Maybe you’re in the mood for something with ArnoldSchwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, or Tom Hardy, or maybe you want a superhero movie, or an action thriller, or a spy drama. With so many options out there, it can be hard to narrow down what you want to watch on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We’ve dug into all the main streaming services to help you find the most badass, action-packed movies out there.
Here are all the badass action movies you can find on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.
(All movies are on Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu as of August 24, 2018.)
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Eraser (1996) – on Amazon Prime
Director: Chuck Russell
In one of his underrated action films, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars alongside James Caan as a U.S. Marshal for the Witness Protection Program who is an expert “eraser,” someone who helps protect high-profile witnesses. There are lots of explosions, naturally.
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Bullet to the Head (2012) – on Amazon Prime
Director: Walter Hill Sylvester Stallone stars as a hitman forced to team up with a cop in this film from classic action director Walter Hill, who helmed films like The Warriors and 48 Hrs.
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Armageddon (1998) – on Hulu
Director: Michael Bay Bay, one of the top action movie directors of all-time, follows a stacked cast that includes Bruce Willis, Owen Wilson, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and Will Patton as a bunch of rag-tag oil drillers trying to save Earth from an incoming asteroid. Space antics ensue.
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Heat (1995) – on Amazon Prime
Director: Michael Mann Mann’s classic crime drama with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as a bank robber and detective locked in battle.
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The Dark Knight (2008) – on Netflix
Director: Christopher Nolan In what is arguably the greatest superhero film ever, Christian Bale suits up as Batman for the second time, facing off against the Joker, played by Heath Ledger in an Oscar-winning role.
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Face/Off (1997) – on Amazon Prime
Director: John Woo John Travolta and Nicolas Cage literally “face off” against each other in this action film that finds their characters swapping faces and beating the crap out of each other.
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Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016) – on Netflix
Director: John Stockwell Original Kickboxer star Jean-Claude Van Damme (pictured in the original) makes an appearance in this sequel/reboot that also stars badasses Dave Bautista, Gina Carano, and MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre.
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Troy (2004) – on Amazon Prime
Director: Wolfgang Petersen Muscles abound in this historical drama starring a ripped Brad Pitt and Eric Bana following the classic battle between Troy and Sparta over Helen of Troy.
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Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Director: Taika Waititi
Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor—and is as shredded as ever—in this hilarious and action-packed Marvel film.
Hard Target 2 (2016)
Director: Roel Reiné It went straight to DVD, but martial arts badass Scott Adkins steps into the role Jean-Claude Van Damme played so well for this wild, action-packed sequel. Worth a watch for any action fan.
Southpaw (2015) Director: Antoine Fuqua Jake Gyllenhaal went through one of the most extreme celebrity body transformations of all-time for this boxing drama.
Blood and Bone (2009) – Martial arts film starring badass Michael Jai White.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) – Matt Damon stars again as super spy Jason Bourne in this action flick.
Full Metal Jacket (1987) – Stanley Kubrick’s classic war film stars Matthew Modine and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Sand Castle (2017) – Superman himself Henry Cavill stars in this war film that follows a group of soldiers in Iraq.
The Hateful Eight (2015) – Quentin Tarantino put together an all-star cast of Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, and Tim Roth for this American Western film.
Bright (2017) – Will Smith stars as a cop in this action-packed Netflix original film facing off against Orcs and monsters, who live side-by-side with humans in the real world.
Bad Boys (1995) – Michael Bay directed this action comedy classic with Will
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Directed by: Steven Spielberg Harrison Ford stars as the famed archeologist who gets into trouble while on an adventure to find the fateful lost Ark of the Covenant.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
The Running Man (1987) Directed by: Paul Michael Glaser Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this sci-fi action film that takes place in a future where convicts have to face off against professional killers in what basically is a reality TV show. The costumes are fantastically awful.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
The Hunt for Red October (1990) Directed by: John McTiernan Alec Baldwin stars as CIA analyst Jack Ryan in the adaptation of Tom Clancy’s classic novel, also starring Sean Connery as a Soviet-era submarine captain.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Patriot Games (1992) Directed by: Phillip Noyce Harrison Ford stars as Tom Clancy’s classic character Jack Ryan for the first time in this espionage thriller.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Shot Caller (2017) Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh Jaime Lannister himself, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, trades in his Game of Thrones armor for tattoos and muscles in this prison drama, also starring badass Mindhunter actor Holt McCallany.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Spectre (2015) Directed by: Sam Mendes Daniel Craig stars as James Bond again, battling against Dave Bautista and a mysterious villain, played by Christoph Waltz.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (2017) Directed by: D.J. Caruso Vin Diesel returns after over a decade to play the muscled-up spy in this explosive film.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Clear and Present Danger (1994) Directed by: Phillip Noyce Before John Krasinski (among others) handled the role, Harrison Ford played Jack Ryan one last time in this action-packed blockbuster.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Star Trek (2009) Directed by: J. J. Abrams Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto helped reboot this classic sci-fi series for the big screen as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock, respectively.
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Amazon’s Best Action Films to Stream
Braven (2017) Directed by: Lin Oeding Jason Momoa stars as a badass trying to save his family from drug runners in the snowy wilderness. Here’s a chat with the stunt coordinator of the film who helped Momoa learn how to throw flaming axes.
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Hulu’s Best Action Films to Stream
Black Hawk Down (2001) Director: Wolfgang Petersen This real-life drama is one of the best war movies out there, starring a huge number of well-known actors like Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett, Sam Shepard, and Ewan McGregor trying to survive the Battle of Mogadishu.
Judge Dredd (1995) Director: Danny Cannon Sylvester Stallone stars as the titular character in this future-set action film where police officers are the judge, jury, and executioners in Mega City One.
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Hulu’s Best Action Films to Stream
Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor Jason Statham returns in this sequel to play an ex-hit man who has to stay alive by shocking his artificial heart and kicking ass against bad guys.
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Hulu’s Best Action Films to Stream
Bloodsport (1988) Director: Newt Arnold Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a U.S. soldier who enters a secret and super-violent martial-arts competition.
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Hulu’s Best Action Films to Stream – More to Watch
Jurassic Park (1993) – Steven Spielberg’s classic adaptation of Michael Crichton’s science fiction novel where dinosaurs roam the earth once again.
The Rock (1996) – In Michael Bay’s action classic, Nic Cage and Sean Connery have to break into Alcatraz prison to stop a nerve gas attack.
The Magnificent Seven (2016) – An all-star cast of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and Vincent D’Onofrio lead this remake of the classic Western.
Star Trek Beyond (2016) – Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto return for the third time as director Justin Lin takes over for J.J. Abrams in this adventure aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) – Tom Cruise stars as the badass titular character who has to uncover a conspiracy involving the military.
Inglourious Basterds (2009) – Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, and Eli Roth star in Quentin Tarantino’s WWII-era alternate history film about soldiers tasked with a secret mission behind enemy lines.
Point Break (1991) – Kathryn Bigelow’s classic action/crime film starring Patrick Swayze as a bank-robbing surfer, and Keanu Reeves as undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah.
1 More Bonus:The Hurt Locker (2008) – Kathryn Bigelow’s war film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and was a breakout film for Avengers star Jeremy Renner.
