Does your face light up at the sight of a high-speed car chase in movies? Are you fascinated by fiery explosions, intense fight sequences and daredevil stunts? Fortunately for you, I've got you covered with the best action movies on Prime Video right now.
If you're a fan of genre hybrids like me, then you'll appreciate titles like Inception and Everything Everywhere All at Once (which, FYI, won seven Academy Awards). Or, if you prefer a heart-pumping thriller, there's Jason Momoa’s Braven and Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible IV—Ghost Protocol. Is your interest piqued? From espionage action to historical epics, read on for 20 action movies to watch on Prime Video, according to PureWow Editors. (Psst, you can get the streaming service as part of theAmazon Prime membershipfor $15 a month, or you can just get Prime Video for $9 a month.)
7 Prime Video Shows You Need to Stream Right Now, According to an Entertainment Editor
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Who's in it? Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis
Run time: 139 minutes
This A24 absurdist fantasy drama revolves around a Chinese-American immigrant who gets pulled into the multiverse while being audited by the IRS. Her task? To connect with parallel universe versions of herself and stop a powerful enemy from destroying everything. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film became a box office hit and earned seven Oscars, including one for Best Picture.
According to Executive Editor Dara Katz, "Every single person I know who saw this movie, LOVED it. And it lives up to the hype. It's a quirky sci-fi action film with lots of comedy, amazing acting and so many visuals I just hadn't seen it before on screen (#googlyeyes). Ultimately, it's a story about immigrants, a family and the mother-daughter relationship. So while the action will keep you on the edge of your seat, the heart will keep your feet anchored."
2. The Equalizer (2014)
Who's in it? Denzel Washington, David Harbour, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz
Run time: 132 minutes
The iconic Denzel Washington shines as Robert McCall, a former Marine and retired Defense Intelligence Agency Officer who reluctantly leaves his quiet life to rescue Teri (Moretz), a teenage sex worker being trafficked by theRussian mafia.(Fun fact: Before Moretz joined the cast, Anna Kendrick, Kelly Macdonald and Nina Dobrev were all considered for the role of Teri/Alina.)
The gripping action thriller inspired twosequels, the most recent of which features Dakota Fanning. Fanningrevealed that she was beyond excited to reunite withWashington, telling People, “I would have done anything to be a part of this and work with Denzel again. It’s just a dream come true.”
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Who's in it? Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant
Run time: 134 minutes
In this fun adaptation of the popular game, a thief enlists the help of his pal, Holga, and a group of misfit bandits as he embarks on a risky quest to find a long-lost relic. Unfortunately, their journey takes a dark turn when they run into the wrong crowd.
PureWow Fashion Editor Abby Hepworth said, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is such a fun movie for folks of any age and isn't too violent or scary for kids (it's rated PG-13). Even if you've never played D&D, it's a total blast for anyone who loves action fantasy movies. It's just a fabulous mix of silly and serious. Rege-Jean Page is so hilarious, as is the rest of the cast. And for anyone who does play D&D there areso manyamazing Easter eggs hidden in there for you to find as an added level of entertainment."
4. Inception (2010)
Who's in it? Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy
Run time: 148 minutes
DiCaprioplays Dom Cobb, a professional thief,or "extractor," who enters people's dreams and steals corporate secrets. However, when he gets the chance to erase his criminal record, he agrees to take on an even riskier task: planting a new idea into someone's subconscious. The Oscar-winning film, which garnered a whopping $839 million at the box office, made me question reality by the time the credits rolled—and I'm not the only one.
PureWow's VP of News & Entertainment, Philip Mutz, raves, "Inception is one of my favorites, which should come as no surprise as I'm a Christopher Nolan stan. It's mind-bending and takes a while to fully grasp, but the suspense (especially in the climax of the film) is absolutely off the charts. And don't even get me started on the very last shot of the movie (no spoilers but holy F@*$!)."
5. The Lost City of Z (2017)
Who's in it? Charlie Hunnam,Robert Pattinson,Sienna Miller, Tom Holland
Run time: 141 minutes
Inspired by David Grann's book of the same name, this movie tells the fascinating true story of British explorer and archaeologist, Percy Fawcett, who vanished in 1925 during his expedition to find an ancient city. While it doesn't necessarily lead to a happy ending, director James Gray brilliantly captures the adventure and excitement of Percy's risky mission.
He told Screenwriting Magazine, “I didn’t view this story as a tragedy. Fawcett doesn’t find what he wants and he was probably killed by natives, but there’s another side to it. He managed to see a part of the world that, even today, most people from Europe or North America don’t have access to or understand. There was something beautiful and transcendent in that.”
6. Gladiator (2000)
Who's in it? Russell Crowe, Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
Run time: 154 minutes
Set in AD 180, Gladiator follows Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who seeks revenge after Emperor Marcus Aurelius’s son, Commodus, kills the general’s family and seizes the throne. Prepare for all the gritty battle sequences.
Senior Commerce Editor Stephanie Maida tells me, "I recently rewatched Gladiator and was just as captivated as I was the first time I saw it!There’splenty of political drama and historical background thrown in with the intense arena fighting scenes to keep everyone interested. Butlet’sbe real: I was there for an especially hunky Russell Crowe."
