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Sometimes the house is just too quiet. What it needs is a good shootout, or maybe an explosion. A cool quip couldn’t hurt either. There are days when — for whatever reason — you just need a great action film before you hit the sack. Luckily, HBO Max has a ton of great action movies to offer. In fact, the titles below really just represent the tip of the action iceberg (particularly when it comes to fans of Samurai films or animated Batman movies). But if you are jonesing for a night of loud rock ‘em sock ‘em cinema, this is a great place to start your search.
In the mood for something a bit quieter? Check out our list of best comedies, dramas, or family movies on the platform!
Editor’s note: This list was updated June 2022 to include The Bourne Identity, Chungking Express, Dune, Dunkirk, and The Italian Job.
The Batman (2022)
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell
Run Time: 2 hr 56 min
After a mild portrayal in Justice League, Batman gets a new breath of life from director Matt Reeves. This time beneath the cowl of the caped crusader is a brooding, angsty Robert Pattinson. A detective’s story through-and-through, The Batman might have a staggering runtime but where it makes up for a lot of plot comes standout performances by Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, and Jeffrey Wright. From the thrilling batmobile chase to the unfolding mystery set out by The Riddler, there is something for everyone in this revival of the dark knight. With a sequel announced, it’s time to rewatch The Batman, because why not? – Therese Lacson
The Bourne Identity (2022)
Director: Doug Liman
Writers: William Blake Herron, Tony Gilroy, David Self, Robert Ludlum
Cast: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Clive Owen
Run Time: 1 hr 59 min
The debut film of a series that has still never been topped, The Bourne Identity is a prime example of gritty and grounded action that never misses a beat. Unexpected and endlessly exciting, each scene is constructed to provide maximum engagement with a grounded sensibility. There are wild car chases, well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat, nail-biting escape scenes, and tense shootouts. It eschews typical eccentricities to be more grounded and realistic, firmly embedding itself as one of the more gripping action films of its kind. It is a film that also delves into the loneliness and isolation of its characters, creating a deeper emotional investment in the more heightening action moments. Grounding this is a youthful Matt Damon, who gives it his all and then some, drawing us into the life of a ruthless killer trying to figure out who he is once his mind has been erased. It makes for an experience that is always worth revisiting for those looking for a classic action flick. – Chase Hutchinson
Dune (2021)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writers: Denis Villeneuve, Frank Herbert, Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa
Run Time: 2 hr 35 min
A science-fiction epic whose scope is matched only by its sense of space in its battles, Dune has some of the most exciting action sequences that are as vibrant as they are vicious. Key amongst these is every scene with Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho, a charismatic yet skilled fighter who dives into every new challenge with a fearlessness and strength that is unmatched. One climactic scene in a confined hallway where he must take on impossible odds will forever stand out, making incredible use of Momoa’s immense presence and power. As he cuts through enemy after enemy, you can’t help but just watch in awe of his dedication to the performance. There is no one that could have done it like Momoa, and the scene itself is so well-choreographed that it all becomes a deadly dance. By the time it all concludes, it makes for one of the more moving and mesmerizing moments in a film that is full of them. – Chase Hutchinson
Dunkirk (2017)
Director/writer: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Jack Lowden
Run Time: 1 hr 46 min
A harrowing war film that is as haunting as it is visually stunning, Dunkirk is director Christopher Nolan at his very best and in complete command of his craft. A depiction of a real-life evacuation in World War II, it makes use of minimal dialogue with an eye for capturing the action as realistically as possible. Making use of immense practical effects and real-life fights, it is a dedicated and daring subversion of the typical Hollywood formula when it comes to war cinema. There was no victory at this moment in history — only survival to fight another day after mourning those that were lost. It is a film that shows the experience as it is on the ground, the sea, and the air, capturing the terror of battle with a delicate hand. There are mounts of profound beauty, though it is all undercut with a prevailing sadness that sweeps you up with each new escalation. – Chase Hutchinson
Chungking Express (1994)
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Writer: Wong Kar-wai
Cast: Brigitte Lin Chin-Hsia, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung, Faye Wong
Run Time: 1 hr 37 min
Chungking Express is one of Wong Kar-wai’s many dark and beautiful stories of love and loss. Although it plays like an homage to 1960s mafia and samurai films, Chungking Express explores the loneliness of its characters. Told in two distinct acts, the film opens with the adventures of He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a lovesick police officer yearning for an enigmatic drug dealer (Brigitte Lin); the second half features future In the Mood For Love star Tony Leung as another heartbroken police officer who shares his musings on life with a friendly snack seller (Faye Wong). Funny, poignant, and surprisingly action-packed, Chungking Express is one of Wong’s best. –Liam Gaughan
The Italian Job (2003)
