Action junkies rejoice, Netflix has a plethora of action movies that are available to stream right at your fingertips. The real challenge is sorting through them to find the best and most exciting options the streamer has to offer. Allow us to help with that as we highlight our picks for the best action movies on Netflix right now.
The range of action movies available on Netflix is impressive. They have straightforward, turn off your brain and watch the mayhem kind of action movies, but they also movies that feature plenty of great action but will make you think or feel because for their story and character. Among our picks we've got old Hollywood classics, new era spectacles and even an action musical from India. Whatever kind of action movie you are in the mood for, Netflix likely has something for you.
Read on to see which action movies on Netflix we think you should add to the top of your watchlist.
The Adam Project (2022)
Ryan Reynolds has become quite the action star in recent years between Deadpool and a handful of Netflix original movies (Red Notice, 6 Underground), but the best of the bunch available on Netflix right now is The Adam Project. A time travel adventure that sees Reynolds go to the past and encounter his younger self in attempts to save their dad and the future, The Adam Project is a feel-good story that also features some fun action sequences, making it one all ages can enjoy. Available: US/UK
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
While the message of All Quiet on the Western Front is vehemently anti-war, it does so with some of the most visceral and realistic battle sequences you've ever seen. The work to bring the World War One battlefield to life earned the movie four Oscars. It's a powerful movie that speaks volume through its imagery and action sequences. Available: US/UK
Baby Driver (2017)
Edgar Wright's heist movie Baby Driver features a number of action-packed chase sequences that are incredibly put together to go along with the soundtrack that we (and Ansel Elgort's Baby in the movie) are listening to. How these scenes playout is incredible to watch, but the movie is more than its chases, as Wright crafted a fun thrill ride with a great ensemble that includes Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Eiza Gonzalez and more. Available: US/UK
Blue Streak (1999)
The Bad Boys franchise may be the action/comedy movies that Martin Lawrence is most associated with, but let's not forget Blue Streak. Lawrence plays a jewel thief who has to stash the diamond he just stole at a construction site when the police close in on him. Years later when he is released from prison, his plans to pick up the diamond hit a bump when the building turns out to be a police station. So in order to look for his diamond, he impersonates a police officer. It's a funny movie with an action packed finale that all in all is an easy, enjoyable watch. Available: US only
Bullet Train (2022)
When these strangers on a train meet up (Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon and Sandra Bullock), absolutely chaos ensues for our viewing enjoyment. Bullet Train fast-paced and pretty much non-stop action, with plenty of humor sprinkled in throughout. So get on board and watch it right now. Available: US only
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
Denzel Washington is one of the greatest actors of his (or any) generation, and while he may be best known for his dramatic/Oscar-winning work, he has also been a bonafide action star for years. The Equalizer 3 is his most recent outing in the genre and brings a (supposed) close to the franchise that saw him as a former CIA agent and now one-man army out to right the wrongs. In the case of this movie, he helps a small Italian town under the mafia's thumb. Available: US only
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
One of the most wonderful strange Best Picture winners of all time, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a multidimensional action, sci-fi, family comedy/drama. If that sounds like a lot, it is, but somehow it all works together. Action legend Michelle Yeoh showed she still had the skills as she kicked butt all the way to winning Best Actress for her work here. Available: US only
Extraction (2020)
Action has been a popular genre for Netflix original movies, and perhaps the best of the bunch in terms of straightforward action is Chris Hemsworth's Extraction. Hemsworth stars as a mercenary hired to rescue an international crime lord's young sun. What follows is nearly two hours of non-stop action, including an extended, jaw-dropping single-take set piece. A sequel was made, but the original Extraction is the far superior entry. Available: US/UK
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Guns of Navarone is a classic example of old school Hollywood action, when CGI and an endless arsenal of explosives weren't available. Even so, the movie is thrilling as it depicts a group of soldiers attempting to take out a key Nazi weapons system during World War Two. It may not have the flash of some of our other picks on this list, but The Guns of Navarone is still an exciting viewing experience. Available: US only
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Hacksaw Ridge is another movie that uses impressive action sequences to highlight the cost of war and the horrors of battle. Andrew Garfield stars as Desmond Doss, a real-life army medic in World War Two who refused to carry a gun into battle because of his non-violent beliefs, but that did not prevent him from serving bravely on the battlefield in aid of his fellow soldiers. Available: US only
The Harder They Fall (2021)
The western shootout is a classic Hollywood action scene, and director Jeymes Samuel both honors and refreshes it for a new century in his brilliant western The Harder They Fall. The last half hour or so of the movie is one big action set piece that is absolutely thrilling to watch. Available: US/UK
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
The Hunger Games movies were among the biggest of the 2010s, but for our money the best of the bunch in terms of action (and overall quality) was the second entry, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Director Franics Lawrence took over the franchise and gave us the best action of the franchise in the Hunger Games arena. The movie's added depth of character and political intrigue is the icing on the cake. Available: US only
Jurassic Park (1993)
