An action movie is an excellent way to curb the dreary atmosphere that comes along with winter in January. Intense car chases, exciting shoot-outs, impressive athletics by stars (and their body doubles, if we’re being honest), dangerous scenarios, and foreign locales are the elements that make this genre so appealing. It’s an authentic popcorn experience that will have you forgetting about the chill outside.
Fortunately, Netflix has countless action movies available for your streaming pleasure. They have numerous classics you’ve likely seen countless times and some you may have never seen before. We’ve identified a few of the best options for you to stream. So, pull up a comfortable chair, close the curtains, and grab a warm beverage. You’re sure to stay on the edge of your seat with these action movies on Netflix.
‘The Other Guys’
If you want a little comedy with your action, you’ll love “The Other Guys,” starring the superb duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Ferrell’s Allen Gamble and Wahlberg’s Terry Hoitz are partners with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Terry despises Allen’s low-key demeanor, which contrasts with his strong desire to get involved in more action.
Unfortunately, they’ve been overlooked for years as two bumbling underachievers. It’s not until they finally have their chance to shine by solving a case that they get out from behind their desks. Ferrell is excellent as a mild-mannered accountant type, while Wahlberg is phenomenal as an amped-up cop. The comedy blends well with the over-the-top action scenes, making for an entertaining thrill ride from beginning to end.
Watch on Netflix
‘Last Seen Alive’
Nothing is quite as scary as having a loved one go missing in a moment. “Last Seen Alive” turns the terrifying situation into an intense action thriller. Gerard Butler stars as Will Spann, whose relationship with his wife Lisa (Jaimie Alexander) is on the rocks. While driving her to her parents, he stops for gas and she goes in for a bottle of water. When she doesn’t return, he knows something is wrong.
Rather than waiting for the police to do something, Will goes on a mission to find out who took his wife and get her back He faces the criminal underbelly of the local town and fights some unseemly bad guys along the way. It’s a gritty action movie that will keep you captivated the entire time.
Watch on Netflix
‘Taken’
There’s nothing quite like seeing Liam Neeson deploy his particular set of skills. “Taken” has become a classic that is worthy of numerous rewatchings if you have already seen the film. Neeson is former CIA agent Brian Mills, whose teen daughter and best friend are kidnapped during their trip to Paris.
Brian finds out that his daughter is taken by an Albanian sex trafficking ring, leaving him a little amount of time before she is lost forever. Of course, this ups the ante, making it that much more intense as he battles gunfire, high-speed car chases, and life-threatening characters to get the information he needs. While this film may call you to suspend disbelief a little, that’s certainly the joy of watching an action thriller.
Watch on Netflix
‘Jurassic Park’
Start at the beginning of what kicked off a major movie franchise with 1993’s “Jurassic Park.” Directed by Steven Spielberg and based upon books written by Michael Crichton, the original film tells the story of how an eccentric industrialist populated an island with extinct dinosaurs.
However, as most fans of the film already know, the numerous experts who arrive at the island to see the phenomenon face a life-threatening situation when a power outage frees the dinosaurs. Their only goal is to get away with their lives still intact.
Watch on Netflix
‘The Gray Man’
He’s not just Ken here! Ryan Gosling plays Court Gentry, a prisoner who is offered his freedom in exchange for joining the CIA as an assassin. Twenty years later, Gentry is now known as Sierra Six and is one of the few remaining members of the program. During a mission, he discovers he’s killed someone known as Sierra Four, who shares information about a corrupted agent. This knowledge puts Six’s life at risk, and now other assassins are sent after him.
Gosling is joined by an impressive supporting cast. Chris Evans plays the villainous Lloyd Hansen, Ana de Armas shines as the CIA agent Dani Miranda, and Billy Bob Thornton stars as the senior CIA official who hired Gentry, Donald Fitzroy. While this is no James Bond, it’s an exciting action movie that could become a franchise.
Watch on Netflix
“Bullet Train”
Bullet Train casts Brad Pitt as a lethal assassin codenamed Ladybug who’s been assigned what should be a relatively straightforward job. Board a bullet train speeding through Tokyo, retrieve a mysterious briefcase, and hop off the train at the next stop. Simple. What Ladybug doesn’t know is that he’s not the only hitman seeking the case, and very quickly what seemed a simple assignment becomes an epic shootout as the train descends into chaos.
Deadpool director David Leitch brings the same irreverent tone to Bullet Train, and the movie’s blend of slick action and tongue-in-cheek comedy mixes nicely. Pitt is excellent in the lead role, but special credit must also go to Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry as a pair of British hitmen codenamed Lemon and Tangerine. The duo’s humorous interplay steals the show, and that’s no mean feat considering the overall quality of Bullet Train. — Rory Mellon
“John Wick”
Over the last decade, the John Wick franchise has become one of the most consistently excellent action series in Hollywood history. And while the latest entries see the legendary hitman square off against entire cartels, the first John Wick movie is relatively quaint by comparison. But the smaller scale doesn’t make this action classic any less exhilarating. In fact, the more personal stakes feel refreshing.
The movie opens with Wick, played by the effortless cool Keanu Reeves, mourning the death of his wife. Her final present to the former assassin is an adorable puppy, and the dog becomes his saving grace and best friend. But when the arrogant son of a mob boss breaks into Wick’s home, steals his prized Mustang car and murders his pooch, Wick shrugs off the shackles of retirement and embarks on a ruthless mission of vengeance against those who wronged him. And once the boogeyman has been unleashed, quenching his thirst for revenge is almost futile. — Rory Mellon
