10 Relentless Action Movie Series That Are the Perfect Weekend Binge
Since the dawn of streaming, binge-watching has become a way of life. The “Netflix and Chill” philosophy isn’t just a pop culture catchphrase; it’s become the easiest way to catch up on all of your favorite films and television series. With so many legendary movie franchises, you could easily spend your weekend addicted to the screen, watching an iconic franchise.
The truth is, once you pop, the fun doesn’t stop. If you’re looking for an action franchise for your weekend binge, we have ten iconic action-packed franchises to choose from. Some have forged a legacy for decades, and others have come to fruition in the 21st century. What they all have in common, from film one to their latest entry, is that audiences have clamored for more. Whichever franchise you pick, strap in for some explosive movies, literally.
Bad Boys Franchise (1995-2024)
Part of the fun of action flicks is that we’ve learned over time that anyone can be an action hero. There are certainly actors who are built for the role, but every so often, some wildcard stars get a chance to flex their muscles while putting their other great assets into the mix. Such was the case for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the Bad Boys franchise. The action-comedy series follows Miami narcotics detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), known for their intense partnership, high-octane chases, and witty banter. Over four highly entertaining films, the duo tackles drug trafficking and cartels while navigating their personal lives and a chaotic approach to policing.
With the original film released in 1995, during the heyday of the ’90s action boom, Bad Boys captured immediate attention as a series that brought great visibility to diversity in the genre. Though critics took a while to warm up to the franchise, namely 2020’s highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life, it didn’t matter to audiences who flooded theaters. The franchise did spawn a short-lived series, L.A’s Finest, starring Gabrielle Union, reprising her role as Detective Lieutenant Syd Burnett from the second film, and Jessica Alba as Detective Nancy McKenna. Bad Boys is a fun franchise that may not be filled with depth, but it’s entertaining nevertheless.
Bourne Franchise (2002-2016)
After major roles in Good Will Hunting and The Talented Mr. Ripley, it might have seemed difficult to imagine Matt Damon as an action hero. Then, he took on the role of Jason Bourne, and everything changed for the Hollywood star. Based on the character created by author Robert Ludlum, the Bourne franchise centers on Jason Bourne, a CIA assassin with dissociative amnesia, trying to uncover his past. As he discovers he was built to be a “human weapon,” Bourne is pursued by his former agency as he unravels conspiracies.
Each film becomes a global cat-and-mouse game of high-stakes scenarios with massive implications. Through practical stunts, realistic action sequences, and a gritty, fast-paced storytelling style, the Bourne franchise is satisfying from beginning to end. It revolutionized the spy genre and also launched a single-season TV series. Numbers don’t lie, and each Bourne film delivered higher and higher numbers at the box office. Though the fourth and fifth films faltered a tad, the original trilogy—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—is highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes.
Die Hard Franchise (1988-2013)
When a character in a novel feels so alive on the page, chances are that someone is going to want to thrust them onto the screen. Such was the case of Roderick Thorp‘s character Joe Lelan. Perhaps the name didn’t resonate as action-oriented, so the character was renamed John McClane, and the rest is history. Beginning with 1988’s Die Hard, directed by John McTiernan, John McClane, an “everyman” cop, has become the poster boy of unwilling action heroes,a police detective who repeatedly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. In each crisis, he is both the only hope against disaster and the target of the culprit.
Played masterfully by Bruce Willis in his defining role, Die Hard found its niche because McClane was not the invincible hero the 1980s action flicks had previously presented. Instead, he was vulnerable and sarcastic, growing bloodier and more desperate as his battles lingered on. In each of the five films, McClane is on a mission that only his wits, stealth, and grit can defeat. From the first battle against Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) inside the Nakatomi Plaza to battling cyberterrorists in the digital age, McClane’s journey has maintained its signature style, appearance, and catchphrases while evolving with the times. Though the reviews never reached the peak of the original, Die Hard is the ultimate dad-loving franchise.
Fast & Furious Franchise (2001-Present)
When you’re watching the Fast & Furious franchise, you’re family! Family is at the heart of the series, so diving into the storied franchise, you’ll feel like part of it by the end of your binge-watch. Starting a franchise revolution all the way back in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, the 11-film series made street racing look cool. And when that novelty wore off, Fast & Furious shifted into bigger, more explosive, action-packed plots. With short films, an animated TV series, video games, theme park attractions, and more, Fast & Furious has cemented itself as one of the most successful action franchises of all time.
The high-octane action saga follows a tight-knit group of street racers led by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) as they embark on thrilling adventures involving heists, spies, and, of course, fast cars. Though the franchise is not everyone’s cup of tea, where it lacks in substance, it makes up for it in fan service. Rather than remaining formulaic, Fast & Furious evolved to maintain its legacy. By 2011’s Fast Five, the street racing and hijacking were pushed aside to launch an enthralling heist-and-espionage franchise. New scenarios led to new characters that became instantly iconic, even spawning a spin-off in Hobbs & Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. Many cinephiles poo-pooed Fast & Furious for being too silly, but as time went by, they heard the concerns and owned up to it.
James Bond Franchise (1962-Present)
There is no spy more beloved than James Bond. Based on the Ian Fleming book series, the long-running franchise focuses on the suave MI6 agent James Bond, aka 007. Through each adventure, the secret agent battles international terrorists, spies, and criminals while using specialized gadgets and gizmos and his wits to save the world. Racking up a best-of list of super villains and Bond girls, the 27-film series has evolved into one of the most recognizable franchises ever made. An example of longevity, James Bond provides passionate fans with everything they can dream of in an action film, while still forging its individuality through each film.
