Even when you have all the time in the world, it can be tough to pick a movie to watch. With so many streaming services and options out there, it’s an endless list of movies to stream and choose from. But don’t worry, we have you covered and narrowed down the 30 best movies for you to stream right now.
If you’re looking for something newer, Chris Hemsworth has the action thriller Extraction on Netflix, which has some jaw-dropping action sequences. Multiple movies in Keanu Reeves’s John Wick series are streaming—just in time to get you ready for John Wick: Chapter 4—while Reeves’s other franchise, The Matrix, is also out there for you to jump back into.
In any event, these movies are great picks to help pass the time during quarantine or just provide you with some entertainment.
If you’re working from home or just looking for something to pass the time, any of these movies will give you some prime entertainment for a couple of hours.
Chris Hemsworth trades in Thor’s hammer for some major weaponry in this high-octane action-thriller directed by longtime Marvel stuntman Sam Hargrave (Avengers, Captain America: Winter Soldier) and produced by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame). The story involves Tyler Rake (Hemsworth), a badass mercenary who is tasked with saving the kidnapped son of an international crime lord, and naturally, things go wild along the way. The highlight is a 12-minute car chase that’s presented in one uncut shot that rivals any chase you’ve seen in quite some time. If you’re looking for a lot of action, you can’t go wrong here.
Warner Bros/Village Roadshow Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock
The Matrix, Netflix
Return to The Matrix to get ready for the fourth film in the series, set to come out in 2021 with Keanu Reeves returning to his role as Neo. Almost every action film that’s come out since this movie has been influenced by it, including Reeves’ own John Wick series. Even though the film came out in 1999, the computer graphics and stunt choreography hold up amazingly well, from Neo jumping from rooftops to the “bullet-time” action sequences that slow things down. Take a throwback and tap into the Matrix once again.
Mark Wahlberg teams up with frequent collaborator, director Peter Berg (Mile 22, Patriots Day, Deepwater Horizon, and Lone Survivor), for this adaptation of the book Wonderland by Ace Atkins. Wahlberg stars as Detective Spenser, a former cop who is looking for revenge on the people who framed him and put him in jail five years earlier. Spenser teams up with Hawk, an MMA fighter played by Black Panther’s Winston Duke to unravel the conspiracy. A lot of fights—and comedy—come through as the two solve the case.
Keanu Reeves helped make a brand new action franchise out of John Wick, starting off with the story of a legendary assassin out for revenge after mobsters kill his most prized possession: the dog his late wife gave to him as her last gift. The fight scenes in this movie are fast and frenetic and prove that violence can be artistic when choreographed the right way. Followed by two sequels—and a fourth on the way—this is how the John Wick series got started.
In these two sequels to Generation Iron, the stories follow the new generation of bodybuilders as they work on honing their physiques and compete in the Mr. Olympia competition. The second film features bodybuilders like Calum Von Moger, Kai Greene, and Flex Wheeler, and gives you a behind the scenes look at what it takes to train to try and become a champion.
The Infinity Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to an end in Avengers: Endgame. With movie theaters shut down for the moment, it’s the perfect time to revisit the biggest movie of all time. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America unite all the Avengers to take on Thanos, putting the biggest superhero battle ever on screen. Between the comedic moments, the massive fights, and the incredible chemistry between the actors, Endgame is one of the best things you can watch at home right now.
This martial arts film is the movie that helped make Jean-Claude Van Damme a superstar. The movie has some of the most incredible fight scenes ever filmed, with Van Damme’s character Frank Dux making his way through a bloody and dangerous tournament. Van Damme shows off the stunt work and physicality that helped make him one of the biggest action stars during his heyday. Watch this movie to see how it all started.
Keanu Reeves goes bigger, badder, and more violent in the third entry in the John Wick series. Following the events of the second film, Reeves is on the run and trying to fight off every assassin in New York City—and basically the world—as Wick has a big price on his head. The world of John Wick expands in this movie, bringing in Halle Berry’s badass character Sofia, the manager of the Continental Hotel in Casablanca. The fight scene with Sofia, Wick, and Sofia’s dogs might be one of the best fight scenes in movie history—don’t miss it.
