If you’re looking to spice things up in the dead of winter, the best action movies on Netflix right now can do the trick. This month is an especially interesting one as Max has released its exclusive hold over the DC Extended Universe.
While the DCEU isn’t exactly enthralling, it does bring some quality additions to Netflix’s action library. Read on for the complete list for December.
We’ve also curated guides to the best action movies on Amazon Prime, the best action movies on Disney+, and the best action movies on Hulu if you’re looking for additional recommendations.
Recently added to Netflix
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Man of Steel2013
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The Meg2018
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Shazam!2019
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Wonder Woman2017
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The Suicide Squad2021
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) new
108m
Genre
Action, Crime
Stars
Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Directed by
Cathy Yan
The DCEU’s first R-rated movie stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the twisted former sidekick of The Joker (Jared Leto), who finds herself without a partner and increasingly aware of the exploitative nature of her former partnership. Figuring things out for herself, she stumbles into a young girl named Cass (Ella Jay Basco) that criminal Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) has put a bounty on. Deciding to play the hero for once and help Cass, Harley’s path soon collides with a host of other female antiheroes, leading to the ultimate showdown with Roman.
Man of Steel (2013) new
143m
Genre
Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Stars
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon
Directed by
Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder’s Superman origin story kicked off the DCEU. Clark Kent’s story is one of the most familiar in all of superhero culture. Crashing down on Earth as a baby, Clark (Henry Cavill) has no idea what or who he is — only that he has extraordinary powers that are not of this Earth. As he grows into a young man on a rural farm, he must find the hero within him to become a beacon of hope for mankind.
The Meg (2018) new
113m
Genre
Action, Science Fiction, Horror
Stars
Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson
Directed by
Jon Turteltaub
If you’re looking for a ridiculous dose of creature action, look no further than The Meg. When a deep-sea submersible is attacked by a monstrous underwater creature, it becomes stranded at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific with the crew trapped inside. Deep-sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is called in to save the crew, but nobody could have known that Taylor has a history with the 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. A sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, was released in 2023.
Shazam! (2019) new
132m
Genre
Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel
Directed by
David F. Sandberg
The ancient wizard Shazam imbues a street-smart 14-year-old foster kid with his powers, allowing Billy Batson (Asher Angel) to scream the word “SHAZAM!” and turn into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi). But even in the body of Shazam, Billy’s still a kid, having a boatload of fun discovering and using his new powers for all kinds of mischief. As the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) gains power, however, Billy will have to learn to master his powers and become the hero the wizard expects him to be.
Wonder Woman (2017) new
141m
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Stars
Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen
Directed by
Patty Jenkins
Before becoming Wonder Woman, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) was a princess of the Amazons, a secret, ancient warrior tribe. But when an American pilot crashes on their shores, a fleet of German soldiers soon follow, exposing the long-isolated Amazons to the rage of World War I. Convinced she can end the war and restore peace, Diana leaves Amazonia against the wishes of her people to join the Allies. Only then can she discover the true reach of her powers.
The Suicide Squad (2021) new
132m
Genre
Action, Comedy, Adventure
Stars
Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
Directed by
James Gunn
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was widely panned and ridiculed to the point that, less than two years later, DC rebooted the movie with James Gunn behind the helm. It’s better.
When the heavily armed island nation of Corto Maltese begins mobilizing, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) taps into a top-secret program to utilize supervillain inmates imprisoned at Belle Reve as undercover, extrajudicial operatives. Led by Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), the ragtag crew includes Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin, and Harley Quinn. One wrong move, and Waller sets off the bomb embedded in their necks.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
140m
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Stars
Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by
Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers
One of the best movies of the summer and an early Oscar favorite, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse picks up the Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) saga where Miles is back to being Brooklyn’s one and only Spider-Man. Unfortunately, now that he knows the Multiverse exists and that there are others like him out there, he’s more lonely than ever. So when Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) pops back into his life, Miles can’t resist following her only to discover the Spider Society, a massive organization of Spider-People dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Multiverse … and Miles is the only one who isn’t a member.
