Briarcliff Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
If there’s one thing you can count on from Netflix, it’s the emergence of action movies you’ve never heard of before.
Take Copshop, for example, as this 2021 release flew well under the radar despite the presence of Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo in the leading roles.
Netflix has also recently added all of the James Bond movies, but we’re going with Casino Royale since that film is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
You can find both of these films among the Watch With Us team’s picks for the must-see action movies on Netflix.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the Best New Movies on Netflix, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and More, the Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now, the Best Movies on Hulu Right Now and the Must-See Movies on Netflix Right Now.
‘Copshop’ (2021)
Putting action icons Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo seems like a natural choice in Copshop, a film in which they both play bad guys. Teddy Murretto (Grillo) is a con artist who was forced by the feds to turn on his criminal employers. Robert Viddick (Butler) is the hitman who has been paid to silence Teddy once and for all.
Both Teddy and Robert have been arrested and taken to jail in Las Vegas, where rookie police officer Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) may be the only one who can keep them from killing each other. However, Robert isn’t the only assassin after Teddy, and Tony Lamb (Toby Huss) may prove to be more dangerous than either of them.
Copshop is streaming on Netflix.
‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Casino Royale, Daniel Craig‘s first James Bond film. This movie not only redefined Bond for the 21st century, it redefined the Bond girl with Eva Green‘s Vesper Lynd, an MI6 operative just as interesting and compelling as Bond himself.
Casino Royale also serves as Bond’s origin story, as the newly promoted 007 is sent on a high-stakes mission to a gaming resort in Montenegro. Terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) is playing in a poker tournament, and Bond is the only MI6 card player who has any hope of beating him and cleaning out his bank account. Unfortunately for Bond and Vesper, it’s not going to be that easy.
Casino Royale is streaming on Netflix.
‘Stone Cold Fox’ (2025)
Mad Men and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka hasn’t really taken many action-oriented roles before now, but Stone Cold Fox may open some doors for her. Shipka plays Fox, a young woman who ran away from home, which meant leaving her younger sister, Spooky (Bluesy Burke), behind.
Years later, Fox sees that Spooky has run away as well, only to be kidnapped in front of her sister. Fox is so determined to get Spooky back that she’s willing to betray her drug-dealing lover, Goldie (Krysten Ritter), and kill anyone in her way. Kiefer Sutherland costars as Sergeant Billy Breaker, a corrupt cop under Goldie’s thumb. To finish her quest, Fox may have to get past Billy as well.
Stone Cold Fox is streaming on Netflix.
‘Man on Fire’ (2004)
If you’re ready for Denzel Washington at his peak as an action star, it’s time to revisit the modern classic Man on Fire. Washington plays John W. Creasy, a former CIA operative who makes his leading character in The Equalizer look soft by comparison. However, John is struggling to find a reason to keep going before he’s hired to be the bodyguard for a little girl, Guadalupe “Lupita” (Pita) Ramos (Dakota Fanning).
Pita’s wealthy parents live in Mexico, which makes their daughter a target for kidnappers. John wasn’t looking to form an emotional bond with his charge, but he comes to love her like a daughter. When a kidnapping attempt finally happens, John’s rage will leave death and carnage in his wake as he moves heaven and Earth to bring Pita home.
Man on Fire is streaming on Netflix.
‘The Northman’ (2022)
The Northman is based on the tale of Amleth that inspired William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet. However, if you’re expecting Alexander Skarsgård to deliver a dramatic monologue in this film, then you’ve got the wrong movie. Director Robert Eggers‘ version of the story is a blood-soaked revenge epic set during the Viking Age. It’s wild and visceral, just the way we like it.
When Amleth was young, his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang), murdered Amleth’s father, King Aurvandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), and took his brother’s wife, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), as his own. Young Amleth was helpless to stop that, but adult Amleth is a ferocious warrior who can finally make his uncle answer for his crimes. Amleth will just have to fight his way through a lot of men before he can avenge his father.
The Northman is streaming on Netflix.
‘The Marksman’ (2021)
Here’s one thing you can bank on for every Liam Neeson action movie: His performance will always be the best thing about it. In The Marksman, Neeson enters the Clint Eastwood phase of his career as he plays Jim Hanson, a widowed Marine sniper who just wants to live out his final days alone.