This documentary following climber Alex Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan might be the most thrilling movie you’ll ever see. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Meru), the movie details how Honnold prepared to climb one of the toughest peaks in the world, all without the help of any ropes. The anxiety, fear, joy, and exhilaration through this movie is hard to measure, which is probably why it won the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary.
Gerard Butler stars as an absolutely badass Secret Service agent in this action thriller, which puts the White House center stage for battle. Butler’s Mike Banning has to protect the U.S. president from an all-out guerrilla assault in one of the most secure places in the world, using his wits and U.S. Army Ranger experience to outfox his enemies. This one is an absolute blast as an action film, with great supporting performances from Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman.
Michael Bay is at the height of his action movie powers in this movie, following a group of six highly-skilled individuals as they try to take down the world’s worst criminals and drug lords. Led by Ryan Reynolds’ character One, the group flies all around the world with incredible cars and every weapon they could ever need. Bay films the massive explosions and gunfights with perfection, bringing you right into the middle of the action. The opening sequence of the team racing through the streets of Florence in a green Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is one of the most thrilling action scenes of the year.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham take their witty banter and fantastic chemistry from the Fast & Furious franchise into the first-ever spinoff of the series. The duo is forced to come together to confront the toughest villain they’ve ever faced: Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore, a superpowered soldier with a taste for revenge. The incredible chase sequence and fight that takes place in Samoa between Shaw, Hobbs, and Hobb’s family against Lore’s forces is over-the-top in all the best ways, including when the Rock almost single-handedly takes down a helicopter.
With Bad Boys For Life setting box office records earlier in 2020, it’s the perfect time to revisit Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in this sequel. The explosions are bigger and so is the mission, which follows Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett as they try to stop the leaders of the drug trade in Miami. While the first movie in the series is great, this sequel is like Bad Boys on steroids and is better in almost every way—especially the action scenes.
The first major Star Wars spinoff is one of the best action films in recent years, filling in the story of how the Rebels stole the Death Star plans and helped bring down the Empire. Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso and Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor are the main characters here, bringing together a band of badass misfits in the movie that truly puts the word “war” in Star Wars. It’s less lightsabers and more of a gritty war story compared to other Star Wars films, but that’s what makes it a great watch.
Dr. No, Goldfinger, Goldeneye – James Bond films – Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime has a whole collection of James Bond films available to stream, and these three—Dr. No, Goldfinger, Goldeneye—are a few of the best. Dr. No is the movie that started the whole franchise, bringing the world Sean Connery’s James Bond, while Goldfinger might be the best one of the series, putting Bond against the now-iconic villain of the title. While Goldeneye might be better known as an N64 game, it features one of the best Bond performances by Pierce Brosnan, and also featured Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean in a supporting role.
While it’s definitely not the best of the Rambo franchise, Sylvester Stallone shows that he has a little more to give fans in Last Blood as John Rambo. In this movie, Rambo is thrust into action after the daughter of a close friend is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel. With his bow-and-arrow still as sharp as ever, Stallone shows that he can still be a physically-imposing machine in this likely final installment of the Rambo franchise.
In this Oscar-nominated performance, Leonardo DiCaprio does some of the best work of his career, as gunrunner Danny Archer, who teams up with Djimon Hounsou’s Solomon Vandy to track down an extremely expensive diamond. The two brave through war-torn lands and fight against corrupt soldiers, with director Edward Zwick giving you a great point-of-view look of the action.
Many fans of the genre still consider this one of the best superhero films ever made. You have director Christopher Nolan at the peak of his powers, following a bulked up Christain Bale as Bruce Waye as he takes on Heath Ledger’s Joker, giving a legendary performance that won an Oscar. The Batmobile chase in the climax is an incredible action sequence and the movie includes some of the best Batman fight scenes we’ve had so far.
Michael B. Jordan’s shredded Adonis Creed teams up with Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa once again for this boxing film, going head-to-head with a rival from his father’s past. When Ivan Drago’s (Dolph Lundgren) son challenges Adonis in the ring, it puts the boxer to the biggest test of his life. Things get bigger and better in this sequel, with some incredibly choreographed fight scenes and strong performances from the whole cast.
The fifth installment of the massively-successful Fast & Furious series brings in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for the first time and also might be the best movie in the franchise. This is the film that really took the series away from its street racing roots, turning it into a set of global crime thrillers with amazing action sequences. The car chase in Rio is shot to perfection by director Justin Lin and that scene alone is worth watching the movie for.
