Whether you’re in the mood to weave through busy city streets at top speed, break the bones of every henchman in the warehouse, or exact revenge on the big boss that killed your dog, Netflix has countless training videos … I mean action flicks … for you to enjoy. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to discover which among them is the right one for you. Thankfully, we’re here to help and have assembled a rotating list of Good Action Movies on Netflix.
NOTE: The following titles are streaming on the U.S. version of Netflix.
Aka (2023)
Who’s in the mood for car chases, deception, and realistic confrontations? Aka could be the cure for what ails you. Morgan S. Dalibert’s Aka is a French action film starring Alban Lenoir as Adam Franco, a special ops agent who infiltrates a crime syndicate and winds up getting in way over his head. After forming a bond with the boss’s young son, Adam finds his loyalty tested and his job more difficult as he hopes to bring the boy’s father to justice.
Not enough action movies depict the exhaustion of extended battle. The John Wick franchise does it, but too often, action heroes walk off lengthy skirmishes like they’re a walk in the park. Aka lets you feel every punch and pulls you into a story plagued by corruption and violence. While the film takes its time building the world where it takes place, scenes where it takes things up a notch, are worth the wait.
The Black Book (2023)
Offering something slightly more dramatic and different is The Black Book, A Nigerian crime thriller directed, produced, and co-written by Editi Effiong. The film revolves around a minister whose son is framed for a kidnapping. When danger turns deadly, the bereaved deacon takes justice into his own hands and fights a corrupt gang to absolve his pride and joy.
The Black Book differs from other films on this list in that most of the action comes from feeling blood rush through your veins as the tension ratchets. That’s not to say The Black Book doesn’t have its share of brutal gunfights, merciless beatings, and nail-biting moments when you don’t know what’s waiting around the corner. I like to turn my brain off when I watch action films as much as the next person. Still, enjoying a thriller with intermittent action beats is also thrilling when the mood strikes.
Bullet Train (2022)
All aboard the Bullet Train, everybody! David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) directs this fast-paced action thrill ride, starring Brad Pitt as a killer hoping to survive five assassins on a swiftly moving train. Stylish, laugh-out-loud funny, and visually mesmerizing, Bullet Train never stops building tension after it’s left the station. Featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Bad Bunny, Hiroyuki Sanada, Andrew Koji, Karen Fukuhara, and more, Bullet Train features over-the-top stuntwork that reminds you of why Leitch is one of the best action filmmakers in the business.
Bullet Train exceeded my expectations when I watched it. It’s entertaining from beginning to end and isn’t afraid to get brutal when people’s tickets get punched. Buy the ticket, take the ride!
Carter (2022)
Amnesia is a pain in the ass. You can’t recall vital parts of your personal history, and the pieces of your identity become locked behind a mystery difficult to unravel. What if you lost your memory during a deadly pandemic? What if a voice in your head told you a bomb implanted in your mouth would blow if you didn’t follow explicit directions? In Carter, a man (Joo Won) must escape death while trying to figure out who he is, how he ended up in an apocalypse, and who the voice in his ear is telling him where to go to survive.
Byung-gil Jung wrote and directed Carter, starring Joo Won, Kim Bo-Min, Sung-Jae Lee, and Camilla Belle. As one of the more brutal action films on Netflix, Carter spills enough blood and guts to make any film fan squirm in delight. The movie is a fast-paced thriller with over-the-top action sequences, death-defying physics, questionable camerawork, and enough bodies hitting the floor to make Drowning Pool jealous. Scenes in this film are not for weak-stomached cinephiles. There’s one scene of a guy getting his face pushed into the pavement while hanging out of a speeding van that’s gnarly AF. I watched it twice. If you don’t mind CGI muzzle flare and love hand-to-hand combat and startling action, Carter is a roller coaster of violence on Netflix.
Dune (2022)
When WB announced that Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve would helm an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, fans of the classic sci-fi story about succession, oppression, and spice rejoiced! The first chapter of Villeneuve’s Dune features Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, and Josh Brolin locked in a territorial dispute for a valuable psychotropic substance able to change a person’s vitality and awareness. As House Attreides and House Harkonnen move like chess pieces across a wasteland squirming with sandworms, peace becomes a distant memory as both sides struggle for power.
