This list is frequently updated as titles leave and join Netflix. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.
Netflix has made headlines by investing in highbrow dramas that win Oscars. But sometimes you don’t want that! Sometimes you just want to escape the increasingly insane world out there into an action movie. Netflix has made a few of their own, but the bulk of the best action films on their service are still Hollywood blockbusters from ‘90s modern classics to more recent box office hits to films that may have slipped under your radar. From Matt Reeves to Steven Spielberg, here are the best action movies currently on Netflix.
1917
Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: Sam Mendes
This Oscar winner doesn’t land on streaming services very often, so take this chance while you can. Sam Mendes directs a visceral recounting of a personal story told to him by his grandfather about his time in World War I, allowing the harrowing journey of a British soldier (George MacKay) to unfold in one unforgettable, unbroken shot.
Baby Driver
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 53m
Director: Edgar Wright
It’s a little harder to watch this movie now given what we know about some of its cast, but it’s still such a remarkably well-made piece of action filmmaking, the kinetically unforgettable story of a getaway driver who knows all the best tunes. Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, and Lily James may be the stars of this movie, but it’s Wright’s showmanship that really steals the spotlight.
*Back to the Future
Year: 1985
Runtime: 1h 56m
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis directed all three movies in one of the most beloved trilogies of all time. The story of a teen who goes back in time turned Michael J. Fox into a household name and still serves as the template for how to do this kind of family/sci-fi adventure. The two sequels may not be as good but they’re better than you remember. And all three are on Netflix.
The Big 4
Year: 2022
Runtime: 2h 21m
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Have you seen The Night Comes for Us? You would remember if you have because director Timo Tjahjanto is a maniac, a madman who choreographs and shoots action scenes like no one else in the world right now. He returned in late 2022 for his Netflix original about a group of assassins who are forced into action when someone kills their mentor. It’s kind of like a live-action Looney Tunes with bazookas.
The Equalizer
Year: 2014
Runtime: 2h 12m
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Who’s your Equalizer? Queen Latifah? Maybe Edward Woodward? If you said Denzel Washington, Netflix is ready for you. The Oscar winner starred in the first film adaptation of the ‘80s TV series of the same name, playing an ex-Marine who has a certain set of skills. Two sequels followed, and the third part is also on Netflix now. Skip that one and go back to the beginning in this well-made action flick with a charismatic central performance from one of the best actors who ever lived.
Godzilla Minus One
Year: 2023
Runtime: 2h 5m
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Netflix stunned people when they stealthily dropped this worldwide hit on their service on June 1st, making a movie that wasn’t even on VOD finally available at home. The winner of the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, Godzilla Minus One is a masterful blend of action and social commentary, considered by many to be among the best in this generations-spanning franchise.
Hardcore Henry
Year: 2015
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Have you ever wanted to see a movie that replicated the feel of playing a first-person shooter video game? Then Hardcore Henry is the one for you. The plot doesn’t really matter — there’s something about experiments and lost memories and whatever — as this is all an exercise in style. Writer/director Ilya Naishuller straps viewers into the perspective of his increasingly powerful hero and then unleashes him on enemies who want to stop him. At its peak, it’s got some adrenaline-pumping lunacy that’s admirable.
The Harder They Fall
Year: 2021
Runtime: 2h 19m
Director: Jeymes Samuel
The Harder They Fall came and went too fast in late 2021 and deserves to find a bigger audience on Netflix. The phenomenal Jonathan Majors stars in this stylish Western with tons of attitude, memorable characters, and brilliant set pieces. He’s joined by Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, and many more in a film that feels like it will become bigger as its incredible cast become acting legends.
The Killer
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: David Fincher
Michael Fassbender gives his best performance in years as an icy hired assassin who struggles to hold things together when a job goes horribly wrong. It’s a movie about a self-proclaimed perfectionist who is constantly defying his own voiceover, a great film that’s alternately hysterical and thrilling. One of the best of 2023.
