From the freezing Arctic to the steamy heat of the Mississippi Delta, the action in these films happens literally all over the place.

The 14 best action movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your day moving

From the freezing Arctic to the steamy heat of the Mississippi Delta, the action in these films happens literally all over the place.

By Ilana Gordon,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Declan Gallagher,

and Dennis Perkins

on June 2, 2026 6:41 a.m. ET

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Willem Dafoe as Sergeant Elias in 'Platoon'; Chris Hemsworth as Mike in 'Crime 101'; Robert Redford as Nathan Muir in 'Spy Game'. Credit:

Roland Neveu/LightRocket via Getty; Dean Rogers/Amazon MGM Studios; Universal Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

When it comes to fight or flight, the characters in these 14 action films seem to all choose the former. The guide has added the 2026 action noir *Crime 101*, which positions a jewel thief against a LAPD detective in a character-driven thriller that spans the city of Los Angeles. Also, * *rewinds 40 years to the release of *Platoon*, Oliver Stone's antiwar action epic set during the conflict in Vietnam.

Let these films transport you to the Arctic, ancient Rome, and any number of places in between — and let EW's list of 14 of the best action movies on Amazon Prime Video guide you along the way.**

Arctic (2018)

Mads Mikkelsen as Overgård in 'Arctic'. Bleecker Street Media/Everett

As far as movie villains go, Mother Nature is one hell of an adversary. Overgård (Mads Mikkelsen) is a plane crash survivor stuck in the Arctic Circle, awaiting rescue. His day-to-day routine is interrupted after a would-be helicopter rescue ends in another crash, with the only surviving passenger (María Thelma Smáradóttir) left severely injured. Determined to save them both, Overgård embarks on foot on a journey across the Arctic, where he finds himself challenged by everything nature throws at him.

Mikkelsen carries the film on his parka-clad shoulders; mostly stripped of dialogue, director Joe Penna employs silence the same way other filmmakers use screams. A startling tale that will have you writing odes to your heating system, *Arctic* is a tense and thrilling survival tale. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *Arctic*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Joe Penna

**Cast: **Mads Mikkelsen, María Thelma Smáradóttir

Battleship (2012)

Taylor Kitsch as Alex Hopper and Rihanna as Cora Raikes in 'Battleship'.

*Battleship* proves board games aren’t just for basements. With an eclectic cast that includes both Liam Neeson and Rihanna, *Battleship* is a military science fiction action film that combines a love story, aliens, and good old-fashioned naval warfare — and somehow manages to pull it all off.

Propelled by the best special effects available at the time, while still nodding to the game’s original low-tech roots, *Battleship* also reunites *Friday Night Lights*' series creator Peter Berg with *FNL* star Taylor Kitsch to great effect. If you’re looking for an action film that won’t sink under the weight of your expectations, *Battleship*, EW’s critic writes, is the “rousing, engaging, and emotionally complex action war picture the silly 2001 action war picture *Pearl Harbor* only wished it could be.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Battleship*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director:** Peter Berg

**Cast: **Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson

Crime 101 (2026)

Chris Hemsworth as Mike and Halle Berry as Sharon in 'Crime 101'.

Los Angeles contains a web of highways, and in the noir action thriller *Crime 101*, the 101 freeway is the only thing linking a series of unsolved high-value robberies. Chris Hemsworth stars as Mike, a mysterious jewel thief who finds himself in the sights of an LAPD detective (Mark Ruffalo). With the score of a lifetime looming large, Mike recruits an insurance broker named Maya (Halle Berry), who is being taken advantage of at work. Adapted from a novella by author Don Winslow (*The Power of the Dog*), this hardboiled action movie goes back to fundamentals, casting great actors and setting them loose to chase each other around L.A.’s claustrophobic urban core. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Crime 101*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Bart Layton

**Cast: **Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Halle Berry

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox

Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for more than three decades, but it's an agreed upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly. After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, McClane must work to take down the terrorists from the inside in order to save his family.* —I.G.*

Where to watch *Die Hard*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** John McTiernan

**Cast: **Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia

Gladiator II (2024)

Paul Mescal as Hanno/Lucius and Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius in 'Gladiator II'.

