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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Nicole Pyles

5 best Netflix action movies to watch right now

Best movies on Hulu: Taken.

An action movie is an excellent way to curb the dreary atmosphere that comes along with winter in January. Intense car chases, exciting shoot-outs, impressive athletics by stars (and their body doubles, if we're being honest), dangerous scenarios, and foreign locales are the elements that make this genre so appealing. It's an authentic popcorn experience that will have you forgetting about the chill outside. 

Fortunately, Netflix has countless action movies available for your streaming pleasure. They have numerous classics you've likely seen countless times and some you may have never seen before. We've identified a few of the best options for you to stream. So, pull up a comfortable chair, close the curtains, and grab a warm beverage. You're sure to stay on the edge of your seat with these action movies on Netflix.

'The Other Guys'

(Image credit: Alamy)

If you want a little comedy with your action, you'll love "The Other Guys," starring the superb duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Ferrell's Allen Gamble and Wahlberg's Terry Hoitz are partners with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Terry despises Allen's low-key demeanor, which contrasts with his strong desire to get involved in more action.

Unfortunately, they've been overlooked for years as two bumbling underachievers. It's not until they finally have their chance to shine by solving a case that they get out from behind their desks. Ferrell is excellent as a mild-mannered accountant type, while Wahlberg is phenomenal as an amped-up cop. The comedy blends well with the over-the-top action scenes, making for an entertaining thrill ride from beginning to end.

Watch on Netflix

'Last Seen Alive'

(Image credit: Alamy)

Nothing is quite as scary as having a loved one go missing in a moment. "Last Seen Alive" turns the terrifying situation into an intense action thriller. Gerard Butler stars as Will Spann, whose relationship with his wife Lisa (Jaimie Alexander) is on the rocks. While driving her to her parents, he stops for gas and she goes in for a bottle of water. When she doesn't return, he knows something is wrong.

Rather than waiting for the police to do something, Will goes on a mission to find out who took his wife and get her back He faces the criminal underbelly of the local town and fights some unseemly bad guys along the way. It's a gritty action movie that will keep you captivated the entire time.

Watch on Netflix

'Taken'

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox / Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo)

There's nothing quite like seeing Liam Neeson deploy his particular set of skills. "Taken" has become a classic that is worthy of numerous rewatchings if you have already seen the film. Neeson is former CIA agent Brian Mills, whose teen daughter and best friend are kidnapped during their trip to Paris. 

Brian finds out that his daughter is taken by an Albanian sex trafficking ring, leaving him a little amount of time before she is lost forever. Of course, this ups the ante, making it that much more intense as he battles gunfire, high-speed car chases, and life-threatening characters to get the information he needs. While this film may call you to suspend disbelief a little, that's certainly the joy of watching an action thriller.

Watch on Netflix

'Jurassic Park'

(Image credit: Universal)

Start at the beginning of what kicked off a major movie franchise with 1993's "Jurassic Park." Directed by Steven Spielberg and based upon books written by Michael Crichton, the original film tells the story of how an eccentric industrialist populated an island with extinct dinosaurs.

However, as most fans of the film already know, the numerous experts who arrive at the island to see the phenomenon face a life-threatening situation when a power outage frees the dinosaurs. Their only goal is to get away with their lives still intact. 

Watch on Netflix

'The Gray Man'

(Image credit: Stanislav Honzik/Netflix)

He's not just Ken here! Ryan Gosling plays Court Gentry, a prisoner who is offered his freedom in exchange for joining the CIA as an assassin. Twenty years later, Gentry is now known as Sierra Six and is one of the few remaining members of the program. During a mission, he discovers he's killed someone known as Sierra Four, who shares information about a corrupted agent. This knowledge puts Six's life at risk, and now other assassins are sent after him. 

Gosling is joined by an impressive supporting cast. Chris Evans plays the villainous Lloyd Hansen, Ana de Armas shines as the CIA agent Dani Miranda, and Billy Bob Thornton stars as the senior CIA official who hired Gentry, Donald Fitzroy. While this is no James Bond, it's an exciting action movie that could become a franchise.

Watch on Netflix

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