30 Best Action Movies On Netflix

We know what you're thinking. Jesse Eisenberg? An action hero? Come one. But wait — hear us out on this one.

Believe it or not, Eisenberg is a fantastic action hero, blending "The Big Lebowski" with "The Bourne Identity" to give us Mike Howell, a convenience store clerk who just wants to get high and spend time with his super cool girlfriend, Phoebe. But his laidback life gets turned upside down when a couple of assassins show up ... and Mike kills them with combat skills he didn't know he possessed.

Now, as the government descends upon Mike's little town, he and Phoebe have to fight off killers as they investigate the source of Mike's newfound skills. The action here is a ton of fun, but the real heart of the movie is the romance between Mike and Kristen Stewart's Phoebe. The result is sweet, stoned, and slick with blood.

• Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Walton Goggins
• Director: Nima Nourizadeh
• Year: 2015
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 44%

Scott Adkins is perhaps the most underrated action star ... ever? For proof, look no further than "Avengement," a brutal little thriller with a surprising amount of heart.

This 2019 flick finds the British martial artist playing Cain Burgess, an escaped convict who finds himself a shotgun and decides to hold some toughs hostage in a London pub. He's got unfinished business with the bar owner, and as he waits for his "friend" to arrive, Cain regales his prisoners with his tragic, brutal story.

As he explains to his captive audience, after a crime gone very wrong, Cain wound up behind bars, but life in prison was far worse than he expected. For some reason, everyone was out to kill him, forcing Cain to sharpen his fighting skills if he wanted to make it out alive. It all leads up to a truly bonkers beatdown after Cain discovers the author behind his pain.

• Starring: Scott Adkins, Craig Fairbrass, Thomas Turgoose
• Director: Jesse V. Johnson
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Professional mountain climber and rescuer Gabe Walker is dealing with the loss of a friend on a climb that he blames himself for. He takes a break from his work but returns when a group of stranded men calls for help. However, Walker soon finds out these men are hijackers who just robbed a U.S. Treasury plane and want his guidance in getting off the mountain with $100 million in stolen cash. Fellow rescuer Hal also joins in, but his damaged past with Walker causes issues as they try and survive the criminals. If you're in the mood for some Sylvester Stallone goodness, then "Cliffhanger" is the perfect '90s action flick for you.

• Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rooker, John Lithgow
• Director: Renny Harlin
• Year: 1993
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%

One of the tried-and-true tropes of the action genre is the "mismatched partners" formula. It worked great for films like "Lethal Weapon," "48 Hrs.," and "The Nice Guys," and it definitely works for "The Debt Collector," a solid little flick that definitely deserves more fans.

As for the plot, French is a martial artist who's in debt and about to lose his dojo. Hard up for cash, he takes a job as a loan shark's enforcer, teaming up with the charming yet smarmy Sue, a boxer turned professional tough guy. Together, the two work their way down a list of debtors, none of whom are willing to just hand over their cash.

Of course, the job gets a lot more complicated when they discover there's more than meets the eye with one of their marks. Will these two bruisers keep their heads down and just do their jobs? Or will their consciences get the better of them? (If you're a fan of this film, you're in luck because there's an equally awesome sequel.)

• Starring: Scott Adkins, Louis Mandylor, Tony Todd
• Director: Jesse V. Johnson
• Year: 2018
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

Black-market mercenary Tyler Rake is commissioned to extract the kidnapped son of a drug lord in Bangladesh by a competing crime boss. As to be expected, the mission goes awry when Tyler is successful in his mission but is not compensated. Refusing to leave the child, Tyler must navigate the city of Dhaka while being chased down by every bad guy on site. The directorial debut of stuntman Sam Hargrave, "Extraction" is beautifully shot and delivers heart-pounding action sequences for genre fans.

• Starring: Chris Hemsworth, David Harbour, Patrick Newall
• Director: Sam Hargrave
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%

One of the most stylish Westerns ever made, "The Harder They Fall" pops with vibrant colors, explosive gunfights, and a pretty incredible soundtrack. But while the film's sensibilities feel modern, it tells a tale as old as the West itself — a tale of bloody revenge.

Two decades after his parents were murdered by notorious outlaw Rufus Buck, Nat Love learns that his old rival has gotten out of jail. Love has spent years picking off Buck's cohorts, so he's not going to let the villainous head honcho get away this time, and he assembles quite the crew to bring the bad guy down. Of course, Buck is holed up in his own private town, and he's got his own band of ruthless killers backing his every move.

In addition to the inevitable action-packed showdown, "The Harder They Fall" boast a killer cast who are all playing real-life (if highly fictionalized) Black cowboys and outlaws — from Cherokee Bill and Stagecoach Mary to legendary lawman Bass Reeves.