Almost 25 years after *Gladiator* premiered and entertained theater audiences with its epic historical narrative and bold action sequences, Ridley Scott returns with his long-awaited sequel. The successor to his Best Picture winner follows a fresh crop of characters led by Paul Mescal, who stars as Hanno, a prisoner of war.

Hanno shows promise in the ring and carries vengeance in his heart for his murdered wife and conquered kingdom, but as he acquits himself as a gladiator and learns about his background, he begins to imagine the possibilities for a rehabilitated Rome. *Gladiator II* boasts a fresh cast of brilliant actors, a smart, well-constructed script, and employs a quarter-century’s worth of cinematic and visual effect advancements that propel this project to new heights. —*I.G.*

Where to watch *Gladiator II*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Ridley Scott

**Cast: **Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn

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Hot Fuzz (2007)

Nick Frost as Danny Butterman and Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel in 'Hot Fuzz'. Matt Nettheim/Focus

The buddy cop genre goes British in *Hot Fuzz*, a film about Sgt. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), who is transferred to a different district for being too good at his job. Instead of kicking down doors and catching bad guys, Nicholas finds himself in the charming village of Sandford, where the crime rate is nonexistent — but, somehow, the villagers keep winding up dead.

Directed by Edgar Wright — who previously collaborated with Pegg on the zombie hit *Shaun of the Dead* (2004) —* Hot Fuzz* is for people who like the *Lethal Weapon* and *Bad Boys *franchises, but wish those films offered more of a cottage core aesthetic. EW’s critic notes Wright and Pegg’s “sharp instincts for the hilarity of cultural differences. They just love mucking around in the pond of temperamental differences that separates the U.K. and the States.” *—I.G. *

Where to watch *Hot Fuzz*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Edgar Wright

**Cast: **Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent

Ip Man (2008)

Donnie Yen as Ip Man in 'Ip Man'. Well Go/Everett

Eight years before Donnie Yen portrayed a stoically deadly warrior in *Rogue One*, the Hong Kong superstar played the titular martial arts master most famous for teaching Bruce Lee. *Ip Man* takes place long before that, though, with Yen's Wing Chun master reluctantly proving his superior skills against rival martial arts schools, and, eventually, the invading Japanese.

Playing loosely with the biography of the very real Ip Man, Wilson Yip's film is a jingoistic mix of anti-Japan sentiment and stunning action set pieces. Yen, already a global martial arts star, studied Wing Chun under fellow Hong Kong action star Sammo Hung, and makes his unassuming Ip Man a riveting blur of jackhammer punches and balletic movement whenever anyone proves unwise enough to disturb his quiet life. *—Dennis Perkins*

Where to watch *Ip Man*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Wilson Yip

**Cast: **Donnie Yen

The Lost City of Z (2017)

Charlie Hunnam as Percy Fawcett and Tom Holland as Jack Fawcett in 'The Lost City of Z'.

Aidan Monaghan/Bleecker Street Media/Everett

James Gray’s film, adapted from *Killers of the Flower Moon* author David Grann’s nonfiction book, is a cracking old-fashioned adventure yarn. *The Lost City of Z* stars Charlie Hunnam as fabled explorer Percy Fawcett, who discovers a previously unknown civilization during a trek into the Amazon jungle — but when his interest in his work begins to border on obsession, Fawcett finds himself struggling to maintain his relationships with his wife and children. The film was chosen to close the New York Film Festival in 2016, and while it was overlooked by audiences during its time in theaters, the film found favor with most critics. *—Declan Gallagher*

Where to watch *The Lost City of Z*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **James Gray

**Cast: **Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid

One Battle After Another (2025)

Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills in 'One Battle After Another'.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark comedy action thriller about left-wing revolutionaries is his best work in years. *One Battle After Another *stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob, a former revolutionary turned stoner living in California with his daughter, Willa, under witness protection. When a powerful colonel (Sean Penn) realizes that Willa’s existence could threaten his acceptance into a secret society of white supremacists, he dispatches a bounty hunter to eliminate her.

