If you’re looking for a great way to celebrate your dad, there may be no better way than by finding a great action movie on Netflix. The streamer has plenty of options to choose from, and because action is such a varied genre, they have something that will suit basically any taste.
We’ve pulled together five great action movies that are available on the streamer, and all of them will hopefully give you and your father something worth discussing.
Baby Driver (2017)
A great car movie and a great music movie, Baby Driver tells the story of an orphaned getaway driver who makes sure to provide the perfect soundtrack for each of his escapes. When he attempts to pull off one last heist and get away clean, though, he finds himself more tangled up than he had hoped.
Director Edgar Wright offers so much attention to detail here that even in the moments when the characters feel a little thin, you’ll always be propelled to the next scene by sheer momentum. Few movies have better car action, and that’s really saying something.
You can watch Baby Driver on Netflix.
The Equalizer (2014)
Denzel Washington is deeply compelling in basically everything, and he was so great in The Equalizer that he launched an entire franchise. Basically, the movie stars Washington as a man living in self-imposed retirement who witnesses an injustice and decides that he needs to equal the scales.
It’s a remarkably simple conceit, and one that gives Washington the ability to be in action mode even in the later stages of his movie stardom. These movies can get a little gnarly, but they’re immediately satisfying because of the very simple moral universe they establish.
You can watch The Equalizer on Netflix.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
If your dad is willing to handle subtitles, Godzilla Minus One is a hugely effective blockbuster that very much feels like a modern day Jaws. The film is actually a prequel to the original Godzilla, telling the story of World War II veterans who find themselves coming face to face with the titular monster.
For as much as the movie is about defeating Godzilla, it’s also very much about reckoning with the disconnect between the Japanese people and the government that sent them to die for their country. It’s a film about choosing to live, and in that way, it’s also deeply moving.
You can watch Godzilla Minus One on Netflix.
Oldboy (2003)
Depending on how old your dad is, it’s possible he had this poster on his wall in college. Now, more than 20 years later, Oldboy still holds up as one of the most satisfying and suspenseful revenge thrillers ever made. The movie tells the story of a drunk who finds himself imprisoned in a room for more than a decade, unclear of who sent him there.
When he is suddenly released, he attempts to get revenge on those who imprisoned him, and plenty of mayhem ensues. The twists of Oldboy are worth experiencing unspoiled, but there’s also plenty of great action, including a legendary hallway fight that has to be seen to be believed.
You can watch Oldboy on Netflix.
Triple Frontier (2019)
The daddest movie to ever dad, Triple Frontier follows five former special operatives who reunite to plan a heist in a remote region of South America. Although they set out with a very precise plan, things inevitably go haywire, and the team has to deal with the fallout.
Starring a great group of movie dads (Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, and Ben Affleck among them), Triple Frontier is both highly muscular and also a little sad. It’s the kind of action movie that is grounded in real ideas, even if it’s also fantastical in its way.
You can watch Triple Frontier on Netflix.
