Diksha Sundriyal
One of the most common reasons why people like to watch movies is that in films we see the things that we normally wouldn’t in our mundane lives. Point is, there will never be much action for us normal ones. We’ll never scale the Burj Khalifa (forget taking a picture on its roof!), and with the traffic that we daily see, there’s no room for a high-end car chase. So, movies! All and every kind of action and stunts and fight sequences that we can imagine, we have them in movies. In short, action movies are the highest form of escapism (along with fantasy films). In case you are an action lover, you are in the right place. Today, we are going to discuss the top action movies available on Hulu.
With the advent of online streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, movie lovers can now watch almost every movie from the comforts of their home. With a vast collection of thriller movies, Amazon Prime stands above the rest. So, take that popcorn and get ready to spend two hours on the edge of your seats. Here’s the list of really good action movies on Amazon Prime that are our recommendations for you and your friends.
18. The Boondock Saints (1999)
Faith can be a strong driving force if one’s beliefs are strong enough. While criminals run free on the streets of Boston, two brothers decide to do something about it. They are driven by their Catholic faith and the sense of justice, becoming the vigilantes whom people begin to refer to as heroes. One criminal after another, they sweep the streets of Boston, cleaning the crime while getting their hands dirty. While they think that they are doing a favor to the world, Paul Smecker, an FBI agent doesn’t agree. He relentlessly chases the brothers, persistent in his belief that they, too, should be brought to justice like any other criminal.
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17. The Lost City of Z (2016)
At the beginning of the 20th century, it felt like most of the places had been explored by men. But, Percy Fawcett found a place, deep in the Amazon, that was uncharted and unaccounted for. He leads an expedition in the search of a civilization that he believes had lived, or maybe even continues to live in the jungles. He faces ridicule and rejection by other explorers, and even when the other events take up his time, he finds himself unable to let go of the quest. He returns to the jungle with his son, and makes some startling discoveries, but does not return to tell the tale. This film is based on a true story, a story that still hasn’t found a conclusion.
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16. Patriot Games (1992)
John Krasinski is the newest in line to portray the role of the CIA analyst Jack Ryan, incepted by Tom Clancy. Before him, Harrison Ford donned this role a couple of times. ‘Patriot Games’ is set after the events of the 1990 film ‘The Hunt for Red October’. In this film, Jack Ryan has done his due in the CIA and is now enjoying his retirement in London. But life is not meant to be easy for Ryan. He witnesses a terrorist act by the IRA and succeeds in impeding it, killing one of the culprits in the process. When the other assailant, the brother of the one who was killed by Ryan, is arrested, it seems like the case is closed. But the man escapes and vows to exact revenge on Ryan.
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15. Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013)
When a plan goes awry, five criminals end up with a baby they had kidnapped. In the isolation of their deserted farm, they raise the boy, imparting him with the skills they had learnt over the years. Fourteen years later, the boy grows up to become a perfect criminal without having committed a crime yet. However, the occasion soon arrives when the boy is made to accompany the five criminals. There he shoots a man for the first time. Even though he had been prepared for this his whole life, he finds himself hesitating and then unable to stop once started. After committing the murder, Hwayi begins to question his place within the crime family.
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14. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
‘The Man from Nowhere’ is a Korean action thriller that follows the quest of a man to save a little girl. Tae-Sik runs a pawnshop and his interactions are limited. He is friends with So-mi, a girl whose mother is an addict. When So-mi’s mother steals drugs from a dangerous cartel, the men kidnap both the murder and daughter. This agitates Tae-Sik and he decides to track down the people who kidnapped the mother and daughter. The cartel members, at first, don’t consider him to be a threat, but when they discover that he is an ex-Army Intelligence officer, they realize that he is a much more dangerous man than they thought him to be.
