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The best action movies on Amazon Prime right now

If Amazon Prime Video had to rely solely on its original action movies, then it would rank far behind its streaming rivals in that category. But because Prime Video has beefed up its lineup with movies from Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and Paramount, it’s the only streaming service that has recent hits like The Batman, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Top Gun: Maverick, and Violent Night, all in one place.

Since Amazon owns MGM, all of the James Bond movies are also in play, including the most recent installment, No Time To Die. Between those films and a handful of classic movies on loan from other studios, Prime Video is your best bet for action. To help you get your fix, we’ve narrowed down the vast selection to bring you a roundup of the best action movies on Amazon Prime Video right now.

If you’ve already burned through the Amazon Prime catalog, we’ve also put together a list of the best action movies on Netflix, the best action movies on Disney+, and the best action movies on Hulu.

Recently added to Amazon Prime Video

No Time to Die (2021) new

No Time to Die
68 %
7.3/10
pg-13 163m
Genre Action, Thriller, Drama
Stars Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond comes to an end in No Time To Die, and it’s the rare 007 film that provides closure for the character. After Bond is ambushed by Spectre, he blames his lover, Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), for betraying him. Years later, Bond is pulled out of retirement by his CIA pal, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), for a simple mission with high stakes.

But nothing is ever simple with Bond. His nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), is still trying to kill him from behind bars. And a new enemy, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), may prove to be more than either Bond or Blofeld can handle.

The Batman (2022) new

The Batman
72 %
7.8/10
pg-13 177m
Genre Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano
Directed by Matt Reeves

A new decade means a new Dark Knight in director Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Robert Pattinson steps into the title role as a near-rookie Batman, but he’s less self-assured as Bruce Wayne than he is in costume. In this reimagining, The Riddler (Paul Dano) is a violent killer who is intent on exposing Gotham City’s darkest secrets. And he doesn’t care how many people he kills along the way.

Bruce soon finds an ally of sorts in Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), a young woman with her own agenda and her own connection to mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Between Riddler, Falcone, and Penguin (Colin Farrell), even Batman may not be able to save Gotham City from itself.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) new

Top Gun: Maverick
78 %
8.3/10
pg-13 131m
Genre Action, Drama
Stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly
Directed by Joseph Kosinski

No less than Steven Spielberg has claimed that Top Gun: Maverick saved Hollywood by pulling in blockbuster numbers that rival the pre-pandemic box office. Spielberg may be exaggerating a bit, but this is by far the biggest hit of Tom Cruise’s career and a sequel to one of his most iconic films.

Thirty years after Top Gun, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is still just a captain and a flight instructor, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Yet even Maverick may have lost a step as he tries to train a new generation of Top Gun pilots. One pilot in particular, Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), proves to be particularly difficult for Maverick to deal with because he blames Pete for the death of his father, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), in the previous film.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) new

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
72 %
7.3/10
pg-13 134m
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith
Directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise gets another chance on the big screen in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and it’s one of the most charming fantasy films to come along in ages. Star Trek’s Chris Pine stars as Edgin Darvis, a bard and a professional thief who was betrayed by one of his companions, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), and imprisoned alongside his best friend, Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez).

When Edgin and Holga escape, they discover the true scope of Forge’s treachery, and they realize that they can’t retrieve Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), without help. That’s why they recruit their former partner, Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), and a shape-shifting tiefling druid, Doric (Sophia Lillis), for an audacious scheme to rob Forge and bring down his evil allies, the Red Wizards.

Violent Night (2022)

Violent Night
55 %
6.7/10
r 112m
Genre Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Beverly D'Angelo
Directed by Tommy Wirkola

Nearly four decades ago, Die Hard reinvented what a Christmas film could be. In Violent Night, Christmas goes full Die Hard with Santa Claus (David Harbour) himself stepping into the John McClane role. This version of Santa was once a Viking warrior, and he’s lost faith in both humanity and Christmas.  

But when a dangerous thief calling himself Scrooge (John Leguizamo) robs a wealthy family led by their ruthless matriarch, Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo), Santa stumbles upon Scrooge’s plan and hears the pleas of Gertrude’s granddaughter, Trudy (Leah Brady). Trudy is a true believer in both Santa and Christmas and the only one in her family who has a place on Santa’s nice list. Now, Scrooge and his minions are about to find out why they should have stayed on Santa’s good side.

Highlander (1986)

Highlander
24 %
7.0/10
r 116m
Genre Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Stars Christophe Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown
Directed by Russell Mulcahy

Ignore the reviews for Highlander. Critics at the time dismissed it, but Highlander became a cult classic in the ‘80s that spawned multiple sequels and even a few TV series. Christopher Lambert stars as Connor MacLeod, one of the few immortal warriors who still walk the Earth in the present.