Desperado (1995)
104m
Genre
Thriller, Action, Crime
Stars
Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Joaquim de Almeida
Directed by
Robert Rodriguez
The follow-up to Robert Rodriguez’s cult classic, El Mariachi, Desperado tells a new tale of El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) as he follows a trail of blood into the border underworld to hunt down the last of the Mexican drug lords, Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida). With the help of some friends and bookstore owner, Carolina (Salma Hayek Pinault), El Mariachi finds Bucho, and the carnage is on.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
110m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Thriller
Stars
Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart
Directed by
Brian De Palma
With the summer release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the M:I franchise is up to seven movies across 27 years. Netflix currently offers the first four films of the action-packed franchise that helped make Tom Cruise one of the most celebrated (and insane) action stars of his generation.
In the first film, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) discovers that he’s the No. 1 suspect after a botched operation leads to the death of his teammates. To clear his name, Ethan goes to work to discover the real double agent.
Gladiator (2000)
155m
Genre
Action, Drama, Adventure
Stars
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
Directed by
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is the rare action film that was both a critical and commercial success, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture. Russell Crowe also won for his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius, loyal servant of emperor Marcus Aurelius and one of the Empire’s finest generals. But when Aurelius suddenly dies, his devious son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), ascends the throne, immediately sentencing Maximus and his family to death to protect the secret that Aurelius intended to return Rome to a democracy. While Maximus escapes his execution, he is captured by slave traders and thrust into the gladiator pits, where he must battle his way back to Rome.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
169m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
One of the best World War II movies of the all time, Saving Private Ryan tells the tale of Ranger captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his seven-man squad, who are sent behind German lines after the invasion of Normandy to find Private James Miller (Matt Damon), the last survivor of four brothers sent overseas to fight for his country.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
139m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn
Directed by
Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge walks the line of drama and action, telling the story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), who saved 75 men in Okinawa without ever carrying a gun. The only American soldier to fight on the front lines without a weapon, Doss felt World War II was justified, but killing was still wrong. As an army medic, Doss led one of the most fascinating stories of the war and ultimately became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
65 (2023)
92m
Genre
Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama
Stars
Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman
Directed by
Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Dinosaurs vs. spacemen? Sure, why not! Adam Driver stars in the 2023 sleeper hit 65 as a space pilot downed in a catastrophic crash on a mysterious planet. Mills (Driver) quickly realizes he’s not on a foreign planet, though. He’s just on Earth 65 million years in the past. The prehistoric planet is riddled with strange terrain and dangerous creatures, but Mills and the one other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must brave the unforgiving world to reach their only chance of being rescued.
Uncharted (2022)
116m
Genre
Action, Adventure
Stars
Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali
Directed by
Ruben Fleischer
The video game adaptation Uncharted feels like a callback to simpler adventure movies of the ’80s and ’90s. Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is a street-smart thief who gets recruited by treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune amassed and lost by Ferdinand Magellan’s crew. However, House Moncada — the family who bankrolled the trip 500 years ago — still feels entitled to that treasure. Now, the upstart treasure hunters are in a race with the ruthless Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) to crack the code left behind by Magellan’s crew and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries … and net $5 billion in treasure.
Bullet Train (2022)
127m
Genre
Action, Comedy, Thriller
Stars
Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Directed by
David Leitch
In Bullet Train, Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is an assassin who has had a string of bad luck leading to a number of gigs going off the rails recently. On his latest mission, taking place on the world’s fastest train, he’s determined to make things go smoothly. Unfortunately, he’s far from the only assassin there, and they all have similar but connected objectives that cause outright chaos to ensue.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
97m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke
Directed by
John Patton Ford
Locked out of the job market due to a criminal record and saddled with student debt, Emily (The White Lotus‘ Aubrey Plaza) takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards. The cards are supplied by handsome middleman, Youcef (Theo Rossi), and the job comes with quick cash and a series of thrills Emily wasn’t prepared for. As Emily grows increasingly attracted to the lifestyle and to Youcef, the pair devise a plan to level up their criminal enterprise in Los Angeles.
