Want to watch the best action movies? Netflix has you covered. From old hits to new adventures, there’s no shortage of shows to keep you on the edge of your seat!
With such an extensive library, Netflix doesn’t always make it easy to choose what to watch. That’s why we’ve curated a list of the best adrenaline-pumping action flicks below. We also tell you how you can use CyberGhost VPN to keep watching Netflix when you’re traveling abroad.
Quick Guide – How to Watch Netflix with CyberGhost VPN
- Sign up for CyberGhost VPN and download the app on your streaming device.
- Select a VPN server. CyberGhost VPN has servers optimized for Netflix in multiple countries, including the UK and the US.
- Kick back and enjoy the best action movies on Netflix!
The 11 Best Action Movies on Netflix
1. The Adam Project (2022)
Ryan Reynolds continues his hot streak in this charming tale of time-travel shenanigans and heartwarming relationships. Don’t worry: The Adam Project also has plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Ryan Reynolds plays Adam, a future fighter pilot sent back in time to right the wrongs of the past and save the world. He teams up with his 12-year-old self for the mission. Along the way, the two confront the death of their father (Mark Ruffalo) and learn to get along with each other.
Strap in for this time-traveling thriller featuring some of your favorite actors from Marvel movies!
| For fans of: | ⏳ Time Travel Movies, ✈ Airplane Battles, ⭐Ryan Reynolds |
| You might also like: | Back to the Future (1985), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) |
2. Lift (2024)
Heist movies typically follow the same formula centered around a seemingly impossible robbery. Lift takes this format to the next level… or should we say, into the sky?
Kevin Hart, the leader of a group of art thieves, is highly successful at what he does. Yet the film opens with the group getting caught by an Interpol agent. Instead of arresting the thieves, the agent blackmails them – they must steal $500 million in gold from a vault located on an airplane to avoid jail time.
With Lift, you step into the flashy world of rich art thieves, as well as the ugly underbelly they must enter to pull off an impossible mission. The film balances comedy with plenty of suspense that’ll keep you guessing if they can actually pull the whole heist off. It’s easily one of the best action movies on Netflix in 2024.
| For fans of: | 🏡Fancy Mansions, 🧑💻Tech Gadgets, 🛥️✈️Alternate Transportation |
| You might also like: | The Man from Toronto (2022), The Misfits (2021) |
3. Red Notice (2021)
Buddy comedies are staples of the action genre, but few have the star power of Red Notice. This globe-trotting adventure is full of both laughs and bone-shattering action.
Dwayne Johnson plays FBI agent John Hartley, who teams up with the world’s best art thief (Ryan Reynolds) to catch the international criminal mastermind, The Bishop (Gal Gadot.) These two unlikely allies travel the world to recover stolen artifacts and take down The Bishop.
Red Notice is Netflix’s most-watched English film, and it’s easy to see why. You simply can’t go wrong with a movie starring some of the best (and funniest) action actors in the biz.
| For fans of: | 🤣Action Comedy, 🖼 Heist Movies, 🌎Movies with Beautiful Locations |
| You might also like: | The Italian Job (2003), American Animals (2018) |
4. Army of the Dead (2021)
Visionary director Zack Snyder returns to his action roots with Army of the Dead. This zombie shoot-’em-up is the spiritual sequel to Snyder’s remake of the George Romero classic Dawn of the Dead.
Army of the Dead follows mercenary Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) as he travels into the heart of zombie-infested Las Vegas to recover $200 million from a casino vault. Time is short — the US military is planning an imminent tactical nuke strike on Sin City.
A heist movie mixed with a zombie thriller? What’s not to love! Army of the Dead is a must-see for any gore-hound.
| For fans of: | 🧟♂️The Walking Dead, 🩸Extreme Gore, 🎰Vegas Baby! |
| You might also like: | Dawn of the Dead (2004 or 1978), Train to Busan |
5. Extraction (2020)
Who better to direct an action movie than a stuntman? Sam Hargrave, the legendary stunt coordinator, directs Extraction. You can bet he brings all his expertise to this military-themed thriller.
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a black-ops mercenary sent to retrieve the kidnapped son of a drug lord. Rake travels through India, kicking ass on his way to complete this daunting mission.
