The 23 best action movies on Netflix, from around the world

The release of Gray ManNetflix’s most costly movie, titled “The Infinity Saga”, The Russo brothers, of Infinity Saga fame, directed this action thriller. It stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as well as Ana de Armas.

Netflix is home to a large selection of quality action movies, including the Hindi-language dub. RRR and S. S. Rajamouli’s fantasy epic Baahubali movies), but it can be hard to sort through the deluge of new titles regularly dropped onto the platform. That’s what we’re here for. We’ve collected a list of great action movies that span eras, sub-genres, and nations, all of which you can watch on Netflix in the US. Whether you’re looking for a hard-boiled crime thriller, a period-piece swordplay adventure, a military drama, standout martial arts movies, or any other kind of action vehicle — we’ve got you covered.

In addition to Rajamouli’s movies, there are a few other honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut but are still worth a shout out. Boyka: Undisputed, the fourth movie in the excellent Undisputed series, is superb, but it’s worth seeing the previous two entries in the series first (but act fast — BoykaNetflix to Close on July 31 Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill is the hard-hitting sequel to 2019’s The Fable Both are on Netflix, and included some of the most memorable action sequences in 2021.

If you’re looking for something that spans across genres, be sure to check out our frequently updated list of the best movies on Netflix. Similarly, if you’re in more of a spooky mood than a fighting one, we have a list of the best horror movies on Netflix, too.

Rurouni Kenshin, The Beginning

Image courtesy of Netflix

Though it’s the fifth and final installment of this live-action adaptation, you can still safely watch The Beginning First, because it’s a prequel of the other four movies. It does however give some insight into the parts that remain a mystery from the preceding movies. Half of the story is about origin, half about love, and eleven0% are just plain awesome. The Beginning (and the rest of the Kenshin franchise) should be your first destination if you’re looking for terrific swordplay on Netflix. —Pete Volk

Lost Bullet

Image courtesy of Netflix

Lost Bullet has a simple set-up, right there in the title — a man framed for murder has to find the missing bullet that will prove his innocence. The man in question is an engineer mechanic who was coerced into joining a corrupt group of police officers. You will enjoy thrilling car chases, spectacular fight scenes, and an incredibly simple concept that is executed flawlessly. Lost Bullet This is an exciting 92 minute thrill ride. Netflix will soon release a sequel. —PV

Ip Man Franchise

Image by Well Go USA Entertainment

There are five Ip Man movies, each of which rule. Four of these films, starring Donnie Yip and directed by Wilson Yip, are now available to stream on Netflix. What are you doing if you don’t have the chance to see them?

The dramatized retelling of the life of the infamous Wing Chun grandmaster who trained Bruce Lee is one of Yen’s most iconic performances, and features some of the most stunning martial arts choreography of the century. With guest stars like Sammo Hung (who also choreographed the first movie), Max Zhang, Mike Tyson, and Scott Adkins, there are plenty of big-name opponents for Yen to fight, but it’s all grounded in a very human story of a man attempting to live peacefully in a chaotic world. —PV

The Outpost

Screen Media Films Image

This war story is true and based on real events. It follows the adventures of soldiers stationed at an American military outpost in Afghanistan. They are trapped by mountainous terrain, without any strategic purpose. This movie is as much about war’s futility and blindness as it is camaraderie, action and suspense. Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones, as well as Orlando Bloom provide excellent performances.It is a touching moral centre about those who are put in an unacceptable position, such as physically or mentally, and face impossible odds. The Outpost This is one of the most important war films this decade. —PV

Mosul

Jose Haro/Netflix

You can find many movies that focus on wars in Middle East, albeit from American viewpoints. Mosul, while written and directed by American Matthew Michael Carnahan (Joe’s brother, by the way), instead follows a group of Iraqi soldiers fighting against ISIS forces in the 2016 Battle of Mosul. It also offers an alternative perspective to the majority of American war films set in Iraq. Mosul Waleed Elgadi leads a stellar cast and delivers intense action that will leave you on your feet. —PV