The second part of Villeneuve’s Dune film series comes to theaters on March 15, 2024, giving you plenty of time to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the original. Overflowing with much of Hollywood’s top-notch talent, Dune features powerful performances, state-of-the-art effects, a ruined yet beautiful world, and layered story elements that will have you counting the days until the next chapter. Pop yourself some corn, put your feet up, and enjoy one of the most epic sci-fi films in recent memory with Dune.
Extraction 2 (2023)
After coming at action fans hard with 2020’s Extraction, director Sam Hargrave and the human wrecking ball, Chris Hemsworth, return with a sequel that’s as gripping and hard-hitting as the original. After barely surviving his intense wounds from his mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take on their next mission. Written by Marvel Cinematic Universe superstars Joe and Anthony Russo, with Ande Parks, Extraction 2 takes Hemsworth’s explosive energy, charisma, and outstanding physicality to the next level.
Extraction 2 cranks Netflix’s formula for action to eleven, making the most of today’s technology, dedicated stunt teams, and visual effects masters. Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, and Tornike Gogrichiani join Hemsworth for this roller coaster of blood, bullets, and mayhem. Don’t miss your chance to get caught up and enjoy one of the best action films on Netflix.
FUBAR (2023)
Who is your daddy, and what does he do? In FUBAR, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a retired CIA agent pulled into another mission that changes everything he knows about the apple of his eye. Loosely based on 1994’s True Lies, FUBAR is an action-packed, eight-episode series starring Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick) as a daddy/daughter duo kicking ass and taking names.
FUBAR shows what happens when a father and daughter discover their relationship is a lie and they are each CIA operatives. As the two join forces, the series depicts themes of family dynamics with humor, action, and spies. While reviews for the series have been middling, will you let anyone talk you out of seeing Schwarzenegger’s first fully fleshes-out TV series? Fans have waited decades for a follow-up to True Lies, and this is as close as we’re ever going to get. There’s a lot of fun to be had with FUBAR, and I never miss an opportunity to see Arnold strut his stuff. The series might not be one of Arnold’s best efforts, but it’s best to pay your respects to the king when it comes to action.
The Gray Man (2022)
The Gray Man features solid performances from the film’s leading players, including Ana De Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Alfre Woodard, Regé-Jean Page, Dhanush, and more. The film also boasts balls-to-the-wall action sequences of which Netflix spared no expense. As bombastic as any theatrical blockbuster, a sequel and spinoff in The Gray Man universe have already been greenlit. Get on the ground floor by watching the first film in the franchise right now.
What do you get when you pair two of Hollywood’s biggest stars with a brotherly duo at the top of the filmmaker food chain? The launch of The Gray Man universe! Exploding onto Netflix this month, The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as CIA operatives on opposite sides of the spectrum. Based on the 2009 novel of the same name and helmed by The Russo Brothers, The Gray Man tells the story of an agent whose true identity is known to none uncovers dark agency secrets, and a psychotic former colleague puts a bounty on his head. A global manhunt ensues, resulting in action, deception, and a mustache on Evans’ face you won’t soon forget.
Heart of Stone (2023)
Gal Gadot returns to Netflix for another over-the-top action movie showcase with Heart of Stone. Tom Harper directs from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder, with Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt starring as core cast members. In Heart of Stone, Gadot’s Rachel Stone is an intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency who races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon.
While Heart of Stone does little to defy tropes found in action movies of the past two decades, it’s still a fun and explosive platform for Gadot to strut her action chops. You’ll see the plot twists coming from a mile away, but sometimes, it’s about the execution, not the reveal. The film does a great job of painting Stone as a human capable of extraordinary feats. She’s not a superhero, making her a grounded, vulnerable spy to follow through Harper’s new thriller. Often feeling like a Bond clone, Heart of Stone excels at cramming big action onto the small screen.
Kill Boksoon (2023)
When you feel like departing from run-of-the-mill action blockbusters, South Korea is an incredible resource for unique films that hit hard and fast. In Sung-hyun Byun’s Kill Boksoon, a single mother, Gil-Bok-Soon, is a hired killer at war with her personal and work life. With a lethal 100% success rate on her contracts, she’s the ultimate target for killers looking to make their mark. When a young woman named Cha Min-Kyu shows promise in the art of combat, GiliBok-Soon understands she may have found a worthy successor.
