Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
“Get action.” Sure, that was President Theodore Roosevelt’s fancy pants motto, but it’s also the battle cry of every big action film junkie out there on the planet. Truly great action movies pit our heroes against impossible odds, only so we can watch them punch, kick, stab, shoot, jump, and throttle their ways out of them. No wonder these films cross genres and appeal to so many generations.
The 20 films on this list will get your heart racing, your pulse pounding, and give you the sweet catharsis that only a brutal brawl can do. Luckily for you, you don’t need to put yourself in harm’s way to watch any of them. They are all currently streaming* on Netflix. So get some popcorn and get ready to watch your favorite stars kick major ass.
Luc Besson's moody crime thriller pairs a pint-sized Natalie Portman with an illiterate hit man played by Jean Reno. Their mission? Random hits for the mob and a master plan to avenge her baby brother's death at the hands of a screwy DEA agent (Gary Oldman). [Stream Leon: The Professional] Photo: Everett Collection
The super weird and super stylized Kung Fury has become one of Netflix's biggest cult hits in the last few months. Watch as a 1980s style hero takes on Adolf Hitler. [Stream Kung Fury] Photo: Everett Collection
James Cameron's masterpiece is a sci-fi mind bender and strange romance. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a cyborg sent back in time to kill waitress Sarah Conner before she can give birth to a future freedom fighter. The twist? His arrival might actually secure the future. NOTE: This expires January 31st. [Stream The Terminator] Photo: Everett Collection
This brilliant Hong Kong thriller follows what happens when a cop goes undercover in the mob just as a mobster goes undercover as a cop. If it sounds familiar, that's because this is the original version of Martin Scorsese's brutal Oscar-winner The Departed. [Stream Infernal Affairs] Photo: Everett Collection
Though these are technically two movies, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 were intended to be seen back-to-back as one magnum opus. Uma Thurman is a mad momma on a quest to murder the assassins who left her and her unborn child for dead -- but everything's not quite as simple as it seems. [Stream Kill Bill Vol. 1] & [Stream Kill Bill Vol. 2]Photo: Everett Collection
Before "Batfleck" and Bale, the biggest Batman on the block was Michael Keaton's. Watch Tim Burton's bonkers interpretation of The Dark Knight and resist the urge to tweet about Prince's "Batdance." [Stream Batman] Photo: Everett Collection
The Hunger Games is a movie for children and Battle Royale is a film for hard-boiled, grizzled adults. This vicious Japanese cult classic shows what happens when a class of teenagers are left alone on an island and told to kill each other on live TV. [Stream Battle Royale] Photo: Everett Collection
Bruce Lee versus Chuck Norris. Is there anything else you need to know? [Stream Way Of The Dragon] Photo: Everett Collection
Jack Ryan is the epitome of the all-American action hero and Harrison Ford is our nation's favorite rough-and-tumble leading man. Catch Ford's first take on the iconic character in Clear and Present Danger. [Stream Clear And Present Danger] Photo: Everett Collection
Goofy? Yes. But Big Trouble In Little China is also fun as all heck -- and chock full of action! [Stream Big Trouble In Little China] Photo: Everett Collection
Love him or hate him, you can't deny Tom Cruise's enduring appeal as an action hero. Catch him at the height of his charm as "Maverick" in Top Gun. [Stream Top Gun]
You may know Chris Evans as Captain America, but his best action film turn is in Snowpiercer. This weird and wild dystopian thriller takes place entirely on a train and will forever alter the way you see babies. [Stream Snowpiercer] Photo: Everett Collection
Equilibrium is a glorious hidden gem that you need to watch (and then turn your friends onto) immediately. Before he was Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale was doing a futuristic form of martial arts that incorporated sword-fighting and gun play. It's badass. [Stream Equilibrium] Photo: Everett Collection
Cult classic The Warriors is a veritable rumble in New York City's concrete jungle. Watch as a bunch of teen gangs are unleashed upon the city and each other. [Stream The Warriors] Photo: Everett Collection
Can you handle the curse of The Crow? Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, was poised for superstardom until he died on the set of this film in a grisly way that mirrored his father's own untimely death. Nevertheless, The Crow is a gorgeous gothic noir action caper. [Stream The Crow] Photo: Everett Collection
Jackie Chan is the king of action-comedy and he finally conquered the United States with this breezy tale that crosses all sorts of boundaries. [Stream Rumble In The Bronx] Photo: Everett Collection
Aeon Flux is one of those audacious action flicks that gets a bad rap for being crazy stylized and a little ahead of its time. As strange as it is, it also is fun, compelling, and chock full of beautiful action scenes. A must-see for fans of fight choreography and crazy world-building. [Stream Aeon Flux] Photo: Everett Collection
When Firefly was unduly canceled, the show left behind a vibrant mythology and a ton of unanswered questions. Joss Whedon used the film version to settle all this unfinished business and to deliver a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure. [Stream Serenity] Photo: Everett Collection
Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is part war film, part fever dream, and a non-stop balls-to-the-walls action spectacular. More than any other film on the list, this one questions the very nature of the action genre and why we root for some people to be killers. [Stream Inglourious Basterds] Photo: Everett Collection
The Guest is a creepy, crawly, crazy fun thriller bursting with some of the most insane fight scenes in recent memory. It also boasts one of the best death scenes ever. Thumbs up for The Guest. [Stream The Guest] Photo: Everett Collection
Keep in mind that Netflix is constantly shuffling its library. Some of the titles on this list will leave the service, only to come back again in due time. Case in point: The Terminator. James Cameron’s science fiction classic is scheduled to expire from Netflix on January 31, 2016, but it’s known to leave the service and come back a lot. (Nevertheless, we would suggest you start your action movie night there.)