Illang: The Wolf Brigade

Photo by Cho Won Jin/Netflix

Kim Jee-woon’s 2018 sci-fi action film brilliantly reworks Hiroyuki Okiura and Mamoru Oshii’s 1999 anime thriller Jin-RohFor live action. Altering the setting from the original’s alternate 1950s Japan to a reunified Korea circa 2024, Illang: The Wolf BrigadeFollow a paramilitary hitman who is disillusioned in his quest for meaning and purpose amid a chaotic world of domestic terror and authoritarian rule. How did it all begin? Illang: The Wolf BrigadeIt may be lacking in mood or ennui, but it more than makes up in sheer ballistics with intense firefights. Don’t think ofIllang: The Wolf BrigadeIt can be used as an alternative to Jin-RohThis piece is not intended to replace it, but as a companion piece that reflects on the subtleties and dehumanizing effects militarism has had. —Toussaint Egan

The Debt Collector movie

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Regular readers of Polygon will be aware that I love Scott Adkins, a martial artist and action star. He is also a frequent collaborator with Jesse V. Johnson. While they’ve made many quality DTV action flicks together, I loved the Debt Collector movies more.

Adkins is a low-income martial arts instructor that’s about to close his school. In a hilarious buddy comedy, Adkins teams up with Sue Mandylor (Louis Mandylor), to tackle the dark world of debt collection. The two have great fight scenes and a lot of chemistry. —PV

Paper Tigers

Image by Well Go USA Entertainment

Tran Quoc Bao’s 2020 action comedy Paper TigersThis movie is worthy of inclusion because it’s one of Netflix’s best action films. Period. I’ve previously described the film as:

After a life of hard training and fighting, three former prodigies in martial arts have become middle-aged, beleaguered nobodies. After their master’s murder, the trio swear an oath that they will avenge him and bring him to justice. This is Apatowian comedy.

There’s a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, and a lot of kick-ass kung fu in Paper TigersThe Martial Club choreographers Andy Le, Brian Le, Daniel Mah and Daniel Mah are responsible for this quality. The three self-made YouTube stars not only cameo as a trio of adversaries in the film, but are also notable for having contributed to films like 2021’s Shang-Chi, the Legend of the Ten Rings and Shang-Chi and this year’s Everything, Everywhere at the Same Time. —TE

Baaghi

KHV Media Group.

Tiger Shroff is one of the most exciting action stars in the world, with unmatchable charisma and hips that simply won’t quit, in fights and dance sequences alike. Baaghi Shroff is the lead in a Hindi-language thriller about martial arts. He plays an impulsive young man who falls for a woman and must learn to accept his limitations. Shroff’s magnetism on screen is undeniable, and his skills as a martial artist and dancer will thrill you in BaaghiIt was also his first international hit. BaaghiNetflix will be shutting down on July 31st, so act quickly. —PV

Blood and Bone

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Michael Jai White, a true treasure in these parts, is one of many outstanding DTV Action movies that he has appeared in. Blood and BoneIt may even be the best. White is Isaiah Bone an ex-marine combat artist, recently released from prison. He meets Pinball, a eccentric local fighter promoter, and begins entering underground fights. As he gets deeper into underground fighting, it becomes clear to him just how far those in power will go for their illicit business. The jaw-dropping fights featured former professional fighters Kimbo slice, Matt Mullins and Bob Sapp. Blood and BoneWhite’s movie career and his screen fight are both well supported by this film. —PV

Den of Thieves

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

“Los Angeles heist movie” is a tried and true genre of action thriller, blessed with titles like Heat, Italian Jobs remake, Point BreakPlease see the following: OHere are the top 20 movies in 2022. Ambulance. 2018’s Den of Thieves fell a little bit under the radar in comparison, but it’s well worth your time as a grimier version of that kind of movie.

I will quote:

Starring Gerard Butler (Pepto Bismol-chugging Gerard Butler). Den of Thieves could accurately be described as “dirtbag Heat.” The movie follows a team of former Marines (including Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and 50 Cent) who plan to rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles, and the amoral detective (Butler) who hopes to stop them. Christian Gudegast’s debut feature film, featuring sharp editing from Joel Cox, a frequent Clint Eastwood collaborator, and a lively score by Cliff Martinez (ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer). Den of Thieves It is an heist film that does the hard work and delivers.

