paramount pictures
Last Updated: September 19th
The term “action movie” runs the spectrum of CGI explosion-filled spectacles and highly choreographed fight scenes to movies with heroes who deliver cheesy one-liners right before the last rocket-powered grenade is fired. It can mean shutting your brain off, or it can mean complex stories that use action to benefit the plot.
Luckily, Netflix has most subgenres covered when it comes to good action films, whether you want kung fu, superhero-ing, or anything in between. Here are the best action movies on Netflix streaming right now, so grab some popcorn and enjoy.
Related: The Best Action Movies On Amazon Prime Right Now
Disney
20. Armageddon (1998)
Run Time: 151 min | IMDb: 6.6/10
No binge of overblown ’90s action movies would be complete without a sampling from Michael Bay, and Armageddon is one of his best thanks to its lovable ridiculousness and implausibility. As the other “we have to stop the world-ending meteor” movie of 1998 — it arrived a bit after Deep Impact — this is the one that is packed with some of the biggest names of the decade. Despite some of the actors saying that they only did the movie for the paycheck and Bay himself saying he wishes he could redo the error-filled third act, it has a bloated charm to its mess. This is largely due to Steve Buscemi’s appearance, which was contractually obligated in every movie of the ’90s.
Warner Brothers
19. Heat (1995)
Run Time: 170 min, IMDb: 8.2/10
Watching two greats like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro square off against each other for two-plus hours is fun in and of itself, but Heat packs a ton of action in between some truly great cinematic scenes. Pacino plays Lt. Hannah, a cop more committed to his job than he is to his family. With a cheating wife and a depressed stepdaughter, the detective throws himself into his latest case which involves a prolific group of thieves intent on settling old scores before a final job to secure their financial futures. De Niro heads up the crew of criminals and after a heist gone wrong, vows to get even with the men who’ve betrayed him. The cat-and-mouse game ends how you might expect but it’s the chase that’s truly thrilling.
Fantastic Fest
18. April And The Extraordinary World (2015)
Run Time: 105 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
In an alternate version of 1941 where France has been led by a line of Napoleons and leading scientists mysteriously disappear, young April, her talking cat Darwin, and the shady Julius go searching for April’s missing parents. It’s an interesting take on a history where technological advancement isn’t a thing, where “steampunk” is reality and TVs and cars don’t exist. April’s journey starts in the dreary, stuck-out-of-time France but leads her to fantastical advancements that still make sense in the world we’re presented with. The heart of the film lies in the love that plucky, stubborn April has for those she cares about, and the film’s driven by charming animation and a genuinely interesting concept. It’s enjoyable action that’s just out-there enough for adults while being accessible for the young and young at heart.
Paramount
17. Face/Off (1997)
Run Time: 138 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
No respectable action movie list is complete without a Nic Cage entry. The actor has become synonymous with D-list flicks that are so bad, they’re actually kind of good. That’s the case with Face/Off which pits Cage against John Travolta. One’s an FBI agent, one’s a terrorist, but good luck figuring out who’s who when the two undergo facial transplant surgeries to foil the others’ plan. Yeah, this one’s a lot.
Miramax
16. Sin City (2005)
Run Time: 124 min | IMDb: 8/10
In 2005, Frank Miller gave us an exciting entry into the neo-noir crime thriller world with Sin City, a highly-stylized riff on his comic book series. The film covers a handful of stories spread out over the city, all with something connecting them. Bruce Willis is an aging detective jailed for a crime he didn’t commit and freed to help protect the women he saved as a little girl. Clive Owen is a tough-guy protecting a bunch of prostitutes from the mob. There are cannibals and corrupt cops and lots of blood and gore – really all you could ask for in an action flick.
Anchor Bay Entertainment
15. Battle Royale (2000)
Run Time: 114 min | IMDb: 7.7/10
A film that would later spark comparisons from Hunger Games, Battle Royale pits Japanese teenagers against each other under the order of a totalitarian society. After receiving explosive collars and varying weapons, the students start killing and they don’t stop until only one survives. The violence drew controversy across the world and even caused the film to be banned in several countries. But it’s an entertaining gorefest notable for its depiction of how each student deals differently when put in such a ridiculous life-or-death situation.
