Who doesn't like when things go boom? Turn off your brain for a big night filled with explosions, car chases, and enough fistfights to make your popcorn nervous.
Netflix’s action movie selection is so stacked, it’s a cinematic adrenaline shot. Even if you don’t typically go for high-octane thrills, there's something on offer that'll have you gripping your couch cushions like you're Jason Statham in "Crank".
From jaw-dropping Netflix originals like "Hit Man" to blockbuster smashes like "Godzilla Minus One" (because nothing says action like a giant lizard with an attitude problem), you’ll be locked into your screen for hours.
If you’re wondering why Netflix keeps landing on our list of the best streaming services, well, just take one look at its endless catalog of binge-worthy hits.
Now, grab some snacks, silence your phone, and prepare for a night of pure, unfiltered action-packed bliss.
The best Netflix action movies are:
'Carry-On' (2024)
Traveling during the holidays is stressful enough, but "Carry-On" turns it into a nightmare scenario. This rare Christmas action-thriller is closer to "Die Hard" than "Love Actually," with "Rocketman" and "Kingsman" star Taron Egerton playing a TSA agent named Ethan who's blackmailed by a traveler (Jason Bateman) on Christmas Eve to let a dangerous package slip through security if he wants to keep his family safe.
Ethan must race against the clock to stop the sinister plot from unfolding and rediscover his zest for life along the way because, after all, it is still a holiday movie, so you've got to expect at least a little cheesiness. Its unconventional premise anchored by two action movie powerhouses has earned "Carry-On" a respectable 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. - AS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Cast: Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Jason Bateman
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Watch on Netflix
'Rebel Ridge' (2024)
"Rebel Ridge" is quickly becoming one of Netflix's standout original films of the year. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, known for "Green Room" and "Hold the Dark," this high-octane action thriller stars Aaron Pierre as retired Marine Terry Richmond who finds himself going full Rambo against a group of corrupt cops. He's trying to lead a peaceful civilian life, but gets pulled back into violence when he visits the small town of Shelby Springs. After attempting to bail out his cousin, his life savings are illegally confiscated by the local police. As he fights for justice, he teams up with court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) to uncover a deep-rooted conspiracy led by Don Johnson's police chief, Sandy Burnne. — AS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Watch on Netflix
'Hit Man' (2023)
“Hit Man” is another of Netflix's best efforts to date. From director Richard Linklater comes this wickedly funny romantic comedy centers on Gary (Glenn Powell), a teacher who moonlights as a fake contract killer as part of a police sting operation. The game is simple: He adopts one of several personas, pretends to be an assassin for hire and then the cops step in and arrest the person looking to hire Gary's services.
However, things get complicated when he meets a desperate housewife (Adria Arjona) who is looking to escape her abusive husband. There’s an instant attraction between the pair, so Gary decides to keep up the ruse to grow closer to this supposed damsel in distress. But as he descends further into a world of game deception, he might just have to become the murderer he thought he was merely pretending to be. — RM
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao
Director: Richard Linklater
Watch on Netflix
'Logan Lucky' (2017)
"Logan Lucky" is a heist comedy-action movie that follows two brothers, Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver), who plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race in North Carolina. The brothers are down on their luck and come up with an elaborate scheme to change their fortunes.
To pull off the heist, they recruit a team of misfits, including their sister Mellie (Riley Keough) and an eccentric demolition expert named Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), who they have to break out of prison temporarily to help with the robbery. "Logan Lucky" has been described as a "hillbilly heist" movie, and it plays on the theme of underdogs trying to outsmart a system stacked against them. — AB
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Brian Gleeson, Jack Quaid, Hilary Swank, Daniel Craig
Director: Steven Soderbergh
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The Equalizer 3 (2023)
The third and final installment of Denzel Washington’s "The Equalizer" trilogy, "The Equalizer 3" stars Washington as Robert McCall, the ex-Marine who knows a thing or two about dealing with criminals. This time around, those criminals take the form of the Camorra, a criminal organization that controls many of the vices in Southern Italy. If you love a classic action movie, this final chapter of "The Equalizer" is a great way to celebrate the new year. — MM
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Watch now
'RRR' (2022)
"RRR," one of the biggest surprises in cinema in recent years, had my audience break out into rhythmic clapping to the beat during a massive action scene. What else would you expect, though, from a film whose director describes it as focusing on an "imaginary friendship between two superheroes"?
