What are the best action movies on Netflix right now? Fights! Explosions! Action! The streamer has a brilliant selection of action movies currently available on its platform. So, to make sure you get the best Netflix movies this month, we've put together a list of the best 25 that will have you cheering and air-punching, along with all the big muscly stars and thrilling set-pieces.
There's martial arts with the '80s classic The Karate Kid, historical battles from Outlaw King, zombie madness with Army of the Dead, spy thrills with The Gray Man, and some of the best anime with The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. That's all before we even get into Western gun fights from The Harder They Fall, wise-cracking cops in Bad Boys, murder mystery fun with The Lovebirds, and big stompy monsters with Godzilla Minus One.
So practice those pull-ups, get your sports car warmed up, and dust off those explosive expert skills… no wait, actually, get under your blanket on the sofa and let the professionals handle this one as you luxuriate in the 25 best action movies currently available to stream on Netflix. We can't promise it'll be a relaxing experience, but it’ll certainly be fun.
The best Netflix action movies out now
25. The Gray Man
Year: 2022
Director(s): Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
The directors of Avengers: Endgame sure knows how to attract an all-star cast. This time around, however, The Russo Brothers have switched superheroes for superspies in their new thriller The Gray Man. Starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Regé-Jean Page, the movie follows a former spy on the run from the corrupt CIA – and the assassin they've hired to kill him.
A chase around the globe ensues as Evans' psychotic Lloyd Hansen attempts to corner Gosling's Sierra Six. And if the A-List line-up wasn't enough to win you over, then the big-budget spectacle could be just the action fix you're after given it's reportedly Netflix's most expensive movie to date.
Read our The Gray Man review for more details!
24. Lou
Year: 2022
Director(s): Anna Foerster
Starring Allison Janney, Logan Marshall-Green, and Jurnee Smollett, Lou has been liked to Taken and John Wick, and those comparisons are sure to catch the attention of action movie enthusiasts. Directed by Westworld's Anna Foerster, its premise is simple: Janney plays the titular mother, who teams up with the mysterious woman next door to save her kidnapped daughter.
The mission pushes both of them to their physical and mental limits, while also exposing shocking secrets about their respective pasts.
23. Code 8
Year: 2019
Director(s): Jeff Chan
We're in a post-MCU world where the superhero schtick is no longer counterculture. As a result, we're now getting more fun, straight-to-streaming pics like Code 8, set in a world where roughly 4% of the population is born with abilities. Alas, this circumstance is sadly not met with excitement by the majority of citizens who cower away from "Powers", including Connor (Robbie Amell), a twenty-something labourer struggling to pay for his mother's medical bills. He harnesses his electrokinetic powers and joins forces with a criminal gang to raise the cash.
Arrowverse heroes and real-life cousins Robbie and Stephen Amell co-star after having raised the financing for the film through Kickstarter. It's their on-screen dynamic that truly sells it, with the older Amell playing the thuggish crook who enlists Connor. Writer-director Jeff Chan hardly has the type of budget typically tossed at superhero fare, yet this grittier take on an X-Men-esque world delivers plenty of compelling action sequences.
22. The Wandering Earth
Year: 2019
Director(s): Frant Gwo
Watching Chinese box-office smash The Wandering Earth, it seems its screenwriter mainlined every '90s Hollywood disaster movie then promptly declared, "Hold all the beers in the world." The sweaty-browed machismo of American popcorn entertainment is nothing compared to what's being dubbed China's first proper sci-fi blockbuster. The story somehow surpasses them all.
Earth is in dire straits as the sun is on the cusp of dying out, making life on the planet uninhabitable. Scientists pepper the Earth's surface with 10,000 rocket thrusters, enabling Earth to be directed to a new star system… as long as they also avoid pesky Jupiter's gravity. It's ambitious as hell, yet director Frank Gwo and his team somehow juggle the superb ensemble cast and a series of showy visuals for an at-times arresting disaster actioner.
For more space streaming picks, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.
