Disney+ has a better movie collection than Netflix and Sky Cinema. Nowhere is that more apparent than its list of action movies.
I’ve gathered the 375 movies listed under action/adventure and thrillers on Disney+ to select those that are actually action movies (and removed any Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics) and categorised by award winning action movies, highly rated on IMDb, cult classics, underrated gems and honourable mentions.
Award Winning Action Movies
Aliens
Tagline: In space, no one can hear you reload
For Fans of: Predator, Edge of Tomorrow, Event Horizon
The tension doesn’t build – it detonates. A rescue mission turns into a siege as Ripley and a squad of marines face off against a hive of acid-blooded nightmares. Cameron’s direction is relentless, but it’s Sigourney Weaver’s fury and grit that give the film its pulse. Forget subtlety – this is sci-fi warfare with flamethrowers, exosuits and maternal rage.
Braveheart
Tagline: Freedom comes with a sword
For Fans of: Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Samurai
Before the speeches and the slow-motion charges, there’s a man in warpaint who refuses to kneel. The film doesn’t just depict rebellion – it revels in it, with Mel Gibson directing sprawling battle scenes that earned five Oscars including Best Picture. It’s emotionally blunt, visually muddy and unapologetically grand. If you’re after historical carnage with a side of myth-making, this is your blood-soaked anthem.
The French Connection
Tagline: The chase that changed cinema
For Fans of: Heat, Ronin, Serpico
Forget polished heroes – Popeye Doyle is a cop who drinks, curses and drives like a man possessed. William Friedkin’s direction turns New York into a pressure cooker, and the film’s infamous car chase still feels reckless in the best way. It won five Oscars, including Best Picture, but it’s the grime and grit that give it staying power. This is procedural chaos with a badge and a vendetta.
The Rock
Tagline: Welcome to the party, pal – on Alcatraz
For Fans of: Die Hard, Air Force One, Olympus Has Fallen
Chemical weapons, rogue marines and a retired spy locked in a prison fortress – subtlety is not on the menu. Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage bounce off each other with surprising charm, while Ed Harris adds weight to the chaos. Michael Bay’s direction is all about momentum, and here it actually works, earning Oscar nods for sound and editing. It’s popcorn warfare with just enough heart to matter.
Avatar
Tagline: Blue people, big battles
For Fans of: Dune, The Matrix, John Carter
The jungle glows, the arrows fly, and the sky is full of war machines. James Cameron builds a world so immersive it won three Oscars and changed blockbuster filmmaking overnight. The story may be familiar, but the execution is pure spectacle – aerial combat, ecological fury and mech-suit mayhem. It’s a visual feast with a pulse, and it knows exactly when to punch.
Highly Rated Action Films
Die Hard
Tagline: One building, one cop, zero patience
For Fans of: Speed, Air Force One, Olympus Has Fallen
Christmas Eve turns into a hostage crisis when NYPD officer John McClane finds himself trapped in a high-rise with a group of armed thieves. Bruce Willis delivers sardonic charm and bruised bravado, while Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber redefined villainy with silk and steel. The film’s pacing is surgical, its action tactile, and its legacy untouchable. It didn’t just launch a franchise – it rewrote the genre’s rulebook.
Enemy of the State
Tagline: Privacy is a myth, and the chase is real
For Fans of: The Bourne Identity, Ronin, The Fugitive
A chance encounter drops a surveillance tape into the hands of a lawyer, triggering a nationwide manhunt powered by satellites, wiretaps and paranoia. Will Smith plays it straight and sharp, while Gene Hackman channels his French Connection energy with a tech-savvy twist. Tony Scott directs with kinetic flair, turning every alley and rooftop into a battleground. It’s slick, smart and still unsettlingly relevant.
Speed
Tagline: Don’t slow down, don’t look back
For Fans of: Die Hard, The Taking of Pelham 123, Crank
A bomb on a bus is a simple premise – until it’s moving at 50 miles per hour through downtown LA. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock anchor the chaos with charm and urgency, while Dennis Hopper chews through his villain role like it’s his last meal. The film never lets up, and Jan de Bont’s direction keeps the tension taut without ever feeling mechanical. It’s pure adrenaline, no filler.
