Hidden Action Gems You Can Watch On Max Right Now

After hours of scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or any other streamer hoping for your attention (and subscription dollars) these days, the time it takes to choose a movie from the overwhelming amount of titles often leaves one with little time left in the day to watch whatever it is they ultimately land on. But if there's one thing streaming is good for, it's connecting audiences with a good old-fashioned action flick.

An unfunny comedy can be cringe-inducing; a terrible horror movie can be dreadfully boring. Action movies, on the other hand, can withstand numerous flaws in their story, so long as they deliver on the high-octane thrills viewers expect. After all, there's little that can't be forgiven if offered alongside stylish fight scenes, high-speed chases, or violent spectacle, depending on the viewer, of course.

Fortunately for our readers, we're here to help trim down your scrolling by sharing some of the best action movies we found hidden in the Max library. From an animated sci-fi/dark fantasy epic, to a forgotten video game adaptation, to a revenge movie starring a cat, these movies will take you on adventures you may have never even expected.

Not to be confused with the other "Nine" film (a sexy movie musical about Italian filmmakers) that came out in 2009, Shane Acker's science fiction epic "9" is an animated feature that combines the grim, techno-dystopian themes of "The Matrix" with the whimsical and dark fantasy elements of a Tim Burton film. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world where civilization has been entirely wiped out by monstrous machines created by an advanced artificial intelligence that betrayed the very dictator (Tom Kane), who attempted to wield it to rule the world. Amidst this chaos, however, the same scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) who originally invented the A.I. managed to also create nine rag dolls called "Stitchpunks." Each one is imbued with sentience via a piece of the scientist's soul, and, together, they are tasked with overthrowing the machines.

"9" was a bit of a tough sell when it was first released, as it was a high-concept animated fantasy film directed squarely at older teens and adults rather than children. Acker originally crafted it as a short film (which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005) and had hoped to expand upon it further in sequels, thereby offering alternatives to the decidedly light and family-friendly features offered by Pixar and DreamWorks. Unfortunately, the initial reception to "9" was mixed, and it effectively bombed at the box office, earning only $48.4 million against a budget of $30 million. The film was still praised almost universally for its unique visuals and commitment to tone, and for fans of action movies, specifically, it has some of the most ambitious action sequences of any CGI-animated film ever made.

If you're looking for a movie night option that packs in plenty of high-stakes action while still entertaining the entire family, Max is also currently streaming the 2003 spy flick "Agent Cody Banks." Starring "Malcolm in the Middle's" Frankie Muniz and Disney Channel star Hillary Duff (a headlining duo that's only one of the many reasons why this film is a nostalgic treat for Gen Z), it riffs on the classic secret agent tropes of the "James Bond" franchise by mashing them together with a teen comedy.

Cody (Muniz) is a high schooler who has a double life as a secret agent working for the CIA (hilariously run by actor Keith David in an unnamed role). With a criminal mastermind (Ian McShane) on the loose and the fate of the world predictably on the line, the young spy must infiltrate an elite preparatory school and gain the trust of Natalie (Duff), a high schooler whose father (Martin Donovan) is being forced to develop a dangerous biological weapon.

"Agent Cody Banks" mostly flew under the radar, failing to make a noticeable impact with regard to either box office numbers or critical reception. Many reviewers felt that the film didn't meet the standard for a major theatrical release, instead evoking a tone more similar to a Disney Channel Original Movie. That said, it's a brisk 100-minute film that's just too plucky and charming to truly hate, and packs a bit of an extra punch compared to other teen comedies.

Many films on this list were met with a fairly harsh critical reception upon their release. Maybe they would be met with more warmth now, in an era oversaturated with $100 million CGI-reliant intellectual property projects. Regardless, these same movies are often worth watching because of the cast involved, as is the case with the 2014 crime drama "American Heist."

The adaptation of the 1950s classic "The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery" stars "Star Wars" alum Hayden Christensen as James, a down-on-his-luck criminal who owes the sum of his meager life to his brother and fellow criminal Frank (Adrien Brody). When Frank is released from prison — having taken the fall for a failed heist pulled years prior — he forces James to turn his back on his normal, law-abiding life and his girlfriend Emily ("Fast and Furious" star Jordana Brewster) to once again become a criminal.

Despite the emotional and moral complexity inherent in the film's premise, the general consensus among critics is that "American Heist's" script is simply too generic to deliver on this promise. This sentiment, combined with the film's low budget and extremely limited theatrical release, is likely why many readers have probably never heard of this film before. In hindsight, however, the joint talents of Christensen, Brody, and Brewster make it a unique viewing experience that shows often overlooked actors elevating a story beyond what it might have been without them.