Enola Holmes (2020)
123m
Genre
Mystery, Crime, Adventure
Stars
Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin
Directed by
Harry Bradbeer
Millie Bobby Brown stars as Sherlock Holmes’ unheralded kid sister, Enola, in this family-friendly mystery adventure. The world is on the brink of change in 1884 England, and Enola Holmes, raised in seclusion by her eccentric mother (Helena Bonham Carter), suddenly finds herself in the middle of a vast, terrifying political machine. After waking up to discover her mother missing, Enola is suddenly put under the charge of older brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), who decide to send her away to a finishing school for young ladies. Enola, however, refuses to believe that her mother is really gone, escapes, and sets out into London to unravel the mystery on her own. If you like this one, check out the sequel, which is also on Netflix.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
147m
Genre
Action, Drama, History, War
Stars
Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
Directed by
Edward Berger
Today’s cinematic age of huge budgets and mind-blowing special effects help make the newest adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s seminal war novel All Quiet on the Western Front a worthy update to the classic 1930 film. Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer), Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), and Frantz Müller (Moritz Klaus) all dream of glory and are goaded into enlisting in the German Army by the romantic ideals of heroism flowing during World War I. Enthusiastic to fight for their country, the boys quickly lose their fervor when they arrive at the Western Front and are met with horrific conditions and the brutality of armed conflict.
Black Crab (2022)
109m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Dar Salim
Directed by
Adam Berg
Black Crab is a post-apocalyptic action-thriller from director and co-writer Adam Berg. Noomi Rapace stars as Caroline Edh, a talented speed skater who is recruited to a team of five soldiers in a world torn apart by a vicious war. Tasked with delivering a secret package to a research facility that could bring the fighting to an end, Caroline and her fellow operatives must make a daring trek behind enemy lines if there’s to be any hope for humanity. An icy-cold rendition of the familiar “save the world” action sub-genre, Black Crab is a propulsive film and an adrenaline ride that is buttressed by its harsh locales and brutal acts of war.
The Vault (2021)
118m
Genre
Crime, Action, Thriller
Stars
Freddie Highmore, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Riley
Directed by
Jaume Balagueró
In director Jaume Balagueró’s The Vault, Freddie Highmore stars as Thom, a master engineer who takes up ranks with a talented team of professional thieves. The mission? Break into a hidden underground chamber located below the Bank of Spain to make off with the rumored riches lying within. With the plot unfolding against the backdrop of Spain’s World Cup, Thom and his associates must squeeze the most out of every last second if they’re to make off with the vault’s many prizes. An electric and entertaining film, The Vault may not bring too many original concepts to the fold, but its execution of traditional “experts thinking on their feet” action elements is what makes this one a winner.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
114m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars
Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Chloe Coleman
Directed by
Navot Papushado
As a child, Sam (Karen Gillan) was abandoned by her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), when her life as an assassin overwhelmed her. In the present, Sam follows her mother’s footsteps as an assassin. However, Sam betrays her contract when she uses stolen money to pay the ransom for Emily (Chloe Coleman), a young girl under her protection. As rival assassins and criminals pursue Sam and Emily, Scarlet re-enters her life at an inopportune moment. If either mother or daughter wants to survive, they will have to work together. And as the title of Gunpowder Milkshake implies, there’s a lot of gunplay in this movie.
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Spectral (2016)
109m
Genre
Science Fiction, Thriller, Action
Stars
James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, Gonzalo Menendez
Directed by
Nic Mathieu
Spectral was one of the early Netflix original films, and it poses an unusual problem for its lead character, Clyne (James Badge Dale). As a DARPA scientist, it’s Clyne’s job to investigate when U.S. soldiers in Moldova encounter ghost-like apparitions that can not be killed, harmed, or easily seen. After meeting up with General Orland (Bruce Greenwood) and his men, as well as CIA officer Fran Madison (Emily Mortimer), Clyne discovers that the apparitions are a man-made threat. But knowing this and finding a way of stopping them are two different things. And nothing seems to slow down their rampage.
Army of the Dead (2021)
148m
Genre
Action, Adventure, Horror, Crime
Stars
Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick
Directed by
Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder got his start with his remake of Dawn of the Dead, but Army of the Dead is all his. After Las Vegas falls to the zombie plague, casino owner Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) wants to recover his lost millions from a vault before Sin City is nuked off the face of the Earth. That’s where Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) comes in. He’s an ex-mercenary who is convinced by Tanaka to put a team together and try to make it in and out of Vegas before the bombs drop. However, the mission is complicated when Scott’s estranged daughter, Kate Ward (Ella Purnell), insists on coming along. And none of Scott’s team is prepared for what they’ll find in the ruins of Vegas.