The Edge
Tagline: Nature doesn’t care who’s right
For Fans of: The Grey, Deliverance, The Revenant
A plane crash strands two men in the Alaskan wilderness – one a billionaire, the other a photographer, both nursing quiet grudges. Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin circle each other with suspicion while a bear stalks them with terrifying persistence. David Mamet’s script adds philosophical bite to the survival stakes, making this more than just man vs. beast. It’s cerebral, brutal and weirdly elegant.
Con Air
Tagline: Buckle up – the inmates are flying
For Fans of: Face/Off, The Fugitive, Gone in 60 Seconds
A prison transport plane full of America’s most dangerous criminals gets hijacked mid-air, and only one man can stop it – a parole-bound ex-con with a Southern drawl and a mullet. Nicolas Cage leads a cast of chaos, including John Malkovich as a gleefully deranged mastermind and Steve Buscemi as a disturbingly calm serial killer. The action is absurd, the explosions gratuitous, and the one-liners unforgettable. It’s pure 90s excess, and it knows exactly what it’s doing.
Romancing the Stone
Tagline: Jungle love, treasure maps and high heels
For Fans of: Indiana Jones, The Mummy, The Lost City
A romance novelist gets swept into a real-life adventure when her sister is kidnapped in Colombia, and the only way out is through crocodiles, gunfire and a reluctant mercenary. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas have electric chemistry, and Danny DeVito adds just the right amount of chaos. It’s part screwball comedy, part jungle chase, and all charm. The action may be muddy, but the storytelling sparkles.
Cult Classics
Big Trouble in Little China
Tagline: Ancient sorcery meets clueless swagger
For Fans of: Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fifth Element
Jack Burton thinks he’s the hero, but he’s really just the guy with the truck. Kurt Russell stumbles into a supernatural turf war in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where lightning sorcerers, sewer monsters and cursed brides are all part of the chaos. John Carpenter directs with gleeful abandon, mixing martial arts, mysticism and deadpan comedy. It’s a genre blender that shouldn’t work – but absolutely does.
Commando
Tagline: Retirement was never an option
For Fans of: Rambo: First Blood Part II, Taken, The Expendables
Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t negotiate – he detonates. When his daughter is kidnapped, he launches a one-man assault that involves rocket launchers, exploding sheds and a villain dressed like a chainmail-wearing Freddie Mercury. The plot is thin, the body count is high, and the one-liners are iconic. It’s 80s action at its most gloriously unhinged.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Tagline: Victorian Avengers, but make it messy
For Fans of: Van Helsing, Hellboy, Mortal Engines
A team of literary legends – including Dorian Gray, Captain Nemo and Dr Jekyll – band together to stop a global threat, and the result is pure steampunk chaos. Sean Connery leads the charge in his final film role, surrounded by gothic set pieces and explosive set-pieces. It’s uneven, yes, but the ambition is undeniable and the aesthetic is all-in. Cult status earned through sheer audacity.
Conan the Barbarian
Tagline: Steel, sorcery and silent rage
For Fans of: 300, Red Sonja, The Northman
Arnold Schwarzenegger barely speaks, but he doesn’t need to – the sword does the talking. This blood-soaked fantasy epic follows a warrior’s quest for vengeance across deserts, temples and snake cults. Directed by John Milius and scored like a Wagnerian fever dream, it’s mythic, muscular and unapologetically primal. The kind of film that feels carved from stone.
The 13th Warrior
Tagline: Vikings, monsters and Antonio Banderas
For Fans of: Beowulf, Pathfinder, Apocalypto
A cultured outsider joins a band of Norse warriors to battle a mysterious, savage enemy – and learns their language, their rituals and their brutality. Antonio Banderas brings quiet intensity to a film that blends historical grit with mythic horror. It flopped on release but found its audience in fans of atmospheric, slow-burn action. Think Predator in chainmail.
