:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/action-movies-081125-55e6ed17b92045789efce5cc7d3894a1.jpg)
From franchise favorites to Oscar winners, here are the most thrilling features on the streamer. The 20 best action movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your day
From franchise favorites to Oscar winners, here are the most thrilling features on the streamer.
The 20 best action movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your day moving
From franchise favorites to Oscar winners, here are the most thrilling features on the streamer.
By Ilana Gordon,
Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
EW's editorial guidelines
Declan Gallagher,
Dennis Perkins,
and Kevin Jacobsen
on August 14, 2025 09:32AM EDT
Tom Hanks as Captain Miller in 'Saving Private Ryan'; Russell Crowe as Maximus in 'Gladiator'; Willem Dafoe as Sergeant Elias in 'Platoon'. Credit:
DreamWorks/Everett; Universal/Getty; Orion Pictures/Everett
If you're looking for an action-packed romp to keep you entertained at home, Amazon Prime Video has you covered. The streamer boasts an excellent selection of films featuring all the explosions, stunt sequences, and car chases one could dream of. Whether you're feeling an uplifting sports movie (*Creed*) or a box office favorite (*Die Hard*), Amazon Prime Video delivers on demand.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton in 'Atomic Blonde'.
Jonathan Prime/Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
A stylistic Cold War action film based on the 2012 graphic novel *The Coldest City*, *Atomic Blonde* is the movie that earned Charlize Theron her place on Hollywood's shortlist of cinematic badasses. Theron stars as MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton, an agent tasked with recovering a list naming every British spy active in the Berlin area. Is the film's plot slightly derivative? Yes. Does Theron's character sometimes come across like a female response to James Bond or Jason Bourne? Absolutely. But with fight choreography this impressive, who really cares?
*Atomic Blonde* might not elevate the genre, but the film has pizzazz to spare. As EW's critic puts it, "The pounding '80s soundtrack (New Order, Depeche Mode, Ministry) couldn't be cooler, the ultraviolence is relentlessly brutal, and Theron's guns-and-garters wardrobe is sexy as hell." *—Ilana Gordon*
Where to watch *Atomic Blonde*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade: **B (read the review)
**Director: **David Leitch
**Cast: **Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones
The Beekeeper (2024)
Jason Statham as Clay in 'The Beekeeper'.
Amazon MGM Studios
Jason Statham keeps bees, takes names, and kicks ass in the new action film, *The Beekeeper*. Armed with the best kind of nonsense premise — Statham plays Adam Clay, a member of the Beekeepers, a clandestine human intelligence group charged with protecting United States citizens — who decides to exact vengeance upon the scammers who ripped off his neighbor.
The film gives Clay any number of potential opps to battle, but most exciting is a well-connected executive named Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson, no longer a teenager trying to survive *The Hunger Games*). Thrilling, action-packed, and employing the highest number of bee actors since *The Secret Life of Bees*, *The Beekeeper *is the ideal film for Statham stans. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Beekeeper*: Amazon Prime Video
**Director: **David Ayer
**Cast: **Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Phylicia Rashad, Jeremy Irons
Cold Pursuit (2019)
Liam Neeson as Nels Coxman in 'Cold Pursuit'.
Doane Gregory/Lionsgate
Liam Neeson has established himself in Hollywood as the purveyor of characters not to be trifled with. In *Cold Pursuit*, he once again plays a father seeking vengeance for wrongs perpetrated upon his family, only this time, he lives in a Colorado resort town called Kehoe where he works as a snowplow driver. What distinguishes *Cold Pursuit* from other offerings in Neeson's arsenal of justice-hunting characters is the humor inherent in the film's script.
While not quite a comedy, the movie likes to veer into Tarantino territory, adorning fight scenes with bon mots and clever dialogue. The result could have left viewers cold, but Neeson and Laura Dern's performances as grieving parents, and Hans Petter Moland's fast-moving direction, help ground a film that EW's critic describes as "the daffiest and most delirious" of Neeson's recent work. *—I.G.*
Where to stream *Cold Pursuit*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)
**Director: **Hans Petter Moland
**Cast:** Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Emmy Rossum, Michael Eklund
Creed (2015)
Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed and Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in 'Creed'. Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.
In the fall of 1976, the world met Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) for the first time, and running up a flight of stairs in Philadelphia hasn't been the same since. Every generation deserves a *Rocky* of their own, however, and in 2015, the franchise introduced us to Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Michael B. Jordan). The illegitimate son of legendary fighter and former Rocky opponent, Apollo Creed, Donnie has been brought up with privilege, but still feels called upon to prove himself in the ring.
