Looking to fuel up your Netflix queue with some high-octane action?
Whether you’re a fan of wild Westerns, cunning detectives, high-swinging superheroes, ravenous zombies, or hard-core assassins, Netflix has a movie pitch-perfect for every kind of adrenaline seeker. But scrolling through the app can be a chore when all you want to do is Netflix and chill. We’ve taken out the hard step, highlighting the most stunt-stuffed, battle-powered, high-speed films the streamer has to offer.
Here, in no particular order, are the 20 best action movies on Netflix, streaming right now.
20. Everything Everywhere All at Once
Michelle Yeoh kicks butt in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Credit: A24
Want a movie with a little bit of everything? Then you can’t beat the 2023 Oscar winner for Best Picture. Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh stars as a disgruntled Laundromat owner who’s at her wit’s end between her obligations as a boss, wife, mother, and daughter. And just as she’s braced to deal with a tax auditor with a surly attitude (Academy Award–winner Jamie Lee Curtis), a dashing version of her husband (Academy Award–winner Ke Huy Quan) bursts onto the scene from a parallel universe to loop her into a quest to save all existence. Packed with absolutely bonkers action, outrageous jokes, dizzying style, and performances as silly as they are deeply poignant, The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is the kind of movie that’ll have you laughing, crying, gasping, and maybe even reconsidering your life up to now. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Everything Everywhere All at Once is now streaming on Netflix.
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19. Damsel
Credit: John Wilson / Netflix
Netflix has invested big in Millie Bobby Brown. Not only has the English ingenue been leading Stranger Things for years, but also she’s becoming an outright action star through movies she has headlined and produced for the streamer, including a pair of Enola Holmes adventures and this fearsome fairy tale: Damsel. Here, Brown stars as Elodie, a dutiful damsel destined to wed a handsome prince (Nick Robinson)! But rather than happily ever after, her deceitful groom pitches her into a dragon’s pit. However, that’s far from the end of her story. She’ll fight her way to salvation and vengeance, one fiery sequence at a time.
In her review, Mashable’s Belen Edwards wrote, “Boasting some inventive twists and a heartfelt lead performance from Brown, Damsel may not be groundbreaking fantasy, but it is a thrilling ride.” — K.P.
How to watch: Damsel is now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix’s ‘Damsel’ trailer will put you in distress
18. The Woman King
Credit: Sony
It might be a cliche to say “This is the role they were born to play!” But when you witness the storming glory of Viola Davis as a hard-fighting general in The Woman King, that thought hits hard, fast, and repeatedly, like one’s heartbeat as this historical epic kicks into action mode.
In promoting the film, Davis has spoken openly about all the ways it’s the kind of movie that Hollywood’s supposed conventional wisdom — which caters predominantly to white and male audiences — said could never be made. Davis is a 57-year-old, dark-skinned Black woman, and she’s headlining a war movie in which she gets to be the titular protagonist and kicks slavers’ ass. As she expressed before the film’s World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, she’s living her dream in this film. And for us, it was exhilarating to live vicariously through her.
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Inspired by the Agojie of West Africa, The Woman King explores the passions, problems, and camaraderie of this all-female band of warriors. While Davis dazzles at its center, co-stars Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, and Lashana Lynch shine alongside her. Each brings powerful charisma to a full-throated performance that keeps audiences equally riveted through scenes of battle or blossoming romance, gut-punching grief or pugnacious celebration. As she did with The Old Guard, Gina Prince-Bythewood marries action with emotion, creating sequences that make our pulses race and our hearts shudder.* — K.P.
How to watch: The Woman King is now streaming on Netflix.
17. Cold Pursuit
Patron saint of action Liam Neeson headlines this icy thriller that’s an English-language remake of 2014 Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance (Kraftidioten). Here, Neeson plays Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver whose job in his Colorado community is so key that he’s been awarded Citizen of the Year. But when his beloved son dies of a drug overdose, Nels readies to clear away more than snow. With a thirst for vengeance and a sawed off shotgun, he hunts down the cartel that’s corrupted his community — and its bloody thrilling to witness. Edged with a dark sense of humor, Cold Pursuit is wicked fun. — K.P.
