What is the definition of an action movie? Can there even really be a complete explanation of the genre? Some feature the kinds of stunts that no mere mortal would ever dare to attempt, while others attempt to be more grounded. Still, others have outlandish premises that take us to new, far-off worlds.
It’s a genre that contains multitudes, but what makes an action movie great is its ability to thrill and captivate its audience. Over the course of its history as a streaming service, Netflix has been home to a number of great action titles. Some are funny, and others are deadly serious. The only thing we know for sure, though, is that the best action movies on Netflix are sure to please. We’ve also rounded up some of the best action movies on Amazon Prime worth watching if you’ve seen all these, as well as a few great action movies available on Hulu. Below are the Netflix action movies you need to stream.
Recommended Videos
Mute (2018)
35%
5.4/10
126m
Genre
Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux
Directed by
Duncan Jones
Watch on Netflix
Mute has all the pieces of a great sci-fi action movie, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s still pretty fun. Thanks to a great cast, some solid settings, and an above-average plot, it’s the kind of movie that might surprise you. The story follows a mute bartender who ends up taking on the city’s gangsters in an attempt to track down his missing partner. Oh, and did we mention it has Paul Rudd?
The Irishman (2019)
94%
7.8/10
209m
Genre
Crime, Drama, History
Stars
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Watch on Netflix
This story follows Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a former labor union official and hitman as he tells the complicated story of his own past. With an emphasis on the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), this biographical crime drama is tremendous, sad, and exceedingly violent at times. The Irishman was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2020, and it deserved every one of those nominations.
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
69%
6.9/10
121m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars
Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Asha Kenyeri Bermudez
Directed by
Timo Tjahjanto
Watch on Netflix
This relatively recent neo-noir action flick comes from Indonesia. The film follows Ito, a deadly and powerful gangster, as he has a 180-degree change of heart after he rescues Reina, a young girl, from the remains of her massacred village. The resulting carnage — and there’s a lot of carnage — revolves around one man who battles his former compatriots to save one girl and, in some ways, himself.
Triple Frontier (2019)
61%
6.4/10
125m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime, Adventure
Stars
Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam
Directed by
J.C. Chandor
Watch on Netflix
This action-adventure movie follows a crew of ex-military Americans who plan on robbing a known cartel member in order to set themselves up for retirement in a way that their government work never could. It’s filled with great action, but what makes Triple Frontier most interesting is how sad it can often feel as we see its ensemble cast wrestling with their most violent and greedy impulses.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
82%
6.5/10
156m
Genre
War, Drama
Stars
Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters
Directed by
Spike Lee
Watch on Netflix
One of Spike Lee’s latest tells the story of four Black veterans who return to Vietnam decades after the war. Battling the elements, the group sets out in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure and wind up battling one another as well as external enemies who are also after the gold.
Extraction (2020)
56%
6.7/10
116m
Genre
Drama, Action, Thriller
Stars
Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
Directed by
Sam Hargrave
Watch on Netflix
Filled with plenty of violence of explosions, Extraction is a lot of fun and one of the best-choreographed action movies of the past decade. When black-market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to save an imprisoned warlord’s son, the stakes rise exponentially as more and more local gunrunners and traffickers learn of the situation. This is easily one of the best Chris Hemsworth movies outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its stunt choreography stands in sharp contrast to what we often see from that franchise.
6 Underground (2019)
41%
6.1/10
128m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Comedy
Stars
Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Directed by
Michael Bay
Watch on Netflix
No need to add this to your list of best Ryan Reynolds movies, but 6 Underground offers plenty of visual spectacle the likes of which you’ll rarely see outside of Michael Bay’s filmography. Following six individuals with exceptional skills who are handpicked to delete their past and devote their lives to foiling the intent of supervillains, free from the restrictions of typical well-doers, 6 Underground is over the top, but it’s a great movie to watch if you want to turn off your brain.
The Old Guard (2020)
70%
6.6/10
125m
Genre
Action, Fantasy
Stars
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Directed by
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Watch on Netflix
The Old Guard is a sci-fi movie dashed with plenty of action that’s worth watching. The story follows a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron) and her covert group of immortal mercenaries who have been protecting the mortal world for centuries. When they recruit a new immortal to work among them, it forces a reckoning within the group over their long shared history.
The Gray Man (2022)
128m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
Directed by
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Watch on Netflix
This Russo brothers’ production is a Netflix action movie that stars Ryan Gosling as CIA agent Sierra Six who’s running from an ex-CIA agent and mercenary, Lloyd Hansen, played by Chris Evans. Six finds damning agency secrets about his CIA boss and is on the run from the sociopathic Hansen. This film is an adaption of Mark Greaney’s book of the same name. Like other top action movies, The Gray Man is packed with explosions, chases, and high-stakes missions.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
132m
Genre
Crime, Action, Thriller
Stars
Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb
Directed by
Jeremy Saulnier
Watch on Netflix
Jeremy Saulnier is one of the best action directors working today, and Rebel Ridge is one of his best movies. The film follows a former army martial artist as he has the bail money he was going to use for his cousin confiscated by police. Things escalate from there as he uncovers a conspiracy within the police department, but Rebel Ridge is thrilling because it knows how to execute on all of its most important set pieces. There’s not a high body count here, but that doesn’t make things feel any less tense.