While we're on the subject of actors from the galaxy far, far away, "Attack the Block" may sound familiar to "Star Wars" fans who remember when it was touted (rightfully so) as the top credit of actor John Boyega back when he was first announced as part of the cast of "Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens." Before he was FN-2187, or "Finn," the British performer led this lower-budget science fiction comedy as Moses, a low-level street criminal whose life is changed when he tries to exploit an alien invasion. Playing opposite him as his victim-turned-ally is Jodie Whitaker, who later went on to star in three seasons of "Doctor Who" as the titular British sci-fi icon.

But unlike "American Heist," there's much more to enjoy about this film than its stars. Despite bombing at the worldwide box office (making only $6 million against a budget of $13 million), "Attack the Block" was released to critical acclaim, with critics praising its relentless pace, kinetic action, effective humor and heart, and likable cast. It is arguably the most widely beloved film on this list, and yet it has failed to achieve anything close to the same sort of cultural prevalence as, for example, the European sci-fi action-comedies of Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy. (Fun Fact: "Attack the Block" writer-director Joe Cornish had cameos in both "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" and collaborated with Wright on his original script for the Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Ant-Man"). This may change in the near future, as Boyega and Cornish are set to reunite for a sequel that's currently in development.

If some of the entries on this list already are a bit too modern in their settings for your taste, you may want to travel back to the age of pistols, horses, and outlaws found in "Blackthorn." It stars late stage and screen legend Sam Shepard as a fictionalized version of the real-life Old West robber and outlaw Butch Cassidy (with "Game of Thrones" alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau playing a young Cassidy in various flashback sequences).

Though it's a standalone film that dramatically expands upon the real history of Cassidy's infamous life, it plays in some ways as a sequel to the classic Western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The story begins with Shepard's Cassidy, now in his sixties and living as James Blackthorn. Having survived two decades in Bolivia beyond what is depicted in the 1969 film and what historians believe to have been his death date, the aging criminal is trying to recover his stolen wealth so that he can return to America to mourn the death of Harry "The Sundance Kid" Longabaugh's lover, Etta Place (Dominique McElligot of "The Boys" fame).

"Blackthorn" drew positive reviews from critics, but in the U.S., it failed to make a major impression. In Spain (one of four countries that take ownership of the production), however, it was nominated for several Goya Awards, including Best Film.

For viewers who like to see the action genre rooted in grounded speculative fiction, Max is currently streaming the 2014 crime thriller "Brick Mansions." Written (though not directed) by "The Fifth Element" and "Léon: The Professional" scribe Luc Besson and based on his original French feature "District 13," the film takes place in the then-not-too-distant future of 2018. A section of Detroit, Michigan is so besieged by violent crime that the government decides to build a massive wall around it in order to keep the situation contained (an act of policy that definitely won't have horrific consequences, probably). "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker plays a familiar role here as an undercover police officer who attempts to infiltrate a volatile criminal underworld by ingratiating himself to an outlaw with a good heart (David Belle).

Tragically, Walker died in a car accident just months before the film was released. With regard to his upcoming projects at the time of his death, the impending debut of "Brick Mansions" was almost entirely overshadowed by speculation as to whether or not Walker had finished shooting "Furious 7" before his passing. The film itself was also likely hurt by a tower of poor reviews, which largely criticized the plot for being incredibly ridiculous. That being the case, there are still plenty of people that enjoy or even prefer action films that are heavy on combat and light on logic, especially when the premise mostly serves to facilitate spectacle while reflecting real-world issues.

As films like "John Wick," "Extraction," and "Bullet Train" have taught us, no one really makes modern action movies like ex-stunt performers-turned-directors. In the case of the 2020 disaster film "Greenland," the benefit of a stuntman's eye provides subtler advantages.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh (the director of "Angel Has Fallen," whose stunt credits range from "Hook" to "Gone in 60 Seconds"), the film follows a family as they and the rest of the world learn that a supposedly harmless meteor shower will make unexpected contact with Earth, wiping out much of the planet's population, if not destroying it entirely. When patriarch John Garrity (Gerard Butler) learns that there is a bunker in Greenland capable of protecting him and his family from the event, he decides to risk everything to get them to safety.

While most disaster films tend to depict a group of people merely experiencing and attempting to survive some unpredictable event, the clear objective at the center of "Greenland's" story paves the way for more direct conflict. This, by extension, results in more personal sequences of action and combat than one would normally expect from a movie where the enemy is a bunch of rocks flying through space. Unfortunately, the film's release was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with distributors eventually settling for a video-on-demand release in December of 2020. Even so, "Greenland" wound up killing it on Amazon Prime Video, earning positive reviews and becoming one of several pandemic-era sleeper hits.

