Action backdrop

Action movies

Explosive stunts, high-speed chases, and adrenaline-pumping battles where heroes face impossible odds.

Subgenres include: Epic Action, Vehicle-Driven Action, One-Person Army.

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Themes

Unity under pressure, Genocide memory, Space travel ambition, Political intrigue ethics, Marketplace bargaining, Federal government secrecy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

6 Days

1032. 6 Days

Action Drama History Thriller Military Action
6.2

20171h 35min

New Zealand, United Kingdom

Director: Toa Fraser

London, England, April 1980. Six terrorists assault the Embassy of Iran and take hostages. For six days, tense negotiations are held while the authorities decide whether a military squad should intervene.

Themes

Crisis negotiation under pressure, Media influence during crisis, Military intervention vs diplomacy, Political leadership under crisis, Hostage dynamics and leverage

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.

Themes

Power and responsibility, Secrecy and disclosure, New york city pressure, High school dynamics, Youth under pressure, Institutional oversight, Mentoring vs independence, Improvisation under constraint

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Revolt

1034. Revolt

Science Fiction Action Alien Invasion Sci-Fi Military Action
5.3

20171h 27min

United Kingdom

Director: Joe Miale

The story of humankind's last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion. Set in the war-ravaged African countryside, a U.S. soldier and a French foreign aid worker team up to survive the alien onslaught. Their bond will be tested as they search for refuge across a crumbling world.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Resilience and improvisation, Collective action under crisis, Fragile human alliances, Technology vs humanity, Survival under alien invasion, Memory and identity disruption

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Baby Driver

1035. Baby Driver

Action Crime Vehicle-Driven Action Heist
7.5

20171h 53min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Edgar Wright

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Crime and consequence, Music as emotional outlet, Getaway driver coercion, Debt coercion, Romance as respite

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overdrive

1036. Overdrive

Thriller Action Mystery Vehicle-Driven Action Investigation Suspense
5.4

20171h 33min

Belgium, France

Director: Antonio Negret

Master car thieves square off against French gangsters in the South of France with money, women and lives all on the line.

Themes

Loyalty vs self-interest, Deception as leverage, Illicit collaboration under pressure, Betrayal through alliance, Risk and reward calculus, Competition over possessions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Humans and Transformers are at war. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager; Bumblebee; an English Lord; and an Oxford Professor.

Themes

Betrayal and shifting loyalties, Secret guardians guarding knowledge, Mythic artifacts driving action, Energy as weapon, Humans and machines cohabitation, Hidden histories shaping present

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Despicable Me 3

1038. Despicable Me 3

Action Animation Comedy Family Adventure
6.3

20171h 30min

United States

Director: Pierre Coffin

Gru and his wife Lucy must stop former '80s child star Balthazar Bratt from achieving world domination.

Themes

Deception and loyalty, Sequel expectations, Wealth versus duty, Family resilience under disruption, Power implications of fame, Twin brother dynamics

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Villainess

1039. The Villainess

Action Crime Drama Thriller One-Person Army
6.6

20172h 9min

South Korea

Director: Jung Byung-gil

Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited with the promise of freedom after ten years of service. However, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for and now she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge.

Themes

Loyalty vs obligation, Revenge as driving force, Recruitment and control, Motherhood under pressure, Identity under alias

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Hunter's Prayer

1040. The Hunter's Prayer

Action Thriller Revenge Thriller One-Person Army
5.6

20171h 31min

Germany, Spain

Director: Jonathan Mostow

An assassin forges an unlikely partnership with one of his targets: a woman seeking revenge for the murder of her family.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Pursuit and escape, Survival under threat, Addiction and recovery, Forced partnership, Violence as protection

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.