Many action movies start with a bang. But Back in actionthe new Netflix action comedy starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, has started with a splat – more splats in the form of rotten tomatoes. According to the review aggregator at the time of writing, the film is far from fresh: it has a Tomatometer rating of just 24%.
The good news is that there are plenty of much better movies with much fresher ratings all streaming right now on Netflix. Here are three action movies that are among the best Netflix movies you won’t regret starting.
RRR
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RT critic score: 96%
This action adventure is getting rave reviews. It’s the epic, action-packed tale of a fearless warrior on a perilous mission who comes face-to-face with a steely cop serving British forces in what one reviewer says is “one of the most entertaining films I’ve seen this year” – and before you go “but it’s only January!” he wrote that at the film’s theatrical release in mid-2023.
According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, “RRR is one action crescendo after another, never dull but never exhausting.” And the San Jose Mercury News loved it, too: “The bonanza with a cast of what seems to be thousands and a comeback story to Colonizers is a blast throughout its three-hour-plus runtime.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, “You won’t be bored for a nanosecond.”
Rebel Ridge
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RT critic score: 96%
When ex-Marine Terry Richmond visits the town of Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, things go awry and he finds himself at loggerheads with local cops and a deep-rooted conspiracy. If you have seen the same writer/director (Jeremy Saulnier)s Blue Ruin and Green roomwould you like to see this modern echo of First Blood. And if you haven’t, you should stream it anyway.
The film is “as elementally satisfying as a great Western,” says the AV Club, while the New York Times waxed lyrical: “Our pulses are elevated by the score, a relentless tattoo of drones and drums, plus the truly sensational camerawork of David Gallego, who, like our leading man moves with measured intelligence and makes tactical use of every mirror in sight.” According to Empire, it’s “an undeniably fun night in.”
Hit Man
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RT critic score: 95%
Based on an incredible true story, Richard Linklater’s wild neo-noir film stars Glen Powell as Professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hitman for the New Orleans Police Department. As the Irish Times put it, “this old-school sexy caper revels in unreliable narration, slapstick and the stress of remembering what lie you told.”
Den of Geek says that “Linklater has long shown a genius for riffing on and switching between genre tones. And with Hit Man, he’s figured out how to turn a veritable film noir into a comedic comedy,” and we think ABC News liked it too: “Ooooowee,” wrote Peter Travers. “What a searingly sexy thriller.”