7. Mission: Impossible IV - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Who's in it? Tom Cruise,Jeremy Renner,Simon Pegg, Paula Patton
Run time: 132 minutes
The infamous Agent Ethan Hunt(Cruise) and the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) are forced to go underground after getting implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin. As the president enacts the “Ghost Protocol,” Ethan must find a way to clear their name and stop another dangerous attack. As always, there’s no shortage of explosions and daredevil stunts.
Cruise also served as a producer for the film, and according to Renner, Cruise is just as skilled behind the cameras. Renner told Huffington Post, "And Tom is very hands-on as a producer and, from my perspective, was always trying to protect Brad's [Bird, the film's director]vision. There are a lot of cooks in a big, big movie like this, everybody with an opinion, is what I'm discovering. So, to make sure the film doesn't get out of hand, you need powerful producers like Tom who can protect that vision, make sure it comes from Brad Bird's eyes only."
8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Who's in it? Chris Evans,Tommy Lee Jones,Hugo Weaving
Run time: 123 minutes
Arguably one the best movies in the Marvel franchise, this installment follows Steven Rogers’ (Evans) journey to becoming the famed Captain America. Set during World War II, the film sees Steve, who suffered a number of health issues, transform into a super soldier who leads the fight against a dangerous foe.
Directed by Joe Johnston, the superhero film grossed over $370 million worldwide and spawned two sequels: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. (Considering the film's thoughtful themes and Evans's stellar performance, this comes as no surprise.) PureWow Associate Editor Chelsea Candelario says, "It's my comfort movie that I put on all the time. It's truly an underdog story with a lot of heart and action."
9. Without Remorse (2021)
Who's in it? Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Colman Domingo
Run time: 110 minutes
Inspired by Tom Clancy's novel of the same name, the movie tells the origin story of a U.S. Navy SEAL named John Clark (Jordan). When his pregnant wife gets murdered by Russian hitmen, John sets out to avenge her death. Jordan fans are in for a special treat, thanks to his amazing portrayal of the flawed action hero. Plus, according to Deadline, the actor will reprise his role in the sequel, Rainbow Six.
In my review of the first film, I wrote, "The plot itself did feel a tad formulaic...so that big 'twist' towards the end didn't really have the desired effect. However, I did enjoy the few moments of suspense and the chemistry between the main characters."
10. Fast X (2023)
Who's in it? Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Michelle Rodriguez
Run time: 140 minutes
From gravity-defying car explosions to helicopter collisions, it's no wonder Fast X was named the fourth most expensive film ever made. The high-stakes action flick follows retired street racer Toretto (Diesel)as he goes up against his most dangerous foe yet: the sad*stic Dante Reyes(Momoa), who's seeking to avenge his father's death.
Regarding Momoa's performance, director Louis Letterier told Men's Health, “Jason brings the humor, the panache, so much pink, purple, and fuchsia, beautiful silk, and he’s not afraid to improvise and take risks. He’s also a fantastic action actor—he will perform all his stunts, he will ride his bikes, he will drive his cars, he will sing his own songs. He’s just a force.”
11. Train t o Busan (2016)
Who's in it? Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee
Run time: 118 minutes
It’s worth noting that this action horror is not for the faint of heart. In this terrifying thriller, a group of passengers find themselves trapped on a bullet train as a zombie apocalypse quickly spreads throughout South Korea, threatening the lives of everyone on board.
According to PureWow Assistant Editor of News & Entertainment, Karelle McKay, "Train to Busanis simply an unforgettable watch. While their zombies are nothing like the ones inThe Walking DeadandThe Last of Us,it truly tugs at your heartstrings. (FYI, I watched it more than once.) From Seok-woo and his daughter's complicated relationship to the heart-pounding moments between the Busan train riders and the zombies,Train to Busanis a movie that will make you feel a rollercoaster of emotions."
12. Shaft (2000)
Who's in it? Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes
Run time: 100 minutes
Samuel L. Jackson is NYPD Detective John Shaft II, who sets out to investigate a racist incident that involves a severely beaten Black man. Packed with action and suspense, this film explores racial injustice and features a standout performance from Jackson. The movie opened at number-one at the box office and made $107.2 million.
As it turns out, Jackson and the director, John Singleton, had a few creative differences on the set. Jackson explained on The Howard Stern Show, "That was a whole creative kind of chaos going on, because you had the producers, who had one idea about what Shaft is, was [and] should be, then you had John, who was like a three-year-old kid when he saw it. And then you had me, who thought he could be Shaft, because I was basically 20 years old."
13. Bumblebee (2018)
Who's in it? Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz
Run time: 114 minutes
Set in 1987, this movie follows 18-year-old Charlie Watson (Steinfeld), who receives an old yellow Volkswagen Beetle as a birthday gift. However, when she tries to repair it, the vehicle transforms into an Autobot that she nicknames "Bumblebee." When Bumblebee’s memories are restored, he realizes that he must save the planet from evil forces.
