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.

1917

11. 1917

War History Drama Action World War I
8.2

20191h 59min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Sam Mendes

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers.

Themes

Duty under fire, Resilience under hardship, Time pressure, Comradeship under peril, Survival under risk, Uncertainty of command

Available on

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

In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.

Themes

Found family, Survivor guilt, Collective sacrifice, Government inaction, Postwar resilience, Duty versus action, Nuclear-age threat

Available on

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

The Promised Land

13. The Promised Land

Action Drama History Historical Drama Epic Action
7.7

20232h 7min

Denmark, Germany

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Denmark, 1755. Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer a Danish heath reputed to be uncultivable, with an impossible goal: to establish a colony in the name of the king, in exchange for a royal title. A single-minded ambition that the ruthless lord of the region will relentlessly seek to put down. Kahlen's fate hangs in the balance: will his endevours bring him wealth and honour, or cost him his life...?

Themes

Labor exploitation, Land ownership conflict, Colonial ambition, Legal bans and enforcement, Upheaval of settlers, Betrayal and power shifts

Available on

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

Zack Snyder's Justice League

14. Zack Snyder's Justice League

Action Adventure Fantasy Superhero Action Adventure Epic
7.9

20214h 2min

United States

Director: Zack Snyder

Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

Themes

Cross-cultural alliance, Saving the world, Resilience through loss, Planet invasion alliance, Metahuman operatives, Superhero team formation, Resurrection moment

Available on

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

Deadpool & Wolverine

15. Deadpool & Wolverine

Action Comedy Science Fiction Superhero Action Parody
7.5

20242h 8min

United States

Director: Shawn Levy

A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.

Themes

Anti hero tensions, Time monitoring authority, Mutant power dynamics, Aftercreditsstinger hints, Hero under surveillance, Superhero teamup tensions, Anchor-based deterioration

Available on

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

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

16. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Action Science Fiction Adventure Epic Action Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
7.5

20242h 29min

Australia, United States

Director: George Miller

As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the wasteland, they encounter the citadel presided over by Immortan Joe. The two tyrants wage war for dominance, and Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Gendered violence, Betrayal and loyalty, Power and control dynamics, Survival under scarcity, Tyranny and resistance, Maternal bond under duress

Available on

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

Ford v Ferrari

17. Ford v Ferrari

Drama Action History Biographical History Sports Competition
8.1

20192h 33min

United States

Director: James Mangold

American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

Themes

Engineering under constraint, Performance vs reliability, Corporate interference pressure, Leadership power struggle, Media spectacle vs merit, Loyalty and rivalry

Available on

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

John Wick: Chapter 4

18. John Wick: Chapter 4

Action Thriller Crime Epic Action Organized Crime
7.6

20232h 50min

Germany, United States

Director: Chad Stahelski

With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Consequences of violence, Shifting alliances and betrayals, Power politics and exile, Leadership and reconciliation, Global underworld networks, Ritual dueling and tradition

Available on

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

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the world's fate at stake and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan must consider that nothing can matter more than his mission—not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Impersonation and disguise, High-stakes pursuit, Control of cyberspace, Loyalty to mission, Alliance and betrayal

Available on

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

Sound of Freedom

20. Sound of Freedom

Action Drama One-Person Army Psychological Drama
7.6

20232h 11min

United States

Director: Alejandro Monteverde

The story of Tim Ballard, a former US government agent, who quits his job in order to devote his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Family separation and resilience, Child trafficking global reach, Legal reform after exposure, Covert rescue operations, Bureaucratic resistance vs action

Available on

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