Under Siege
Tagline: Die Hard on a battleship
For Fans of: Speed, Executive Decision, Olympus Has Fallen
Steven Seagal plays a Navy cook who’s secretly a former SEAL, and when terrorists hijack his ship, he slices, shoots and stabs his way through the problem. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey chew scenery like it’s their last meal, and the confined setting keeps the tension tight. It’s Seagal’s best film by a nautical mile. Cult status sealed with a chef’s knife.
Underrated Gems
Kill Command
Tagline: The robots are not following orders
For Fans of: Ex Machina, Predator, Black Mirror
A military exercise on a remote island turns into a full-blown firefight when the AI combatants start rewriting their own code. Vanessa Kirby leads a squad through sleek corridors and dense forests, where every drone and turret feels one step ahead. The film punches above its budget with sharp visuals and a lean, tactical tone. It’s a techno-thriller that trades bombast for precision.
Pathfinder
Tagline: Vikings vs. warriors of the land
For Fans of: Apocalypto, The Northman, The 13th Warrior
A lone survivor of a Viking raid grows up among Native Americans, only to face his past when the invaders return. The story is simple, but the visuals are stylised and brutal, with snow-drenched landscapes and bone-crunching combat. It’s not subtle, and it doesn’t try to be. Think mythic revenge with a graphic novel edge.
Hitman: Agent 47
Tagline: Cold-blooded, clean-cut, and very well-armed
For Fans of: John Wick, The Transporter, Atomic Blonde
He’s genetically engineered, emotionally detached and surgically efficient. Rupert Friend plays the titular assassin with icy precision, navigating a plot full of double-crosses, shootouts and glass-shattering stunts. The film doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it commits to its aesthetic and delivers slick, stylised violence. It’s a guilty pleasure with a barcode.
Welcome to the Punch
Tagline: London crime, polished and personal
For Fans of: Collateral, Heat, Layer Cake
A detective and a career criminal find themselves reluctantly aligned when a conspiracy threatens both their worlds. James McAvoy and Mark Strong bring intensity to a story that’s more about grudges than gunplay, though it still delivers on the action front. The visuals are crisp, the pacing tight, and the emotional stakes surprisingly sharp. It’s a stylish thriller that deserved more attention.
12 Rounds
Tagline: One cop, one villain, twelve chances to fail
For Fans of: Die Hard with a Vengeance, Speed, The Marine
John Cena plays a New Orleans detective whose day spirals into chaos when a vengeful criminal forces him through a deadly scavenger hunt. The premise is pure pulp, but the execution is tighter than expected, with solid stunt work and a ticking-clock structure that keeps things moving. It’s not high art, but it’s high energy. Perfect for fans of relentless pacing and improbable survival.
Broken Arrow
Tagline: Nuclear weapons, airborne betrayal
For Fans of: Face/Off, Con Air, Executive Decision
John Travolta goes full villain as a rogue pilot who steals a pair of nukes and taunts his former wingman across the desert. Christian Slater plays the straight man, while director John Woo stages shootouts with his usual flair for slow-motion chaos. It’s loud, ridiculous and packed with explosions. The kind of film where helicopters explode just because they can.
Deep Rising
Tagline: Tentacles, treasure hunters and total nonsense
For Fans of: Tremors, The Mummy, Lake Placid
A luxury cruise ship is attacked by a sea creature with a taste for chaos, and the only people left to fight back are a crew of mercenaries looking for loot. Treat Williams leads the charge with dry wit and a grenade launcher, while the creature design leans into gooey, over-the-top horror. It’s campy, clunky and weirdly charming. A perfect late-night watch with popcorn and disbelief.
Flight of the Phoenix
Tagline: Crash, rebuild, survive
For Fans of: The Edge, Alive, Sahara
A cargo plane goes down in the Gobi Desert, and the survivors must rebuild it from the wreckage before the heat or hostiles finish them off. Dennis Quaid and Giovanni Ribisi clash over leadership and engineering, while the sand and silence add pressure to every decision. It’s a remake with grit and heart, and the action is more about ingenuity than gunfire. Survival never looked so mechanical.