Looper
Year: 2012
Runtime: 1h 58m
Director: Rian Johnson
Before he got sucked into the Star Wars machine (and then escaped it to start his own franchise in Knives Out), Rian Johnson directed one of the best sci-fi/action films of the 2010s in Looper. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a contract killer who shoots people who are sent back in time to his location. And then he meets himself. Co-starring Emily Blunt and Bruce Willis, this is an inventive genre masterpiece.
The Matrix
Year: 1999
Runtime: 2h 16m
Director: The Wachowskis
Neo and the gang returned to HBO Max in late 2021 with The Matrix Resurrections, and the response was predictably divisive. You know what’s not divisive? The fact that the first movie still absolutely rules. The story of an average guy who learns that nothing is what it seems has influenced so much pop culture in the over-two decades since this movie was released. You can see Neo everywhere. (And you can watch the entire original trilogy on Netflix now.)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Year: 2005
Runtime: 2h
Director: Doug Liman
The fun new reboot series may be over on Prime, but Netflix has the one that started it all: The movie that gave the world Brangelina. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star as a seemingly ordinary suburban couple who discover that they both have secret identities as competing assassins. When they get assignments to kill each other, all hell breaks loose.
Resident Evil
Year: 2002
Runtime: 1h 40m
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two decades since people started adapting the Capcom video games into feature films. Not long after the cancellation of the Netflix series of the same name, the streaming giant has re-added the first (and still best) film along with the first sequel (2004’s Apocalypse) and the second-to-last (2012’s Retribution). Yes, it’s random, but that’s how Netflix has always been with this franchise.
RRR
Year: 2022
Runtime: 3h 5m
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
One of the biggest films in the world in 2022, this crazy action flick really took off in the United States when it dropped on Netflix. It’s hard to put into words just how much movie you get with RRR. It’s kind of all the movies — musical, romance, comedy, action, drama. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s in here. You’ll want to watch it twice.
Skyfall
Year: 2012
Runtime: 2h 23m
Director: Sam Mendes
The Daniel Craig era of James Bond has come to a close and so now history can look back and appreciate his entire run. Is the best film of his five the centerpiece? Arguably. This epic unpacking of the history of 007 is gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins and perfectly directed by Sam Mendes. It features a strong villain performance from Javier Bardem and great supporting work from Albert Finney and Judi Dench. Heck, it even has a killer theme song.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Year: 2023
Runtime: 2h 20m
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
What a gift to Netflix subscribers for this to already be on the service so soon after playing in theaters and landing on Blu-ray. This is how you do a big-budget blockbuster sequel, developing the themes of the first movie and setting up the stake for what now appears will be one of the best trilogies in superhero history. Packed with so much detail and creativity, it’s a film you’ll want to watch over and over again.
*Spider-Man 2
Year: 2004
Runtime: 2h 7m
Director: Sam Raimi
Most superhero movies on streaming services are the exclusive property now of Disney+ given their ownership of the MCU, but Sony superhero films are allowed to escape the clutches every now and then and find their way to other streaming services. Right now, all three films from Sam Raimi are on Netflix. The second film is easily still the best, but they’re all worth a rewatch (yes, even the third one).
Starship Troopers
Year: 1997
Runtime: 2h 9m
Director: Paul Verhoeven
The bugs! No one else but the director of Robocop could have made this unforgettable sci-fi/action epic about giant bugs from outer space. On the surface, it’s a wildly entertaining action movie about young soldiers trying to stop an unimaginable force. Dig deeper and you’ll find richly rewarding satirical levels about the military complex and even fascism. However you enjoy it, just enjoy it while you can.
Triple Frontier
Year: 2019
Runtime: 2h 5m
Director: J.C. Chandor
One of the most underrated Netflix originals, this early 2019 film was written by Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) and directed by the man who helmed Margin Call. The great ensemble here includes Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal in the story of a group of former U.S. soldiers who plan and (poorly) execute a heist in South America. This is an old-fashioned action movie with a great modern cast.
The Woman King
Year: 2022
Runtime: 2h 14m
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Living legend Viola Davis stars in this retelling of the all-female warriors of the kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. She plays General Nansica, who trains young women to follow in her footsteps, and leads a rock star ensemble of future stars that includes Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and Sheila Atim. You’ll know all their names soon enough.
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