Proving that a franchise can reinvent itself by casting changes, James Bond has been played by seven main actors thus far—six in the Eon Series: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig, and one in the unofficial 1967 edition of Casino Royale: David Niven. Each establishes their own stamp on the character; James Bond is a character of reinvention. One major element of the franchise is that each film has a distinct look and feel, yet they will always feature the iconic theme song, extraordinary luxury, globetrotting international settings, and a martini—shaken, not stirred. James Bond has become such a major part of pop culture, spawning an array of video games, inspiring other spy thrillers, and even ripe for parody in Austin Powers.
John Wick Franchise (2014-Present)
Though there are certainly enough action films popping up in the 21st century, the 2010s saw a void in new franchises. Then, Derek Kolstad created John Wick. But for the first film to pop off, they needed a bona fide action hero to take on the titular role. Upon establishing himself already as an action hero in the ’90s, Keanu Reeves was in a career lull. Then came the opportunity to play John Wick, and Reeves helped to jumpstart yet another game-changing franchise. The neo-noir action thriller franchise follows the eponymous character, a legendary hitman, who is drawn back into the criminal underworld after retiring.
Centered around vengeance and grief, the John Wick franchise is not only stylish, but the straightforward stories lead to complex fight scenes, choreographed like a gun-fu ballet.In the first four films, Reeves dazzles as Wick. He brings his profound experience in the action genre while establishing a newfound character. The John Wick cinematic universe has allowed for spin-offs to come to life, and John Wick has become the underdog franchise that eventually became top dog. If there is one thing you can take away from the John Wick franchise, it is do not kill a puppy. An unstoppable monster will be unleashed!
Lethal Weapon Franchise (1987-1998)
There isn’t a buddy cop franchise quite like Lethal Weapon. The action-comedy franchise created by Shane Black begins with the partnership between a reckless, suicidal detective, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), and a cautious, family-oriented veteran, Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover). Exploring themes of trauma, friendship, and unconventional family, the duo fights crime in Los Angeles, evolving from reluctant partners into the best of friends. Thanks to Gibson and Glover’s magnetic chemistry, they perfected the buddy-cop formula.
Each of the four films was directed by Richard Donner, allowing a consistent cinematic vocabulary and style to carry through the individual stories. By enhancing backstories centered on grief, mental health, and trauma, Lethal Weapon established a trend of finding new ways to make action heroes fully rounded. Riggs and Murtaugh were not just cops; they were grounded, realized humans. In 2016, FOX released a reboot of the series for television starring Clayne Crawford as Riggs and Damon Wayans as Murtaugh. A simple, accessible entry into the action genre, Lethal Weapon is another example of dad films to the max.
Mad Max Franchise (1979-2024)
When you think of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films, chances are high that your mind immediately goes to the Mad Max franchise. With its distinct palette and vision for what the future might look like, George Miller crafted a series that would forever change the genre in multiple decades. Set in a dystopian Australia as civilization collapses due to fuel shortages and societal decay, Max Rockatansky, a Main Force Patrol officer-turned-drifter, traverses the brutal wasteland, reluctantly aiding survivors as he struggles to maintain his morality after losing his family.
A story of survival, the battle between order and chaos, and the reclamation of humanity, the Mad Max series is a daring depiction of the road warrior figure. With five films thus far, Mad Max has spanned two distinct eras of cinema, resulting in a fascinating evolution of the blockbuster. What Miller does extraordinarily well is build a fantastic universe of myth and lore, maintaining a commonality that has been its greatest asset. Using practical action and stunts, Miller immersed viewers in the world through sensational visual storytelling. Though Max is the central character, the over-the-top, eccentric characters in the dusty dystopia become as much of a draw as the vehicles they drive.
Mission: Impossible Franchise (1996-2025)
When you see the title, you can immediately hear the theme song; that’s the impact the Mission: Impossible franchise has had on pop culture. Based on the 1966 television series created by Bruce Geller, the films follow IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team as they perform impossible stunts to stop global threats. Evolving into high-octane action, Mission: Impossible put Cruise on the map as the ultimate action hero. Since 1996, many visionaries have directed the franchise, but what’s true across every film is that Ethan is the draw, earning adoration similar to James Bond’s in his debut films.
Consistently delivering high-quality production values and high-stakes storytelling, Mission: Impossible smartly blends suspenseful spy tropes with intense action, growing grander with each film. Cruise famously performs all of his stunts, giving the character a more authentic essence. The terror, fear, or confidence Cruise displays is genuine, making Mission: Impossible a complete adrenaline rush. Just like the action sequences, the character’s evolution has gotten better. Rather than push Ethan to places beyond practicality, Mission: Impossible —Fallout showcases both the aging of the character and its star, which is one of the greatest attributes of the Christopher McQuarrie era of the franchise. There’s likely no slowing down Cruise, but he has stated that the most recent film, Mission: Impossible —The Final Reckoning, was his last.
The Expendables Franchise (2010-2023)
What do you get when you put a team together of the greatest action stars of all time, now of a certain age, for an action blockbuster? Well, The Expendables, of course! Created by Sylvester Stallone, the series follows an elite team of mercenaries, led by Barney Ross (Stallone), who take on dangerous, covert missions, such as overthrowing dictators or stopping international terrorists.
A loving homage to the ’80s and ’90s action movies and the individuals who made them famous, The Expendables is an explosive, old-school, ensemble-driven franchise made for action lovers. Across the four films, Stallone has been joined by literally everyone from Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis, to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson. Though they were never meant to be groundbreaking, if your mission is to catch a series with lots of bangs and booms, The Expendables goes above and beyond to deliver.