While discussing her character's story arc, Steinfeld told Screenrant, "Christina Hodson wrote an amazing story of a young girl that felt very real and very honest. Kelly Fremon Craig also contributed to the script, who I worked with on Edge of Seventeen. I do feel that everything that I brought to this character was, obviously made on my own in discovery during, but all stemmed from what was on the page in the beginning. It was really was pretty perfect."
14. Interstellar (2014)
Who's in it? Matthew McConaughey,Anne Hathaway,Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon
Run time: 162 minutes
The year is 2067 and things are not looking good for mankind. When a crop blight causes global famine, a former NASA pilot and a group of researchers decide to travel across the galaxy and search for another inhabitable planet.
While discussing the movie's themes of humanity and space exploration, director Christopher Nolan said in a YouTube interview, "The further out into the infinite we went and the more we isolated these characters who have to go across the universe, the more the focus naturally becomes on their humanity, on that intimate bond they have, what makes us human, all those issues. I think there's something about the starkness and the massiveness of the environment that really reduces this focus very tightly to human bonds and what makes us who we are."
15. Gemini Man (2019)
Who's in it? Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, Benedict Wong
Run time: 117 minutes
In this action-filled thriller, Will Smith plays Henry Brogan, a skilled, 51-year-old assassin. After he retires from the Defense Intelligence Agency, he discovers a big secret, leading the government to hire a younger clone of himself to assassinate him. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, mainly because I was fascinated by the "nature versus nurture" theme, but I was also super impressed by Smith's unforgettable performance.
While discussing Gemini Man, Smith told Collider, "I loved the philosophical idea that we all plant the seeds of our own destruction, and we are our own worst enemy. We make choices and we make decisions in our lives that set things in motion, that we can’t blame other people for, and that the battle with trying to overcome our karma. I just thought it was a really clever and creative way to say that we are the architects of our ultimate rise or fall, and to be able to do that, in this way."
16. American Animals (2018)
Who's in it? Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson
Run time: 116 minutes
Based on a real heist that took place at Transylvania University in Kentucky in 2004, this crime docudrama follows four college friends who plan to steal a collection of rare and valuable books from their school's library. The docudrama also features footage ofinterviews with real-life people who were involved in the crime.
While chatting about the filming process, Director Bart Layton told Deadline,"I wrote the script first, based on the letters they had sent from prison. When they eventually came out of prison, I was able to sit down and interview them. What I’d written in the script was based on what I expected them to say. Then, actually, what they said in the interview was quite different. It was more emotional, it was darker, there was a lot more detail. So at that point, I kind of had to press pause on the production."
17. The Peacemaker (1997)
Who's in it? George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Run time: 124 minutes
George Clooney and Nicole Kidman team up as Lt. Col. Thomas Devoeas and Dr. Julia Kelly, who race to track down Russian nuclear weapons that go missing after a train collision. Before long, they discover that a dangerous terrorist named Dušan Gavrić (Marcel Iureş) has retrieved the weapons—and he's plotting a dangerous attack on New York City.
As for what makes the film so compelling, Clooney said in an interview, "What we tried to do through the whole film was never let it slip into Die Hard. There's nothing wrong with Die Hard—in fact, I really love that movie, but...this kind of a film, it has to be a thriller. The story has to stay real."
18. Skyscraper (2018)
Who's in it? Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han
Run time: 102 minutes
If you loved Die Hard, then you should add this action thriller to your list. Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent and war veteran who gets hired as asecurity consultant for the world’s tallest skyscraper. When the building is set on fire by terrorists, Sawyer embarks on a death-defying mission to save his family, who are all trapped inside the burning skyscraper.
Director Rawson Marshall Thurber told NPR, "Die Hardis one of my all-time favorite films. It's on the Mount Rushmore of action pictures. But that movie is about three jokes shy of a straight-up comedy. Now certainly,Skyscraperisn't quite as funny asDie Hard, but we found the moments of levity. And I think the film is so tense, and people are gripping their chairs and kind of watching it through their fingers, that you want those moments of relief so people can kind of shake the tension out and laugh and then buckle up again."
19. Top Gun (1986)
Who's in it? Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer
Run time: 110 minutes
The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When Maverick, (Cruise),a skilled fighter pilot, enrollsat the school,his recklessness and overconfidence lead to a rivalry with fellow pilot Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Kilmer). From stunning visual effects and solid performances to the catchy soundtrack, it's easy to see why Top Gunbecame such a huge success. The Oscar-winningfilm led to the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick (which, FYI, is also available tostream on Prime). It grossed $1.49 billion, making it the highest-grossing movie that Cruisehasever made.
20. Hot Pursuit (2015)
Who's in it? Sofia Vergara,Reese Witherspoon, Robert Kazinsky, John Carroll Lynch
Run time: 87 minutes
Reese Witherspoon is Rose Cooper, a police officer who's tasked with protecting the wife of a witness (Vergara) who has to testify against a drug lord. When he gets murdered, the two are forced to go on the run while being pursued by assassins and corrupt cops.
Vergara told Pocono Record, "This is a movie with two different women who have two different personalities and they’re trying to achieve the same thing and trying to survive. I think a lot of girls can look at this and learn many things from the relationship. You don’t have to look the same or be the same to understand another human being and support each other."
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