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Donna and Wayne Powers
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham
Run Time: 1 hr 51 min
2003’s The Italian Job is one of the rare remakes that completely outshines the original. While the 1969 British caper starring Michael Caine is fun, F. Gary Gray’s reboot incorporates a more compelling motivation for the central characters other than simple greed. Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron) and her cohort Charlie Crocker (Mark Wahlberg) gather their old team back together in order to get vengeance on their former associate Steve Frazelli (Edward Norton). Steve had murdered Stella’s father, John (Donald Sutherland). Mad Max: Fury Road fans keen to see Theron kicking butt will want to check this one out, and Norton’s playfully evil performance is only an added bonus. –Liam Gaughan
The Last Duel (2021)
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Nicole Holofcener
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, Alex Lawther
Run Time: 2 hr 32 min
Nearly 25 years after they won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon returned to write another script together. Considering that they chose to tell a story that deals with sensitive sexual assault issues, they were wise to bring on Nicole Holofcener as a female voice among the writers. The Last Duel tells the amazing true story of the last combat trial in Medieval France. The story is told from three different characters’ perspectives. After Sir Jean de Carrouges’ (Damon) wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) is raped by his best friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), Carrouges takes the matter before the King (Alex Lawther). – Liam Gaughan
F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
Director/Writer: Justin Lin
Writer: Justin Lin and Daniel Casey
Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Jordana Brewster, Michael Rooker, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron
Run Time: 2 hr 23 min
The ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise continues to expand on the out-of-this-world action that has put this franchise into a different stratosphere. There is something so great about Fast and Furious and how unhinged the series has become over time, yet it is still very much great. This time around, Dom (Vin Diesel) and the crew must take on an international terrorist who turns out to be Dom and Mia’s (Jordana Brewster) estranged brother (John Cena). If there is one thing you can expect from any Fast and Furious film, they will say the world family and the action will be anything but regular, and F9 continues that. It’s just non-stop from start to finish and proves that maybe the films have moved away from the original concept, but that doesn’t mean that the movie doesn’t remain entertaining from start to finish. With only two installments left in the show, there are no questions that the films will be over the top and deliver action sequences as we have never seen before. – Arianne Binette
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Director/Writer: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Daniela Melchior, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, and David Dastmalchian
Run Time: 2 hr 12 min
Bringing a much-needed injection of humor into the DCEU, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad takes the secret squad of villains, Task Force X, to the island of Corto Maltese. Under the orders of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) this band of misfits and criminals is tasked with preventing an anti-American regime from gaining control over Project Starfish – an alien with mind-control abilities. As always, Margot Robbie kicks ass as Harley Quinn, while newcomers Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) all bring a brilliant mix of humor, heart, and badassery to the movie. Gunn has become well known for mixing heartfelt moments in with bizarre and/or graphic action sequences, and The Suicide Squad is no different. It’s a wild and fun ride, no matter what level of DC Comics fandom you may be. (And did I mention that Sylvester Stallone is the voice of a himbo King Shark who is both adorable and deadly?) — Brynna Arens
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Director: Simon McQuoid
Writer: Greg Russo, Dave Callaham, Oren Uziel
Cast: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Hiroyuki Sanada
Run Time: 1 hr 50 min
When it comes to films that try to take on adapting video games to the big screen, it is usually a mixed bag about what you are going to get. When it comes to the newest Mortal Kombat, it is thankfully on the more positive side of adaptations. Bolstered by a killer opening sequence and some rather well-choreographed action sprinkled throughout, it is a lot of set-up for more to come though it still packs quite a lot in this first entry. It introduces a few new characters here and there while also making sure the notable figures from the games get plenty of time to smash around in a splashy spectacle of action. It also ratchets up the gore and violence that its source material was similarly known for, ensuring there is plenty to love in this largely faithful adaptation that offers a hint of more to come. — Chase Hutchinson
The King’s Man (2021)
Director/Writer: Matthew Vaughn
Writer: Matthew Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Run Time: 2 hr 11 min
The King’s Man is the third installment in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman franchise and it takes just as many risks as its predecessors as it lays out the origin story of The Kingsman Agency, an elite secret service agency based out of the United Kingdom. Set at the precipice of World War I, Orlando, Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) find themselves embroiled in a world of political intrigue when their friend Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Ron Cook) is assassinated.
