Action continues to be one of Netflix’s strongest genres. For example, take a look at the top 10 for the most popular movies on Netflix ever. Seven of the ten spots – including Red Notice, Carry-On, The Adam Project, The Gray Man, Damsel, We Can Be Heroes, and The Mother — belong to action movies. More action films are coming in 2025, including Havoc and The Old Guard 2.
For now, explore the Netflix action page for your movie-going needs. From blockbusters and heists to thrillers and comedies, action crosses into nearly every genre. Below, we have three recommendations for action movies to watch this month. This includes a new action comedy from two gigantic stars, a criminally underrated movie from 2016, and a terrific crime thriller.
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 Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Back in Action (2025)
For Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, Back in Action is the perfect title for their respective returns. Foxx suffered a life-threatening stroke in 2023, while Diaz hasn’t acted in a decade. The duo, who previously collaborated on 2014’s Annie, play former CIA operatives returning to the field in Back in Action, one of the most popular Netflix movies this year.
While working a job, Matt (Foxx) and Emily (Diaz) are double-crossed and narrowly escape a plane crash with their lives. With Emily pregnant, the couple leave the CIA to start a family. 15 years later, Matt and Emily are married and live a quiet life with two children in Atlanta. After the couple is involved in a brawl outside of a nightclub, their former enemies come after them. With their cover blown, Matt and Emily must rely on their old CIA habits to escape trouble and save their kids.
Stream Back in Action on Netflix.
The Nice Guys (2016)
The Nice Guys is the internet’s favorite movie, and for good reason. The 2016 action comedy from Shane Black is a hilarious and entertaining showcase for Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Crow and Gosling are right up there with Lethal Weapon’s Danny Glover and Mel Gibson for Black’s best cinematic duos. In 1977 Los Angeles, Holland March (Gosling) is a struggling private eye hired to find a porn star. Jackson Healy (Crowe) is an enforcer hired to protect Amelia (Margaret Qualley).
When Amelia disappears, Healy reluctantly teams up with March to find her. The investigation leads the duo down a dark path that could cost them their lives. The chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is impeccable, hence why the internet has been trying to greenlight a sequel for a decade.
Stream The Nice Guys on Netflix.
21 Bridges (2019)
Chadwick Boseman was on his way to becoming one of Hollywood’s best stars before cancer tragically took his life in 2020. While best known for his work in the MCU, Boseman was a terrific action star, with 21 Bridges being one of his more underrated movies. While stealing an exorbitant amount of cocaine from a Brooklyn shop, Michael Trujillo (Stephan James) and Ray Jackson (Taylor Kitsch) kill multiple cops during their escape.
The criminals flee from Brooklyn to Manhattan, where they plan their next move. Enter Andre Davis (Boseman), a hard-nosed cop tasked with leading the investigation. Davis gets approval to lock down the island of Manhattan, meaning all bridges and tunnels will be closed. The further Davis becomes embedded in the case, the more he’s convinced that something bigger is at play that may or may not involve dirty cops.
Stream 21 Bridges on Netflix.