Kill Boksoon walks the line between martial arts mayhem, looney tunes comedy, and Korean drama. Aspects of the film give me Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer) vibes, with plenty of violence, blood, and creative kills to mature the mood. In addition to the slick fight sequences, Kill Boksoon has impressive camerawork, choreography, and character development. It’s rare to see an action film where women take center stage, and Kill Boksoon excels at bringing men to their knees as they beg for mercy. Give it a shot. You’ll enjoy it. If you’re in a rush, at least fast-forward to the restaurant fight. It’s awesome.
Lou (2022)
Make way for Allison Janney to join the ranks of action badasses like Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis! In Lou, a storm rages. A young girl gets kidnapped, and her mother teams up with a mysterious woman for a thrilling and emotional rescue mission. Hailed as a throwback action movie circa the 1980s or 1990s, Lou surprises action fans. Janney shines as Lou, a take-no-prisoners recluse with demons squirming beneath her skin. Wrecking shop as much as John Wick, Lorraine Broughton, or Joey King’s Princess, Lou’s situational awareness is off the charts, and Janney goes above and beyond, delivering a brutal and believable performance. Lou’s companion, Hannah (Jurnee Smollett), also brings pain in this gripping action movie. Both women are out for blood because hell hath no fury as a mother scorned. Whoever took Hannah’s daughter is in for a world of pain.
Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
If you ignore negative reviews from sites that consider themselves high-brow, Luther: The Fallen Sun is a fun, gritty, and violent continuation of the original series starring Edris Elba as Detective John Luther. Detective Luther escapes prison in the film to hunt a serial killer (Andy Serkis) who terrorizes London. While Londoners claim the movie’s geography is rubbish, fans of Elba’s smolder and Serkis’ signature brand of unhinged creepiness will find plenty to enjoy. The film also stars Cynthia Erivo as Odette Raine, who warns Luther that if he doesn’t surrender to the police, they have orders to shoot him on sight.
If you enjoy prison breaks, deception, light torture, manhunts, and Edris Elba acting like he’s the most intelligent person in the room (because he is), you’ll likely dig Luther: The Fallen Sun. If you’re not there for the Idris Elba smoke show, come for Serkis’ maniacal cackling and Erivo’s charisma.
The Mother (2023)
Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country) directs The Mother from a script by Misha Green, Andrea Berloff, and Peter Craig. In the film, Jennifer Lopez stars as The Mother, an assassin whose mission is to protect the daughter she left earlier in life. The Mother’s daughter, Zoe (Lucy Paez), is the result of a complicated love triangle between an ex-SAS marine, Adrian (Joseph Fiennes), and a corrupt arms dealer, Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal).
While The Mother is a middle-of-the-road story compared to other films on this list, seeing Lopez in action-hero mode is worth the price of admission. If you like high-speed chases through picturesque locales and vendettas that don’t go unanswered or want to see Lopez flaunting her action chops in her most physically-demanding role in years, The Mother has a bowl of popcorn with your name on it.
My Name Is Vendetta (2022)
If killing a person’s wife is enough to brand you with a death wish, how will that person react when you kidnap their daughter too? Unfortunate souls will find out in Cosimo Gomez’s My Name Is Vendetta. Alessandro Gassmann, Ginevra Francesconi, and Alessio Praticò star in Cosimo’s Italian crime thriller about a former mafia enforcer and his daughter, who flee to Milan to plot their revenge against the criminals who killed their wife and mother, respectively.
My Name Is Vendetta brings a nasty bit of business to Netflix with a revenge tale soaked in blood, close calls, and unthinkable acts of violence. It’s a father-daughter action film, and only the young woman in the movie is a stealthy car thief and nasty with a blade. If you find yourself in Santo and Sofia’s path, it’s been nice knowing you.
RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023)
Anyone who checks in on this list knows pickins’ have been thin the last few months. Netflix’s action output is like the old gray mare, “she ain’t what she used to be.” Thankfully, a new Indian Malayalam-language film, RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, is punching through the dearth to bring some stylish bare-knuckle action to the popular streaming service.
In RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, Nahas Hidayath directs a sweaty, fast-paced brawler featuring attitudinal villains, humble heroes, and warring families. RDX is gang warfare with a familial twist, set against beautifully-colored locales, opposing personalities, and bone-breaking combat that will have you cringing at the snaps echo through your brain meats. Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, and Neeraj Madhav lead the cast, laying smackdowns wherever disrespect and danger lurk.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
With Jamie Foxx returning to the spotlight after being hospitalized for a “medical complication,” it’s difficult not to show his new film, They Cloned Tyrone, so well-deserved love. In Juel Taylor’s mysterious action comedy, a series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, Teyonah Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy sci-fi caper.
Juels directs from a script he co-wrote with Tony Rettenmaier. While They Cloned Tyrone isn’t a traditional action film like other movies listed here, it boasts plenty of attitude, tension, and charisma, making it feel like a modestly-budgeted 1970s grindhouse romp. According to JoBlo’s own Alex Maidy, “They Cloned Tyrone is a weird blend of genres that works out to become a truly original movie unlike anything else out there. Thanks to Boyega, Foxx, Parris, and writer/director Juel Taylor, They Cloned Tyrone may be the most inventive Netflix movie to date.”
Not all action movies need to throw you in the back of a speeding car or riddle you with bullets. Sometimes, action lies in bespoke performances, outstanding production values, and a dedicated cast who become their characters in every regard. Give They Cloned Tyrone a shot if you’re in the mood for something different to get your action on.
Troll (2022)
No, this is not a movie about keyboard warriors spouting hate speech and antagonizing strangers from their parent’s basement. Troll is the Norwegian monster film directed by Roar Uthaug that answers an age-old question once and for all: Do Trolls exist? Yes, they do, and they don’t like humans encroaching on their territory. Troll follows an eclectic group deep into the Dovre mountain, where a magnificent beast wakes after a thousand years in captivity. The massive creature destroys everything in its path while traveling to Oslo. Can humans outsmart the tremendous force of nature or perish beneath its colossal footfalls?
Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Gard B. Eidsvold, Pål Richard Lunderby, and Eric Vorenholt lead this action-packed ride through mythological horror from a script written by Uthaug and Espen Aukan. With decent effects, an intriguing story, and solid performances from the cast, Troll is a delightful display of monster madness with a side of kaiju-like destruction. If Grimm’s fairytales creeped you out, Troll takes you back to a time when the darkness from those stories could manifest and wreak havoc among the masses.
Wheelman (2017)
No one puts Baby Driver in a corner, but if there was anyone who could, it’s Frank Grillo. The action star from The Grey, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Boss Level is in the driver’s seat for Jeremy Rush’s Wheelman, the 2017 action film about a getaway driver in a race against time.
Rush directs Wheelman from his own script. The story focuses on a precision driver nicknamed Wheelman (Grillo) who, during a routine job, receives a call from a mysterious stranger telling him to leave his clients behind. When Wheelman refuses, the stranger tells him the criminals plan to kill their driver. After saving his life, the stranger informs Wheelman about a new job. The reward? Wheelman’s family gets to live. As the driver switches gears for his latest mission, enemies old and new take the Wheelman for a wild ride.
Rush gives Grillo a solid platform to display his dramatic chops in this intense thriller. As the tension mounts, the Wheelman must use every trick in his trade to stay ahead of the game and outsmart the stranger on the opposite end of his new mission. Try taking Wheelman for a spin if you dig high-speed chases, backstabbing, and testosterone on overdrive.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021)
While we’re waiting for Henry Cavill to return as Geralt of Rivia for The Witcher Season 3, there’s The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated spin-off focusing on the origin story of Geralt’s mentor and friend Vesemir. Featuring the magic, creatures, and fantasy action that makes The Witcher a hit with fans of the beloved franchise, Nightmare of the Wolf finds Vesemir escaping poverty to become a slayer of monsters for coin and glory.
Kwang Il Han directs from a script by Beau DeMayo, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf stars Theo James (Divergent, How It Ends), Lara Pulver (Sherlock, The Alienist), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, Donnie Darko), Graham McTavish (Rambo, The Hobbit trilogy), and Tom Canton (Wasted, Death Comes to Pemberley). The story explores Vesemir’s past while confronting a new evil alongside a new cast of enigmatic characters. The series is perfect for fans of Netflix’s Castlevania, with stylish art, bloody action, and devastating spells creating a visual spectacle fantasy fans will love. Sharpen your sword, prepare to carve through the hordes, and toss a coin to a different kind of Witcher!
Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/best-action-movies-on-netflix-right-now/
