Action remains one of the more popular genres on Netflix. One of our picks for July, The Old Guard 2, is currently one of the 10 most popular movies on the service. Fans of Gerard Butler will be happy to see that Plane, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and London Has Fallen are all available to stream.
It’s hard to go wrong with action on Netflix. At worst, you’ll find a mediocre 100-minute thriller with some good action that passes the time. Thankfully, the three movies below all have redeeming qualities to make them worthy of a stream.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on HBO Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)
To some fans, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation is the best entry in the franchise. I don’t have that same belief, but it’s certainly in the top three. Ghost Protocol reinvigorated the franchise after a slight misfire in Mission: Impossible III. Rogue Nation took what worked in Ghost Protocol — large-scale action set pieces —and infused it with suspenseful espionage not seen since Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible.
When the CIA decommissions the IMF, Ethan Hunt refuses to turn himself in and becomes a fugitive. He becomes a lone wolf and searches for the Syndicate, a sinister organization filled with rogue agents and field operatives. Thankfully, Ethan’s trusty team, including Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), is not far behind and ready to help out their leader. Rogue Nation is best known for introducing Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who is arguably the best character in the series behind Ethan.
Stream Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation on Netflix.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Have you ever watched Power Rangers? At the end of every episode, the Power Rangers combine their vehicles (“Zords”) into a gigantic humanoid robot, the Megazord. Now imagine if Megazords fought humongous sea monsters. That’s essentially the gist of Pacific Rim. Oh, there’s one major caveat — Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro co-wrote and directed the movie.
After enormous monsters (“Kaiju”) emerge from the sea, humanity builds Jaegers —giant robots that are piloted by two humans — to defend their cities. The Kaiju eventually defeat most of the Jaegers, leaving mankind in dire straits. Desperate, the military recruits Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), a former pilot who reluctantly agrees to fly a Jaeger alongside a rookie named Mako (Rinko Kikuchi). Del Toro has a deep understanding of science fiction. However, it’s his eye for action and spectacle that allows Pacific Rim to soar.
Stream Pacific Rim on Netflix.
The Old Guard 2 (2025)
In the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix released The Old Guard in July 2020. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard quickly became one of the streamer’s best original action movies. Five years later, the sequel, The Old Guard 2, is finally streaming. About six months after the events of the first film, Andy (Charlize Theron) and her newly formed team of mercenaries are still serving as Earth’s protectors.
While most of the group is immortal, Andy lost her power to heal herself, meaning she can die. When the first immortal (Uma Thurman) threatens to eliminate millions of humans, Andy and Co. answer the call, despite knowing it’s a trap. The sequel clearly missed Prince-Bythewood’s direction, especially when staging action sequences. However, adding Thurman to play the villain is a major upgrade, and her eventual showdown with Theron is worth the watch.
Stream The Old Guard 2 on Netflix.
