From assassins to adventurers, superheroes, spies and more—here’s a selection of the very best action movies now streaming on Prime Video, picked by critic Luke Buckmaster.
See also
* Best new movies & series on Prime Video
* All new streaming movies & series
Anna (2019)
Watch on Prime VideoIt’s a tad generic—but Luc Besson, a veteran of the killer-for-hire genre, delivers a lean, mean, muscular assassin flick with a cracking pace and a magnetic performance from Sasha Luss. Her character, a government-contracted killer, has a modicum of originality in that she’s a high-end fashion model working in Paris. So: catwalk by day, bullet in someone’s head by night. A commentary on the violent opulence of haute couture culture?
BMX Bandits (1983)
Watch on Prime VideoA frizzy-haired and rosy-cheeked young Nicole Kidman (16 at the time of filming) stars as one of the titular whippersnappers who scoot around Sydney on bicycles, foiling the plot of criminal masterminds. Stuffed full of playful shots, unconventional angles and DayGlo colours, this bona fide 80s classic is kitschy and gaudy, set to the tune of a pumping synth soundtrack.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
Watch on Prime Video“This whole visual storytelling thing is hard,” says a character in David Soren’s gloriously kiddish pastiche. This reflects the director’s attitude: keep moving, keep poking every scene for opportunities, keep shifting realities. When two young kids get complete mind control of their malevolent principal, mayhem ensues.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOTom Cruise plays an alien-fighting US solider who cannot die and experiences the same day over and over, Groundhog Day style, in Doug Liman’s rootin’-tootin’ video game-esque sci-fi . The fight/die/repeat format keeps a ferocious pace and doubles as a comment on the infallibility of the Hollywood hero.
Fist of Fury (1972)
Watch on Prime VideoBefore the intro credits have appeared, a distraught Bruce Lee is clutching the dirt above his teacher’s grave and swearing revenge. The martial arts legend’s screen-buckling presence seems to extend past the many baddies he beat up to the structure of the film itself, whipping it into gear. Fist of Fury is one of the more notable (and rewatchable) titles from 70’s chopsocky cinema.
The General (1926)
Watch on Prime VideoNobody who’s watched Buster Keaton balancing precariously on a cowcatcher at the front of a train could ever forget that image; it is an everlasting imprint from one of cinema’s first action-comedy masterpieces. In his magnum opus the brilliant comedian trots off to the Civil War as a train engineer, chasing enemy troops and thwarting their attempts to derail him—while of course performing virtuoso slapstick.
The Green Knight (2021)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEODavid Lowery’s balls to the wall fantasy film begins with Dev Patel’s face exploding into fire—and gets better from there. Patel’s mission to confront the eponymous character is cinematic in a dreamily medieval way, with mist-ensconced mountains and candle-lit castles a-plenty. Lowery is unafraid to hold the frame, deploying ravishing long takes that explore and extend the space.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe second Hunger Games movie evokes a thoroughly menaced tone: the world is broken; people are pushing back; revolution is in the air. Despair and cynicism infuse everything—even the relationship between Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss and Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta, who are used as propaganda tools by the state. They’re sent back into the death tournament arena, where Katniss rises from celebrity contestant to mythical saviour.
Jaws (1975)
Watch on Prime VideoThe shark catchers in Steven Spielberg’s iconic creature feature famously needed a bigger boat. The film itself—a thrillingly suspenseful blockbuster—shifted the foundation of multiplex cinema, ushering in a new era of tentpole spectacles. The story unsubtle messages have contemporary relevance, about heeding the advice of public health experts.
Kick-Ass (2010)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThis wittily irreverent and sassy superhero movie follows a delusional teenager, Aaron Johnson’s Dave Lizewski, who dons a bogus costume and declares himself a caped crusader. Matthew Vaughn wickedly subverts the genre and makes way for some scene-stealing supporting performances—particularly from NIcolas Cage and Chloe Grace Moretz.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe third instalment of Peter Jackson’s dizzying Lord of the Rings trilogy is where the shit really goes down, delivering moments of screen-crunching spectacle that bring to a head tonnes of plotlines and backstories. But this choice represents all three films, which are magnificent as a set but flawed in different ways: the first has a lagging setup; the second doesn’t have an ending; the finale has about a dozen.
Mad Max (1979)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOIn 1979 Mel Gibson stomped down the highway for the first time as Max Rockatansky—and action cinema was never the same. Given the subsequent Mad Max films, George Miller’s hell-raising debut is now an origins story, detailing the Road Warrior’s tragic baptism by fire. The film has lost none of its dark magic; watching it is like sticking your head out the window of a fast moving car.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Watch on Prime VideoThe pace of George Miller’s third Mad Max sequel is beyond frenetic: a sonic-speed symphony of combustion that roars out of the gates and never slows down. Tom Hardy defies expectations, bringing Max Rockatanksy into the 21st century. But Charlize Theron steals the show as Imperator Furiosa, spearheading a story about the world’s greatest u-turn.
The Man From Hong Kong (1975)
Watch on Prime VideoBefore there was Mad Max, there was Brian Trenchard-Smith’s chopsocky Australian action movie—which contains a tremendous eight-a-half minute car chase that must have inspired George Miller and his road warrior. Jimmy Wang Yu plays a kind of Chinese Dirty Harry, infiltrating a crime network run by George Lazenby. From the opening scene Trenchard-Smith (an ozploitation legend) directs with jaunty, rhythmic gusto.
The Matrix (1999)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe Wachowski sisters’ mega blockbuster needs no introduction; labels like “classic” don’t come close to doing it justice. Keanu Reeves snapped out of ordinary life to fulfil a Christ-like call to arms, taking on the gods of the computer program dictating our lives. The “bullet time” sequences inspired countless copies, although attempting to trace the impact of The Matrix is folly. This movie is a genuine phenomenon.
Scarface (1983)
Watch on Prime VideoIt’s more of a drama, really—but the final hellzapoppin moments in Brian DePalma’s highly quotable gangster film (“say hello to my little friend!”) alone qualify it was an indispensable action flick. Al Pacino’s coke dealing (and snorting) gangster Tony Montana climbs the crime ladder; good luck to anyone standing in his way.
Sicario (2015)
Watch on Prime VideoThe words “Benicio del Toro” and “Mexican drug cartel movie” go together like a horse and cart. The actor’s sleepy menace is on fine display in Denis Villeneuve’s dark story about dodgy cops, moral quandaries and Emily Blunt trying to make sense of it all as an FBI agent. Blunt has a lessy showy role but is a commanding anchor.
The Terminator (1984)
Watch on Prime VideoRecruiting Arnold Schwarzenegger to play an emotionless cyborg was a stroke of genius, insulating the beefy star from allegations of being a wooden actor. He/it is sent from the future to kill a young woman (Linda Hamilton) who will give birth to a post-apocalyptic hero. James Cameron’s cold-blooded direction cranks the tension to 11, wringing scope, wit and big ideas from a monster movie premise.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1992)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOFear of a robotic uprising has long stimulated the public imagination—rarely as memorably as in James Cameron’s 1992 masterpiece. Larded with gripping chase scenes, which have aged not one iota, the villain from its predecessor—a cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger—returns as a reprogrammed good guy, initially butt naked but soon to kick ass in an iconic leather jacket and black sunnies.
Titles are added and removed from his page to reflect changes Prime Video’s catalogue. Reviews no longer available on this page can be found here.