21. The Lovebirds
Year: 2020
Director(s): Michael Showalter
A brisk, laugh-packed buddy comedy set over the course of one night. Nope, we're not talking about your standard '80s male-fronted pics. The Lovebirds takes that concept and splices it with the remnants of a fairy tale love story, opening on a couple, Jibran and Leilani, on their way to a party that they never reach because they fight in the car and decide to break up. It's tense, not particularly fun, and all feels a little grim. Until Jibran accidentally hits a cyclist who refuses their help.
Things spiral from that point, sending the duo into harm's way repeatedly over the evening. They encounter a host of crooks who want to kill them, naturally making them work together as a team to survive their ordeal. It's hardly reinventing the wheel, but it's worth a watch thanks to the comedic chops of Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, a duo that delivers both gags and surprisingly solid beatdowns throughout.
20. Kate
Year: 2021
Director(s): Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives John Wick a run for his money in Kate, Netflix's action thriller. Joined by Woody Harrelson and Game of Thrones' Michiel Huisman, Winstead plays the titular role of an assassin who finds out she only has 24 hours to live after being poisoned.
She decides to spend her last moments going on a manhunt through Tokyo and befriends the daughter (Miku Martineau) of a past target in the process. Ignore the naysayers who say this one's simply another knock-off of Keanu Reeves' action franchise – Kate strikes out on her own, making for an engaging romp that's well worth a watch.
For more adrenaline, read our list of the best action movies of all time.
19. Triple Frontier
Year: 2019
Director(s): J. C. Chandor
Think of Triple Frontier as Ocean's Eleven with a military slant. J.C Chandor directs from a script he co-wrote with Zero Dark Thirty's Mark Boal for the testosterone movie that tells of a group of former Special Forces Operatives who band together to rob a noted cartel drug lord. It’s hardly new, plot-wise, but the movie brings out plenty of surprises beneath its pecs. Notably, its cast manages to venture into interesting territory with their characters, who find themselves in dire straits when a simple plan goes wrong.
Oscar Isaac leads as Santiago "Pope" Garcia, a DEA Agent who reunites his former team (Ben Affleck on top form, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, and Garrett Hedlund) to carry out the heist, that undoubtedly doesn't pan out the way they expect. Netflix struck gold with this winning combo of top-shelf A-listers, taut, precision scripting, and great action sequences that have your heart in your throat. One of the best action movies on Netflix, Triple Frontier packs equal amounts of brawn and brain and is eminently watchable.
18. The Debt Collector
Year: 2018
Director(s): Jesse V. Johnson
Several collaborations deep, and action champ Scott Adkins and director Jesse Johnson's established rapport continues to, well, put Adkins into increasingly hairy situations where the only way out is through... someone's face. The pair typically ramp up the Guy Ritchie-esque British crime thriller template, yet this time, they relocate to sunny Los Angeles where Adkins’ dedicated martial arts teacher, French, is struggling to keep his dojo open.
He quickly accepts a job as a debt collector that connects him with Sue, a former B-movie ninja expert whose shabby aesthetic masks his thunderous desire to break people's legs. Johnson and Adkins are in their element here. The stunt coordinator-turned-director dispenses with scene after scene of action-comedy genius, clearly comfortable with both at this point in his career.
Check out the original '90s film with our The Debt Collector review.
17. Extraction
Year: 2020
Director(s): Sam Hargrave
Sinking $65 million dollars into its action spectacle Extraction, it's no wonder Netflix chose to, as they say, go balls-to-the-wall on every front. Nabbing Chris Hemsworth for the lead was a masterstroke, but the big get aside from Thor is its director Sam Hargrave, who also happens to be an MCU stunt performer. Much like John Wick saw noted stunt genius Chad Stahelski take the reins as director for the first time, Hargrave gets that same chance to lens action the way a stuntman experiences it.
And that's largely why the plot might not matter much. Granted, the story's a decent enough tale of a sultry mercenary who accepts a job to locate the kidnapped son of an international crime lord, but it won't change the face of cinema. Come for Hemsworth playing a slightly more serious role, and stay for the terrific action set pieces and if you enjoy it, there's a sequel to whack on straight after, too.
