What’s populating the action genre on Netflix? Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, is being featured on the action homepage. While not as effective as its predecessor, Day of the Soldado features another terrific performance from Benicio del Toro as Alejandro Gillick.
Add Soldado to your Netflix queue this month. But first, stream one of our three recommendations below. Our picks include a crime thriller from one of Boston’s most famous figures, a feature film adaptation of an espionage TV show, and a Mount Rushmore buddy comedy.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
The Town (2010)
Argo is the culmination of Ben Affleck’s career comeback. Argo might have won Best Picture, but The Town is Affleck’s best directorial effort. Set in Affleck’s homeland of Boston, The Town follows career criminal Doug MacRay (Affleck), the leader of a heist crew who rob banks for money. During one of their holdups, one of Doug’s partners, Jem (Jeremy Renner), takes one hostage: bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall).
After Claire is set free, Doug attempts to gain her trust to figure out what she knows about the robbers. (Doug and his crew wore masks during the robbery.) What Doug didn’t plan for is falling in love with Claire. For the first time in his life, Doug sees a future outside of crime and wants out. However, a ruthless gangster (Pete Postlethwaite) and relentless FBI agent (Jon Hamm) won’t let Doug escape his life.
Stream The Town on Netflix.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
In The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Guy Ritchie took a 1960s spy series and injected it with his signature charisma, witty dialogue, and visual flair. Set during the Cold War, the United States and Russia are on the brink of nuclear war. Two Nazi sympathizers kidnap a German scientist and force him to build a weapon that would start World War III.
Two spies on opposite sides of the spectrum — CIA Agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) — team with the daughter of the missing scientist (Alicia Vikander) to save civilization. Cavill might have lost out to Daniel Craig on Bond, but The Man from U.N.C.L.E. proved he was more than capable of playing a charming secret agent. (We don’t talk about Argylle.)
Stream The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Netflix.
Midnight Run (1988)
The 1980s has a strong case for being the top decade for action comedies. 48 Hrs., Beverly Hills Cop, The Naked Gun, Tango & Cash, and arguably the best one of all, Midnight Run. Robert De Niro stars as Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter hired by bail bondsman Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano) to find the mob’s accountant, Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin).
Despite being pitched as a simple job (a “midnight run”), the cross-country chase presents multiple issues for Jack, especially after he finds the Duke and experiences his unpredictable personality. The FBI and the mob might not get a chance to speak with the Duke the way the trip shapes out. You will not find five better tandems within this genre than De Niro and Grodin.
Stream Midnight Run on Netflix.