Through flashbacks, Connor’s rivalry with his eternal nemesis, The Kurgan (Clancy Brown), plays out over the centuries before they face each other again for the ultimate prize. Connor’s friend and mentor, Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez (Sean Connery), taught him everything that he knows, including his most important lesson about the war of the immortals: “In the end, there can be only one.”

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The Fast and the Furious
58 %
6.8/10
pg-13 106m
Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez
Directed by Rob Cohen

In the beginning, there was no Fast Saga. It was simply The Fast and the Furious, a somewhat shameless rip-off from Point Break that became far bigger than anyone could have predicted. In the original film, Paul Walker stars as Brian O’Conner, an LAPD police officer investigating a brazen crew of thieves who hijack shipments.

To catch the thieves, Brian goes undercover in the world of illegal street racing, where he befriends Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), before falling for Dom’s sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster). As much as Brian doesn’t want it to be true, Dom and his crew are the thieves that he’s been looking for. And Brian’s bond with Dom and Mia may not survive even when a mutual enemy emerges.

The Running Man (1987)

The Running Man
45 %
6.7/10
r 101m
Genre Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Dawson, María Conchita Alonso
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser

The Running Man may be the only time that Arnold Schwarzenegger ever stars in a Stephen King adaptation. In a dark future world, the government has created a lethal game show, The Running Man, where criminals get a chance to win their freedom if they survive the experience and defeat the stalkers who will stop at nothing to hunt them down and murder them.

Police Captain Benjamin “Ben” Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) finds himself thrust into the game after he refuses to take part in a massacre of civilians. Host Damon Killian (Richard Dawson) thinks that Richards is just another player. What he doesn’t know is that Richards might be the very first man to make it all the way to the end.

Crank (2006)

Crank
57 %
6.9/10
r 88m
Genre Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo
Directed by Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine

Jason Statham has starred in some pretty wild action flicks, but perhaps none more so than Crank. Statham plays Chev Chelios, an accomplished hitman in the employ of a drug lord, Carlito (Carlos Sanz). Chev’s rival, Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo), is so jealous that he comes up with a way to take Chev out via a drug that will kill him if he doesn’t keep his adrenaline levels high at all times.

Even with the knowledge that he could die at any moment, Chev goes all out to stay alive long enough to get his revenge on Verona. Unfortunately for Chev, his girlfriend, Eve Lydon (Amy Smart), may be caught in the crossfire.

Knight and Day (2010)

Knight and Day
46 %
6.3/10
pg-13 109m
Genre Action, Comedy
Stars Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard
Directed by James Mangold

Nearly a decade after teaming in Vanilla Sky, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz reunited to headline director James Mangold’s Knight and Day. Within the film, Diaz plays June Havens, an ordinary woman who keeps bumping into Roy Miller (Cruise) at an airport. Unbeknown to June, Roy is a rogue secret agent named Matthew Knight, and his interactions with her have caused the CIA to believe that June is working with him.

Much to June’s confusion, she is soon kidnapped by Matthew, who isn’t very forthcoming about his mission. But in the end, Matthew and June may need each other to survive.

Train to Busan (2016)

Train to Busan
73 %
7.6/10
118m
Genre Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Action
Stars Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho

Zombie apocalypse movies and TV shows come and go (and some stay way, way too long — The Walking Dead, we’re looking at you), but some are so good and unique that they linger in your psyche. South Korea’s Train to Busan is one such memorable film. It tells the story of divorced father Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), whose work-obsessed lifestyle is taking its toll on his young daughter, Su-an (Su-an Kim), so the pair board a train from Seoul to Busan to visit Su-an’s mother.

But wouldn’t you know it, all hell breaks loose when a strange virus suddenly grips the country, turning everyone infected into frenzied, blood-hungry zombies … and it’s found its way onto the train. With some absolutely stunning action sequences, Train to Busan not only explores the chaos of everyone-for-themselves mass hysteria, but also how humans band together when in need.  

Samaritan (2022) new

Samaritan
45 %
5.7/10
pg-13 102m
Genre Action, Drama, Science Fiction
Stars Javon Walton, Sylvester Stallone, Dascha Polanco
Directed by Julius Avery
Seeing as we’ve already seen wave after wave of actors getting the cape-and-cowl treatment, it was only a matter of time before the superhero story found its way to someone like Sylvester Stallone. The movie to do so is Samaritan, and while it’s pretty par for the course in terms of narrative scope and set pieces, it’s certainly not the worst blending of sci-fi action and drama we’ve ever seen. The story follows Sam Cleary (Javon Walton), a 13-year-old kid who is watching the world around him crumble. Crime is rampant, heroes are hard to come by, and the end times seem to be drawing near. But perhaps all is not lost. Mr. Smith (Stallone) could actually be Samaritan, a superhero who was the white knight of Sam’s stomping grounds a long time ago. And it’s up to the persistent and hopeful Sam to convince Mr. Smith to become a hero once more.
SAMARITAN Trailer (2022)

RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop
52 %
6.2/10
r 118m
Genre Science Fiction, Action
Stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton
Directed by José Padilha

Director José Padilha’s 2014 Robocop remake may not have been the sci-fi reimagining the world asked for, but as a new take on the ’80s cult sensation, it marches pretty strongly to its own drum while doing what it can to satisfy fans of the original. Joel Kinneman stars as Detroit police officer Alex Murphy.