After convincing Rocky (Stallone, returning to the role) to train him, Donnie prepares for the fight of his life — and so does Rocky, who is struggling with health issues of his own. *Creed* is the seventh addition to the* Rocky* franchise, and has resonated with audiences to such an extent that the film already spawned two sequels. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Creed*: Amazon Prime Video
**Director: **Ryan Coogler
**Cast: **Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Anthony Bellew
Die Hard (1988)
Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox
Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for more than three decades, but it's an agreed upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly. After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, McClane must work to take down the terrorists from the inside in order to save his family.
The world has *Die Hard* to thank for elevating both Willis' and Rickman's careers, and while Willis' recent retirement has brought an end to the franchise, *Die Hard* will always be remembered as the movie that helped cement his legacy as one of the foremost action stars of all time.* —I.G.***
Where to watch *Die Hard*: Amazon Prime Video**
**Director:** John McTiernan**
**Cast: **Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia
Escape From New York (1981)
Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken in 'Escape From New York'. Everett Collection
John Carpenter's actioner stars Kurt Russell as prison inmate Snake Plissken, who's tasked with saving the president (Donald Pleasence) from infidels in an apocalyptic 1997. One of the director's last films from his most furtive period, *Escape From New York* is an assured blend of sci-fi thriller and the Howard Hawks Westerns he grew up loving as a kid. *—Declan Gallagher*
Where to watch *Escape From New York*: Amazon Prime Video******Director:** John Carpenter******Cast: **Kurt Russell, Adrienne Barbeau, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes**
The Fall Guy (2024)
Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers in 'The Fall Guy'.
Universal Pictures
A love letter to the stunt community, *The Fall Guy* is a romantic action comedy about a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) who returns to making movies after a near-fatal fall, only to find himself fighting for his life after accidentally getting mixed up in a criminal conspiracy. Gosling stars opposite Emily Blunt, who plays his ex-girlfriend, a talented filmmaker shooting her directorial debut.**
Gosling has long been a Hollywood heartthrob, and *Barbie* reminded everyone of exactly how physical and funny he is. But as EW's review points out, *The Fall Guy* is the first project that puts all these gifts on display at the same time. "He gets to embody his full potential here — as a drop-dead gorgeous leading man, an action star in a moment of triumph, and a winking comedian, poking fun at his own image." *The Fall Guy* underperformed at the box office, but this is a movie that deserves to be seen — especially by anyone who needs to be reminded of how fun cinema can be. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Fall Guy*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** A– (read the review)
**Director:** David Leitch
**Cast: **Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke
Gladiator (2000)
Russell Crowe as Maximus in 'Gladiator'.
Universal/Getty
The 1960s were known for "sword-and-sandal movies" — splashy epics like *Ben-Hur* and *Spartacus* that centered Roman Republic heroics against backdrops of sand dunes and ancient architecture. In 2000, Ridley Scott revived the genre, casting Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix as opposing forces in a battle for Roman political control. Crowe plays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, a family man with a fierce aptitude on the battlefield. When Commodus (Phoenix) learns his father, the emperor, plans to make Maximus his successor, Commodus has his father and Maximus' family killed.
Maximus' quest to avenge his loved ones takes him on a journey from soldier to enslavement, forced to do battle in the arena in the hopes of securing his freedom and justice for his family. Winning Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor, *Gladiator* is the rare critical and commercial success that has held up for more than two decades. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Gladiator*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** A– (read the review)
**Director: **Ridley Scott
**Cast:** Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris
Gladiator II (2024)
Paul Mescal as Hanno/Lucius and Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius in 'Gladiator II'.
Almost 25 years after *Gladiator* premiered and entertained theater audiences with its epic historical narrative and bold action sequences, Ridley Scott returns with his long-awaited sequel. The successor to his Best Picture winner follows a fresh crop of characters led by Paul Mescal, who stars as Hanno, a prisoner of war. Hanno shows promise in the ring and carries vengeance in his heart for his murdered wife and conquered kingdom, but as he acquits himself as a gladiator and learns about his background, he begins to imagine the possibilities for a rehabilitated Rome.
*Gladiator II* boasts a fresh cast of brilliant actors, a smart, well-constructed script, and employs a quarter century's worth of cinematic and visual effect advancements that propel this project to new heights. As EW's critic notes "With *Gladiator II*, [Ridley] reminds us why, at 86, he's still one of the most invigorating filmmakers around." —*I.G.***
Where to watch *Gladiator II*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** A (read the review)
**Director: **Ridley Scott
**Cast: **Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi
The 25 best action movies on Netflix
The 24 best action movies on Max to get you hyped up
Ip Man (2010)
Donnie Yen as Ip Man in 'Ip Man'. Well Go/Everett
Eight years before Donnie Yen portrayed a stoically deadly warrior in *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*, the Hong Kong superstar played the titular martial arts master most famous for teaching Bruce Lee. *Ip Man* takes place long before that, though, with Yen's Wing Chun master reluctantly proving his superior skills against rival martial arts schools, and, eventually, the invading Japanese. Playing loosely with the biography of the very real* *Ip Man, Wilson Yip's film is a jingoistic mix of anti-Japan sentiment and stunning action set pieces.
