If you want to get your blood pumping, the best Netflix action movies will get your heart racing.
However, scrolling through the top-rated streaming service can be a chore, so I thought I’d speed up the process by pointing you in the direction of a trio of thrilling adventures on the platform that I absolutely love.
These action classics range from a rollicking joyride through downtown L.A. with Keanu Reeves, to an iconic car caper that pits Vin Diesel against The Rock while the former tries to fleece a Brazilian police vault of $100m. Looking for fast thrills, brutal showdowns and a scene where Odysseus and Logan Roy have an extremely heated exchange in a beloved spy hit? Then these three Netflix action movies are definitely going to amp up your adrenaline.
'Speed' (1994)
Or, to pilfer a quote from Homer Simpson, “The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down”. SWAT officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) endures the commute from Hell as he finds himself trying to stop a runaway L.A. city bus that’s been armed with a bomb. The twist? If said coach’s speed drops below 50mph, everyone onboard goes kaboom.
Along with Jack for the ride is poor Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock), the unwitting passenger forced to keep the bus zooming across intersections at breakneck pace. Well, breakneck pace for a bus. The film’s premise naturally keeps the action rattling along with gusto.
It’s to “Speed’s” credit that even when the third act moves past the bus, the tension doesn’t let up thanks to a nerves-shredding subway sequence. Winning supporting turns from Jeff Daniels as Jack’s partner and Dennis Hopper as a demented bomber also elevate this ‘90s classic.
Watch "Speed" on Netflix now
'The Bourne Supremacy' (2004)
The first film is iconic, but “The Bourne Supremacy’ is the most emotionally layered entry in Matt Damon’s iconic spy series in my book. In this sequel to the 2002 breakout hit, the former amnesiac Treadstone agent starts to piece back his memory as he tries to make a normal life for himself with returning love interest Marie (Franka Potente).
Of course, this being a high-octane spy adventure and not a dewey-eyed rom-com, Jason’s peaceful existence doesn’t last long. Cue a globe-hopping thrill ride that sees the resourceful and remorseful former assassin trying to stay one step ahead of the CIA after he’s framed by his former employers.
What really marks “The Bourne Supremacy” as an action classic is the introduction of director Paul Greengrass to the franchise. The British filmmaker injects a wonderful chaotic energy into scenes — be it a hard-hitting car chase through Moscow or a fight scene in Berlin where Bourne lays a bookish smackdown with a magazine. A final act one-on-one sitdown also gives the film a surprisingly mournful, tender quality.
Watch "The Bourne Supremacy" on Netflix now
'Fast Five' (2011)
The best entry in the Fast saga (though “Furious 7” may want a word). The main reason “Fast Five” screeches to the franchise’s top podium place? That would be the presence of Dwayne Johnson dropping into the saga like a heavily tattooed nuke. Playing U.S. DSS Agent Luke Hobbs, The Rock proves an exhilaratingly muscular match for Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel).
There’s a whole lot of fun to be had with “Fast Five”. Switching the action to Rio de Janeiro proves a wise choice, as Dom and his gang of loyal carjackers plan a daring $100m heist in sweltering conditions.
This is probably the last time you could argue the series had any intentions of trying to keep its action semi-grounded. Sure, the action is silly, but we’re not dealing with folks driving cars in space. I’m looking at you, “F9: The Fast Saga”. A bruising, brilliant action movie.
Watch "Fast Five" on Netflix now
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