After Murphy is injured in the line of duty, the robotics engineering minds at OmniCorp jump at the opportunity to rebuild and revive him by outfitting the cop with an all-powerful mech suit. Back on the streets, Officer Murphy is now a nearly invincible cyborg. But will his impervious tech outweigh the soul of the man behind the armor? Action-heavy and visually stunning, Robocop isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but as a fresh spin on a beloved story, it deserves a watch.

RoboCop TRAILER 1 (2014) - Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish Movie HD

World War Z (2013)

World War Z
63 %
7/10
pg-13 116m
Genre Action, Drama, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz
Directed by Marc Forster

Based on the 2006 Max Brooks novel of the same name, World War Z stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, an ex-U.N. investigator who finds himself on the receiving end of an apocalyptic onslaught of zombies. Stuck in a horrid Philadelphia traffic jam with his wife and two daughters when the undead descend on the city, an impromptu escape and a later rescue place Gerry in a position where he must harness all of his governmental expertise to get to the bottom of the vicious outbreak … that is, before the zombies completely overrun the world.

A visual epic and a surprisingly successful blend of science fiction, action, and horror elements, World War Z manages to pay fine homage to its source material while also rising to the top of the hard-to-nail zombie subgenre.

World War Z Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Brad Pitt Movie HD

Jolt (2021)

Jolt
48 %
5.6/10
91m
Genre Action, Comedy
Stars Kate Beckinsale, Stanley Tucci, Bobby Cannavale
Directed by Tanya Wexler
In Jolt, Kate Beckinsale’s Lindy Lewis has a bit of a problem keeping her intermittent explosive disorder under control. The short version is that she’s prone to fits of extreme violence at a moment’s notice. While trying to maintain some sense of normalcy, Lindy goes on a date with Justin (Jai Courtney). But when Justin is murdered, Lindy realizes that the police will do nothing to solve the case. So she takes it upon herself to dispense justice, one beating at a time, until she gets some answers.

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021)

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
41 %
5.8/10
r 109m
Genre Action, Thriller
Stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Jodie Turner-Smith
Directed by Stefano Sollima
After nearly three decades in development hell, Tom Clancy’s novel, Without Remorse, was finally adapted with Michael B. Jordan in the leading role as John Kelly, the leader of an elite team of U.S. Navy SEALs. Following a mission that unwittingly pits them against Russian operatives, John and his team face deadly reprisals months later on American soil. John is the only survivor of an attack that also claims the life of his wife, Pam Kelly (Lauren London). After murdering one of the men responsible, John bargains his way out of prison to help capture the last surviving assassin, Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman).

The Tomorrow War (2021)

The Tomorrow War
45 %
6.6/10
pg-13 138m
Genre Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
Stars Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons
Directed by Chris McKay
As the title implies, The Tomorrow War isn’t about a conflict in the present. But it is very much a problem that the modern world can’t ignore. When Lt. Hart (Jasmine Mathews) travels back in time to warn the people of Earth about an alien invasion, she also reveals that humanity is losing the war. Recruits are badly needed to come back to the future and fight the alien horde. Chris Pratt’s Dan Forester is one of many who answer the call to action, but he’s not the only member of his family who gets roped into the war. Yet once they get to the future, Dan and the new recruits find themselves ill-prepared for the full scale of the threat.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

The Boondock Saints
44 %
7.8/10
r 108m
Genre Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus
Directed by Troy Duffy
Don’t let that low Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. Boondock Saints is a cult classic action flick that has been embraced by fans for over two decades. A pre-Walking Dead Norman Reedus stars as Murphy, with Sean Patrick Flanery as his brother, Connor MacManus. The MacManus brothers become overnight sensations when they kill Russian mobsters in self-defense. FBI special agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) declines to charge the brothers, both of whom come to believe that God wants them to eliminate all of the evil men in Boston. That’s much easier said than done, as the brothers soon find themselves well over their heads in a bloody crusade.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
56 %
7.2/10
pg 122m
Genre Western
Stars Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Jo Van Fleet
Directed by John Sturges
Sometimes, you just want to go back to the classics. As such, enjoy watching Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) and Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas) form a tenuous alliance as they square off against a deadly gang of outlaws in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Editors' Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
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