The Old Guard (2020)
125m
Genre
Action, Fantasy
Stars
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Directed by
Gina Prince-Bythewood
In a year largely without theaters, this comic book adaptation has stepped up to fill the blockbuster void. Charlize Theron headlines The Old Guard as Andy, a warrior who was once Andromache of Scythia. Andy and her fellow immortal mercs are exposed by ex-CIA spook James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor). However, Andy’s quest to reclaim her secrets is complicated by the emergence of Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne), a Marine who becomes the first new immortal in a long time. Andy reluctantly takes Nile under her wing as previously unknown enemies close in on them. We could be looking at a franchise here, as Theron herself told Variety that a sequel script is complete with filming to begin in early 2022.
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
121m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars
Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Asha Kenyeri Bermudez
Directed by
Timo Tjahjanto
The Night Comes for Us might legitimately be the goriest action flick in recent memory. Indonesian action films have an intensity that many of their American counterparts can’t match. Joe Taslim stars as Ito, an assassin for the South East Asian Triad. But when Ito is ordered to kill a young girl, Reina (Asha Kenyeri Bermudez), he turns against his masters. That’s why Ito’s former masters send his ex-friend, Arian (Iko Uwais), after both of them to finish the job. There will be blood … lots of it.
The King (2019)
140m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris
Directed by
David Michôd
For those who prefer their action with a more historical bent, The King is a smartly reimagined, modernized version of Shakespeare’s Henry V. It’s too bad Shakespeare lived before the age of cinema because, with gorgeous cinematography, incredibly broad set pieces, and harrowing depictions of medieval war, director David Michôd delivers a glorious war movie. Timothee Chalamet stars as young Henry V, an unaspiring heir who has the crown forced upon him after his father’s untimely death. Believing Henry weak and ineffectual, the Dauphin of France takes the opportunity to incite a war. But there’s more afoot than meets the eye. Robert Pattinson’s performance as the Dauphin alone is worth the watch.
Wheelman (2017)
Genre
Action, Crime, Thriller
Cast
Frank Grillo, Wendy Moniz-Grillo, Caitlin Carmichael
Frank Grillo tends to play a lot of villains or supporting characters and has appeared in a wide range of TV shows and movies, from Law & Order and Billions to Avengers: Endgame. But in Wheelman, Grillo gets to take the lead as the unnamed getaway driver who finds himself in over his head after a double-cross. Someone set up the Wheelman for a deadly fall, and he’s not going to take it lying down. Throughout the course of the movie, we learn a bit more about the Wheelman’s past and his broken family life. But the real attraction here is the dynamic driving and action scenes, which Grillo pulls off with gusto.
Triple Frontier (2019)
125m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime, Adventure
Stars
Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam
Directed by
J.C. Chandor
Netflix put together an all-star cast for Triple Frontier, with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal as a team of ex-Delta Force soldiers who reunite for a dangerous heist in South America. Affleck’s Tom “Redfly” Davis is the ringleader of the crew who convinces them to reunite in order to steal a fortune from a drug lord. However, Davis’ greed gets the best of him during the initial strike, leaving the team vulnerable as they attempt to escape the jungle with their newfound wealth and their lives. But the biggest threat to the team may come from within.
Burn Out (2018)
Genre
Action, Thriller
Cast
François Civil, Olivier Rabourdin, Manon Azem
One of the benefits of Netflix is the ability to discover films that would have been under the radar without it. A case in point is Burn Out, a French thriller that stars Parisian actor François Civil as Tony Rodrigues, a semi-pro motorcyclist who finds himself outside of the law. To settle the debt of his ex, Leyla (Manon Azem), Tony agrees to be a courier for a drug dealer named Jordan (Samuel Jouy), which, of course, involves Tony zipping through traffic on his motorcycle at breakneck speeds. But when Jordan won’t allow Tony to end their arrangement, he has to call upon his friend, Miguel (Olivier Rabourdin), to make an even more dangerous play to escape.
Extraction (2020)
116m
Genre
Drama, Action, Thriller
Stars
Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
Directed by
Sam Hargrave
As one of their first films following Avengers: Endgame, Joe and Anthony Russo re-teamed with Chris Hemsworth for Extraction, a Netflix original. This particular comic book adaptation is much more down-to-earth, however, as Hemsworth’s black-ops mercenary, Tyler Rake, is recruited for a mission to protect Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of a local drug lord. Hemsworth’s performance carries the movie, and first-time director Sam Hargrave delivers next-level action and stunt sequences. This is one of the best popcorn flicks of recent memory, and it didn’t even need a theater.
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