The best action movies are what audiences typically turn to when they want to find an enjoyable escape, and Hulu has quite the collection when it comes to this genre.
Within its vast library of popular blockbusters, audiences can find a smorgasbord of movies filled with shootouts and exploding buildings that they want to sit back and enjoy in the summer. Since there are so many films to choose from, here’s a list of the five must-see action blockbusters on Hulu to help people beat the heat.
Aliens (1986)
Long after surviving the Xenomorph’s rampage on the Nostromo, Ellen Ripley reluctantly returns to fight the killer aliens when they invade an entire human colony. The end result is non-stop carnage, with Ripley, an orphaned girl called Newt, an android named Bishop, and a half dozen space marines left facing not one, not two, but hundreds of aliens ready to kill anything at a moment’s notice.
While the first Alien film emphasizes horror with its claustrophobic setting and cunning antagonist, James Cameron’s sequel delivers an all-out war between the Xenomorphs and the Colonial Marines, who hold nothing back as they shoot and blast their way through the alien hive. Thus, this acclaimed follow-up is guaranteed to send audiences’ senses into overdrive with its bombastic and terrifying depiction of sci-fi warfare.
Predator (1987)
When a Vietnam War veteran and his team are sent to rescue hostages from a guerilla camp, they end up fighting for their lives as an invisible and technologically-advanced creature hunts them all for sport. The summerlike heat of this film is palpable as Arnie and his macho comrades succumb to fear and the Predator’s wrath in the sweltering South American jungle.
Capturing the horrors of war in such a hardcore package, Predator is injected with enough blood, sweat, and bullets to send audiences on a terrifying trip into the titular alien’s stomping ground.
Die Hard (1988)
In what is probably the wildest Christmas film ever made, Die Hard features NYPD Detective John McClane as he steps up to rescue his wife and many other hostages from a group of terrorists who crash their party at Nakatomi Plaza.
Though there have been many bigger sequels since its release, none of them were better than this classic tale of an ordinary man fighting Hans Gruber and his goons with what little resources he had, redefining the action genre. And with its thrilling, explosive action and iconic one-liners, Die Hard remains one of cinema’s most gripping and influential blockbusters.
Speed (1994)
LAPD officer Jack Traven must save a bus full of people from a bomb set to explode if the vehicle goes below 50 miles per hour. That’s it, that’s the movie; no killer aliens or big conspiracy plots, just a speeding bus with a bomb on it.
Thanks to its simple yet clever premise and marvelous execution, Speed puts the pedal to the metal and rarely gives in as it sends its characters on a heart-pounding, diesel-fueled thrill ride. And with a cast including Keanu Reeves (in one of his best action movies), Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, and Jeff Daniels, this high-octane blockbuster is a feature that people wouldn’t want to skim past.
Independence Day (1996)
People celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, and this film has lots of ’em. When an alien armada launches devastating attacks all around the globe, a group of people must come together to fight off this interstellar threat and save the Earth from destruction.
Audiences may consider Independence Day as a mindless popcorn flick, but director Roland Emmerich’s film still succeeds at presenting a rip-roaring spectacle for viewers to enjoy. It also features some terrific practical effects that still look good in the age of CGI blockbusters that it helped usher in back in the ’90s.
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