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13. Good Time (2017)
Connie and his younger brother pull off a heist at the bank, but at the crucial moment, they are apprehended by the police. While Nick is arrested, Connie succeeds in escaping. Feeling guilty over getting his brother in trouble, Connie tries to find ways to get him out. His desperation leads him deeper into the world of crime and he struggles to keep a hold of sanity while trying to find a way to save his brother and himself. One of the most underrated films of the year, ‘Good Time’ was another instance where Robert Pattinson showed just how incredible an actor he is. More people need to watch this film.
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12. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
Bradley Thomas once had a bright career as a boxer, but lately, his life has been nothing short of bad decisions. His marriage is in shambles. He is particularly heartbroken when he discovers that his wife is seeing someone else. However, he tries to make things work and continues on his job as a drug mule. Not long after, he is caught in gunfire between the police and the people for whom he had been smuggling drugs. When the struggle stops, Bradley is caught and is thrown into jail, where even more trouble stirs within the cooped compounds of the prison.
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11. Fearless Hyena (1979)
Any list of action movies would be incomplete without mentioning the name of Jackie Chan. One of the biggest stars and one of the most loved actors across the world, Jackie Chan is a brand in himself. While there are so many movies on Amazon that feature this legendary actor, ‘Fearless Hyena’ is the one that stands out the most. The plot of this film is rather simple and one could say that for some time it was a common plotline of various Jackie Chan’s films. He plays the role of a man who learns kung-fu from his grandfather who advises him against displaying his skills in public. Not paying heed to his warnings, the man gets in trouble and his fighting style attracts enemies. Jackie Chan performs breath-taking stunts with absolute fluidity and you are left wondering how many bones he broke in this one.
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10. Fist of Fury (1972)
It seems unimaginable to think that someone can ever replace Bruce Lee. His action sequences were on another level, and he proved quite early in his career that his skills were unparalleled. In his second feature film, he played the role of Chen Zhen who returns home to get married but is saddened when he receives the news of the death of his mentor. He is challenged by Japanese fighters who mock and insult him and his dead mentor and challenge him to a match in order to test his mettle. The fight sequences that follow are incredible and you might even need to slow them down because that’s how fast Bruce Lee was.
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9. Red Dawn (1984)
Directed by John Milius, this 1984 action film centers around a group of teenagers studying in a Colorado high school who get chased into a jungle when their school gets invaded by Soviet, Cuban, and Nicaraguan military forces. The enemy soldiers are hell-bent on killing these teenagers and venture into the jungle as well. While the attackers are well-equipped with state-of-the-art firearms, these teenagers have almost nothing with them except a few hunting rifles and pistols. The film follows them as they together launch guerrilla warfare against this onslaught. The film is quite violent but offers a thrilling story full of tense moments in which viewers will have a gala time watching.
8. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
The best aspect of this iconic film series is the fact that here we get to see probably the biggest film star on the planet doing each and every stunt sequence all by himself. Tom Cruise is a real-life hero who has made Ethan Hunt almost an extension of himself. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ is the sixth installment of the ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise, and finds Hunt, along with his team of IMF agents trying to stop a terrorist organization from launching nuclear arms on three different cities at the same time. Loaded with breathtaking action sequences and Cruise’s magnetic screen presence, action junkies will surely not want to miss out on this film.
7. Hancock (2008)
If you are a fan of superhero films but are tired of seeing their “holier than thou” images, ‘Hancock’ can hit you like a breath of fresh air. The eponymous central character of the film is an extremely reckless superhero who does not shy away from using the most violent means necessary, neither does he care about how much damage he causes to public property while trying to do something good. When Hancock comes across Ray, a PR specialist, the latter explains to him that the way he conducts himself creates a bad image of his in public, and he needs to appear as a more friendly and approachable person. Their adventure together becomes the central aspect of the film. Moreover, Hancock begins to understand that he has a connection with Ray’s wife, and that is about to change his life forever. The film is hilarious, boasts of a brilliant performance from Will Smith, and also does a good job of breaking the stereotypes associated with heroes. However, it falters due to poor writing and a tendency to resort to cliches.
