Okay, let’s just get this out of the way – I haven’t seen that many action movies in my time.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the casual foray into action-esque movies, but they’re just not really the first pick of the bunch when I head to the ol’ cinema.
I’m also a walking contradiction as I thoroughly enjoyed the first Transformers, but that was mainly due to Shia Labeouf‘s hilarious parents plus even I can’t deny the world’s fixation with Megan Fox‘s face. It’s outta control.
So, with that said, here’s a roundup of the best action movies on Netflix right now for people who might not be that familiar with the genre. Just easing you in, guys.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
There’s a chance you’ve had strangers accost you at parties and make you sit through a half-hour lecture about why Mad Max: Fury Road is the best thing to happen to cinema since they introduced colour.
Although I don’t condone half-hour lectures on anything (uni was a struggle), I can confirm that Mad Max is an absolute ride-and-a-half. Yes, there are critics who argue that the plotline is thin but honestly, when it’s a muzzled Tom Hardy and a badass Charlize Theron charging their way through a picturesque desert, who actually cares? Cinema gold, you guys.
Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)
Heavens to Betsy, I will never be able to properly recover from either of these movies.
Quentin Tarantino has a knack for creating beautifully shot, wildly disturbing scenes that haunt you for literal years, and Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2 are chock full of ’em. Hands up if you’re still scarred by that hospital scene in Vol 1? That scene alone is the reason I shower four times a day.
Regardless, Uma Thurman puts on a deadset stellar performance and I wholeheartedly believe that she wanted to kill Bill (spoiler?) more than I want to forget that hospital scene.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
It’s hard to believe that Ocean’s Eleven is an entire teenager old. I mean, the casino heist movie can almost legally vote which is just bonkers.
Brad Pitt and George Clooney lead a stacked all-star cast to break into an (allegedly) unpenetrable vault in one of Las Vegas‘ most successful casinos, and there are moments where you’ll sweat uncontrollably as they attempt to pull off the impossible.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
If you haven’t seen Hot Fuzz, you may be slightly confused as to how a movie where an aggressive goose/swan/bird scares two English cops could be considered an action movie.
Well, my narrow-minded brethren, easily. That’s how. While the bird scene very much happens, the entire movie centres around Simon Pegg and Nick Frost‘s characters investigating some pretty messed up murders in a small town.
It’s graphic, it’s ridiculous and there are exactly zero space robots – exactly what I look for in an action movie.
The Dark Knight (2008)
I mean, come on. When’s the last time a superhero movie won an Oscar for anything other than costume design? (Nice try, Suicide Squad. Your Oscar is invalid to me.)
Not only does Heath Ledger act his soul out, the entirety of the movie is genuinely riveting. If I had to nitpick, I could probably do with a touch less emo Batman being emo. I get that he’s had a tough life but he also has an actual lair so you have to pick your battles.
Fury (2014)
Without spoiling anything, Fury is the definition of intense. I was clenching for two hours and 14 minutes. Legit.
While the setting is enough to keep you on edge (Germany during the tail-end of WWII), Brad Pitt playing a no-bull tank commander in charge of unstable yet loyal men is impossible to look away from.
You’ll also spot Perks of Being a Wallflower‘s Logan Lerman playing a typist-turned-reluctant-tank-boi and oh man, I’ve never felt more sympathy for a fictional character in my life.
It’s easy to sit at home on the weekend and live vicariously through Netflix but it’s even cooler to go out there and experience all the action for yourself. Pick up Instant Scratch-Its* to see if you’re a lucky duck who wins a little extra cash in your pockets to live life like one giant action movie.
Don’t let the game play you. Stay in control. Gamble responsibly.
