The best action movies on Netflix New Zealand

With so much to choose from on streaming services, Daniel Rutledge cuts to the chase, picking the top action movies now available to watch on Netflix.

See also:
* All new movies & series on Netflix
* All new streaming movies & series

The Beekeeper (2024)

Jason Statham taps into his stoic and savage side despite David Ayer cranking the absurdity way up, in this story of a former super soldier turned humble beekeeper turned avenging mass murderer. A brutal hallway brawl is the peak of this gleefully stupid revenge flick.

The Big 4 (2022)

Not nearly as intensely violent as most of Timo Tjahjanto’s previous flicks, this one still packs a delightful punch and careens along with the slightly mad filmmaker’s ever reckless energy. He definitely leans more into goofy comedy with this Netflix financed production rather than the sinister nastiness his fans have come to expect, but they’re sure to be satisfied by the over-the-top absurdity and inventiveness of the set pieces.

Carter (2022)

This 2022 Korean film is very dumb, but it delivers a tonne of ultraviolence, with plenty of fantastic choreography and bursts of wonderful inventiveness. There’s loads of VFX, giving some of it a garish, ugly look. But the staging and the crazy shit they do with drone cameras results in super cool thrills that make it well worth a watch, if you’re in the right mood.

Dredd (2012)

This vengeful dark horse of a film has tight and efficient storytelling, allowing plenty of room for the action to do the heavy lifting. It does so with intense, well-choreographed sequences and brutality-enhancing ultra-slow-motion. You don’t have to be a fan of the comics to appreciate this simple, well-crafted ride.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

One of the best video game movies ever made, even though it’s actually based on a novel rather than a video game. Its alternate title, which was favoured by director Doug Liman and is way better, tells you a lot of what you need to know about the movie: Live Die Repeat. It’s an underrated action/sci-fi with great comedic moments, it’s Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt kicking just so much arse, it’s one of the late, great Bill Paxton’s last roles and yes, it’s time you watched this again.

Extraction (2020)

This Netflix original film boldly tries to emulate the John Wick method of turning a stunt pro into a director, with the Russo brothers producing. Sam Hargrave’s impressive, hard R-rated violence is clearly influenced by The Raid movies as well as the John Wick ones and it’s a terrific debut, with a spectacular oner as a centrepiece that absolutely rules. I had more to say about how Extraction rules in my review.

Extraction 2 (2023)

If you like movies in which a big tough boy saves helpless women and children by wasting loads of bad guys using spectacular, as well as inventive and gory violence, this is a particularly premium example. Not quite as good as the original, but still a fantastic sequel with the same great gritty tone and flair for wildly impressive action sequences.

Fast Five (2011)

The apex of this beloved drag races and crazy heists franchise, number five is where it fired on all cylinders and got the balance just right. It’s just comedic and ridiculous enough, it isn’t too crammed with VFX, and delivers varied and exhilarating set pieces that aren’t too cartoonish. It also contains Dwayne Johnson’s best film role to date.

Havoc (2025)

Gareth Evans directs this blood-soaked ode to the cinematic mayhem of ’90s Hong Kong. Balletic bulletstorms build to near-blizzard intensity, brutality brought to life through dazzling choreography and camerawork. Tom Hardy growls his way through fight after fight as Evans pays homage to John Woo.

Headshot (2016)

Another post-The Raid Indonesian flick that shares some of the same talent, this is a near non-stop assault of brutality that features stunning choreography and special effects together with some highly impressive camerawork. Its story is cartoonish and silly, its characters one-dimensional, but it delivers the goods action-wise with aplomb. Again, there’s more said about the film in my review.

Hell or High Water (2016)

A modern western as much about broken dreams as bank robberies, this one simmers with tension, dark humour, and stunning desert landscapes. Chris Pine and Ben Foster are electric as outlaw brothers, while Jeff Bridges growls his way through a brilliant supporting turn as the relentless Texas Ranger on their trail.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Quentin Tarantino’s martial arts opus is an absolute blast: a grindhouse tribute packed with beautifully choreographed carnage. The giddily over-the-top climax sees Uma Thurman carve through yakuza hordes in a visually stunning, literal bloodbath. The film’s lacks the razor-sharp dialogue of QT’s best works, but uber-cool stylism and iconic moments make up for it.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Easily one of the best action films of the millennium so far, George Miller’s return to the franchise that made him famous is straight-up exhilarating. Its narrative is far more engaging than it needs to be and the wondrous world-building is adept in a way that’s often missing from modern movies. driving it all is a near non-stop assault of unforgettable, breathtaking action sequences.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie bring their A game in arguably the most perfect example of their Mission: Impossible formula. This is incredible entertainment that reaches a mighty pinnacle with a jaw-dropping helicopter climax filmed in Aotearoa.

The Night Comes For Us (2018)

A wildly over-the-top splatter action flick, this offers some wonderfully cringe-inducing uses of weapons like broken glass, craft knives and even cattle bones. Hailing from Indonesia in the wake of The Raid it boasts a bunch of stunning choreography and joyfully inventive ultraviolence. Narrative-wise there’s not a great deal to remember but if you want loads of thrilling combat served up with buckets of blood, this is the one. Let’s put it this way, in my review I said it made 2008 bloodbath Rambo seem restrained.

The Old Guard (2020)

This comic book adaptation features a bunch of immortal mercenaries who can’t be killed doing a bunch of killing with swords, fantasy art axes and a truckload of different firearms. Like I said in my review, this might have been a lot better if it let itself have a bit more fun and it’s a bummer a lot of the actual action is hidden behind editing and digital effects, but it’s the sort of cool, easy watch that’s perfect for when you’re in a silly action mood.

RRR (2021)

One of the most flat-out exhilarating films released in the 2020s, this melodramatic, larger-than-life action bromance is outrageously fun. It’s an operatic epic weighing in at more than three hours, with plenty of variety to the eye-popping spectacle it serves up. The film reaches a pinnacle with an instantly iconic dance routine that’ll have you grinning with “naaatu naatu naatu…” running through your brain for days after.

Total Recall (1990)

The only film Paul Verhoeven ever made with the greatest action star in cinema’s history, this deliriously entertaining sci-fi head trip is endlessly rewatchable. The maximalist Dutch director’s flair for satire, sleaze and lurid violence pairs perfectly with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s peak physicality, charisma and comic timing. A gloriously unhinged ’90s masterpiece.

Triple Frontier (2019)

This one is an interesting B-grade grunter with a stellar A-grade cast. It’s worth watching for its thematic oomph and unpredictable narrative rather than straight-up action thrills, but they’re not too bad in it either. There’s also mint old school Metallica used on the opening and end credits. “Two of the very best tracks recorded by any band ever,” I correctly noted in my review.

Titles are added and removed from his page to reflect changes to the Netflix catalogue. Reviews no longer available on this page can be found here.