• Starring: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz
• Director: Jeymes Samuel
• Year: 2021
• Runtime: 139 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Following the life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, this film details his life at the start of the Sino-Japanese War. Removed from his home and forced into a life of survival, Ip Man finds himself avoiding fights with a Japanese general's men, which are staged to prove Japan's superiority. When one of his friends is killed, Ip Man can no longer hide in the shadows. This film's three sequels are also available on Netflix, each of which has a stellar rating.

• Starring: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Simon Yam, Siu-wong Fan
• Director: Wilson Yip
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

In this truly unique action flick, after a corrupt DEA agent murders her family, a 12-year-old girl forms an unlikely partnership with the hitman who lives down the hall from her. Her young age doesn't stop her from seeking revenge, and she learns all she can from her new, stone-faced friend. Fans of Natalie Portman definitely need to check this film out if they haven't seen it yet, as it's the actress's first credited role ever and one of her very best.

• Starring: Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Jean Reno
• Director: Luc Besson
• Year: 1994
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

A Nineveh SWAT unit in Mosul rescues a young police officer about to be killed. The only force fighting against ISIS, the unit was comprised of men who have a painful history with the terrorist organization. The officer joins his heroes as they fight back against the group. Not to be confused with the documentary film with the same name released the same year, "Mosul" highlights the heroes fighting for freedom in Iraq.

• Starring: Thaer Al-Shayei, Mohamed Attougui, Ben Affan
• Director: Matthew Michael Carnahan
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: -
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Andy leads an immortal group of mercenaries who have been protecting humanity for hundreds of years. During a mission, the Old Guard's unique abilities are discovered, and the group becomes the target of those wanting to replicate their powers for monetary gain. They must do whatever it takes to keep from being exposed further while balancing life with a newly discovered member.

• Starring: Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, KiKi Lane
• Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Whether you've seen every Shaw Brothers movie ever made or you're brand new to the kung fu genre, "The Paper Tigers" is a ton of fun. The film follows three washed-up, middle-aged men. They're out of shape, getting gray, and pretty banged up ... but once upon a time, they were the revered "Three Tigers," martial artists beyond compare.

But hey, time is the greatest enemy of all, and that proves especially true when their master is murdered. The Tigers are forced to reunite to avenge his death, but it's hard to fight younger, faster enemies when you've got a bad leg, forgotten your kung fu moves, or have lost that killer instinct. If our heroes want to make it out of this alive, they'll have to put aside their petty squabbles, overcome their creaky joints, and remember the skills that made them so formidable in the first place.

• Starring: Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins
• Director: Quoc Bao Tran
• Year: 2021
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

In this Netflix original, a pill finds its way onto the streets of New Orleans which gives users temporary superpowers. Those taking the drug have no idea which power they'll get, but they range from mild to deadly. A local cop, former soldier, and teenage dealer join forces to stop the pills' production and battle with taking it themselves in order to reach their full potential.

• Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Foxx, Dominique Fishback
• Directors: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%

Chon and Ben run a successful underground marijuana business, producing some of the best quality weed around. The duo shares girlfriend Ophelia, and their throuple seems to work without any hiccups. When Ophelia is kidnapped after the men turn down a drug cartel that wants in on their business, they'll do whatever it takes to get their love back. Despite not being well received by critics, "Savages" has built a cult following thanks to its stellar cast and great action sequences.

• Starring: Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
• Director: Oliver Stone
• Year: 2012
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%

In 2084, construction worker Douglas Quaid ponders what life on colonized Mars might be like. To experience a thrill, he ventures to Rekall Inc. — a company that implants false memories in your mind so you can remember Mars without ever going. During the procedure, Douglas realizes the life he knows was just one big embedded memory and not real at all. Now on the run, he must escape those who implanted it and now want him dead.

• Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• Year: 1990
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

Adapted from Charles Portis' novel, "True Grit" follows 14-year-old Mattie Ross as she hunts down the man who killed her father. Unfortunately, this no-good outlaw has disappeared into Indian Territory, so Mattie recruits the meanest U.S. Marshal she can find — one-eyed, overweight, intoxicated Rooster Cogburn. Accompanied by a skeevy Texas Ranger, our heroes load up and ride out, and it's here that Mattie proves she might be the bravest of the bunch.

While the original John Wayne film is definitely a classic, this adaptation from the Coen brothers hews closer to the book, perfectly capturing its bleak yet beautiful tone. And while we can quibble about who played Cogburn better, the Duke or the Dude, we can all agree that Hailee Steinfeld deserved her Oscar nomination, as she creates a character who's at once naive and innocent yet vengeful, stubborn, and doggedly determined.

• Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon
• Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
• Year: 2010
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%