Not every action movie deserves two hours of your life. These ones do. Across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+, here are the ones delivering right now.
Pure Adrenaline
The Gray Man (Netflix). Ryan Gosling vs Chris Evans in a globe-trotting CIA thriller with a budget that shows. Doesn't ask much of you. Delivers everything it promises. Ideal for when you want spectacle without homework.
Extraction 2 (Netflix). Chris Hemsworth doing what Chris Hemsworth does best: relentlessly. The single-take action sequence in this sequel is one of the most technically impressive things filmed in the last five years. Watch it loud.
Nobody (Prime Video). A quiet suburban dad turns out to be extremely not a quiet suburban dad. Bob Odenkirk. Brutal, funny, and absurdly rewatchable. If you liked John Wick, this is your next watch.
If You Want Story With Your Action
The Beekeeper. Jason Statham discovers his landlady has been scammed out of her life savings. What follows is the most satisfying single-man-destroys-everything film in years. Knowingly ridiculous. Completely committed. Impossible not to enjoy.
Reacher (Prime Video). Jack Reacher rolls into a small town and systematically dismantles everyone who deserves it. Adapted faithfully from Lee Child's novels. The kind of show where you tell yourself one more episode and mean it three episodes later.
The Mandalorian (Disney+). If you haven't caught up or want to rewatch, Season 3 holds up. Action-driven episodic storytelling at its best, with enough warmth that it works for a mixed-mood night.
If You Want Something With Genuine Craft
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix). The Oscar-winning German war film. Not entertainment in the traditional sense, but one of the most powerful and precisely made action-adjacent films of the decade. Watch it when you're ready to be affected.
The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling as a stunt double pulled back into action. Self-aware, genuinely funny, and packed with spectacular practical stunts. Made by people who clearly love action movies and want you to feel that too.
Top Gun: Maverick. Available across platforms. Still the best action film of the last five years. Rewards the big screen experience at home with the volume up.
The Wildcard
Bullet Train. Brad Pitt on a Japanese bullet train. Five assassins. One briefcase. Nobody knows who hired who. Stylish, chaotic, very funny. Pure fun.
Can't agree which one to start with? Add MatchWatch to your home screen, swipe through these with your partner, and the app tells you which one you've both been quietly hoping the other would pick.
Looking for something beyond action tonight? Check out our fresh picks across every streaming platform →