Read our Extraction review for more information.
16. Wheelman
Year: 2017
Director(s): Jeremy Rush
You might know him as Crossbones from the MCU or as that guy from The Purge movies. Here Frank Grillo plays a getaway driver - aka the wheelman of the title - thrown into an unfortunate set of circumstances when a heist goes wrong. With a car full of cash and no idea who framed him, it's up to him to figure out what happened, even though he has no idea who he can trust.
Dubbed a thriller and a neo-noir, with flashes of melodrama, you can safely call it all of those things. By the time the end rolls around, there's no doubt this is a balls-to-the-wall actioner. And really, who doesn't like a good car chase movie? Even when they're bad, they're still a blast. Luckily, Wheelman is an excellent experiment in blending thrills and action, with a brisk running time that will make it speed by.
Want a franchise? Dive into our guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies in order.
15. The Siege of Jadotville
Year: 2016
Director(s): Richie Smyth
The Siege of Jadotville is inspired by the experiences of the 157-strong Irish Army during their 1961 UN peacekeeping mission in Congo. It's hard to believe that Jamie Dornan, he of Fifty Shades, can deliver on the dramatic action front but he's at the top of his game as Commandant Pat Quinlan in this Netflix Original. He leads his 150 men into battle with a world-weariness that seems baked-in, taking them on a life-changing mission to hold steady a fort from 3,000 Congolese troops.
Part of director Richie Smyth's plan to toughen up his actors before shooting was to ensure that their experiences felt real. He made all of them attend a soldier training camp... and boy, does it show. That's how you bring a layer of emotional truth to a movie like this.
For more streaming sagas, check out our list of the best movies on Apple TV.
14. Army of the Dead
Year: 2021
Director(s): Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder's latest offering is an action-packed zombie heist movie that sees a group of mercenaries venture into an undead-ridden Las Vegas to crack a near impenetrable safe, with the promise of a huge reward.
The problem is, Vegas is set to be nuked in just hours – and if that wasn't enough to get the adrenaline pumping, a lot of the zombies the crew encounter are faster, stronger, and smarter than you've seen before. Expect plenty of dead vs. living showdowns. The cast includes Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighöfer, Omari Hardwick, and Tig Notaro.
For more undead action, read our Army of the Dead review.
13. Project Power
Year: 2020
Director(s): Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Another Netflix Original, Project Power stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback. It follows a drug dealer (Fishback), a police officer (Gordon-Levitt), and a former soldier (Foxx) in a near-future New Orleans who team up to stop the distribution of a pill that gives the user superpowers for five minutes.
The movie was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the duo behind Paranormal Activity 3 and Paranormal Activity 4. Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, and Allen Maldonado also star.
Check out our Project Power review next, or head to our list of the best horror movies on Netflix for more picks.
12. The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Year: 2021
Director(s): Kwang Il Han
A spin-off of The Witcher Netflix series, Nightmare of the Wolf serves as an origin story for Geralt's (Henry Cavill) mentor and fellow witcher Vesemir, voiced by Theo James. A servant on a nobleman's estate, Vesemir longs to explore the Continent and find his destiny. Sherlock's Lara Pulver is Tetra, a sorceress descended from one of the Continent’s first mages. She and her followers work to keep peace on the Continent by ensuring that magic is not abused. Graham McTavish voices warrior-leader Deglan, while Mary McDonnell is noblewoman Lady Zerbst.
Kwang Il Han directed the movie, while Beau DeMayo wrote the script, and The Witcher showrunner and executive producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is on board as a producer. Han is part of Studio Mir, who worked on the series The Legend of Korra, and DeMayo has also written and produced the original Witcher series.
For more on one of the best anime on Netflix, check out our The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf review.
11. Welcome to the Jungle
Year: 2003
Director: Peter Berg
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has long been established as one of the world's biggest action stars, but before the Fast & Furious movies Black Adam and Red One, he starred alongside Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, and Rosario Dawson in Welcome to the Jungle - also known as The Rundown.
