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.

The Legend of Tarzan

1111. The Legend of Tarzan

Fantasy Action Adventure Epic Action Globetrotting Adventure
6.2

20161h 49min

Canada, United Kingdom

Director: David Yates

Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.

Themes

Leadership legitimacy, Mining encampment pressure, Slavery critique, Diamonds financing power, Train disruption, Nature versus industry

Available on

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

The Purge: Election Year

1112. The Purge: Election Year

Action Horror Thriller Epic Action Home Invasion Horror
6.0

20161h 49min

France, Japan

Director: James DeMonaco

Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Leo Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. On the night of what should be the final Purge, a betrayal from within the government forces Barnes and Roan out onto the street where they must fight to survive the night.

Themes

Immunity revocation, State betrayal, Public violence surge, Vigilantism vs governance, Security state pressures, Survival under purge, Election stakes

Available on

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

Central Intelligence

1113. Central Intelligence

Action Comedy Spy Action Buddy Comedy
6.3

20161h 47min

United States, China

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Calvin Joyner, a mild-mannered accountant whose high school glory days are long behind him, reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook. After meeting up, Calvin’s mundane life takes an unexpectedly thrilling turn when he's thrust into the world of international espionage.

Themes

Deception and framing, Transformation through adversity, Loyalty under surveillance, Nostalgia and reinvention, Agency power dynamics, Collaboration across mismatched partners

Available on

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

Collide

1114. Collide

Thriller Action Vehicle-Driven Action Revenge Thriller
5.7

20161h 38min

Germany, United Kingdom

Director: Eran Creevy

An American backpacker gets involved with a ring of drug smugglers as their driver, and winds up on the run from his employers across Cologne’s autobahns.

Themes

Economic precarity, Loyalty under pressure, Alliances under strain, Crime as livelihood, Citizenship and access, Risk and survival

Available on

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

Never Back Down: No Surrender

1115. Never Back Down: No Surrender

Drama Action Martial Arts Action Sports Competition
6.3

20161h 41min

United States

Director: Michael Jai White

Picking up after the events of Never Back Down 2, former MMA champion Case Walker is on the comeback trail to become champion once again.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Mentorship under threat, Promotional manipulation, Comeback under pressure, Steroid doping schemes, Ethical boundaries in sport

Available on

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

The Do-Over

1116. The Do-Over

Action Adventure Comedy Globetrotting Adventure Parody
5.7

20161h 48min

United States

Director: Steven Brill

The life of a bank manager is turned upside down when a friend from his past manipulates him into faking his own death and taking off on an adventure.

Themes

Pursuit and coercion, Illicit cures vs corporate greed, Secrecy fuels crime, Risk taking and moral ambiguity, Deception and reinvention, False identities under pressure

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Warcraft

1117. Warcraft

Action Adventure Fantasy Epic Fantasy Epic Action
6.7

20162h 3min

United States

Director: Duncan Jones

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people, and their home.

Themes

Leadership under duress, Fel magic corruption, Invasion threat across realms, Loyalty under siege, Betrayal among factions, Alliance formation under pressure

Available on

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

X-Men: Apocalypse

1118. X-Men: Apocalypse

Action Adventure Science Fiction Fantasy Superhero Action
6.8

20162h 24min

United States

Director: Bryan Singer

After the re-emergence of the world's first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.

Themes

Trust and betrayal, Mutant humanity tension, World domination anxiety, Extinction level plan, Duty vs personal loss, Leadership under burden

Available on

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

The Nice Guys

1119. The Nice Guys

Comedy Crime Action Dark Comedy Detective Mystery Crime
7.4

20161h 56min

United States

Director: Shane Black

A dead porn star, a missing actress, one simple question: who’s lying? The private eye starts digging, the hired thug won’t back off, and every clue drags them deeper into L.A.’s sleaziest secrets—until finding this woman stops being a job and starts becoming the one thing that might ruin them both.

Themes

Media spectacle, Corporate influence, Bureaucratic protection, Family loyalty vs duty, Private eye vs enforcer, Investigation-led conspiracy

Available on

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

Kill Command

1120. Kill Command

Action Horror Science Fiction Thriller Military Action
5.7

20161h 39min

United Kingdom

Director: Steven Gomez

Set in a near future, technology-reliant society that pits man against killing machines. Against this backdrop an elite army unit is helicoptered to a remote, off-the-grid island training facility. What starts out as a simple training exercise for Captain Bukes and his tight-knit unit, descends into a terrifying battle to the death, as the marines discover the island is overrun by an enemy that transcends the human concept of evil.

Themes

Technology ethics, Surveillance power, Isolation crisis, Adaptive threat response, Ai autonomy, Military automation

Available on

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