Putting a stuntman behind the camera gives Extraction an unparalleled visceral thrill. Extraction 2 also came out last year, with the third installment reportedly in production, so this is a great time to catch the first one.
| For fans of: | 🎬Death-defying Stunts, 🎥Incredible Camera Work, 👊 Realistic Action |
| You might also like: | Atomic Blonde (2017), Mad Max: Fury Road (2014) |
6. Project Power (2020)
What if there was a pill that gives you superpowers? Would you take it? What if you didn’t know which superpowers you’d get?
This is the world of Project Power. The pill takes over the streets of New Orleans, where a drug dealer (Dominique Fishback), a retired soldier (Jamie Foxx), and a local cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) form an unlikely team to take down the drug suppliers.
Mixing science fiction with gritty street-level violence, Project Power is a mind-altering experience wrapped in gory action.
| For fans of: | 🧠Mind-Bending Movies, 🌆Gritty Street Action, 👓Visually Stunning Movies |
| You might also like: | Dredd (2012), The Old Guard (2020) |
💡Netflix has different content libraries in different countries, which means you might miss out on the action movies in this list when you travel abroad. CyberGhost VPN helps you keep watching with our streaming-optimized servers for Netflix in 17 countries, including the US and the UK.
7. Battleship (2012)
We all loved playing Battleship as kids. Now, our favorite board game is brought to life with full special effects, extraterrestrial invaders, and… Rihanna.
During a naval training exercise, alien ships suddenly appear, turning the exercise into a real battle. The aliens seek complete annihilation of the human race, so the US needs to give their all to defeat the extraterrestrial threat.
Rihanna, Taylor Kitsch, and Alexander Skarsgård star in this high-seas science-fiction adventure that’ll forever change the way you look at the classic board game.
| For fans of: | ⚓Oceanic Voyages, 🛸Independence Day (the movie), 🎤Rihanna |
| You might also like: | Battle Los Angeles (2011), War of the Worlds (2005) |
8. Looper (2012)
Rian Johnson’s breakout film Looper is a time-travel movie, but this isn’t a cheery adventure like Back to the Future. Instead, it’s a shocking tale of brutal violence and hitman shenanigans with a time machine mixed in.
You’ve never seen a movie like Looper, which is why it’s one of the best action movies of all time on Netflix. Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt both star as Joe, a hitman attached to a time-traveling crime syndicate. Joe’s newest target will take him through a mind-bending pursuit that jumps multiple timelines. Time travel has never been as trippy or as violent.
| For fans of: | 💥 Bruce Willis gun battles, 🔪Procedural dismemberments, ⏱PhD – level time travel theory |
| You might also like: | Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Tenet (2020) |
9. Starship Troopers (1997)
Paul Verhoeven is no stranger to mixing hardcore action with political satire. Following his classic sci-fi’s Robocop and Total Recall, Verhoeven went to deep space with Starship Troopers.
An alien insectoid race called the Bugs is threatening humanity, attacking settler outposts and dropping asteroids on Earth. Casper Van Dien stars as Johnny Rico, an idealistic Mobile Infantry soldier sent into space to fight the Bugs.
Starship Troopers wasn’t a hit in the 90s but has since become a cult classic due to its anti-war satire. Keep an eye out for Neil Patrick Harris in one of his first roles.
| For fans of: | 🐛Exterminating Insects, 🚀Space Travel, 🤔Clever Satire |
| You might also like: | Aliens (1986), They Live (1988) |
10. The Harder They Fall (2021)
If Westerns are more your speed, The Harder They Fall is a must-watch. A revenge tale at its core, the film is loaded with thrilling shootouts and witty faceoffs, following protagonist Nat Love (played by Jonathan Majors) as he aims to take down an enemy from his troubled past.
Unlike most Westerns, The Harder They Fall features an all-black primary cast, with performances from Idris Elba, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield. It also features a stellar soundtrack with the likes of Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lauryn Hill, and Seal.
| For fans of: | 🤠Cowboys, 🔪Revenge, 🔫Shootouts |
| You might also like: | Concrete Cowboy (2021), The Power of the Dog (2021) |
11. The Gray Man (2022)
The Russo Brothers, who directed Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain America: Civil War, are no strangers when it comes to heavy-hitting films. The Gray Man is a showcase of their mastery of thrilling cinematic action.
