The 36 best action movies you can watch on Netflix right now

Heath Ledger showed his leading man chops in this medieval action movie in which he plays a peasant who has dreams of being a knight. Another highlight of the movie are the modern-day songs sprinkled in throughout.

Harrison Ford plays the president who has to take things into his own hands when his plane is hijacked. This is a classic action title from Ford, complete with the memorable one-liner, "Get off my plane!"

If you got a kick out of "Bad Boys for Life," go back and see how we got there with these two Michael Bay movies that made Will Smith into an action star.

In one of the best action movies from the Jean-Claude Van Damme library, we follow him in his entry into a deadly martial-arts competition.

This is an action movie that has certainly found a second life on Netflix. In it, Gerard Butler leads a team of sheriff deputies who are trying to stop a gang trying to rob the federal reserve in LA.

From Jamie Foxx to Christoph Waltz to Leonardo DiCaprio everyone in this western is performing at a high level, as is typical of all Quentin Tarantino movies.

Chris Hemsworth stars as a black-ops mercenary who literally has to shoot, kick, and punch his way through the bad guys to save a kidnapped kid.

This late 1970s martial arts cult classic (that you might also know as "Five Deadly Venoms") is an essential watch. The movie has been referenced in everything from Wu-Tang Clan music to Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga.

One of the best close-quarters action movies ever made (if that's a thing), director Ben Wheatley mixes a lot of guns and jokes for this entertaining movie that stars Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Brie Larson.

One of the greatest westerns ever made, Clint Eastwood is on the search for a grave full of treasure.

Wong Kar-wai's epic features amazing action sequences that are only matched by the movie's lush photography.

This unique action movie in which the camera is in the point-of-view of the movie's star, we are front-and-center as Henry sets out on a bloody journey to save his wife.

If you dig Gina Carano in "The Mandalorian" you should check her out in this movie. Fresh off dominating the MMA scene, Steven Soderbergh casts her as the lead of his revenge tale.

You can't go wrong with any of the Indiana Jones movies when it comes to action. I mean, the opening to "Crystal Skull" has Jones avoiding an atomic bomb blast. But if I can only choose one it has to be "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Spend a weekend watching four movies in the franchise and witness why Donnie Yen is one of the greats in the action genre.

Dive into the four Pierce Brosnan 007 movies. Like all the titles in the Bond franchise, the action is always elevated to an insane level.

From the directors of "The Matrix" franchise, this epic space action movie has grown a loyal fanbase after being regarded as a failure when it first hit theaters. Mila Kunis stars as an Earthling who learns she is royalty on another planet and must return to fight for her rightful place.

A landmark work in CGI, "Jurassic Park" is still as enjoyable to watch now as when it first opened in 1993. Once experiencing the original, you can then dive into the sequels — but do so at your own peril.

The rare teen movie that also has great action, we follow Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as he travels from the East Coast to California and almost instantly gets bullied by a group of karate-skilled students. Thankfully he meets Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) who shows him the true use of karate.

A few sequels are also available but I suggest skipping all that and watch the series "Cobra Kai" when it becomes available on Netflix at the end of August.

The movie that kicked off the "Mad Max" franchise, here Mel Gibson plays a cop who seeks revenge on a motorcycle gang who has ruined his life.

If you are in need of a good laugh you can't pass up checking out this cheesy adaptation of the hugely popular video game.

One of the better Netflix original action movies, Charlize Theron stars as the leader of a group of immortal mercenaries who over centuries have set out to do good in the world. But trouble starts when a new member joins their team while a Pharma-bro is also on their trail, trying to harness their powers.

This is quite an origin movie to a potentially great franchise for the streamer.

This most unlikely franchise has Gerard Butler as an ex-secret service agent who just can't seem to stop bad things from happening to the highest members of the US government.

Chris Pine plays 14th-century Scottish king Robert the Bruce in this bloody tale that features a remarkable single-shot action sequence at the start of the movie.

Set during the Revolutionary War, Mel Gibson stars as a farmer who is not looking to be a part of the war until he finally is forced to (that tends to happen in these movies) and then it becomes a blood bath. Heath Ledger also stars.

Netflix's latest action movie is a slickly shot original take on the superhero genre.

Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star as two guys trying to stop the distribution of a new street drug called Power. When you take the drug you have a superpower for five minutes, but you have no idea what that power is until you take it.

This 1980s martial arts Hong Kong movie has a great mix of comedy and action.

Edgar Wright's dazzling love story stands out thanks to its incredible visual effects and video game-like feel, complete with battles.

This adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novels brings the pages to life thanks to state-of-the-art (for its time) CGI that gave the movie a black-and-white feel but with elements of color. The highlight is Mickey Rourke playing Marv.

Bong Joon-ho's fantastic sci-fi tale is set in a world where all of humanity is on a fast-moving train with the poor placed in the back and the rich in the front. Chris Evans plays the leader of a group in the back who has had enough.

This Oscar-winning animated movie gets better every time you see it. Along with having a great story about self-discovery, it also has some excellent action sequences.

This sci-fi movie that mixes lots of action and some twisted comedy is a classic from director Paul Verhoeven. We follow a group of humans as they take on giant alien bugs.

There's a lot to love about this action movie, but the best is its great cast made up of John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones, Drea de Matteo, and Sam Shepard.

Oh, you'll also enjoy Travolta's choice of facial hair for his role, which is a small strip of beard on his chin.

Not the two "Terminator" movies I would choose to watch, but this is what we have on Netflix at the moment. If you are watching for the pure action sense, then both have it. I would check out "Terminator 3" first.

A classic action movie that never gets old, and arguably director Paul Verhoeven's greatest work thanks to its trippy storyline, it continues to be great thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance that mixes his brawn and wit. 

You definitely need to watch this zombie movie that follows a group of people trying to survive a trip from Seoul to Busan in the midst of a zombie outbreak.