Labor Day weekend ideally means taking some much-needed time off from work to spend time with friends and loved ones. And if you’re really lucky, you can take some time to watch some great action movies from the comfort of your own home.
Let’s face it: Even the most devoted Marvel fan can only watch Deadpool & Wolverine so many times before it gets boring. Thankfully, a handful of this summer’s best action movies — as well as a few from last year — are readily available to stream right now. To narrow down your search, we’ve picked the five best action movies that you should stream this Labor Day weekend.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on Max.
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One was the best action movie of summer 2023, and it’s still terrific a year later. Tom Cruise and director/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie have been collaborating on films for the last 15 years, and they’ve rarely stumbled in that time. This film is meant to be the beginning of the final adventure for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, a role he’s been playing since the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996.
This time, Ethan faces a threat like no other in The Entity, a self-aware AI that is already well on its way to dominating the world. The Entity is not only aware of Ethan’s attempts to destroy it, it’s also making counter moves through its operative, Gabriel (Esai Morales), and the assassin known as Paris (Pom Klementieff). Ethan’s more immediate problem is dealing with Grace (Hayley Atwell), an exceptional thief who may unwittingly hold the key to bringing down The Entity.
Watch Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One on Prime Video.
The Fall Guy (2024)
It sure seemed like getting the co-director of John Wick, David Leitch, to helm an adaptation of a beloved ’80s TV show with stars from Barbie and Oppenheimer would be a no-brainer. The problem is that there aren’t a lot of people who remember The Fall Guy, and the movie wasn’t exactly faithful to the show.
That’s unfortunate, because as a standalone film, The Fall Guy is a pretty great action comedy. Ryan Gosling stars as a burnt-out stuntman, Colt Seavers, who left his career behind after being severely injured in a stunt. Colt is lured back to Hollywood when his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), needs his help with her directorial debut… even though she’s less than happy to see him. But when Jody’s leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), disappears under murky circumstances, Colt is her only hope of finding her star and saving her film.
Watch The Fall Guy on Peacock.
Fast X (2023)
Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the Fast and Furious “family” are used to things falling their way. Fast X is the sequel that flips the switch on that arrangement. Aquaman lookalike Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) has completely outmaneuvered Dom, lured his team into a trap, and framed all of them as international terrorists.
Anyone foolish enough to help Dom, including his estranged brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena), find themselves targeted as well. There just doesn’t seem to be any stone left unturned by Dante as he makes life a living Hell for the team. And if Dom can’t find a way to counter Dante and reunite with his team then none of them will have a home to go back to.
Watch Fast X on Prime Video.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
By the time the credits roll on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, you won’t have any big questions left about where the title character came from or what motivates her. Anya Taylor-Joy steps into the role of Furiosa nearly a decade after Charlize Theron portrayed the character in Mad Max: Fury Road. As a young girl, Furiosa was kidnapped by men loyal to Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). But the warlord’s most unforgivable crime was murdering Furiosa’s mother.
Over the years that follow, Furiosa transforms herself into a warrior and forms a bond with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), the one man she trusts in the wasteland. But when Furiosa has a chance to get her revenge on Dementus, she risks everything to take it. And that vengeance may cost Furiosa more than she’s willing to pay.
Watch Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on Max.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
For the last four decades, Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) has been occasionally visiting Beverly Hills and leaving a lot of destruction in his wake while bringing down the bad guys. However, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F bucked tradition by skipping theaters and going straight to Netflix despite reuniting cast members from the first three films.
Since the last time we saw him, Axel has had a daughter, Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige), who isn’t exactly eager to reconnect with him. But as soon as Axel learns that Jane is in danger, he’s on the first flight out to Beverly Hills to make things right. The local cops aren’t thrilled to see Axel back in town, but Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), may be one of the few members of the police who Axel can trust to watch his back.
Watch Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix.
