Looking for exhilarating and thrilling entertainment from the comfort of your own home during the winter of 2021? Here’s some exciting news: Netflix currently has a virtual collection of heart-pounding action movies from all over the world! We want to make it easier for you to choose your next show to watch at home, so we’ve compiled a list of the greatest.
Whether you’re seeking to try out a new home cinema system or just want to have a good time, we recommend these action-packed favourites! These are the best and most thrilling action films available on Netflix right now. There are even some honorable mentions. This list is updated on a regular basis as new films are added to Netflix’s catalogue.
3 Days to Kill (2014)
Kevin Costner, Hailee Steinfeld, Amber Heard, and Connie Nielsen feature in Charlie’s Angels director McG’s action thriller about a terminally sick man who is faced with a life-or-death decision. Despite generally unfavorable critical reviews, 3 Days to Kill was a minor box office triumph.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Following the success of Zack Snyder’s Justice League this spring, the fan-favorite director returns (without studio interference) with a sequel to his first (and probably best) feature, the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead. The action/zombie/heist mix, starring Dave Bautista, is already a ratings hit for the streaming service.
Ava (2020)
Tate Taylor’s action crime thriller about an assassin on the run is saved in part by Jessica Chastains’ amazing charisma and outstanding action chops. John Malkovich, Geena Davis, and Colin Farrell also star.
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Following on from 2016’s London Has Fallen, the third installment has agent Mike Banning being falsely accused of attempting to assassinate President Barack Obama (Morgan Freeman). The R-rated, unpretentious Fallen films are more niche and less expensive to produce than many mainstream action movies. Angel’s popularity led to the announcement of a fourth picture, which grossed approximately $150 million at the box office.
Charlie’s Angels (2000)
In this huge popular action/comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, the ABC detective drama that coined the term “jiggle TV” was reimagined for the new millennium. In the end, these three are multi-million-dollar movie stars who are well-cast and have chemistry. In this cheerful, energetic caper, they shine.
The leads returned for Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle in 2003, however the film was hampered by too much foolishness and was not well received by reviewers or audiences. This relatively light franchise got off to a great start, and it’s a shame it didn’t continue for another sequel or two.
Extraction (2020)
Chris Hemsworth plays a notorious mercenary charged with rescuing the kidnapped son of an international criminal lord in one of the most popular Netflix movies ever. Extraction garnered largely excellent reviews and a large audience when it premiered on Netflix.
Gladiator (2000)
The stunning and deadly sword-and-sandals epic directed by Ridley Scott won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe). It’s a strong, emotional Hollywood classic that stands the test of time
Homefront (2013)
About a disturbed former DEA agent (Jason Statham) struggling to rescue his family and small Southern community from a deranged drug lord, Sylvester Stallone adapted Chuck Logan’s 2005 novel of the same name (James Franco).
Inception (2009)
A robber steals within the dream world is the subject of one of Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious and successful films. The modern sci-fi classic received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and grossed $836 million worldwide. Surprisingly, Nolan did not receive a nomination for Best Director.
Mile 22 (2018)
After Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day, Mile 22 is the fourth collaboration between Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg. Wahlberg plays an elite American intelligence officer in charge of a mission to evacuate a police officer with critical information from a foreign country.
Paul W.S. Anderson made a more modestly successful version on the arcade classic, a goofy but amusing PG-13 actioner that borrows as much from Enter the Dragon as its video-game source material, before 2021’s better-received R-rated edition.
The Old Guard (2020)
Gina Prince-Bythewood directed this well-received shoot-em-up, which Greg Rucka adapted from his own comic book. As an eternal mercenary seeking vengeance, Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor star with KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Training Day director Antoine Fuqua’s red-blooded macho film about a terrorist attack on the White House stars Gerard Butler. This was the better-received film with the same scenario in the same year, grossing a solid $170 million and receiving mixed-to-positive reviews (Roland Emmerich’s White House Down was generally a failure).
Peppermint (2018)
Given its 12 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and infamous reputation (among those who know it exists, at least), it’s difficult to endorse Pierre Morel’s gender-swapped take on Taken as a fine film with a straight face. It isn’t one of them. However, it’s an interesting and occasionally fascinating watch—a trainwreck of misplaced notions (racial stereotypes, a spineless tone and more). The one saving grace is Jennifer Garner’s impassioned performance as a woman seeking vigilante justice after a senseless act of brutality.
Project Power (2020)
A Netflix original supernatural action movie starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is about a medication that grants its users temporary superpowers. Project Power received mixed reviews from critics, although it was Netflix’s most-streamed picture during its opening weekend this summer.
The Sleepover (2020)
This family-friendly Netflix original stars Malin Akerman and Joe Manganiello as tween siblings who find their seemingly average mother is actually a badass in the witness protection program. Trish She directed the action comedy, with Sarah Rothschild writing the screenplay. The Sleepover was a smash hit for Netflix, and it has remained one of the service’s most popular shows since its debut.
Shadow (2018)
Zhang Yimou’s Shadow succeeds as both a psychological thriller and a lavish martial arts epic in the manner of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, providing both spectacle and intrigue. Following the resounding disappointment of American crossover (and box-office failure) The Great Wall starring Matt Damon, this is an enjoyable return to form for one of the most acclaimed Chinese filmmakers of recent times.
Total Recall (1990)
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, a mind-bending version of Philip K. Dick’s short tale, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as an everyman (or as close to an everyman as Schwarzenegger can be) who realizes he’s a secret spy (or is he?). Total Recall was one of the most costly films ever made at the time of its release, but it’s still a fun trip, merging space travel, gore, sharp humor, and sex with a light touch. For groundbreaking aesthetics, the film received a Special Achievement Oscar.
Triple Frontier (2019)
Charlie Hunnam, Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Oscar Isaac, and Garrett Hedlund lead a magnificent A-list cast. J.C. Chandor’s thriller All Is Lost and A Most Violent Year (story by Mark Boal). Colleagues from the United States Army reassemble for a theft of a South American crime boss.
Titanic (1997)
Titanic is one of the most extraordinary, extraordinarily entertaining films of all time, a bar-setting masterpiece of the craft, and it appears that the nonsense backlash is dying these days: pure and simple, strong and true, Titanic is one of the most extraordinary, extraordinarily entertaining films of all time, a bar-setting masterpiece of the craft.
James Cameron risked the farm on a meticulously designed epic marketed as “Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic” in a well publicized ordeal similar to the development of “Disney’s Folly.” The budget was enormous, and the production was tumultuous. In a cynical way, Titanic appeared to be a disaster film. Instead, it quickly became a classic.
Any subsequent response has been unjustified, to put it bluntly. Titanic, especially in its second half, is enthralling in a way that few films have ever attempted. Is it even a flaw that the love story is simple? Titanic shattered box-office records and is tied with Ben-Hur and Return of the King for the most Oscar wins, thanks to its accessibility, outstanding performances (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are as mesmerizing as the picture around them), and innovative effects (11 in total).
Under Siege (1995)
Andrew Davis’ acclaimed thriller stars Steven Seagal as an ex-Navy SEAL battling mercenaries at sea, and is widely regarded as the best film of his—face let’s it—spotty résumé. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars in the film, which was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Unknown (2011)
The film was released at the height of Liam Neeson’s post-Taken career return, and it was preposterous but entertaining. Unknown depicts the Irish action superstar as a man who wakes up after a vehicle accident to find his identity has been stolen and his wife doesn’t recognize him. January Jones and Diane Kruger feature in this film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who has a knack for making B-grade genre themes better than they needed to be (see House of Wax and The Shallows).
