Skip to main content

3 action movies on Netflix you need to watch in October

Netflix continues to bolster its action content with the passing of each month as new films arrive to entertain the streamer’s at-home audience. From historical epics like Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan to action thrillers like The Fast and the Furious and Luther: The Fallen Sun, Netflix offers a variety of films to satisfy all action lovers.

We handpicked three action films that should be saved to your Netflix queue and watched in October. These action films include the fourth entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise, an epic saga starring Viola Davis, and the first superhero film in a trilogy that changed the genre.

Recommended Videos

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Tom Cruise hangs off the side of the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.
Paramount Pictures

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol changed the direction of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Before Ghost Protocol, the Mission: Impossible franchise focused on espionage and spy stories. The formula flipped in the fourth film, as stunts and action sequences became the points of emphasis. When Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF agency are blamed for a bombing at the Kremlin, the U.S. president activatesthe “Ghost Protocol,” which disavows the IMF.

Ethan and his team are forced to go rogue to stop the next attack and clear the agency’s name. The lasting memory from Ghost Protocol is the sequence when Cruise scales the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which made our list of death-defying stunts in movies.

Stream Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on Netflix.

The Woman King (2022)

Viola Davis leads a group of female warriors in the movie The Woman King.
Ilze Kitshoff / Sony Pictures Releasing

An elite group of female warriors fight to protect their kingdom against a new enemy in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King. In 1823, the West African kingdom of Dahomey is protected by the Agojie, an all-female army of highly skilled fighters. The Agojie are led by their fierce leader, General Nanisca (Viola Davis), who trains the next generation of warriors. One of those newcomers is Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an inexperienced, but persistent young girl who quickly gains the respect of her peers.

Trouble is on the horizon when Portuguese slave traders arrive off the coast and team with the Agojie’s rivals, the Oyo, leading to a violent confrontation and brutal fight to the death scenario. The Woman King is a satisfying historical epic and a throwback to a film that Hollywood doesn’t make much anymore.

Stream The Woman King on Netflix.

Batman Begins (2005)

Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy in Batman Begins
Warner Bros. Pictures

All great trilogies have a starting point, and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy kicked off in 2005 with Batman Begins. The origin story of Bruce Wayne starts with the death of his parents, after which butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) becomes the orphan’s guardian. Over a decade later, Bruce (Christian Bale) leaves Gotham after failing to bring his parents’ killer to justice.

While traveling the world, Bruce is trained by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) and the League of Shadows. Bruce leaves the League of Shadows when he rejects their proposal to destroy Gotham, feeling he can save the crime-ridden city through other means of justice. For Bruce, his solution is to fight as Batman, the masked vigilante intent on saving Gotham from the criminal underworld.

Stream Batman Begins on Netflix.

Dan Girolamo
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
3 great action movies on Tubi you need to watch in February 2025
The cast of Predator poses with their guns in the jungle.

By now, you should know that Tubi is one of the premier FAST services on the market. Don't let the "free ad-supported streaming" moniker scare you away. There are no hidden fees at sign-up. The only catch is ads play during your feature presentation. Think of it like commercials on cable TV. Honestly, it's a solid trade-off for a good service.
Tubi's lineup continues to improve each month. Some standout titles in February include Dune, Denis Villeneuve's first movie of a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel; Easy A, Emma Stone's hilarious teen comedy; and Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson's sweet coming-of-age tale. This article is catered toward action fans, and our picks below are three stone-cold classics.
We also have guides to 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 Terminator (1984)

"I'll be back." 40 years later, that phrase from The Terminator still has a stranglehold on pop culture. Those three words were uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger's titular Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will one day lead the human resistance against machines.

Read more
5 great Netflix action movies to watch on New Year’s Day
Keanu Reeves in John Wick.

After staying up all night to watch the ball drop, it's no surprise if you need a pick-me-up on New Year's Day. One great way to get your energy back up is with a high-octane action movie, and if you're a Netflix subscriber, you have access to a massive library of quality choices.

Netflix is an extensive hub for action movies, so figuring out what to watch can be difficult. To help you out, we've pulled together five great Netflix action movies to watch on New Year’s Day.

Read more
3 action movies on Hulu you need to watch in December 2024
Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2.

Sometimes, the Christmas season means Christmas action movies on Hulu. Especially if the streamer has Die Hard for the holidays, as it does this year. But since everyone talks about Die Hard as a Christmas film, we decided to go with Die Hard 2 -- which is also set at Christmas -- as one of the three action movies on Hulu that you need to watch in December.

Our other picks include the film that made Keanu Reeves an action star five years before The Matrix, as well as the movie that gave Russell Crowe his first -- and to date, only -- Oscar win for Best Actor.

Read more