6. Dolemite (1975)
You might recognize the name ‘Dolemite’ from the Netflix film ‘Dolemite Is My Name‘ which released in 2019, but if you have not laid your eyes on the real deal, let me assure you that you are missing out on quite a lot. ‘Dolemite’ is a blaxploitation film centering around the adventures of the eponymous character played by Rudy Ray Moore. Dolemite is a pimp who has been falsely charged in a case and sent to prison by members of his rival gang. However, Dolemite’s gang members will not let their boss be arrested and treated in such a manner. Thus, they decide to break him out of prison and then launch an attack on the members of his rival gang. The film is highly entertaining, and despite there being some looseness in the direction, Moore makes it up with his charming persona.
5. Thief (1981)
James Caan, whom you most probably know from ‘The Godfather’, is the star of this 1981 action film. Caan here plays the role of Frank, a jewel thief who is one of the best in the world at his job. However, now he wishes to give up his dangerous lifestyle and settle down with his girlfriend. But before he can do so, Frank wants to take down one more score so that he has enough money to lead a comfortable life. This decision itself proves to be a major bane, as the man, he begins his last job for wants to work on a long-time basis with him and will go to any extent to make this possible. A smartly written thriller with some amazing performances, this is a movie that will stay with you for a long time after you are done watching it.
4. Total Recall (1990)
Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 science fiction action film ‘Total Recall‘ easily ranks as one of the best films of action legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. The central character of this film, Douglas, constantly dreams that he is a secret agent traveling to Mars, but simply cannot understand why this is happening to him. In order to get some clarity on the situation, he decides to visit Rekall Inc., an organization that can implant memories into your brain. This visit makes it clear to him that he was actually such an agent for quite sometime before memory was implanted in him which made him forget this part of his life. After gaining clarity, Douglas sets out on a journey to find out more about his past. The writing of ‘Total Recall’ is clearly its best aspect. The lead character is written in such a way that the audiences soon begin to empathize with him, and the rest of the story backs it up with enough twists and turns along the way to a brilliant ending.
3. Ronin (1998)
Directed by John Frankenheimer, this 1998 film stars Robert De Niro as Sam, a former intelligence officer of the USA who recalls some of his former associates from the Cold War era to take part in a deadly mission. Their mission is to recover a suitcase from a group of Japanese killers. Though the job sounds easy, it is hardly so. These Japanese mercenaries are highly dangerous people, and a major part of the job that Sam’s group has is staying alive despite their attacks. The film, besides being a tense action thriller, also delves into the characters of the group that Sam creates. Their stories of love, hatred, and friendship add another dimension to the film.
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2. Hamburger Hill (1987)
f you love watching war films, you must make it a point to check out ‘Hamburger Hill’, one of the most penetrating films made about the Vietnam War. The story of ‘Hamburger Hill’ spans a period of 10 days and tells the story of an American infantry group which is planning to occupy a hill. The group comprises of veteran soldiers, as well as youngsters who have been unwillingly drafted into the army. The film details the pain and suffering of soldiers who find themselves in a country far away from their home and do not even know why they are fighting in the first place. Racial tensions among the American soldiers also becomes one of the major themes of the film. A violent, gruesome, and harrowing film which will leave you with a lot of questions, ‘Hamburger Hill’ is a must-watch.
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1. Platoon (1986)
Oliver Stone’s 1986 film ‘Platoon‘ is also centered on the Vietnam War. The central character of this film is a young recruit called Chris Taylor who has volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War. Chris was of the opinion that he will be able to make a great difference on the battlefield but soon discovers that he is one among thousands of average soldiers, none of whom will be able to have any impact on the situation single-handedly. The main plot of the film surrounds an illegal killing that happens during one of their raids and how the soldiers have different opinions regarding how to deal with the situation. The film is a rather authentic portrayal of how things were during the war thanks to Stone’s first-hand experience in Vietnam. It bagged Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, Best Sound and Best Film Editing in 1987.
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