Mandarin Films
14. Ip Man (2008)
Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 8/10
In a town filled with aspiring martial artists, the best of the best is Ip Man, a father and husband who just wants to keep his quiet way of life even in the midst of the Japanese occupation of China. In discovering that sometimes fighting is the only way to keep the peace, Ip inspires many by taking a stand during war-torn times. As a subtle reflection on war mixed with a healthy dose of fast-paced, mesmerizing combat, Ip Man is actually based on the real life of Yip Man, the grand master who trained Bruce Lee.
Disney
13. Rogue One (2016)
Run Time: 133 min | IMDb: 7.8/10
The Star Wars universe is slowly expanding, and Gareth Edwards’ prequel starring Felicity Jones is a worthwhile first entry into the galaxy beyond. The film takes a look at the roots of the resistance with Jones playing Jyn Erso, a rebel who assembles her own motley crew to destroy a key weapon of the Empire. As action-packed and canonically accurate as this film is, it’s also not afraid to explore the dark side of the fight against, well, the Dark Side.
Warner Brothers
12. Troy (2010)
Run Time: 303 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
This Eric Bana and Brad Pitt starring epic reinvents an infamous Greek tale. The Battle of Troy began because some spoiled-ass dude (Orlando Bloom in this one) decided to run away with another man’s wife. Helen of Troy was supposedly the most gorgeous woman to ever exist, but let’s be real, men will jump at any excuse to fight in leather skirts with swords. The story’s a bit meh, but watching Pitt slash his way through enemies and take on Bana in an emotionally-charged showdown makes it worth it.
Marvel
11. Doctor Strange (2016)
Run Time: 115 min | IMDb: 7.5/10
Any Marvel movie is bound to have some action but Doctor Strange makes this list because the fight sequences are, quite literally, mind-blowing. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the titular Strange, a brillaint if arrogant surgeon whose life is forever changed when he gets into a nasty car accident and loses the ability to do his job. On a journey to find himself, he stumbles across the world of mystic arts and learns he was meant for more than a pair of scrubs. A Cumberbatch trains under tutelage from Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) he learns that Earth faces an even greater threat from a disillusioned Master of the Mystic Arts who seeks eternal life at the expense of humanity itself. There’s a lot of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it plot details in this one but what’s not difficult to watch are the stunning CGI-filled action sequences.
Universal Pictures
10. Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Run Time: 115 min | IMDb: 8/10
Who was Matt Damon before he was Jason Bourne? We’re really not sure. The actor reprised his leading man role in the third film of the action series, playing a psychogenic amnesiac still searching for clues about his true identity and his involvement in a secret assassin program. Of course, in this film, he’s also on the run from another group of similarly-trained killers. The Bourne series’ storyline isn’t revolutionary – Damon does a bunch of stunts but doesn’t feel any closer to figuring things out by the end of the film – but it’s his character’s daredevil antics and genetically-enhanced abilities to kick ass that are the real draw here.
Universal Pictures
9. Jurassic Park (1993)
Run Time: 127 min | IMDb: 8.1/10
The original Jurassic Park might not sport the intense CGI and mega budget of its Chris Pratt-helmed predecessors but it’s a classic and an introduction into a world that’s fascinated moviegoers for decades. Sam Neill and Laura Dern star as a pair of paleontologist/scientist treated to an exclusive tour of an island theme park where the main attraction just happens to be extinct dinosaurs. What follows is what you’d expect: humans suck, dinosaurs are both terrifyingly-dangerous and kind of awesome, and Jeff Goldblum is a hairy-chested national treasure.
Universal Pictures
8. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Run Time: 121 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
The second of Edgar Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy,” Hot Fuzz acts as a send-up of all the over-the-top action films that came before it, from Bad Boys II to Point Break. When loner-supercop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) gets reassigned to a much safer town, all he can do is eat ice cream and chase a dastardly swan with his new partner (Nick Frost) until the bodies start piling up. Pegg proves that he can be a master of comedic characters, contrasting the slackers of Shaun Of The Dead and The World’s End with this by-the-book policeman-officer. While parodying the clichés, Fuzz doesn’t rely solely on bits or callbacks to tell a layered story, with the charming chemistry between Pegg and Frost at the center of it. Plus, it gives us a contender for one of the funniest scenes in all British comedy.