Yen, already a global martial arts star, studied Wing Chun under fellow Hong Kong action star Sammo Hung, and makes the unassuming *Ip Man* a riveting blur of jackhammer punches and balletic movement whenever anyone proves unwise enough to disturb his quiet life. You might guess the outcome, but the spectacle of Yen's real-life prowess will still knock you on your heels. *—Dennis Perkins*
Where to watch *Ip Man*: Amazon Prime Video******Director:** Wilson Yip******Cast: **Donnie Yen
Jurassic World (2015)
Chris Pratt as Owen Grady in 'Jurassic World'. Universal Pictures
Nothing can top *Jurassic Park*, but *Jurassic World* — released more than two decades after the original film — was the first of the franchise's movies to come close. Set in a dinosaur theme park where lagging attendance has necessitated that geneticists come up with even more inventive and dangerous creatures, *Jurassic World *finds itself under attack when a transgenic dinosaur escapes and starts going after the guests.
Viewers looking for hearty emotional fare should look elsewhere: This is a film that prioritizes CGI dinosaur battles above all else. But EW's critic promises "when it comes to serving up a smorgasbord of bloody dino mayhem, it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do beautifully." *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Jurassic World*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade: **B+ (read the review)
**Director:** Colin Trevorrow
**Cast: **Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Anaya (Travis Jeffery), Noa (Owen Teague), and Soona (Lydia Peckham) in 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'.
Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Centuries into the apes-dominated world that Caesar made, *Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes* is a strong continuation of the rebooted franchise's themes of power and survival. The film centers on Noa (Owen Teague), a young ape whose clan is kidnapped by a rival group, setting out on a journey alongside a human woman to find answers. Featuring remarkably lifelike (and Oscar-nominated) visual effects, *Kingdom* features excellent world-building and committed motion-capture performances. Writes EW's critic, "As a pure ape-versus-wild survival story, *Kingdom* is a thrill, and [director Wes] Ball captures his lush, postapocalyptic jungle in gorgeous detail." *—Kevin Jacobsen*
Where to watch *Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** B (read the review)
**Director: **Wes Ball
**Cast: **Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy
Let Him Go (2020)
Kevin Costner as George Blackledge and Diane Lane as Margaret Blackledge in 'Let Him Go'. Kimberley French/Focus Features
*Yellowstone *fans searching for a movie in the same vein will want to check out *Let Him Go*, a neo-Western thriller about a grandmother's quest to rescue her grandson. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner star as Margaret and George Blackledge, Montana ranchers whose son dies in an accident. When his widow marries into the dangerous Weboy family — taking the couple's grandson, Jimmy, with her to North Dakota — Margaret decides it's up to her to bring Jimmy home.
What follows is an epic showdown between the Blackledges and Weboys, led by the family's sadistic matriarch, Blanche (Lesley Manville). Lovers of pulpy drama, violent climaxes, and deeply-held family ties will find much to enjoy here, and EW's critic writes, "there's blunt power in the execution, most of it concentrated in [director Thomas] Bezucha's moody big-sky atmosphere, and in the seasoned professionals he's found to tell the tale." *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Let Him Go*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade: **B (read the review)
**Director: **Thomas Bezucha
**Cast: **Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lesley Manville
The Lost City of Z (2017)
Charlie Hunnam as Percy Fawcett and Tom Holland as Jack Fawcett in 'The Lost City of Z'.
Aidan Monaghan/Bleecker Street Media/Everett
James Gray's film, adapted from *Killers of the Flower Moon* author David Grann's nonfiction book, is a cracking old-fashioned adventure yarn. *The Lost City of Z* stars Charlie Hunnam as fabled explorer Percy Fawcett, who discovers a previously unknown civilization during a trek into the Amazon jungle — but when his interest in his work begins to border on obsession, Fawcett finds himself struggling to maintain his relationships with his wife and children. The film was chosen to close the New York Film Festival in 2016, and while it was overlooked by audiences during its time in theaters, the film found favor with most critics. *—D.G.*
Where to watch *The Lost City of Z*: Amazon Prime Video
**Director: **James Gray
**Cast: **Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid
Platoon (1986)
Charlie Sheen as Chris in 'Platoon'.
Orion/Courtesy of Everett
*Platoon* is the first film in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy and it is the first film to be directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War. Released 11 years after the conflict ended, *Platoon* was acclaimed by critics and veterans for its portrayal of the violence, and can be commonly found on lists aggregating the best films of the 1980s.