Based on the book of the same name, the movie pits Ryan Gosling, an assassin working for an elite CIA black ops unit, against Chris Evans, a sociopathic ex-CIA agent and mercenary. Gosling uncovers major corruption within the CIA, leading to exciting twists and fiery explosions.
While the movie brings old-school-cool action to the table, it also features impressive stunts and plenty of laughs, making it one of the best action movies on Netflix right now. Plus, you’ll be blown away by the supporting cast, which includes Ana De Armas and Billy Bob Thornton.
| For fans of: | 🔍Conspiracies, 🌏World Travel, 🕴️James Bond |
| You might also like: | The Nice Guys (2016), Public Enemies (2009)) |
Why Watch Netflix with a VPN?
Netflix and other streaming services use your IP address to determine your location and display content specific to your country. If you’re traveling abroad, you may not be able to find the titles you’re looking for, which can be frustrating.
A VPN helps you change your IP address by routing your traffic through a remote server. CyberGhost VPN offers a vast network of servers in over 100 countries, so all you have to do is choose a VPN server in your home country to instantly regain access to your usual content library.
CyberGhost VPN helps you bypass streaming blocks at your school or office, so you can watch during your breaks. It also hides your activity from your network administrator, and even keeps you safe on unsecured public Wi-Fi.
Why CyberGhost Is the Best VPN for Streaming
CyberGhost VPN has tons of features to help you get the best out of your streaming subscriptions. We offer streaming-optimized VPN servers for Netflix and other popular streaming platforms in a wide range of countries, so you’ll always be able to access your usual streaming libraries when you travel abroad.
Our super-fast VPN speeds give you crystal-clear video quality in the highest resolution your service offers. And when you use CyberGhost VPN, you can stream as much as you want for as long as you want – we never limit your VPN data or bandwidth.
With CyberGhost VPN’s powerful encryption on your side, you can say goodbye to activity-based ISP throttling. Your ISP won’t be able to monitor what you’re doing online, so it won’t slow your internet connection just because you’re watching Netflix. That means a smooth, stable connection at the speeds you paid for.
Whether you prefer to stream on your smartphone or smart TV, CyberGhost has you covered with native VPN apps for major devices, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux.
If you need help choosing the right server, our VPN experts are available 24/7. Try out CyberGhost VPN for yourself, totally risk-free, with our 45-day money-back guarantee.
Can I use a VPN to access a different country’s content library?
Some streaming fans may connect to a VPN server in a different country in order to access different content on a certain streaming platform. While we don’t snoop on our users’ online activity, this is against our terms of service and is not acceptable.
Rest assured that CyberGhost VPN never logs your browsing data and your activity is always private, but you should always comply with all relevant terms and applicable law, including copyright.
FAQ
That’s like asking what’s the best ice cream flavor—it depends on the person. From this article’s list of the 11 best action films on Netflix, we recommend Starship Troopers. It has gory action, awesome sci-fi special effects, and a thoughtful satirical message.
There’s no shortage of exciting action movies on Netflix, though The Gray Man (2022) is among its most-streamed movies thanks to a star-studded cast.
The best 2023 action movie on Netflix US is The Adam Project. This movie stars Ryan Reynolds as a time-traveling fighter pilot who goes back in time to meet his 12-year-old self and save the future.
CyberGhost is the best VPN for streaming. We have streaming-optimized servers for popular platforms, including Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Max, and many more, so you can always access your subscriptions, even while traveling abroad. You also get fast VPN speeds for picture-perfect quality, and a 45-day money-back guarantee to try it risk-free.
Cobra Kai is undoubtedly one of the greatest action series on Netflix right now. It successfully takes a classic (The Karate Kid) and puts a new twist on the story. It’s 5 seasons long, so there’s plenty to binge.
Netflix has a good selection of psychological thrillers, but Leave the World Behind stands out for its twisted plot, impressive production value, and all-star cast. The story follows a family’s getaway to a rental in the woods, which goes downhill when two strangers show up at their door demanding to come in.
Red Notice currently holds the top spot for most streamed movie on Netflix. The film has 230,900,000 views and has been viewed for 454,200,000 hours to date! It’s no wonder it made our list of top action films.
Netflix actively detects and blocks IP addresses associated with VPNs, so you need a good quality streaming VPN to watch Netflix. CyberGhost VPN has streaming-optimized servers specifically for the platform in a range of countries including the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. Our engineers monitor these servers closely to ensure they can always access Netflix.
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