You don't need gun fights to have a great action movie, getting chased by dinosaurs works just as well, as evidenced by Steven Spielberg's classic Jurassic Park. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum's scientists are the heroes in this adventure that brings dinosaurs back to life as the central premise of a new theme park until things go off the rails. No one does popcorn fare like Spielberg, and Jurassic Park is one of his all time best movies. Available: US only
*Leaving Netflix on May 1
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino's ode to martial arts movies, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is a bloody good time as Uma Thurman's Bride (aka Beatrix Kiddo) goes on a rampage to get revenge for her former boss and lover attempted to have her killed. The entire House of Blue Leaves sequence is enough to make this list (its so popular Drake used it as a reference recently). Available: US only
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is the more action heavy of the two movies, but you can't really watch one without the other, as Kill Bill: Vol. 2 brings the whole bloody affair to a conclusion. Sure, nothing in it tops the House of Blue Leave fight, but there is still some great swordplay and the back and forth between Thurman and David Carradine is as fun to watch as most action scenes. Available: US only
King Kong (2005)
It was going to be impossible for whatever Peter Jackson did after The Lord of the Rings to match that trilogy, but his King Kong is a worthy follow up and a solid remake of the 1933 classic. Jackson's use of CGI/performance capture technology allowed for some amazing set pieces as Kong fights the dinosaurs on Skull Island and later fighter planes on top of the Empire State Building. Available: US only
*Leaving Netflix on May 1
Leon: The Professional (1994)
The hit man who proves to have a heart of gold is a well worn trope in Hollywood, but few movies have done it as well as Leon: The Professional. Jean Reno and Natalie Portman are a perfect pair as the aforementioned hit man and the young girl he takes under this wing. That relationship is undoubtedly the center of the movie, the action we get along the way helps make Leon as much of a joy to watch as it is. Available: US only
Looper (2012)
For our money, Looper is one of the better action/sci-fi movies of the last 15 years or so, but it seems to have been forgotten a little bit. No better time to remind yourself of why it rocks then watching it on Netflix. In case you need a reminder, it stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a hitman who disposes of people from the future, but things go awry when his future self (played by Bruce Willis) is sent back to be killed and escapes. Available: US only
The Matrix (1999)
In The Matrix, movie fans saw action scenes like they never had before. Not only was it the use of slow motion, but the patented "bullet time" effect to show off so many different angles of a shot left audiences stunned. And it's not just special effects for the sake of looking cool (which, again it totally does), but it is all in service of this story of a fight against artificial intelligence that has imprisoned humanity inside a computer program. Available: US only
The Old Guard (2020)
The closest Netflix has to its own superhero franchise is The Old Guard, which focuses on a team of immortals that becomes exposed when a new member of their kind is unexpectedly discovered. Gina Prince-Bythewood does a great job introducing the concept while also making the movie entertaining and action-packed. Available: US/UK
The Other Guys (2010)
A classic action comedy from the last 15 years, The Other Guys sees Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell star as New York cops who typically don't get the chance to save the day. But when a big case comes their way and New York's finest otherwise unavailable, it falls to them. Available: US/UK
The Outpost (2019)
Mostly overlooked when it first came out, The Outpost is an intense depiction of one of the most noteworthy confrontations of the war in Afghanistan. Starring Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landy Jones and Orlando Bloom, the movie takes place at a US Army outpost in a valley in Northern Afghanistan, where 53 US soldiers battled around 300 enemy combatants. Available: US only
RRR (2022)
RRR took the world by storm in 2022, as the action musical from India's Tollywood is big in every sense of the word. A fictionalized tale of two of India's iconic revolutionary heroes during the British empire, RRR's action dials everything up to a 10, and may only be outdone by its impressive musical numbers, most notably the Oscar-winning song (and dance) "Naatu Naatu." Available: US/UK
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Smokey and the Bandit is more or less just one long car chase between Burt Reynold's Bandit as he attempts to transport beer illegally across state lines and the police on his tail. Thanks to some fantastic stunt driving work, a fun performance by Jackie Gleason and Reynolds' star power, that is more than enough to thoroughly entertain anyone. Available: US only
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Animation allows movies to do things that aren't humanely possible, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse takes great use of that for some truly incredible action sequences, including one where hundreds of Spider-Men are chasing on main hero, Miles Morales. All due respect to the Tobey Maguire movies and the MCU's Spider-Man entries, but the Spider-Verse movies have established themselves as some of the best Spidey-centric titles to date. Available: US only
Warrior (2011)
Amid UFC's burgeoning popularity in the early 2010s, no movie captured the intensity of ultimate fighting like Warrior. While the family drama between Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton's characters are the center of the movie, the last act is filled with fights inside the octagon that are not only fun to watch but effectively emphasize the movie's key emotional storylines. Available: US only
*Leaving Netflix on May 1
The Woman King (2022)
Another exciting entry from Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Woman King brings the legend of the female warriors of the African Kingdom of Dahomey to the big screen in a powerful, exciting movie. Oscar-winner Viola Davis goes full-on action star as the warriors' leader alongside Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and Thuso Mbedu. Available: US only