Yes, S.S. Rajamouli's film about Indian folk heroes taking on British Colonialists is an utter delight. A little cartoonish at times, it's pure fun if you can let yourself enjoy the silliness. — RM
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Cast: N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgan, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Watch now
'Red Notice' (2021)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays an FBI profiler pursuing the world's most wanted art thief, played by Ryan Reynolds. They need to pair up to catch an elusive crook, The Bishop (Gal Gadot). This movie is as full of jokes as it is action sequences and broke Netflix records when it first launched in November 2021, becoming the streamer’s biggest-ever movie release. Fun, fast-paced and action-packed. — CH
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36%
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Watch now
'The Pirates - The Last Royal Treasure' (2022)
This Korean action movie from January 2022 tells the story of a tough crew of Joseon pirates and bandits who work to unpick clues in a bid to find some royal gold that has seemingly disappeared. Not only must they take on the elements, they aim to find the missing treasure ahead of their rivals. — CH
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Han Hyo-joo, and Lee Kwang-soo
Director: Kim Jeonghun
Watch now
'The Harder They Fall' (2021)
Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba team up for this modern, humorous twist on a Western. Major plays cowboy Nat Love, while Elba is Rufus Buck, a notorious outlaw. The two are enemies, and Love decides to track down Buck when he discovers he has been freed from prison. The film also features an attention-grabbing soundtrack to accompany a star-studded cast. — CH
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Cast: Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, Deon Cole
Director: Jeymes Samuel
Watch Now
'Restless' (2022)
This Netflix original action film follows a corrupt cop’s extreme attempts to cover up an accident, and the way his life falls out of control after doing so. This movie was originally shot in French but is also available in English (the original language always seems to fit best, though). It also happens to be a remake…of a remake. The first version came out in 2017 as a Korean dark comedy/thriller entitled "A Hard Day." — CH
Cast: Frank Gastambide, Simon Abkarian, Michaël Abiteboul, Tracy Gotoas, Jemima West
Director: Régis Blondeau
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'Triple Frontier' (2019)
A group of veterans who engage in one final mission. This is not a military action though. Instead, the team plans is to rob one of the most violent cartels in the world. They want to claim the drug lord’s fortune, but things don’t exactly go to plan, and the fallout is huge. Can the soldiers-turned-thieves handle the consequences of their actions? — CH
Cast: Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
Watch Now
'The Forgotten Battle' (2021)
This World War II movie takes place in November 1944 during the Battle of the Schelde on Walcheren in Zeeland. The island has been flooded, and allies are fighting the German army. The film, originally shot in Dutch, tells the story of three intertwined lives — a Dutch boy who has joined with the Germans, a glider pilot from England, and a girl from the island who has joined the resistance. All must consider their choices, freedom, and the freedom of others. — CH
Cast: Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters, Susan Radder, Jan Bijvoet, Tom Felton, Coen Bril
Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
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'The Old Guard' (2020)
What happens when a team of self-healing mercenaries who have lived for hundreds of years are set up to be killed off? Well, it doesn't go well, that's for starters. Charlize Theron stars as Andromache, aka "Andy," the leader of this team that's soon out for revenge. This graphic novel adaptation was a hit for Netflix and we're already wondering when we get to see "The Old Guard 2." — HTC
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Cast: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Watch now
'Extraction' (2020)
You can always rely on Chris Hemsworth to bring the goods in movies like this, and "Extraction" doesn't disappoint. Based on the graphic novel "Ciudad," "Extraction" is all about a black ops mercenary hired to rescue a drug lord's kidnapped son in the Bangladeshi city of Dhaka. While there's plenty of gratuitous violence here and some gaping plot holes, the 99 million people who watched the movie in its first four weeks on Netflix can't be wrong... right? — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, David Harbour, Golshifteh Farahani, Randeep Hooda, Sam Hargrave
Director: Sam Hargrave
Watch now
'Sweet Girl' (2021)
"Sweet Girl" is basically a vehicle for Jason Mamoa to be hot, and he does a pretty good job of it here. The movie definitely has heart - the crux of the action happens because a woman named Amanda (Adria Arjona) dies of a rare form of cancer after a greedy CEO pulls a potentially life-saving drug off the market. That's when Amanda's husband Ray (Mamoa) decides to get revenge. Is it Oscar-worthy? Obviously not. Is it still packed full engaging of action? Definitely. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 21%
Cast: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Raza Jaffrey
Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza
Watch now
'The Last Mercenary' (2021)
If you like your action with a side of humor, you'll love "The Mercenary," not least of all because it stars perhaps one of the most legendary action stars of all time: Jean Claude Van Damme. The plot is straightforward enough — a former secret service agent is forced to go back to France when the son he's been out of touch with for years is falsely accused by the French government of drugs and arms trafficking. Thankfully, Richard Brumère, aka The Mist, (Van Damme) is there to save the day. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Assa Sylla, Samir Decazza, Valerie Kaprisky, Nassim Si Ahmed
Director: David Charhon
Watch now