Marvel
7. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Run Time: 156 min | IMDb: 7.7/10
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1 surprised many with its stellar soundtrack and genuinely funny dialogue, and director James Gunn manages to live up to the original while still spinning a rather unique tale. The sequel finds the familiar rag-tag Guardians as they make enemies and wisecracks while exploring the origins of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his father, who happens to be a living planet (Kurt Russell). Focusing more on character development than overall MCU progression, the movie rounds out and humanizes some of its ridiculous characters, including Ravager Yondu. It’s a hilarious and emotional sci-fi adventure that doesn’t get too lost in its spectacular visual effects.
Columbia Pictures
6. Bad Boys (1995)
Run Time: 119 min | IMDb: 6.8/10
Another worthy installment in the buddy-cop genre Bad Boys is a decidedly more R-rated version of the good-cop-bad-cop bromance heavy trope. It’s got Will Smith and Martin Lawrence paling around Miami, executing bullet-ridden drug busts and investigating corrupt cops with a stake in the heroin game. Smith and Lawrence have great chemistry, both are funny as hell, and the action does not disappoint.
Marvel
5. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Run Time: 130 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
Before Black Panther became one of the highest grossing films in the Marvel Universe, Chris Hemsworth’s hammer-loving hero gave the superhero franchise a much-needed dose of humor and fun with Thor: Ragnarok. Directed by Taika Waititi, the film follows the Asgardian warrior as he tries to save his home from the brutal reign of his long-lost sister Hela (a wickedly good Cate Blanchett) and fight his way out of off-planet gladiator pits with the help of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and a Valkyrie played by Tessa Thompson.
Universal Pictures
4. Inside Man (2006)
Run Time: 129 min | IMDb: 7.6/10
Spike Lee’s 2006 heist thriller is one of the director’s most straightforward films, but it’s still a film that could only be made by Lee. It’s filled with New York flavor and moves to an offbeat rhythm as it slowly reveals the motivations of a bank robber (Clive Owen), a powerful woman (Jodie Foster), and a hostage negotiator (Denzel Washington) as a bank becomes the site of a tense stand-off.
Marvel/Disney
3. Black Panther (2018)
Run Time: 134 min, IMDb: 7.4/10
Ryan Coogler’s superhero flick revolutionized the Marvel Universe when it landed earlier this year, so it’s only right that we’re given the option to watch it over and over again. The film gives us a fully-realized, otherworldly Wakanda as it follows the trials and tribulations of a newly-minted king, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman). While trying to govern his people and embrace is Black Panther alter-ego, he’s also got to fight off a would-be usurper in Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, who may just be the best villain Marvel has ever seen. And Coogler gives the women plenty to do in this as well with the Dora Milaje — T’Challa’s all-female guard — and Lupita Nyong’o’s badass spy getting ample screen time.
A Band Apart/Miramax Films
2. Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 (2003-04)
Run Time: 111 min/137 min | IMDb: 8.1/8.0
A master assassin (Uma Thurman) is betrayed by her former associates and left for dead, only for her to awaken from her coma and vow to take uncompromising vengeance. Possible issues with director Quentin Tarantino aside, it’s impossible to say that watching his movies isn’t a distinct experience. Each piece of the Bride’s journey, while very different, fit together perfectly throughout the two films. Tarantino’s recognizable comedy, music, and slight self-indulgence come through in Kill Bill, which has just the right and an excessive amount of tongue-and-cheek and fake blood, respectively.
Disney
1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Run Time: 152 min, IMDb: 7.3/10
There’s always going to be backlash when a studio decides to revive a beloved franchise and take it in a new direction but The Last Jedi continues to anger space fanboys everywhere and honestly, we’re not sure what their gripe is. Rian Johnson gave us a masterclass in how to take something old and make it new again with his interpretation, injecting a bit of fun and fantasy into the age-old story. Mindblowing Jedi fights, Force connections, Porg, and Artic Foxes, the movie has something for everyone and it challenges both old and new characters alike with interesting arcs and climactic moments. Plus, did we mention Porgs?
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