How to watch: Cold Pursuit is now streaming on Netflix.
16. RRR
You’ve never seen an action movie quite as bombastic or as bromantic as RRR. Director S.S. Rajamouli draws loosely from history to tell the story of Indian freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.). Over the film’s three-hour runtime, the two unwittingly face off in the search for a kidnapped girl, become the best of friends, and square off against villainous English colonizers.
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Any of RRR‘s action sequences would be the pinnacle of a lesser action movie, but the film seems determined to outdo itself with showstopper after showstopper. Take when Raju faces down hundreds of protesters and wins, or when Bheem fights a tiger bare-handed. Would you believe me if I told you those happen within the first 20 minutes? The action — and the movie — only get more awesome from there. — B.E.
How to watch: RRR is now streaming on Netflix.
15. The Harder They Fall
Credit: David Lee / Netflix
Put ’em up, as this is hands-down one of the best action movies in the Wild West.
Directed by Jeymes Samuel, The Harder They Fall defiantly redefines the predominantly white Western, boasting an incredible cast of Black stars: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, and Delroy Lindo. A tale of heroes and villains, the film follows Nat Love (Majors) on his quest for revenge against the formidable Rufus Buck (Elba). But he’ll have to make his gunslinging way through “Treacherous” Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (Stanfield) first. Even before the opening credits roll, you’ll fall hard for this one. — S.C.
How to watch: The Harder They Fall is now streaming on Netflix.
14. Enola Holmes
Credit: Netflix
Sherlock Holmes’s much cooler little sister is an overlooked young action hero in Enola Holmes. Based on author Nancy Springer’s popular book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries, the film puts the great detective’s savvy 16-year-old sibling on the case, played with energetic spoonfuls of gumption by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown. She’s set to solve the greatest mystery of her young life: to find her missing mother (Helena Bonham Carter) through a series of deliberately cryptic clues — all while breaking the fourth wall and confiding in the audience, thanks to Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer and His Dark Materials‘ Jack Thorne’s sharp screenplay.
Stepping into the footsteps of her famous brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and avoiding those of her stuffier misogynist brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin), Enola’s case leads her on a wild ride through Victorian-era England, with more than a few fistfights and butts to kick along the way. And lucky for you, the sequel is even better. — S.C.
How to watch: Enola Holmes is now streaming on Netflix.
13. 65
Credit: Patti Perret / Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sometimes, you get the urge to watch an Oscar-nominated actor blast a bunch of dinosaurs with a laser gun. And when that urge sneaks up on you, the only cure is 65.
65 is built around the genius premise that is “Adam Driver fights dinosaurs,” and boy, does it deliver. As Mills, a pilot from a super advanced civilization from 65 million years ago, Driver crash-lands on prehistoric Earth, where he headshots a T. Rex, bludgeons a raptor, and much, much more. He also takes the time to bond with his one fellow survivor, a young girl named Koa (Barbie‘s Ariana Greenblatt). The result is a sweet “lone wolf and cub” movie full of dino-sized thrills, kills, and a very threatening asteroid. — B.E.
How to watch: 65 is now streaming on Netflix.
12. They Cloned Tyrone
Credit: Netflix
With this 2023 release, co-writer/director Juel Taylor pulls plenty of inspiration from Blaxploitation. John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris star as a drug dealer, a pimp, and a sex worker who undercover a nefarious conspiracy that’s happening underneath their neighborhood. Taylor and fellow screenwriter Tony Rettenmaier weave in wild twists, fly fight scenes, irreverent humor, and swaggering style for what our critic called “a propulsive comedy-thriller with weight.” As bold as it is star-studded, you won’t want to miss They Cloned Tyrone. And stay for the credits, trust us. — K.P.
How to watch: They Cloned Tyrone is now streaming on Netflix.