The one thing I’ll add since I wrote that — the score is so good it’s become my go-to music to write and edit to. —PV

Security

Image: Millennium Films

When big film stars choose to direct-to video action movies, it is a wonderful thing. Antonio Banderas made a number of these over the years. Security My favorite. Banderas portrays a overqualified mall cop, who was a Marine and must rescue a girl who has taken refuge in the mall. The girl is being chased by a group of heavily armed mercenaries (led by Ben Kingsley), and it’s a tight 92-minute thrill ride led by Banderas’ incredible screen presence in a very different kind of role. —PV

Jailbreak

Image: Solar Pictures/Netflix

A group of Cambodian police officers, which includes Jean-Paul Ly the outstanding martial artist and actor, escort a prisoner with high value. When a bounty is put on the prisoner’s head, the group must work together to protect themselves and make it out alive. This film features a great lead man and tight plot. Jailbreak It was an enormous success in Cambodia, and well worth your effort. —PV

The One

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

It’s Jet Li in a multiverse of madness, what’s not to like? —PV

Inception

Warner Bros. Pictures

Christopher Nolan’s unique take on the heist film genre isn’t just a savvy deconstruction of movies as a collaborative act of “dream making,” but a satisfying action movie spectacle. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a skilled criminal who is adept at psychological corporate espionage called extraction. The film follows Cobb’s team as they attempt their most dangerous mission to date: secretly inventing (i.e. Inseminating) an idea to the mind of the heir in a multi-national conglomerate.

That’s easier said than done, as Cobb and co. must contend with a cadre of deadly adversaries, including an invasive subconscious projection of Cobb’s wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), as they navigate the multiple layers of an intricately detailed dreamscape. From Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s gravity-defying fight scene in a rotating hallway (with shades of Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding() And elaborate chase sequences that lead to an Bond-esque firefight at an extravagant Japanese palace. InceptionIt is a mind-bending action thriller. —TE

We are all waiting for the night

Photo: Eriekn Juragan/Netflix

There are only 2 ways to do it We are all waiting for the nightThere are two things that could make it even more enjoyable: a) It was made available to home viewers and b), A sequel. Even so, Timo Tjahjanto’s bloody 2018 Indonesian action thriller inarguably stands as one of the best action films Netflix has to offer.

We are all waiting for the nightIt is packed full of scenes of brutal martial arts action, including breaking bones and bloody geysers. Joe TaslimMortal Kombat) and Iko Uwais (RaidArian and Ito (played by Corey Stewart) are childhood best friends who become Triad enforcers when Arian turns down his job as a murderer to help a child. That’s not even mentioning Julie Estelle’s scene-stealing turn as The Operator, a mysterious covert agent who faces off against two assassins in one of the most spectacular fight scenes in a film with no shortage of them. It’s a thrilling five-minute set piece packed with brutal choreography, beautiful strobing light effects, a grisly garrote wire execution, and a tense one-on-one knife-fight finale. —TE

Sentinelle

Image courtesy of Netflix

The dark French revenge thriller is about a wounded soldier (Olga Kurylenko), who seeks revenge against the men who attacked her sister. It’s a pretty standard (and dark) narrative structure, but it works because of the people behind it. Julien Leclerq is the director. He’s known for his excellent crime thrillers. The Crew The outstanding series Ganglands (on Netflix!), Sentinelle thrives through Kurylenko’s commanding lead performance, a lean 80-minute running time, and Leclerq’s skill at filming action sequences — especially close-quarters action, with a terrific bathroom fight and an unforgettable final kill. —PV

Starship Troopers

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Though derided when first released, Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 biting sci-fi film Starship Troopers has undergone a critical reappraisal as one of the most prescient and incisive satires of the late ’90s, depicting the story of a group of soldiers in a fascistic far-future military who are forced to wage a war against a race of giant alien insects. Starship Troopers elevates a B-movie premise and dreadful source material into a tongue-in-cheek dissection of militarism, “forever war” politics, and the death of individuality in the service of nationalistic warmongering. —TE

The Quick and the Dead

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Sam Raimi’s stylized 1995 neo-Western is a gloriously silly, melodramatic tale of a knockout gunslinging competition in a corrupt frontier town. A flinty, impeccably costumed Sharon Stone ably embodies the Woman With No Name who enters the contest with a secret agenda alongside a rogue’s gallery of show-offs and outlaws. The fantastic cast also includes Russell Crowe, Lance Henriksen, a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio as “The Kid”, and the peerless Gene Hackman as the contest’s evil ringmaster.

Hackman and DiCaprio, screen giants from opposing ends of their careers give their scenes an electric spark. The action scenes are necessarily brief — this is a quickdraw competition, after all — but the mischievous Raimi dramatizes them unforgettably using some of the most outrageous trickshots of his career, including one POV shot that still has the power to make you gasp in disbelief. —Oli Welsh