There’s nothing wrong with a gripping and compelling Oscar-winning drama that’s full of complex characters … but sometimes you just wanna watch stuff get blown up. You wanna see high-speed car chases. You wanna practically feel the shrapnel fly past your face. Artful films like Oppenheimer and The Iron Claw certainly have their place, but that place isn’t here. Instead, we’re diving into some of the best action movies you can stream right now for free.
Thanks to ad-supported streaming services like Amazon Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, and more, there’s a huge selection of great free action movies streaming right now. Whether you want to watch a guns-blazing revenge movie, giant animals attacking unsuspecting victims, or even a kinetic video game adaptation, we’ve got you covered. So, what are the best action movies streaming right now completely for free? Read on to find out.
Interested in more free streaming movies? Check out the best free movies on YouTube right now and the 7 great free sci-fi movies you should stream right now.
John Wick (2014)
As you’ve probably noticed, John Wick has become one of the most popular action franchises in modern cinema. In the original film, John is threatened and then robbed by the Russian mob one night. After escaping them, John later discovers that they broke into his home, stole his car, and, worst of all, killed his harmless puppy. Little do they know that John is a former hit man who is feared by the entire crime world and is now hell-bent on revenge. You just don’t kill a man’s dog.
Keanu Reeves starred as John Wick and the movie received positive reviews, earning a solid box office return. But word of mouth turned the film into an even bigger hit on home video (remember those days?) and continued to propel John Wick‘s popularity, turning it into a massive franchise. For example, the first movie earned $86 million at the box office, but by the time John Wick: Chapter 4 premiered in early 2023, it raked in over $440 million.
Watch the first three John Wick movies for free at Peacock.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
We all laughed when we first heard that Sonic was getting a movie. Then we saw that first trailer where Sonic looked like a hairy child and cursed SEGA for continuously failing humanity. But then something happened: Sonic got a redesign and suddenly he looked … decent?
And then the movie came out, and it turned out to be bright, colorful, and fun. In classic Sonic style, the film was fast-paced and filled with action. Jim Carrey flawlessly brought Sonic’s main villain, Dr. Robotnik, to life, and Ben Schwartz gave a comedic voice to a hedgehog that has almost always been silent. Sonic the Hedgehog ended up being a really fun movie, and it got the last laugh when it hauled in more than $319 million at the box office. If you’ve never seen it, check it out; you’ll be surprised by how entertaining it is.
Watch Sonic the Hedgehog for free on Pluto TV.
The Batman (2022)
The Batman was a bit of a gamble. Christopher Nolan had already masterfully given us a gritty, dark Batman saga with the Dark Knight trilogy, and the public’s reaction to Ben Affleck picking up the role in 2016 wasn’t exactly met with praise. Was the world really ready for another Batman reboot? Especially one starring a Twilight alum?
The answer was a resounding yes. Not only did Robert Pattinson do a surprisingly great job at portraying Batman, but Paul Dano brought new life to the Riddler, turning him into a psychotic and neurotic incel. Colin Farrell also gave audiences their first big-screen look at Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin) in almost 30 years. The movie even brought new fame to Nirvana’s song Something in the Way, which fit perfectly with the its grungy vibe.
Watch The Batman for free on Tubi.
Joy Ride (2001)
In 2001’s Joy Ride, Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski star as three friends who decide to mess around with a trucker on their CB radio. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong trucker to prank and they’re soon stalked along the interstates by a madman. The great thing about Joy Ride is that it walks a tightrope between genres, blending elements of horror and suspense with action.
The movie starts off as more of a thriller, with the escalating tension creating a great cat-and-mouse chase. By the end, the trio is literally being chased down by a raging semi-truck, and the slow-burn suspense suddenly explodes into an adrenaline-pumping action film.
Watch Joy Ride for free on Tubi
Escape from New York (1981)
Set in a dystopian 1997, Escape from New York is set in a Manhattan that has been turned into a giant, heavily guarded prison island to deal with the rampant rise in crime across the country. One night, the president is flying overhead in Air Force One on his way to a nearby peace summit when the plane is hijacked by terrorists, and the president is ejected down into the gritty streets of New York.
Meanwhile, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is about to be imprisoned on the island, but is offered a deal: save the president in Manhattan and receive a pardon. Directed and co-written by the great genre filmmaker John Carpenter, the movie was initially a moderate success, but after its release, it developed a massive cult following and is now considered as one of the greatest action movies of the last 40 years.
Watch Escape from New York for free on Freevee.
Crawl (2019)
Audiences were spoiled in the late ’90s with tons of great animal disaster movies. From Anaconda to Deep Blue Sea and Lake Placid, we had an embarrassment of riches in terms of over-the-top (but insanely fun) animal carnage. Sadly, that trend has largely gone dormant since then, aside from a few hit shark movies like The Shallows and 2019’s Crawl.
In the movie, a massive hurricane batters Florida with high winds and flooding, threatening the lives of millions. A college student decides to check on her father during the storm, but soon gets trapped inside his flooded home … that’s now full of displaced alligators who swam in during the hurricane. Produced by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) and directed by Alexandre Aja (P2, High Tension), the movie was in very capable hands and turned out to be a commercial and critical hit.
Watch Crawl for free on Pluto TV.
The Equalizer (2014)
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays a mild-mannered ex-Defense Intelligence Agency agent and former marine who now lives a quiet life in Boston. He eventually befriends a young sex worker named Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz) and the two become close. But one night after learning that her pimp has almost beaten her to death, he sets out to take down their entire trafficking operation.
The movie has some hardcore Taken vibes, and Washington’s fantastic performance helped bring life to what could have easily been just another generic action movie. The Equalizer became a huge hit, grossing over $192 million at the box office and spawning two sequels, including last year’s The Equalizer 3, that have been equally successful.
Watch The Equalizer for free on Freevee.
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