If you’re in need of an adrenaline rush, you may find yourself looking for a movie to live vicariously through, and some of the best action movies live on Netflix.
From crime to sci-fi and fantasy, Netflix has all sorts of white-knuckle action movies that will destroy your speakers and have your neighbours complaining about all that bass.
Here is our list of favourites from the bunch.
The best action movies on Netflix
What’s the top action movie on Netflix right now?
The Last Kingdon: Seven Kings Must Die
Fans of the historical action Viking TV series The Last Kingdom can now see the conclusion of Uhtred’s story in movie form, and it’s currently taking Netflix by storm.
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die sees Uhtred and his companions travel across the fractured kingdom in the wake of King Edwards’ death, in the hopes of uniting England.
Check it out on Netflix now.
Other high-adrenaline films to watch on Netflix
F9: The Fast Saga
As we approach the tenth Fast and the Furious movie (and the end of the saga in general) you can prepare for the road ahead with the latest movie on Netflix. F9 sees Mia and Dom take on an international criminal who turns out to be their estranged brother. It really is all about family.
The Batman
If there’s one movie that makes for a good action movie as much as it is a good superhero movie it’s The Batman.
The dark and gritty reboot of the classic DC character follows a young Bruce Wayne in the early years of his career as Batman as he seeks to stop a sadistic serial killer known as the Riddler from terrorising Gotham and, along the way, uncovers shocking truths about his family.
Luther: The Fallen Sun
The hit TV series Luther continues in the film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which sees Idris Elba’s character, brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther, break out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer.
Red Notice
One of Netflix’s most successful movies of all time is the action comedy movie Red Notice. Dwayne Johnson stars as an FBI agent who teams up with Ryan Reynolds, a top art thief, in order to capture a cunning crook (played by Gal Gadot) who has made off with a prize possession.
Lou
The action thriller stars Alison Janney as a loner living a quiet life with her dog (big mood) who battles her dark past when a neighbour’s daughter is kidnapped during a wild storm. Jurnee Smollett and Logan Marshall-Green also star.
The Matrix Resurrections
After decades, we returned to the Matrix in 2021. The Matrix Resurrections saw the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity, who find themselves stuck in another version of the Matrix and must find a way to break each other out.
The Gray Man
Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo bring us another action-packed spy thriller with The Gray Man, starring Avengers frontman Chris Evans. Ryan Gosling takes the lead as the hero, a CIA operative who becomes the target of Evans’ wrath after he uncovers agency secrets.
The Adam Project
Netflix’s action sci-fi film The Adam Project is the perfect Friday night action movie. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a fighter pilot who accidentally travels back in time to 2022 and must team up with his 12-year-old self to save the future.
Alongside Reynolds is an all-star cast including Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldana.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road really re-ignited the franchise with a fresh car and a new take on the desolate, vehicle-driven, post-apocalyptic world.
Fury Road stars Tom Hardy as Max, a drifter who is captured by the fearsome Immortan Joe. Max teams up with one of his generals, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), to escape and rebel against the tyrant and free the land from his control. It’s basically a two-hour long car chase, and every second of it is epic.
Triple Frontier
Action, heists, soldiers, Triple Frontier has it all. The movie follows five former special forces operatives who join together and use their skills to steal a drug lord’s fortune.
Triple Frontier is not short on star power, with Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Garrett Hedlund, Oscar Isaac and Charlie Hunnam leading the cast.
John Wick
We’re all well aware that Keanu Reeves is a bonafide action movie star by now, but John Wick really proves it.
The franchise features Reeves as a former hitman who is forced back into the criminal underworld he left behind after some men break into his home, steal his car and kill his dog. He rightfully goes after them to seek revenge.
Okja
Bong Joon-ho had a long and illustrious career before he won his Oscars for Parasite, and one of the best films in his repertoire is Okja.
The sci-fi adventure film follows a young girl, Mija, who befriends a massive yet gentle pig-like animal named Okja. After years of peace, she must fight to rescue her friend after a multinational corporation takes Okja for their own gain.
Extraction
We love us a homegrown action hero, and Chris Hemsworth fits that title well. Taking the lead in Extraction, Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a mercenary who is sent to Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord’s son who has been kidnapped.
Extraction was at one point the most-watched Netflix original movie ever, with over 100 million people watching the film in the first month of its release. Why not add yourself to that number and check out Extraction this weekend?
6 Underground
If there are two things that go together, it’s Michael Bay and action movies.
The director’s latest for Netflix is 6 Underground, a comedy-action film starring Ryan Reynolds as a tech billionaire who fakes his death and forms a vigilante squad to take down the toughest of criminals.
6 Underground may lack substance, but it definitely has style (and plenty of explosions).
Ava
In Ava, Jessica Chastain plays an elite assassin who must protect herself and her estranged family after a hit goes wrong.
Chastain kills it (pun intended) in the role, and while the spy thriller may not be the best one out there, it’s perfect if you just want some mindless entertainment.
Polar
Based on a graphic novel, Polar stars Mads Mikkelsen as an assassin on the verge of retirement with a large pension to cash in on.
Instead of settling into a quiet life, his boss sends a bunch of other ruthless killers after him in an attempt to get the money for himself.
The Old Guard
Also based on a graphic novel, The Old Guard is a highly entertaining fantasy action movie on Netflix.
Charlize Theron leads a group of immortal mercenaries who become targeted for their mystical powers while also protecting and guiding a new immortal.
Edge of Tomorrow
Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but he can produce a great action film, and Edge of Tomorrow is one of his best on Netflix.
Cruise plays a soldier stuck in a time loop who relives his final day in a battle against alien invaders and must discover their weakness. Think Groundhog Day meets Independence Day.
Spenser Confidential
Another good action film on Netflix with a side of comedy, Spenser Confidential stars Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke as a new unlikely duo.
Wahlberg plays Spenser, an ex-cop who teams up with an aspiring fighter to unravel the mystery behind the deaths of two Boston police officers.
If these action movies on Netflix aren’t for you, maybe you’d prefer some of the best thrillers on the streaming service instead.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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