A satirical film about the power of love and justice for all, *One Battle After Another *won the battle for Oscar recognition. The movie received 13 nods, winning six, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Penn), and Best Adapted Screenplay. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *One Battle After Another*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Paul Thomas Anderson

**Cast: **Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor

Out of the Furnace (2013)

Christian Bale as Russell Baze in 'Out of the Furnace'. Kerry Hayes/Relativity Media/Everett

Life in the Rust Belt after the recession and end of the Iraq War is desolate, but the one thing folks in Braddock, Pa., have going for them is a love of family and a thirst for justice. Such is the case for steelworker and ex-convict Russell Baze (Christian Bale), whose war vet brother goes missing after an illegal bare-knuckle fight. A crime thriller that pits a sociopathic drug dealer (Woody Harrelson) against a man with nothing left to lose, *Out of the Furnace* is violent, vengeful, and completely intoxicating.

The film slipped under the radar for most people, but made an EW critic's list of the 10 Best Movies of 2013. As written in the review, "All of the actors (including Zoë Saldana as Bale’s ex) are remarkable. But it’s Bale, and his almost biblical quest for justice, who burns his way into your soul.” *—I.G. *

Where to watch *Out of the Furnace*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Scott Cooper

**Cast:** Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe

Platoon (1986)

Charlie Sheen as Chris in 'Platoon'.

Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection

*Platoon* is both the first film in Oliver Stone’s Vietnam trilogy and the first film to be directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War. Released 11 years after the conflict ended, *Platoon* was acclaimed by critics and veterans for its portrayal of the violence and can be commonly found on lists aggregating the best films of the 1980s.

A dramatic success thanks to load-bearing performances by Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen, *Platoon* cleaned up at the Oscars, winning awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Film Editing, and Sound, but it’s the story’s harrowing plot and visuals that stick with people. EW’s critic notes that Stone is “the only director to continually rush into the haunted house of our national nightmare, Vietnam, and shine a flashlight.”* —I.G.*

Where to watch *Platoon*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Oliver Stone

**Cast: **Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen

Sinners (2025)

Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Miles Canton as Sammie in 'Sinners'.

*Sinners *picked up just about every Oscar nomination possible (a record-breaking 16) and for good reason: The period horror film has so much to offer, it’s hard to know what to highlight. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, *Sinners* stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown in the Mississippi Delta to create a juke joint for the Black community. But when the spot’s music is powerful enough to summon supernatural forces to its door, the bar’s patrons struggle to survive their night of revelry.

Set in 1932, the first half of the movie is a compelling drama about gangster brothers returning to the South and confronting their past loves and hopes for the future. The second half — a bacchanalian, gore-filled night of singing, dancing, and vampire attacks — is both gripping and terrifying. The acting, casting, and music are excellent, making *Sinners* a must-see movie. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Sinners: *Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Ryan Coogler

**Cast: **Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku

Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford as Nathan D. Muir in 'Spy Game'. Universal/Everett

What *Spy Game* lacks in heart, it makes up for in cleverness and mind games. Veteran CIA officer Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is supposed to retire at the end of the day. But first, he has to save his protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), who is scheduled to be executed in a Chinese prison within 24 hours. The only problem? The agency isn’t willing to save Bishop, so Muir is on his own.

To free his friend, Muir must become a spy within his own agency, using all his expertise gathered over a decades-long career. A story told through time jumps, flashbacks, and reveals, *Spy Game* isn’t a film with a strong message, but it’s still worth following along. A movie that EW’s critic refers to as a “tensely jumpy and data-jangled espionage thriller,” *Spy Game* makes for a solid movie night selection. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Spy Game*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Tony Scott

**Cast:** Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack, Stephen Dillane, Larry Bryggman

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Chris Pratt as Dan Forester in 'The Tomorrow War'. Frank Masi/Amazon Studios

As if today’s geopolitical conflicts weren’t complicated enough, in *The Tomorrow War*, the world must unite and travel to the future to defeat the aliens creating an existential threat to humanity. The stakes are high, and there are the usual interpersonal fights to sort out amongst all the battles with intergalactic creatures. Chris Pratt stars as a biology teacher and Iraq War veteran whose military experience and personal ties help him survive his time fighting aliens.

As far as the tonal spectrum is concerned, the film leans more comedy than thriller, thanks in large part to its supporting cast of comedic actors and eccentric characters. EW’s critic writes that “Director Chris McKay (*Robot Chicken*) has forged his career in absurdist comedy, and the movie is best when it lets its weirdo flag fly.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Tomorrow War*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Chris McKay

**Cast: **Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson

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