Speaking of "John Wick," this next film is actually at the center of one of the strangest yet most popular misconceptions in the decade of cinema. Chances are, you're probably familiar with the basic concept of "Keanu" from its memorable trailers (even if its poor $20 million box office indicates you're arguably likely not to have actually seen the film).

Fresh off of "Key and Peele," comedians Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele co-star in this riff on "John Wick," in which a stolen cat named Keanu — named after the star of the aforementioned movie — drags the duo into a complex criminal underworld. However, despite many fans and entertainment outlets interpreting the film in this way based on said trailers and marketing, "Keanu" actually has nothing to do with "John Wick" whatsoever.

Peele (who also co-wrote the film's script) and director Peter Atencio had been working on "Keanu" before "John Wick" was released in 2014. When they found out a film starring Keanu Reeves and featuring beloved pets and vicious criminals was being made, they even wondered if their idea had somehow been taken from them. In reality, the two films are barely the result of parallel thought, sharing little in common beyond very broad aspects (and one especially excellent actor). This is all to say, if you wrote "Keanu" off as a mere parody flick, you have something else entirely in store for you should you choose to stream it on Max.

Even though "Borderlands" turned out to be a boring slog through the wasteland, video game adaptations have a pretty good track record these days. Fans of consoles and handhelds alike are well aware that this wasn't always the case, as gamers were often forced to settle for projects that sacrificed either entertainment value or franchise fidelity in order to push out mostly-cynical final products that were roundly panned by critics. We'd be lying if we didn't include 2014's "Need for Speed" among these ill-fated films — though it arguably reaches a pace just fast enough to make it worth considering a watch.

Based on EA's racing franchise, it features a rare performance from Aaron Paul, who has mostly steered clear of leading man roles and played supporting characters in shows like "Bojack Horseman" and "Westworld" ever since "Breaking Bad" ended in 2015. In this film, he stars as a washed-up race car driver whose unique skill set helps him profit from and ultimately seek vengeance within a dark criminal underworld. Joining Paul in this film is a cast stacked with recognizable faces, including MCU alum Dominic Cooper, Rami Malek, Michael Keaton, and musician Kid Cudi. In other words, it's like a lost "Fast & Furious" spin-off featuring actors from some of the more interesting projects of the last decade.

Though it was far from the highest grossing video game adaptation of all time, the move did bring in a tidy $200 million at the global box office against a budget of $66 million, with almost 80% of its haul coming from overseas markets. This has even led to some speculation that — despite bad reviews – we may yet see a "Need for Speed 2."

"Tell" is one of the shortest and simplest movies on this list — which would make it the perfect option for anyone looking to turn their brain off for a quick cinematic adventure. It stars "This Is Us" and "Gilmore Girls" alum Milo Ventimiglia as the titular character Ethan Tell, a not-so-quick-witted robber who hopes to turn his fortunes around by, well, stealing a fortune of his own. Unfortunately, his mark just so happens to be Ray ("My Name is Earl" star Jason Lee), a powerful criminal in his own right who also happens to be the brother of Tell's wife, Beverly ("The Mandalorian's" Katee Sackhoff).

It's essentially a low-budget, Quentin Tarantino-flavored action thriller bolstered by a cast of mostly sitcom actors giving their all to play against type. In addition to Ventimiglia, Lee, and Scakhoff, "Tell" features Alan Tudyk, John Michael Higgins, Faizon Love, and "The Office" alum Oscar Nunez, as well as "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" villain Robert Patrick. If watching this grabbag of talent chase each other around with guns, bleach, and other weapons sounds like a stupid good time to you, it's more than worth taking a chance on it.

Completing our list of hidden gems is a more recent pick, plucked from the mountain of promising Warner Bros. films that tumbled into obscurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though delays and theater restrictions played a massive role in preventing "Those Who Wish Me Dead" from finding an audience, the distributor's decision to release all of its 2021 films in theaters and on the streamer formerly known as HBO Max also played a role. While this did help subscribers eager to see Angelina Jolie's action-packed collaboration with "Yellowstone" architect Taylor Sheridan, it also may have buried the film by presenting it as just another option in the studio's vast library of films and television shows. Theatrically, it had one of the worst box-office openings in history, at the time outmatched in its financial underperformance only by the pre-COVID Blake Lively thriller "The Rhythm Section."

Suffice it to say, "Those Who Wish Me Dead" never managed to find the wider audience it might've enjoyed any other year — which is a shame, as it was one of the best action films to come out in 2021. It features Jolie as a firefighter haunted by her work who finds herself caught in the Montana wilderness, stuck between a deadly group of assassins and their targets. The visual and dramatic scale of this film can't be overstated, to the extent that you may find yourself wishing you could've experienced this explosive story on a massive screen. But, as is true for every film on this list, it's better to find the film now in the wilderness that is Max's streaming library than to miss out on seeing it for good.