With the help of his allies and domestic servants, Polly (Gemma Arterton) and Shola (Djimon Hounsou), who are members of his private spy network, Orlando sets out to stop the Machiavellian scheming of The Shepherd, who employs his agents of chaos— Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), Erik Jan Hanussen (Daniel Brühl), Alfred DuPont (Todd Boyce), Mata Hari (Valerie Pachner), Vladimir Lenin (August Diehl), and Gavrilo Princip (Joel Basman)—to pit Tom Hollander’s trio of characters against one another.The King’s Man is filled with twists and turns, monocles, goats, uncomfortable moments, shocking deaths, and jaw-dropping post-credit reveals. – Maggie Lovitt
Free Guy (2021)
Director: Shawn Levy
Writer: Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Joe Keery, and Lil Rel Howery
Run Time: 1 hr 55 min
In the world of the multiplayer game Free City, Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is as average as his name suggests. He is a non-player character (NPC) who works at the bank, doing his best to not get involved with the badass real-world avatars. That is until he meets Molotov Girl, aka Millie (Jodie Comer) in the real world, and his coding evolves beyond his NPC loop. Guy is now able to interact with his world in a new way and realizes that there’s more to life than he thought – he finds purpose in helping Millie and the people of his city. In the real world, Millie is trying to prove that the company behind Free City stole the Artificial Intelligence system that she and her partner Keys (Joe Keery) created and keep the game from being deleted. Like Wreck-It Ralph, Free Guy works because it puts heart and humanity at the forefront. The relationships in the film, both romantic and platonic, are just as important to the story as the action and humor. Free Guy has something for almost everyone and is a must-watch for video game and movie fans alike. — Brynna Arens
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Director: Cathy Yan
Writer: Christina Hodson
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor
Run Time: 1hr 49 min
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) both embraces the tone and style of its comic book origins while carving out a unique narrative in the genre. The film is grounded in the reality of misogyny and sexism, which informs the characters’ journeys, but doesn’t define their entire identities. Credit goes to the two-woman team of creators who brought a new lens to this comic book adaptation. Each character has her own arc, and though not all the Birds of Prey get enough screen time, they’re fleshed out enough for viewers to love them all by the end of the film. Birds of Prey perfectly balances character dynamics with exquisite action sequences—this film works because of its bloodless violence and its unreliable narrator.
It’s the characters that steal the show because of how well Christina Hodson writes them—Harley Quinn finally feels like a person rather than a prop; Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya is a scene-stealer with her earnest and determined performance, Jurnee Smollett-Bell juggles Dinah Lance’s inner turmoil and snarky personality and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a humorous delight as Helena Bertinelli. Ella Jay Basco may not play a recognizable version of Cassandra Cain, but she holds her own as the quintessential precocious teen character who thaws cold hearts. This film can be a difficult watch as Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), especially, often finds herself in dangerous situations, but it’s refreshing to see how the film celebrates sisterhood with characters that don’t quite like each other but work really well together. – Monita Mohan
Aquaman (2018)
Director: James Wan.
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall.
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman
Run Time: 2 hr 24 min
The DCEU’s tumultuous history does have a bright spot with Aquaman. The James Wan directed feature starring Jason Mamoa expended on the character first introduced in Justice League. Arthur Curry (Mamoa), the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land. There’s something so fresh about Aquaman and Wan’s direction; the action scenes, in particular, are something that you can feast your eyes on. While the film doesn’t always work, especially the story itself, which sometimes falters, the performances – especially from Mamoa and Patrick Wilson – bring it all together. It is a terrific fun from start to finish; if there is one film from the DCEU worth the watch, it is very much this one. – Arianne Binette
The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman
Run Time: 2 hr 32 min
The seminal entry in the canon of Batman live-action films, The Dark Knight is a masterclass in adapting comic books for all audiences. With gripping storytelling, visceral action, rounded character arcs and unbelievable performances, the Christopher Nolan sequel isn’t just a good Batman film, it’s a great film in so many ways. Nolan and team effortlessly evoke the realities of the criminal justice system with a cast of characters that span the Gotham City Police Department, the District Attorney’s office, and of course, Batman himself.
