There’s nothing like putting your feet up and enjoying an action-packed movie at the end of a long day. It’s even better when you don’t need to pay for monthly subscriptions and can watch amazing titles, like Dredd, The Matrix, and Children of Men, for free.
Action fans, in particular, have it good because there’s no shortage of thrilling free options, and they can access many amazing titles featuring some of the most iconic characters of all time. As an action fan myself, these are the best five titles you can stream for free with ads right now on YouTube.
Point Break
A Californian beach adventure
Point Break is a 1992 high-adrenaline action movie that set the groundwork for franchises like The Fast and the Furious. It stars Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah, who must infiltrate a gang of surfers, led by a charismatic Patrick Swayze, suspected of carrying out a string of bank heists in California.
Utah has conflicting loyalties between his job and his new friends as he’s drawn deeper into the gang and the freedom of surfer culture. He’s pushed to his limit and must ultimately choose between them. The two leads have amazing chemistry, and their cat-and-mouse game of intrigue and betrayal is the heart of the movie. It culminates in spectacular extreme sports set pieces and a fitting end to their bromance.
You can watch Point Break for free with ads here on YouTube. It’s also available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video if you don’t want ads. You can also find Point Break on 4K UHD or Blu-ray on Amazon if you prefer physical media for your collection.
- Release Date
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July 12, 1991
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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Kathryn Bigelow
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Lori Petty
Tyler Ann Endicott
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Shooter
Amazing sniper action
Shooter is a 2007 movie featuring incredible sniper action. Mark Wahlberg plays Force Recon Scout Sniper Gunnery Sergeant Bobby Less Swagger, who returns home disappointed after his last mission goes wrong and his spotter is killed in action. Years later, he’s recruited by a shadowy government agency to help prevent a possible assassination attempt on the president.
He reluctantly agrees and joins a security team at the president’s speech. The attempted assassination takes place, and he is falsely implicated and realizes he’s been set up. Swagger must evade the law enforcement authorities on his tail and clear his name before being hunted down. His quest for justice ultimately leads him to a conspiracy at the highest levels of government.
Shooter is available here on YouTube. You can also catch it on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV without ads. The 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions are available from Amazon if you prefer physical media.
- Release Date
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March 22, 2007
- Runtime
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124 Minutes
- Director
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Antoine Fuqua
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Mark Wahlberg
Bob Lee Swagger
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Michael Pena
Nick Memphis
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Danny Glover
Colonel Isaac Johnson
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Ned Beatty
Senator Charles F. Meachum
The Rundown
A fun jungle adventure
The Rundown is a lighthearted 2003 buddy action comedy that takes you on a fun jungle adventure. Sean William Scott is Travis, a rich kid searching for a lost artifact in Brazil. His business executive father hires a debt collector, Beck, played by Dwayne Johnson, to retrieve him at all costs.
The two spend the movie fighting to get their own way and are drawn into conflict with the mining town’s owner. Hatcher, played by Christopher Walken, who has enslaved the town and wants the artifact for himself. Travis and Beck will need to team up with the resistance leader, Mariana, Rosario Dawson, to free the town before they return to civilization.
You can watch The Rundown for free with ads here on YouTube. It’s also available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video. Physical media collectors can get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
- Release Date
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September 26, 2003
- Runtime
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104 minutes
- Director
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Peter Berg
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Seann William Scott
Travis
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Christopher Walken
Hatcher
Ronin
An espionage classic
Ronin is a 1998 action movie about a team of mercenaries recruited by IRA operatives to retrieve a mysterious briefcase in Europe. Robert De Niro plays Sam, an ex-CIA agent who joins the team but might have alternative motives. The team pulls off the heist but is double-crossed by one of their own and nearly killed.
They then need to regroup to track down the thief and the case before it reaches its new owner. Ronin takes us on a journey through exotic European destinations with breathtaking action sequences and car chases. It’s also one of those movies with shifting alliances that keeps you guessing until the end.
Ronin is available to watch for free with ads here on YouTube. It’s also available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. You can find the 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions on Amazon.
- Release Date
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September 25, 1998
- Runtime
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121 Minutes
- Director
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John Frankenheimer
Hard Target
No thinking required
Hard Target is a hugely entertaining 1993 action movie. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, a marine veteran who protects a woman in New Orleans from being attacked by a group of men. She’s in town to search for her missing father and hires him as a guide. They soon discover a criminal gang that pays homeless people to run and hunt them down for sport.
The gang turns its attention to them, and they must survive a vicious onslaught of hunters trying to kill them in the bayou. Hard Target was action maestro John Woo’s first American action movie and includes his signature over-the-top action scenes and stylistic gunplay. It makes up for its lack of plot with non-stop action and scenery-chewing baddies.
Hard Target is available for free with ads here on YouTube. It’s also available ad-free on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. You can get the 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions on Amazon.
- Release Date
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August 20, 1993
- Runtime
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97 Minutes
- Director
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John Woo
