Sure, streaming that remastered 1958 Russian drama will give you some clout when chatting film, but we’re here to tell you that watching Josh Brolin in a gunfight on a highway with several Mexican drug lords is absolutely fine, just as staring aimlessly at Samuel L. Jackson fighting terrorists and snakes on a plane is, too.
Here are the top seven action films on Netflix New Zealand right now.
Sicario
Sicario follows FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) on an undercover mission targeting a Mexican drug lord. Joining a surly band of CIA agents and led by a gruff Josh Brolin, things begin to go awry when the idealistic Macer begins to pick up on her new teammate’s difficult relationship with the enemy.
It’s directed by visionary auteur Denis Villeneuve, who has a way of inducing an addictive anxiety throughout all of his films, and Sicario is no exception.
Project Power
One of the latest action films Netflix has released, Project Power is in parts your classic action, at moments a thriller and occasionally a sci-fi. The film revolves around a pill that gives people unpredictable superpowers, but only for five minutes. Attempting to stop the wreak of havoc is a teenage drug dealer, a local cop and an ex-soldier.
Project Power brings with it a classic action cast lead by Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Join the duo in this ballsy, no-brainer action film.
Da 5 Bloods
Visionary director Spike Lee will make you cry, before being sick to your stomach, then cry again in his latest work Da 5 Bloods. The plot takes us to Vietnam with four African American veterans who return to their stomping ground to retrieve the remains of a fallen soldier, and a stash of buried gold. This heartwrencher goes deep, dealing with undertones of greed, love, PTSD and kinship, it’s also one of the late Chadwick Boseman’s last films before his passing and arguably one of his finest performances.
The Fugitive
An absolute 90s classic, The Fugitive follows the action film template to a tee, and it does so damn well. It features a young(ish) Tommy Lee Jones, who plays a seasoned US martial chasing down a respectively youthful Harrison Ford playing Dr Richard Kimble, who’s been wrongfully accused of his wife’s murder. It’s the ultimate man-hunt film which will have you sweating with stress and frustration as the real killer escapes his capture time and time again.
The Other Guys
For a peculiar take on the action film caper, chuck on The Other Guys. This one gives you a small dose of classic Samuel L. Jackson action and an intravenous drip worth of Will Ferrell knee-slapping moments.
The goofy cop thriller follows two unlikely partners (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) as they work against the odds to uncover corruption in the city of New York. Press play for plenty of gags and enough action to keep you entertained for at least until you crash out on the couch you’re slowly sinking in to.
Shaft
We all knew Samuel L. Jackson would make a few appearances on this list. In Netflix’s iteration of Shaft, Jackson reprises the role of the same name. This time around, private detective John Shaft is joined by his the son he never knew he had (played by Usher) to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death.
Ip Man
Everyone needs at least one martial arts banger in the streaming queue, and Ip Man, featuring prodigy Donnie Yen, should be it. During the Japanese invasion of China, a martial artist is forced to flee after his city is occupied, what follows is the ultimate journey as Ip Man fights (a lot, like the whole film) for his survival.
Once you’re done, prepare for Halloween with 13 of the darkest horror films on Netflix.
Image credit: Lionsgate