We need to talk about ‘They Cloned Tyrone’s ending
11. Kill Boksoon
Credit: No Ju-han / Netflix
Gil Bok-Soon (Jeon Do-yeon) is a single mother who often finds herself at odds with her teenage daughter. She’s also a highly skilled and successful assassin. Kill Boksoon is a fantastic action film that sees its main character head straight from a brutal killing to the grocery store so she can get dinner on the table. It’s one hell of a hook that sucks you in immediately. The fight scenes are hypnotic and the cinematography ambitious and exciting. It’s a gripping thriller that makes plenty of space for the complex emotional reality of its characters.* — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributor
How to watch: Kill Boksoon is now streaming on Netflix.
10. Triple Frontier
Credit: Netflix
This Netflix adventure has Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal coming together as a group of former Special Forces who plan an elaborate heist in South America. But after things get out of hand, their survival skills are put to the ultimate test.
Putting a talented cast in a tension-filled scenario, Triple Frontier is the type of gritty thriller that’s hard to turn away from. — Brooke Bajgrowicz, Entertainment Fellow
How to watch: Triple Frontier is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Okja
Credit: Netflix
Blending drama with fantasy/adventure and weaving in a very real message about the horrors of the meat industry, Bong Joon-ho’s Okja is a beautifully unique creature feature, striped with action.
The film follows Mina (Ahn Seo-hyun), the granddaughter of a farmer in South Korea who has spent the last 10 years rearing a genetically modified super-pig called Okja as part of a breeding project spearheaded by a grim U.S. corporation. This movie is dark in places, magical in others, and poignant overall, asking us to stop and reflect on the dark side of an industry the majority of us are complicit in. Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal make for an entertaining pair of villains, too.* — S.H.
How to watch: Okja is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Looper
Like your action with a heady mix of sci-fi and Western? Then you’ll love Rian Johnson’s time-travel thriller Looper. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a specialized brand of hitman, who only kills people sent back from the future by a tyrannical kingpin. But when Joe’s future self (played by Bruce Willis) turns up and makes a swift escape, it’s a battle against himself that’s fated to get intense. Between its Kansas City setting, unique time travel rules, and a crackling cast that includes Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels, Looper is a unique spin on a hired gun tale with a finale that is jaw-droppingly awesome. — K.P.
How to watch: Looper is now streaming on Netflix.
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7. Da 5 Bloods
Credit: Netflix
Spike Lee copters audiences back to the Vietnam War with Da 5 Bloods, a daring film that’s part drama, part war movie, and part heist flick. Named for a squad of Black U.S. Army soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, Lee’s critically heralded 2020 joint follows this band of brothers through a treacherous war zone, then rediscovers them in a present where they’re seeking to uncover the past — and a big payday.
Sequences of brutal battles, narrow escapes, and high-tension hijinks make Da 5 Bloods an enthralling watch. Though inspired by history, it’s impossible to predict where Lee’s story will lead. Our guides on this intense journey through time, loss, war, and brotherhood are Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and the late Chadwick Boseman. Together, they and Lee create an American war film that can’t be missed. — K.P.
How to watch: Da 5 Bloods is now streaming on Netflix.
6. The Raid: Redemption
Looking for high-octane martial arts action? Then you’re in luck, because Gareth Evans’s thriller The Raid: Redemption is streaming on Netflix.
This Indonesian action masterpiece takes a relatively simple premise — a police squad raids a crime lord’s apartment block — and elevates it with shocking plot twists and some of the best fight scenes put to film. Choreographed by Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, who also star, The Raid‘s action sequences are no-holds-barred smackdowns that will have you on the edge of your seat. They feature everything from the Indonesian martial art pencak silat to machetes and guns, making for fights that are as varied as they are brutal. — B.E.
Where to watch: The Raid: Redemption is now streaming on Netflix.
5. Army of the Dead
Credit: Netflix
Sometimes all you want is to grab hold of that action-o-meter and crank the dial, hard, to a solid 11. Army of the Dead more than delivers on that front, opening with a musical montage of guns and exploding body parts — and it only gets gorier from there. Zack Snyder’s story follows a band of mercenaries hired to steal $200 million from a casino in Las Vegas. The problem? Vegas has been invaded by zombies, the city is quarantined, and the military is planning to blow the entire thing up with a tactical nuclear strike. The sprawling cast includes Dave Bautista, Omari Hardwick, Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, and Ana de la Reguera, as well as a digitally added Tig Notaro.
