
Netflix put together an all-star cast for Triple Frontier, with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal as a team of ex-Delta Force soldiers who reunite for a dangerous heist in South America. Affleck’s Tom “Redfly” Davis is the ringleader of the crew who convinces them to reunite in order to steal a fortune from a drug lord. However, Davis’ greed gets the best of him during the initial strike, leaving the team vulnerable as they attempt to escape the jungle with their newfound wealth and their lives. But the biggest threat to the team may come from within.
Burn Out (2018)
Genre Action, Thriller
Cast François Civil, Olivier Rabourdin, Manon Azem
One of the benefits of Netflix is the ability to discover films that would have been under the radar without it. A case in point is Burn Out, a French thriller that stars Parisian actor François Civil as Tony Rodrigues, a semi-pro motorcyclist who finds himself outside of the law. To settle the debt of his ex, Leyla (Manon Azem), Tony agrees to be a courier for a drug dealer named Jordan (Samuel Jouy), which, of course, involves Tony zipping through traffic on his motorcycle at breakneck speeds. But when Jordan won’t allow Tony to end their arrangement, he has to call upon his friend, Miguel (Olivier Rabourdin), to make an even more dangerous play to escape.
Extraction (2020)
116m
Genre Drama, Action, Thriller
Stars Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
Directed by Sam Hargrave
As one of their first films following Avengers: Endgame, Joe and Anthony Russo re-teamed with Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa) for Extraction, a Netflix original. This particular comic book adaptation is much more down-to-earth, however, as Hemsworth’s black-ops mercenary, Tyler Rake, is recruited for a mission to protect Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of a local drug lord. Hemsworth’s performance carries the movie, and first-time director Sam Hargrave delivers next-level action and stunt sequences. This is one of the best popcorn flicks of recent memory, and it didn’t even need a theater.
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