A dramatic success thanks to load-bearing performances by Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen, *Platoon* cleaned up at the Oscars, winning awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Film Editing, and Sound, but it's the story's harrowing plot and visuals that stick with people. EW's critic notes that Stone is "the only director to continually rush into the haunted house of our national nightmare, Vietnam, and shine a flashlight." *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Platoon*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade: **B+ (read the review)
**Director: **Oliver Stone
**Cast: **Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen
Prey (2022)
Amber Midthunder as Naru in 'Prey'.
20th Century Studios
The *Predator* monster has terrified audiences for more than 35 years, but in the story's prequel/fifth installment, the tables turn and the monster becomes the prey. The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior with the heart of a hunter, who seeks to prove her skills and protect her tribe by catching a predator. Professional basketball player-turned-horror star Dane DiLiegro plays the film's eponymous villain and says the story is strong enough to win viewers over, even without its affiliation to the beloved horror franchise.
In an interview, he tells EW, "There just happens to be a Predator involved. Honestly, you could have shot this movie with a different monster and it still probably would have worked." If you're in the market for a solid action thriller that still makes time to flesh out its main characters, sink your teeth into *Prey*. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Prey*: Amazon Prime Video
**Director: **Dan Trachtenberg
**Cast:** Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat
RoboCop (1987)
Peter Weller as RoboCop in 'RoboCop'.
Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection
Set in a crime-ridden Detroit is *RoboCop*, Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi action/social satire classic. After police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty, his body is reconfigured by the mega corporation Omni Consumer Products and transformed into that of a cyborg law enforcement agent. The former Officer Murphy — now referred to as RoboCop — has no memories of his family or previous existence, but is armed with directives to serve the public trust, protect the innocent, and uphold the law.
Thus, RoboCop is dispatched into the city where he works to eliminate the local criminal population, but finds himself distracted by flashes of his former self and memories of his former life. In a world populated by crime lords and executives fueled by ruthless ambition, it's refreshing to watch Weller as RoboCop explore the vulnerability and humanity buried deep below his layers of steel and computer programming. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *RoboCop*: Amazon Prime Video
**Director:** Paul Verhoeven
**Cast: **Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Matt Damon as Private Ryan in 'Saving Private Ryan'.
Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
Steven Spielberg's triumph in battle cinematography hooks viewers from the jump with a 24-minute sequence set on Omaha beach in Normandy. But it's the rest of the film — a sweeping epic about the indignities of war and the strength of the human spirit — that won it praise from critics, viewers, and veterans. Still considered a career triumph for Spielberg and star Tom Hanks, *Saving Private Ryan* lost the Oscar for Best Picture to *Shakespeare in Love*, but it won in redefining how filmmakers depict and discuss World War II.
As EW's critic writes, the film is "staggering virtuosity and raw lyric power, a masterpiece of terror, chaos, blood, and courage. More than Coppola, Stone, or Kubrick, all of whom apotheosized the druggy morass of Vietnam, Spielberg has captured the hair-trigger instability of modern combat." *—I.G. *
Where to watch *Saving Private Ryan*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** A (read the review)******Director:** Steven Spielberg******Cast:** Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Chris Pratt as Dan Forester in 'The Tomorrow War'. Frank Masi/Amazon Studios
As if today's geopolitical conflicts weren't complicated enough, in *The Tomorrow War*, the world must unite and travel to the future to defeat the aliens creating an existential threat to humanity. The stakes are high, and there are the usual interpersonal fights to sort out amongst all the battles with intergalactic creatures. Chris Pratt stars as a biology teacher and Iraq War veteran whose military experience and personal ties help him survive his time fighting aliens.
As far as the tonal spectrum is concerned, the film leans more comedy than thriller, thanks in large part to its supporting cast of comedic actors and eccentric characters. EW's critic writes that "Director Chris McKay (*Robot Chicken*, *The LEGO Batman Movie*) has forged his career in absurdist comedy, and the movie is best when it lets its weirdo flag fly." *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Tomorrow War*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade: **(Read the review)
**Director: **Chris McKay
**Cast: **Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Optimus Prime (voice: Peter Cullen) in 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'.
Paramount/courtesy Everett
The war continues in *Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen*, the second film in the *Transformers* franchise. And this time, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and crew are in college — when they're not battling Decepticons. With a script that travels from the East Coast Ivy League to the pyramids in Egypt, *Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen* is the kind of globe-trotting, science fiction action film that makes for an ideal summer blockbuster, even if you're watching it alone on your couch at home.
You don't need to have watched the first film to enjoy the second, but a viewing of the original does help demonstrate how much the franchise evolved in two years. As EW's critic writes, *Revenge of the Fallen* is "huger, louder, smashier, and — on the mechanical level — more crazily, audaciously imaginative." *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen*: Amazon Prime Video
**EW grade:** B (read the review)
**Director: **Michael Bay
**Cast: **Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro
Source: "AOL Movies"
Source: Astro Blog
Full Article on Source: Astro Blog
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities