Action movies are hard to define but easy to recognize. It’s a genre that can encompass everything from franchise fare to director-driven work, but at the end of the day, a great one will leave you deeply satisfied.
HBO Maxactually has a remarkably deep bench of great action movies worth watching. Because the platform can be difficult to navigate, it can be hard to surface the ones that you might actually be interested in. That’s why we’ve pulled together three very different action movies that are all worth your time.
We also have guides to thebest new movies to stream, thebest movies on Netflix, thebest movies on Hulu, thebest movies on Amazon Prime Video, thebest movies on HBO Max, and thebest movies on Disney+.
Speed (1994)
The onlyDie Hardripoff that’s worth watching,Speedfollows an LA police officer who gets trapped on a bus that will explode if it drives under 50 miles an hour. As he navigates Los Angeles traffic to avoid disaster, he must figure out who rigged the bus and why they did it.
Speedis thrilling from minute one. Thanks to some excellent chemistry betweenKeanu Reevesand Sandra Bullock, it never feels even a little bit stale or played out. It might not be reinventing the wheel, but Hollywood could use more action movies that are sturdy and age well.
You can watchSpeedon HBO Max.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
The Hunger Gamesmovies are better than you remember (unless you remember them being great). Of the original quadrilogy,Catching Fireis undoubtedly refines the ideas and cast of the original movie into something both entertaining and disturbing.
Following Katniss Everdeen in the wake of her victory in the Hunger Games, she eventually realizes that she has to go back into the arena, and this time her competition will be other victors. Jennifer Lawrence is remarkable at the center of this movie, an actress who brings her character’s vulnerabilities to the surface with every look on her face.
You can watchThe Hunger Games: Catching Fireon HBO Max.
Superman Returns (2006)
Superman Returnswas made by some pretty problematic people, but it’s also a pretty effectiveSupermanmovie. A sort of pseudo-sequel to the Christopher Reeve films, this movie imagines an Earth where Superman has been gone for several years.
When he returns, he discovers that the world has moved on without him, but also that Lex Luthor has been carefully planning for his return. Featuring a genuinely arresting plane crash sequence, plenty of nostalgia, and a sentimental sincerity that feels entirely justified,Superman Returnsmight leave you a little emotional.