After the so-so critical and commercial success of Transformers: The Last Knight, the franchise looked to go smaller in Bumblebee—and it works to perfection. Hailee Steinfeld stars alongside WWE superstar John Cena in this 80s-set film, focusing on the origins of fan-favorite character Bumblebee as he finds his way after hiding on Earth. Director Travis Knight adds the perfect amount of nostalgia and humor, while the redesign of Bumblebee to the more-classic Transformers look from the original toy run makes for a winning combination—and a worthwhile retooling of the series.
Go deep behind the science of plant-based diets in this documentary, which follows the story of former UFC fighter James Wilks, with commentary from names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Strongman Patrik Baboumian, F1 star Lewis Hamilton, and boxer Bryant Jennings. The film features producers like Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, director James Cameron, and Novak Djokovic and gives a fascinating look at the way athletes train and how science has changed over the years regarding nutrition and dieting.
This Sylvester Stallone action film is getting some new life with the world the way it is, as it takes place in a future 2032 where there’s basically no physical contact. This is one of Stallone’s best 90’s movies and it has a real funny streak to it with Stallone’s fish-out-of-water character John Spartan, a cop who is cryogenically frozen and is woken up 30 years in the future to take down a dangerous criminal, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes). Sandra Bullock is perfect as Stallone’s future guide Lieutenant Lenina Huxley, and even better: Stallone revealed on Instagram that a sequel to the film is in the works.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is in peak action hero form in this film where he plays a retired special forces soldier who is brought back into action when his former unit is killed by mercenaries. Schwarzenegger has one of the all-time best movie names in this film—Colonel John Matrix—and the action is basically non-stop throughout. If you need a night of explosions and gunfights and not much else, this is perfect.
Harrison Ford stars as iconic spy Jack Ryan for the first time in this Phillip Noyce-directed action thriller. Ryan gets involved in a worldwide conspiracy when he helps stop the assassination of a member of the British Royal family, It’s one of the best espionage movies ever and also has a pretty stacked cast with Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, and once again, Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean in a supporting role.
Go back to the Old West for this classic Spaghetti Western that helped make Clint Eastwood a worldwide superstar. The movie follows three gunslingers looking to get rich during the American Civil War as they try and track down buried gold. The gun duels are some of the most well-done scenes you’ll find in any Western and Eastwood flashes his now-iconic grizzly persona to perfection.
If you enjoyed checking out Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction, pairing it up for Triple Frontier would make a perfect double feature. The action movie stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal as a group of former Delta Force members who team up to rob a Colombian drug lord. While the raid to get the money is a success, it’s escaping with it that becomes a battle of wills—and makes for some wild scenes, including a chase in a helicopter. The locations in the film are also incredible—while it takes place in the titular triple frontier of the area where the borders of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia meet, the movie was shot in Oahu, Hawaii.
This real-life adaptation of the U.S. military’s 1993 raid in Mogadishu is one of the best modern war movies. Director Ridley Scott put together an All-Star cast that included Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Hardy, Ty Burrell, Orlando Bloom, Jeremy Piven, and Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, putting you right in the middle of the action as the mission goes down. If you get the chance, watch this one on the biggest screen you have as loud as you can (without getting into trouble), for good reason: The film won two Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Netflix
Even after all these years, Indiana Jones is still one of the coolest characters of all time. Harrison Ford plays the now-iconic archeologist with the perfect combination of humor, confidence, and charisma as Jones tries to track down the Ark of the Covenant to keep it out of Nazi hands. The opening scene is one of the most memorable in film history and if you’re looking for a night to transport you out of the living room and into an adventure, this is the pick.
Tom Hanks is one of the biggest stars in the world, but even he still has movies that are underrated. This mob drama follows Hanks’ hitman Michael Sullivan as he’s forced to go on the run when his son witnesses something he shouldn’t have seen. The movie has an incredible cast alongside Hanks with Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig, teaming up with director Sam Mendes years before Craig became James Bond and teamed up with Mendes for Skyfall. Mendes’s strong visual eye is on display here in the rain-soaked confrontations that Hanks has with his pursuers. This movie has it all: mob stuff, gunfights, and thrilling action scenes.