Johnson plays Beck, a tough aspiring chef hired to bring home a mobster's son from the Amazon but who becomes involved in the fight against an oppressive town operator and the search for a legendary treasure. In other words, it's got everything you could possibly want from an early showcase of The Rock's prowess and charisma that transformed him from the most electrifying man in sports entertainment into the Hollywood superstar he is today.
Read our Welcome To The Jungle review for more insights!
10. The Old Guard
Year: 2020
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Charlize Theron headlines this popular graphic novel adaptation, a glorious mash of fight sequences and fantasy lore that plays the part of a modern-day actioner. The Old Guard follows a band of do-gooding mercenaries led by Theron's Andy, who also happens to be immortal. Through the ages, they've managed to keep their heads down and dispense with vigilante justice undetected, but the advent of technology soon makes that impossible.
Not content to rely solely on its cool "unstoppable warriors" schtick – that's unveiled in an early show-stopping sequence – the movie kicks serious ass on every front. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood showcases her flair for marrying together a tight story with likable characters. Oh, and it’s got a romance for the ages, too.
Check out our The Old Guard review or look over our list of the best fantasy movies on Netflix.
9. Da 5 Bloods
Year: 2020
Director: Spike Lee
It's not a classic action movie, but it features enough war-torn action to certainly find itself on this list. Spike Lee directs Da 5 Bloods, which tells the story of four US veterans (played by Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Norm Lewis) returning to Vietnam to locate and repatriate the remains of their squad leader (played by Chadwick Boseman).
There's also the little matter of finding a trunk of gold bullion they buried during the war – it was intended to pay locals for their help against the Viet Cong, but when it went down with a CIA plane, our heroes took it for themselves. This is a frequently fierce, fascinating picture, and that's why it's classed here as one of the best Netflix action movies available now.
Read our four-star Da 5 Bloods review for more details.
8. The Harder They Fall
Year: 2021
Director: The Bullitts
Trumpeted by Netflix as a 'new-school western,' The Harder They Fall, in fact, takes the staples of old-school westerns (bandits, bank jobs, train robberies, rowdy taverns, shootouts) but blends them all together in a manner that feels fresh and vibrant.
Towns populated by Black people are painted in vivid hues, while an all-white town is literally that – stores built with pale wood and streets coated with sawdust shavings like snowflakes. Director Jaymes Samuel is a stylist, given to arresting compositions and whizz-bang set pieces, but he isn't afraid to let his magnificent actors simply lock eyes and jaw.
Check out our The Harder They Fall review for more Western fun.
7. The Night Comes For Us
Year: 2018
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Fancy watching something that will make your soul shake? Give this a go. It's a blistering actioner that seldom takes its foot off the gas. Keeping the story simple works as an anchor, a way to let the action run riot, which you want with a star like The Raid's Iko Uwais in charge. Here, he plays a triad thug called Ito, who, at the last minute, turns on his fellow enforcers when he spies a young girl in the village they're currently slaying. Choosing to save her life and waste his comrades, Ito must do whatever it takes to protect the child.
Cinema's gone pretty far in terms of what's deemed, well, acceptable, pushing the limits of good taste to the extreme. The Night Comes For Us charges down that route, somehow extending previous ideas on over-the-top violence and a relentless barrage of gore. You will not see another action movie like it this year.
6. Bad Boys
Year: 1995
Director: Michael Bay
Michael Bay is well known for his style of action filmmaking - fast cuts, aerial shots, explosive special effects, wild camera angles - and his mid-90s directorial debut Bad Boys was the perfect introduction to what would later be dubbed by some as 'Bayhem.' Bad Boys is such a good time. Bay's frenetic approach, mixed with a hilariously quotable script and the charm and chemistry of its two stars, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, made it a fast favorite and went on to spawn three sequels.