What follows is a gloriously silly romp that refuses to take itself too seriously, propelling us through a series of explosions and bullets while the story twists and turns through a 148-minute runtime that feels oh, so much shorter. — S.H.
How to watch: Army of the Dead is now streaming on Netflix.
4. The Old Guard
Credit: Netflix
Folks looking for that summer blockbuster thrill, search no further than The Old Guard. Based on the superhero comic books of the same name, director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s movie sucks viewers into a slick, well-crafted world of action and narrative that isn’t particularly unique but delivers its formulaic pieces with enough precision to keep you invested.
Charlize Theron crushes as the ass-kicking leader of an immortal warrior fight crew, with performances by Harry Melling, Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Veronica Ngo, Matthias Schoenaerts, and more.* — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Old Guard is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Gwen Stacy and Peter B. Parker in “‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”
Credit: Sony Pictures
The Spider-Verse movies continue to raise the bar for superhero movies, and it’s hard to imagine one better than the latest installment, Across the Spider-Verse. The sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse manages to have even more dazzling animation, more jaw-dropping action sequences, and even bigger doses of clever humor.
Miles Morales is a little bit older (and taller) than when we last saw him, but he’s having a rough time now that he’s hardly seen Gwen Stacy and the rest of his Spider-People crew. A new villain enters the picture, majorly upping the stakes for Miles and the fate of the whole Spider-Verse. We also meet a handful of new characters voiced by some truly delightful actors, like Issa Rae’s badass pregnant Spider-Woman, Oscar Issac as Spider-Man 2099, Daniel Kaluuya’s rocker Spider-Punk, and Karan Soni as Spider-Man India. While the sequel clocks in at two hours, every minute is bursting with entertainment. — Oliver Whitney, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now streaming on Netflix.
2. John Wick: Chapter 2
Picking one John Wick movie when the first three are just sitting there on Netflix begging for a marathon feels silly. Every chapter of the ex-hitman’s vengeance journey will more than satiate your action craving, with more gun-fu and mixed martial arts than you could imagine. But when it comes to peak action, John Wick: Chapter 2 is where it’s at.
Keanu Reeves’s retired hitman is once again pulled back into the criminal underworld when a crime boss from the Italian mafia shows up at his door. Long ago, John made a blood oath to repay an old favor — the favor that got him his freedom — and now it’s time to pay up. In Chad Stahelski’s sequel, we get John fighting Common’s mafia bodyguard throughout Rome, a shoot-out in a hall of mirrors, and a razor-sharp opening sequence featuring John’s beloved Mustang. And, of course, Chapter 2 gave us the reunion of Neo and Morpheus with the introduction of Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King. — O.W.
How to watch: John Wick: Chapter 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
1. Jurassic Park
Credit: Amblin / Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock
Jurassic Park is never a bad decision for a movie night when you’re itching for suspense and action. There’s nothing quite like the first installment of the franchise, which perfectly weaves the wonder of witnessing live, giant dinosaurs right in front of your face…with the utter horror of witnessing live, giant dinos right in front of your face. Spielberg whips us from the awestruck wonder of walking among these ancient monsters to total action-packed chaos as everything goes haywire on Isla Nublar. Every set piece is pounding with adrenaline, from the iconic T-Rex Jeep chase to the kitchen sequence to Laura Dern fighting off a raptor. Ultimately, it’s Spielberg’s fine attention to detail that makes Jurassic Park such a masterwork, forever etching those sequences into our mind. You will never look at a glass of water or a spoonful of Jell-O the same after Jurassic Park. — O.W.
How to watch: Jurassic Park is now streaming on Netflix.
* denotes the entry comes from a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Mar. 27, 2024, 4:00 p.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the current selection on Netflix.