'Beckett' (2021)
If one of your biggest fears is being wrongly accused of a crime you didn't commit while traveling through a foreign country, "Beckett" will likely fill you with anxiety. That's pretty much exactly what happens here: Beckett (John David Washington) is an American visiting Athens, Greece, but he and his girlfriend leave when political unrest begins to spread. However, when a terrible accident occurs, Beckett finds himself the target of a manhunt and has to try and dodge the authorities chasing him and make it to the U.S. Embassy to clear his name. This one is definitely a wild ride, even if the plot is a little silly. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%
Cast: John David Washington, Alicia Vikander, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps
Director: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino
Watch now
'The Decline' (2020)
Originally filmed entirely in French, "The Decline" was later dubbed by the original cast in English for your viewing pleasure. The movie focuses on a survivalist training group that becomes extremely tense after one of the attendees accidentally dies. To say that things get a little dicey between the remaining survivalists is putting things lightly, but as one of the best action movies of 2020, it's deserving of a watch. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Cast: Marie-Evelyne Lessard, Real Bosse, Guillaume Laurin, Marilyn Catonguay
Director: Patrice Laliberté
Watch now
'Rim of the World' (2019)
Screenwriter Zack Stentz wanted to do a modern take on the classic kids' action movies of the 1980s, which is exactly what he accomplished with "Rim of the World." Perfect for younger viewers, it incorporates science fiction with plenty of adventure between a group of misfits at summer camp. They're the best of friends... and then the aliens invade Earth. Luckily, they know how to stop the invasion, but it'll take a lot of bravery and a little luck to get there. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%
Cast: Annabeth Gish, Alessio Scalzotto Miya Cech, Jack Gore, Benjamin Flores Jr.
Director: McG
Watch now
'Extinction' (2018)
More science fiction, only this time for the adults. An engineer named Peter (Michael Peña) begins having the same nightmare night after night in which all of his loved ones keep being violently attacked by aliens. These dreams take over his waking life and affect all of his relationships, especially the one with his wife. Sadly, Peter wasn't just dreaming — the aliens are really there and the role Peter will play in defending the earth is more complex than anyone would have expected. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%
Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Michael Peña, Amelia Crouch, Erica Tremblay
Director: Ben Young
Watch now
'Sand Castle' (2017)
While "Sand Castle" is more technically a war drama, the very act of battle lends a sense of unavoidable action, and that's the case here. Based on the real-life experience of screenwriter Chris Roessner, the movie follows Matt Ocre, a US Army soldier who's assigned to restore water to a small village in Iraq. Of course, things don't go quite so smoothly in the middle of a warzone. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
Cast: Henry Cavill, Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, Neil Brown Jr.
Director: Fernando Coimbra
Watch now
'Outlaw King' (2018)
History buffs will love this movie about 14th-century Scottish King Robert the Bruce. He started a war against the English army in rebellion against Edward I's rule over Scotland and as you can imagine, things get pretty grizzly. Chris Pine plays the title character and while "Outlaw King" does play a bit fast and loose with the facts, it's high on adrenaline which makes it worthwhile. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 62%
Cast: Chris Pine, Florence Pugh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Billy Howle
Director: David Mackenzie
Watch now
'Okja' (2017)
For fans of artsy foreign films, "Okja" is definitely a must-see. The 2017 Korean movie directed by Bong Joon-ho (whom you'll likely know from his work on "Parasite") is all about a little girl who raises a genetically modified "super pig" named Okja that's taken away from her to the US. However, she's not about to let her beloved pet go easily, and she embarks on an adventurous rescue mission to save the animal's life. The cast here is spectacular, especially young Ahn Seo-hyun and Tilda Swinton, and it will stay with you long after the credits roll. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins, Steven Yeun
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Watch now
'Beasts of No Nation' (2015)
The critically-acclaimed 2015 war drama isn't a typical action movie, but that doesn't mean it doesn't fit the category. A child soldier who participates in his country's horrifying civil war sees and experiences things that no person, let alone any child, ever should. There's a lot of violence and destruction here, but also some pretty thought-provoking messages that give viewers something to think about. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Cast: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Ama K. Aberese, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Watch now
'Lost Bullet' (2020)
The French are shockingly good at action movies, and "Lost Bullet" is definitely one of the best. The story follows a mechanic named Lino who's bribed by dirty cops into doing their bidding in order to avoid going to jail. If he doesn't want to be stuck with a murder charge, he'll have to track down one particular car that contains a single bullet that would prove his innocence. If you're into fast cars and reckless driving, you'll love "Lost Bullet." — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
Cast: Alban Lenoir, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Ramzy Bedia, Stéfi Celma, Sébastien Lalanne
Director: Guillaume Pierret
Watch now
'The Do-Over' (2016)