The film focuses on the interplay of Gotham’s political machinations where good people are caught up in corrupt legislation and need the help of a vigilante to protect the city even though they aren’t in a position to condone his actions. The tense opening sequence and grand reveal of the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) demonstrates that the stakes are high with a new villain terrorizing Gotham. The Joker in this film is a tour de force, and the writers expertly keep viewers guessing about what to expect from this character. The entire film is perfectly paced and balances the larger than life story with delicate character moments. The Dark Knight is a phenomenal adaptation that respects its comic book origins without being defined by them. – Monita Mohan
Ready Player One (2018)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on Cline’s novel
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Oliva Cooke, Mark Rylance, T.J. Miller, Ben Mendelsohn
Run Time: 2 hr 20 min
Look, if you’re going to do a film that’s based solely on our nostalgia from popular culture moments from the 1980s, you might as well get the guy who created most of them to come in and do it. Steven Spielberg was the perfect filmmaker to adapt Ernest Cline’s widely popular (if slightly controversial) novel. Even if you can’t get into all of the nostalgia cues, it’s hard not to get swept up by the spectacle that Spielberg always delivers. Between epic chasing sequences, climactic dance floor showdowns, and a final battle containing countless digital characters, Spielberg creates yet another astounding visual achievement. – Liam Gaughan
I, Robot (2004)
Director: Alex Proyas
Writer: Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman
Cast: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, Alan Tudyk
Run Time: 1 hr 55 min
I, Robot is an entertaining movie that blends philosophical concepts with thrilling action set pieces. Will Smith stars in this science-fiction action movie set in the not-so-distant future of 2035, where robots have become integrated in everyday life. When he starts investigating the alleged suicide of the founder of robotics, his primary suspect is a robot, performed by Alan Tudyk (before he played K-2SO); this is believed in possible at the time considering each robot is hardwired with rules to keep humans safe. As the mystery unfolds, his prejudice against robots leads him down a path to uncovering a conspiracy that threatens to enslave humanity. Though it was released in 2004, the visual effects of the robots have still held up. In addition to this, the plot of I, Robot has foreshadowed our society’s relationship with technology (even featuring a prototype Siri in the form of VIKI). — Meredith Loftus
Police Story (1985)
Director: Jackie Chan
Writers: Jackie Chan and Edward Tang
Cast: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Chor Yuen, Charlie Cho
Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
Yes, HBO Max has Jackie Chan movies. And with Police Story, it might even have the best Jackie Chan movie. Drunken Master fans can disagree, but even they have to admit Police Story is way up there when it comes to Chan’s work. The film has everything you want from the guy – cartoonish comedy gags, kung-fu sequences where anything and everything becomes an action prop, and of course, amazing stunts that nearly kill poor Chan onscreen. The final mall set-piece is truly one for the ages, and right after it ends, you get a wonderful credit sequence showing you how all the stunts were pulled off. The short answer: painfully.
Tenet (2022)
Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh
Run Time: 2 hr 30 min
Is it easy to decipher what the heck is actually happening at any given moment in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet? Absolutely not. But, if you fully embrace the advice the film itself gives you—”don’t try and understand it, just feel it”—then this sci-fi spy thrill ride is a head trip like nothing else. John David Washington stars as the unnamed Protagonist, whose globetrotting investigation into a Russian madman (Kenneth Branagh) takes a turn for the twisty when it leads him to the concept of “inversion.” Basically, humans in the future are sending items backward through time, and people in the present have the ability to control that power, allowing them to experience the flow of time in reverse, provided they know for sure they will perform that action in the future. Yeah, I know. But none of the details matter once Nolan starts wielding his massive budget and technical trickery to pull off the most thrilling set-pieces of the last decade, including backward car chases, fights between past and present versions of the same person, and a third act battle that requires several PhDs to understand (“temporal pincer movement!”) but looks so cool you do not care. Plus, even if none of the mumbo jumbo interests you at all, Nolan just went ahead and actually blew up an entire 747 for this film, which has to count for something. –Vinnie Mancuso
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Writers: Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek Connolly
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Terry Notary, John C. Reilly
Run Time: 2 hr
After so many versions, we are all familiar with the King Kong story. A bunch of sailors go to a mysterious island where they get eaten by bugs and discover Kong, a huge-ass ape. The ones who survive drug Kong and take him to New York where he gets free and wreaks havoc until he falls off the Empire State Building. So maybe it’s time to try something different? That’s exactly what Kong: Skull Island does by bringing a bunch of Vietnam-era soldiers to Skull Island where most of them get killed in spectacular fashion by Kong or the various weird animals smart enough to be afraid of Kong. It’s a great-looking monster movie that thankfully does not take itself too seriously and has amazing action.
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