Along with strong supporting turns from Tea Leoni and Joe Pantoliano and plenty of high-octane antics, Bad Boys is a quintessential action flick for fans of cool movies to enjoy alongside their Skittles.
5. Outlaw King
Year: 2018
Director: David Mackenzie
Action movies don't always need to take place in the modern world when history holds so much conflict and badassery to fill our screens. Netflix original Outlaw King is a stunning piece of work from David Mackenzie, who once again teams up with Chris Pine after their 2016 contemporary Western heist movie Hell or High Water.
Outlaw King is a true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat the much larger and better-equipped occupying English army. Pine perfectly embodies the grit and leadership needed to portray a legend like Bruce, and with an impressive supporting cast including Florence Pugh and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, this is a period-action movie that deserves to be seen by more people.
For more epics, check out our list of the best Disney Plus movies.
4. The Karate Kid
Year: 1984
Director: John G. Avildsen
For all the Millennials out there, how could we not include The Karate Kid in our picks of the best action movies on Netflix? This film was formative for so many '80s kids, with Danny (Ralph Macchio) and Mr Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita) becoming instant icons. The Karate Kid is an action-packed, heartfelt coming-of-age movie following Daniel LaRusso, who, after moving from New Jersey to LA, becomes the target of a gang of students from the local 'Cobra Kai' dojo.
When Mr. Miyagi saves him with his expert karate skills, Daniel convinces him to teach him to defend himself and put his bullies in their place. Cut to every playground being filled with school kids demonstrating their crane kicks and practicing their 'wax on, wax off' skills, and later the hit Netflix show Cobra Kai that brought martial arts action to a whole new generation of fans.
3. Beasts of No Nation
Year: 2015
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
One of Netflix's very first productions was a bold proposition indeed: a war movie in a fictional African country, performed for long stretches in Twi (a dialect of the Akan language spoken in Ghana), about a child soldier groomed for violence by a simultaneously terrifying and magnetic commandant. Beasts of No Nation plays out just as bleak a manner as the premise suggests, leaving the viewer morally conflicted and emotionally exhausted.
In a movie that's equal parts thrilling and harrowing, Idris Elba delivers an absolute masterclass in his role as the commandant. You watch him groom a child for war and perform several war crimes, and yet, somehow, you still find yourself wanting to root for him. And no less of a revelation is the young Abraham Attah as Agu.
Read our Beasts Of No Nation review for more information.
2. RRR
Year: 2022
Director: S. S. Rajamouli
Are you ready for one of the wildest movies you've ever seen? RRR is a masterpiece in Indian cinema. Directed by S. S. Rajamouli, the Telugu-language movie takes place in the 1920s and centers on two revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.), in their explosive challenge of the British Raj.
It's lengthy at 182 minutes but doesn't waste a second, cramming in everything from the fiery bow and arrow battles, and motorcycle chases to men fighting alongside bloodied tigers. If none of that tickles your fancy, firstly, what more do you want? Secondly, fear not; it also features a romantic subplot, a sweet bromance, and a couple of musical numbers too. No surprise it made huge amounts of money at the box office.
For more top picks, check out our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime.
1. Godzilla Minus One
Year: 2023
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
It has been 70 years since Godzilla first graced the big screen. Ishiro Honda's 1954 classic is a wonderful, poignant, ahead-of-its-time masterpiece that spawned an entire genre of big Japanese monster movies and introduced us to one of the most enduring characters in action movies - the big guy loves smashing up the place and sending people running and fighting with all the arsenal they can muster.
With so many iterations of Godzilla out there to enjoy, including huge Hollywood productions currently wowing audiences, it's truly remarkable that one movie should come along and stand out so far from the crowd. Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One goes back to its roots, pitting our favorite city-smasher against a Japan reeling from the nuclear attacks of World War II and painting a picture of humanity's enduring hope and persistence in the process.
Read our Godzilla Minus One review for more details on our top flick for the best Netflix action movies.
If you've seen all of these action flicks, then make sure to check out our guides to the best Netflix thriller movies and the best movies on HBO Max.