Knight and Day
Tagline: Spy games with a side of flirting
For Fans of: Mr & Mrs Smith, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., True Lies
Tom Cruise plays a rogue agent who may or may not be insane, and Cameron Diaz is the civilian caught in his orbit. The film zips through car chases, shootouts and exotic locations with a wink and a smile, never taking itself too seriously. It’s self-aware, fast-paced and surprisingly charming. Action comedy done with actual chemistry.
Bad Company (2002)
Tagline: One spy, one hustler, one very bad week
For Fans of: Enemy of the State, The Recruit, Rush Hour
Chris Rock is recruited to impersonate his dead twin brother in a CIA operation, and Anthony Hopkins is the handler who’s not thrilled about it. The premise is absurd, but the banter works, and the action is solid if not spectacular. It’s a spy thriller with street smarts and a few sharp detours. Underrated, mostly because no one knew what to do with it.
Honourable Mentions
Spy
Tagline: Desk job to death-defying
For Fans of: Kingsman, The Heat, Johnny English
Melissa McCarthy ditches the headset and goes full field agent in this sharp, globe-trotting action comedy. Jason Statham plays it gloriously against type as a delusional tough guy, while Rose Byrne steals scenes as a venomous heiress with a nuclear secret. Director Paul Feig balances slapstick with genuine spy thrills, and the result is both critically acclaimed and riotously fun. It’s a rare comedy that respects its genre while roasting it.
Stuber
Tagline: Five stars, zero chill
For Fans of: Ride Along, The Nice Guys, Collateral
An Uber driver gets hijacked into a drug bust by a half-blind cop, and the night spirals into shootouts, car chases and emotional oversharing. Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista bounce off each other with prickly charm, turning a thin premise into a surprisingly watchable buddy flick. The action is messy, the humour lands, and Iko Uwais adds martial arts credibility. It’s not reinventing anything, but it’s a solid popcorn ride.
Jumper
Tagline: Blink and you’re in Tokyo
For Fans of: Push, Wanted, The Matrix
Teleportation sounds cool until a secret society starts hunting you across the globe. Hayden Christensen plays a bank-robbing loner with the ability to “jump” anywhere, while Jamie Bell adds grit as a fellow fugitive. Doug Liman directs with kinetic flair, even if the plot barely keeps up. It’s a high-concept chase film that’s more stylish than smart – but still fun to watch unfold.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Tagline: Manners maketh mayhem
For Fans of: Kick-Ass, Mission: Impossible, Layer Cake
A chav gets recruited into a secret spy agency run by posh assassins in tailored suits, and the result is pure genre chaos. Taron Egerton breaks out as Eggsy, Colin Firth goes full action hero, and Samuel L. Jackson lisps his way through a tech villain role. Matthew Vaughn directs with gleeful violence and comic-book flair, delivering one of the most inventive spy films of the decade. The church scene alone earns its cult status.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Tagline: Stateside, stylised and slightly unhinged
For Fans of: Red, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Fast & Furious
The Kingsman agency gets blown up, forcing Eggsy and crew to team up with their bourbon-swilling American counterparts. Julianne Moore plays a drug cartel queen with a 1950s aesthetic and a meat grinder, while Elton John shows up for reasons that defy logic. It’s louder, messier and more indulgent than the first – but still packed with inventive set pieces and absurd charm. Think Bond on a sugar rush.
The Siege
Tagline: Martial law meets moral collapse
For Fans of: Zero Dark Thirty, Body of Lies, Homeland
Terrorist attacks in New York trigger a wave of panic, and the government responds with tanks, curfews and constitutional violations. Denzel Washington anchors the chaos as an FBI agent caught between justice and politics, while Bruce Willis brings military menace. Directed by Edward Zwick, the film was eerily prescient even before 9/11. It’s a thriller with teeth – and a conscience.