Netflix has an abundance of action movies, not all of which could accurately be described as the best.
But the top-tier titles on Netflix are definitely among the best action movies in recent memory.
Some of these films will cycle out of Netflix’s lineup because they belong to other studios.
But for now, movies like Colombiana and The Dark Knight are available for all Netflix subscribers. Catch them in April while you can.
Upgrade serves as a reminder of why it’s a bad idea to trust a billionaire to put a computer chip in your brain. Artist Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) felt he didn’t have a choice when Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) offered to install STEM in his mind to restore his mobility. Grey was paralyzed during an attack that left his wife dead and now his heart calls out for revenge.
STEM (Simon Maiden) has a voice and a mind of its own. It heard Grey’s cries, and it can give him the vengeance he so desperately needs, as seen in some incredibly brutal action sequences. But STEM is only helping Grey as long as the artist gives into its will. And if Grey isn’t careful, he’ll be permanently sidelined in his own body.
Upgrade is streaming on Netflix.
The late Tom Clancy had a knack for coming up with scenarios that made for some unforgettable moments on film. For example, The Sum of All Fears depicts a catastrophe on American soil during a crowded football game. Taking over from Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck steps into the role of CIA operative Jack Ryan as he faces an even bigger challenge in the aftermath of a terrorist event.
Billionaire Richard Dressler (Alan Bates) has come up with an insane plan to get the United States and Russia to go to war with each other so he can bring Europe under the heel of a fascist government. That part of the plan might be a pipe dream, but Dressler does have the two superpowers primed for war unless Ryan can stop him.
The Sum of All Fears is streaming on Netflix.
How does an action franchise stay fresh after three decades? A 17-year hiatus between the second and third films certainly helped Bad Boys make a comeback. But the fourth sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, only had a four-year break between movies. This time, Detective Lieutenants Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) have a very personal mission. Someone has posthumously framed their beloved former captain, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), for crimes he didn’t commit.
Mike and Marcus’ quest to clear Howard’s name hits a snag when they are also framed by the perpetrators and forced to go on the run from their colleagues in the Miami PD. In times like these, it helps to know who your friends are.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is streaming on Netflix.
If Mad Max: Fury Road was sticking around on Netflix in April, then it would have been an easy pick for this list. In its absence, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the next best thing. Anya Taylor-Joy had some very big shoes to fill considering that Furiosa is the role that made Charlize Theron an action icon. Taylor-Joy doesn’t get to say as much as Theron, but she kicks all kinds of butt in this movie.
This is Furiosa’s origin story, and it’s easy to understand where her anger comes from. She was kidnapped from her home and held hostage by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), the warlord who murdered her mother. Furiosa holds a serious grudge for that, and there’s nothing she won’t do to get her revenge, no matter how many people she has to kill in the wasteland.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is streaming on Netflix.
Screenwriter Luc Besson originally envisioned Colombiana as a sequel to Leon: The Professional. When that idea fell through, it was reconceived as a standalone action flick starring Zoe Saldaña as an assassin named Cataleya.
Two decades ago, Cataleya’s family was murdered by men loyal to Don Luis (Beto Benites), a drug lord who used to work with Cataleya’s father. Cataleya was trained to kill by her uncle Emilio Restrepo (Cliff Curtis), and she has a serious vendetta against anyone involved with the death of her family. She’s also unconcerned about the blowback of her actions, which may endanger herself and Emilio’s family.
Colombiana is streaming on Netflix.
Christopher Nolan did such an outstanding job with The Dark Knight that it’s among the best action movies ever made and one of the greatest superhero films of all time. The action is particularly inspired when Batman (Christian Bale) briefly leaves Gotham City for Hong Kong in a sequence that was filmed in IMAX.
Gotham City’s crime families may not know how to deal with Batman, but the Joker (Heath Ledger) does. Not even Batman is prepared for the level of violence and mayhem that the Joker leaves in his wake. Before the Joker arrived, Bruce Wayne hoped that he could settle down with his ex, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Now, no one’s happy ending is certain as the Joker’s reign of chaos threatens everyone in its path.
The Dark Knight is streaming on Netflix.