By looking at the cast list, you can probably immediately tell that all the action here is splashed with a pretty large dose of comedy, and thank goodness for that. The premise is hilarious enough on its own: Charlie (David Spade) and Max (Adam Sandler) decide to fake their deaths to start new lives. Sadly, the men whose identities they steal were up to no good in their past lives, which gets Charlie and Max into not a small amount of trouble. There's definitely plenty of excitement here, but you'll be laughing all the way through. This is certainly the least critically successful film on this list, but it's got its own charm about itself — and who watches action movies because of what the critics say, anyway? — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 9%
Cast: Adam Sandler, David Spade, Kathryn Hahn, Paula Patton
Director: Steven Brill
Watch now
'Project Power' (2020)
"Project Power" centers on a near-future New Orleans in which some mysterious company offers a group of drug dealers a free pill that gives its taker any number of superpowers for five minutes. To find out who's behind the pill, a cop and a former soldier team up and hit the streets, and what they find isn't what anyone expects. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 61%
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Machine Gun Kelly
Director: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Watch now
'Hold the Dark' (2018)
After three kids are suspected to have been killed by wolves, an animal expert named Russell (Jeffrey Wright) heads out to a remote Alaskan village to find out what happened. However, what he discovers is much more sinister than the community would ever have believed. There’s something refreshingly different about "Hold the Dark," and action here is more understated but no less satisfying for it. — JS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 70%
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Jeffrey Wright, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Watch now
'Baby Driver' (2017)
Edgar Wright is one of Hollywood’s best-working directors, and one of his more recent triumphs is one of the best action movies of the 2010s, “Baby Driver.” This stylish action flick stars Ansel Elgort as a soft-spoken getaway driver forced to team up with a slick career criminal, Doc (Kevin Spacey), to pay off his debts.
But when he forges a connection with a young waitress (Lily James), the two make plans to skip town and start a new life together, but not before Baby completes one last mission with a ruthless crew. The majority of the film’s high-octane sequences are synced up to a perfectly-curated soundtrack, so this is definitely not one to miss. - RM
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza Gonzales, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal
Director: Edgar Wright
Watch now
'Land of Bad' (2024)
One of this year's biggest box office flops found its audience on Netflix — and it looks like critics were too quick to judge if its 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is anything to go by. While you may not have heard of "Land of Bad" before it crashed into Netflix's top 10 over the summer, it's shaping up to be a war thriller for the ages.
Set in the Philippines, "Land of Bad" follows a U.S. Army Delta Force squad targeted by a local militia during a mission to rescue a CIA asset. After everything goes FUBAR and he's stranded behind enemy lines, rookie Sergeant JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) must rely on the remote guidance of drone pilot Captain Eddie Grimm "Reaper" (Russell Crowe) to escape. - AS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, Milo Ventimiglia
Director: William Eubank
Watch now
'Upgrade' (2018)
In the mood for a sci-fi action movie? “Upgrade” should be your next watch. It follows Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), a mechanic who is left paralyzed after a brutal mugging that also results in the death of his wife. In a bid for revenge, Grey is implanted with an advanced artificial intelligence chip called STEM, which not only restores his mobility but also enhances his physical abilities and cognitive functions.
As Grey uses STEM to track down those responsible for the attack, he becomes embroiled in a high-tech conspiracy that challenges his sense of reality and control. You’ll see plenty of intense action sequences that will have you rooting for Grey as he seeks his revenge. - AB
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson
Director: Leigh Whannell
Watch now
'1917' (2019)
Directed by Sam Mendes, "1917" draws inspiration from stories shared by his grandfather, Alfred, who served in World War I with the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade on the Belgian Front. The film is presented in a single-shot format, meaning it unfolds as one continuous take with almost no visible cuts. This technique is not only a remarkable technical feat but also creates an intense sense of urgency and momentum.
The story follows two British soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), who are assigned a perilous mission: to cross enemy lines and deliver a crucial message that could change the tides of war. However, with only hours to spare, time becomes their greatest adversary as they race against the clock to prevent a catastrophic offensive attack. - AS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch
Director: Sam Mendes
Watch on Netflix
'Godzilla Minus One' (2023)
Over the summer, the Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One" finally became available on streaming platforms outside of Japan, much to my delight as someone who was deeply moved by the film in theaters (I never imagined a Godzilla movie would leave me in tears).
"Godzilla Minus One" brilliantly lays bare the original titan's brilliance, delivering a powerful and heart-wrenching message of hope for humanity. Written and directed by acclaimed CG animator and VFX artist Takashi Yamazaki, the film is set during the final days of World War II, following the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The story follows Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze pilot who hesitates in his mission and makes an unplanned stop on Odo Island. Unaware that Japan’s surrender is imminent, he has a life-altering encounter with a colossal reptilian creature that changes the trajectory of his life forever. - AS
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Watch on Netflix