After witnessing a drug cartel fatally injure an illegal immigrant, Rosa (Teresa Ruiz), Jim agrees to escort her son, Miguel (Jacob Perez), to their family in Chicago. However, one of the cartel’s enforcers, Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba), leads a group of his men into the United States to pursue Miguel and Jim. And Mauricio won’t stop until they’re both dead.
The Marksman is streaming on Netflix.
‘Angel Has Fallen’ (2019)
Where would we be if Gerard Butler stopped falling in the Has Fallen franchise? The third film, Angel Has Fallen, suggests that Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Butler) is nearing his physical limit as he attempts to become the new director of the CIA. Before he can get that cherished promotion, Banning and President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) narrowly survive a drone attack.
Banning awakens from his injuries to discover that he’s been framed for the attempt on Trumbull’s life. Now, the only way to clear his name and prevent a war is for Banning to escape and go rogue. He’ll have to move fast because FBI Agent Helen Thompson (Jada Pinkett Smith) is leading the manhunt to recapture him.
Angel Has Fallen is streaming on Netflix.
‘Freelance’ (2024)
The funny thing about Freelance is that it feels like it should be a Hulu original movie rather than a title reserved for Netflix. That’s probably because John Cena had such prominent roles in Vacation Friends and its sequel. In this film, Cena plays Mason Pettits, a man who has a serious grudge against a South American dictator, President Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba).
Mason reluctantly returns to Paldoñia to accompany a reporter, Claire Wellington (Alison Brie), on an interview with President Venegas. However, a coup attempt in the field forces Mason to protect both Venegas and Hurtz in the field.
Freelance is streaming on Netflix.
‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
This critically acclaimed take on the legendary Japanese kaiju monster is set in a post-war Japan, exploring the catastrophic impact of Godzilla’s emergence in an already devastated nation. The storyline is set in the tense and uncertain period following World War II, where Godzilla’s arrival threatens the fragile reconstruction of a country recovering from the horrors of war.
Godzilla Minus One delves into themes of trauma, hope, guilt and redemption. It’s told mostly from the perspective of Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a PTSD-riddled kamikaze pilot who survived World War II only to face down an even bigger threat in the form of the giant lizard. Many fans have compared the film to Oppenheimer for its depiction of the unimaginable devastation of the atomic bomb. The movie won the Academy Award for Visual Effects, despite having a relatively low production budget. The film is a visual marvel, with action sequences that will thrill and terrify you as well as emotional sequences that will bring you to tears.
Godzilla Minus One is streaming on Netflix.
‘The Old Guard’ (2020)
The Old Guard is a superhero story meets covert ops and military, but without any capes or costumes. The superpowered beings at the heart of the film are a mysterious group of immortal beings, led by Andromache or “Andy” (Charlize Theron), who have secretly protected humanity for millennia. As they struggle to maintain their anonymity, they must also contend with the emergence of a new immortal, Nile (KiKi Layne). Together, the team faces both modern threats and age-old enemies in their quest to preserve secrecy about their identities and ensure security for the future.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who previously created much quieter movies like The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond the Lights, The Old Guard has an emotional depth that you might not expect from a superhero action film. The themes of sacrifice and guilt are grounded by Theron’s stellar performance, as well as those of Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Chiwetel Ejiofor. With its blend of thought-provoking elements and adrenaline-pumping action, The Old Guard offers a refreshing take on the genre, providing both entertainment and substance for viewers. A sequel is now streaming, so now is the perfect time to watch the original.
The Old Guard is streaming on Netflix.
‘Havoc’ (2025)
After taking a very long break between films, The Raid director Gareth Evans returns with Havoc, an action-packed crime thriller. Tom Hardy stars as Patrick Walker, a disgraced cop who is also on the payroll for Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker), an extremely wealthy man who is running for mayor.
Beaumont has a particularly dangerous mission for Walker. Beaumont’s son, Charlie (Justin Cornwell), and Charlie’s girlfriend, Mia (Quelin Sepulveda), have been framed for murdering the leader of the Triad gang, and there’s a price on their heads. Beaumont wants his son to be protected at all costs, but even his money can’t prevent the Triads from coming after him as well.
Havoc is streaming on Netflix.
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ (2024)
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.
‘Upgrade’ (2018)
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 in to its will. And if Grey isn’t careful, he’ll be permanently sidelined in his own body.
Upgrade is streaming on Netflix.