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10 Netflix action movies you should check out after watching 'Red Notice'
Keep the action going with these Netflix original pulse-pounders.
The selection of original movies on Netflix continues to expand, especially when it comes to action. The streaming juggernaut has no shortage of pulse-pounding, kick-punching jaunts which are exclusive to the service.
Red Notice, from writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber (Skyscraper), is their latest original action romp. On November 12, viewers can revel in the escapades of FBI agent Dwayne Johnson teaming up with art thief Ryan Reynolds to go after an even bigger thief, played by Gal Gadot. (Everybody got all that?)
When you’re done watching Netflix's most expensive action movie yet, you may want to keep the party going. No problem, the big red N has you covered with a tons of action. A great many of them are just like Red Notice; they're Netflix originals. Here’s our list of ten original Netflix action movies that would be ideal viewing after your experience with Gadot, Reynolds, and Johnson. Ba-bummmm.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
This movie seems to have flown under most people's radar, which is a shame. The action is solid (directed by Navot Papushado), but it’s the cast that is this underrated movie's big selling point. Karen Gillan stars opposite Game of Thrones' Lena Headey and the two share an impressive action sequence involving guns and knives that is a highlight.
Still not enough? Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, and Michelle Yeoh star as well. All of them get at least one good action set piece; some have several. Toss in Paul Giamatti shouting a whole lot, and this is a bloody good time.
Triple Frontier (2019)
When five battle-hardened, former special forces operatives go into foreign territory to take down a drug lord, you get this gritty, and surprisingly resonate, Treasure of the Sierra Madre-esque action-packed war drama.
Directed by Margin Call's J.C. Chandor, and headlined by an impressive ensemble featuring Ben Affleck and Charlie Hunnam, Triple Frontier delivers a strong dose of character-driven action with a compelling, if at times bittersweet, emotional payload. It's more elevated and heady than your usual Netflix action flick, which is a good thing.
6 Underground (2019)
More Adria Arjona, more Ryan Reynolds, and Inglorious Basterds star Mélanie Laurent! Six different characters all join forces in the most recent action movie from Michael Bay. Their mission? Um, do you really care? The story isn’t why you’re gonna watch this.
If you are a fan of Bay's work, then that's enough to hook you in. Love it or loathe it, there’s no substitute for a solid slice of Bayhem, and this movie’s got an abundance of it in the first five minutes alone. There are explosions all around and you won’t always know where you are (or what room you’re in), but that’s the Michael Bay promise. Don’t fight the Bayhem; just let it happen.
The Night Comes For Us (2018)
There’s trouble in a Triad crime family, and enforcer Ito (Joe Taslim) is caught in the middle of it. From director Timo Tjahjanto, this gore-filled fight fest also features Iko Uwais.
Fans of The Raid movies will definitely know and love Uwais and the rapid-fire fisticuffs that make him so appealing to action movie junkies. Netflix devotees may also recognize him from Wu Assassins, where his serious action chops were also featured. Taslim is certainly no slouch, either, having also appeared in The Raid: Redemption and Fast & Furious 6. Recently, he chilled audiences as Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat.
If you like both of these talented actors, and have a high tolerance for movies that are something of a dancing bloodbath, then stream this title now.
Outlaw King (2018)
Outlaw King is more of a “historical” epic than an action movie, but it does have some really good (and thrilling) action that is worth streaming.
Chris Pine plays the legendary Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, which makes Outlaw King a Braveheart sequel that isn’t actually a Braveheart sequel. Joining Pine in this engaging story of a real-life Scottish rebellion is James Cosmo and Tony Curran, with the role of King Edward played by Stephen Dillane, famous for playing Stannis “Father of the Year” Baratheon on Game of Thrones.
Wheelman (2017)
Wheelman asks what happens when a getaway driver can’t get away from a double cross. Writer/director Jeremy Rush answers that question with a mix of Michael Bay and Drive in the underrated, fast-paced action movie. Frank Grillo stars as the titular (and enigmatic) Wheelman, who is forced to hit the pavement when he is betrayed fresh out of prison.
Rush isn’t trying to reinvent the genre here, and he doesn’t need to. All he has to do is deliver a solid dose of action and suspense, which he does — thanks in large part to a very game and committed Grillo giving the set pieces an extra layer of pathos. The perpetually underrated Shea Whigham also appears in the role of “Motherf**ker,” alongside Deadwood's Garret Dillahunt, who has never given a bad performance. That's been scientifically proven.
Spectral (2016)
Wouldn’t you know it, we’ve got another special ops team with a mission in this sci-fi action thriller. This group, armed with next-gen weaponry, are forced to go up against threats that may just be malevolent spirits. (Tonally, think James Cameron's Ghostbusters.)
What Happened to Monday (2017)
Another sci-fi action fest, this one directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Max Bodkin and Kerry Williamson. Monday depicts a future where every family is limited to having one child. Willem Dafoe plays a man who defies this law and raises seven identical sisters, all played by Noomi Rapace.
The routine of the sisters is fascinating to watch (each of them can only go outside on the day of the week they are named after), and the story kicks in when Monday goes missing. Rapace takes a page out of the Tatiana Maslany/Orphan Black playbook and makes each of the sisters distinct. The action sequences are quite inventive, but it is the world building and Rapace's impressive performances that make this movie standout.
Extraction (2020)
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a name only an action movie could give us. He performs difficult extractions, and this movie (as the title suggests) features him attempting his deadliest extraction yet!
The story isn’t anything new, but the action will keep you entertained and Hemsworth is fun to watch as he plays his IDGAF character. If Rake doesn’t die on the mission itself, he may kill himself when it’s over. Whatever you picture when you hear the phrase “Netflix action movie called Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth”, that is exactly what this adrenaline rush is. Nothing more, nothing less, and that’s just fine with us.
The Old Guard (2020)
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings you… another covert team of operatives! Not so fast, this isn’t just any old team, though they are old. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, this compelling action film centers on Charlize Theron's Andromache, the leader of a team of highly-trained immortals forced into one hot zone after an other to take out the bad guys with an impressive array of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat.
Old Guard offers many twists and turns, along with a solid amount of emotional beats to keep you invested in this unique team's plight. The mix of modern action tropes with a world-building mythology elevates the film beyond mere blockbuster escapism. (Also, the presence of Chiwetel Ejiofor doesn't hurt, either.)
All of these movies are currently streaming on Netflix. Red Notice premieres on November 12th.
