Craving something loud, fast, and impossible to watch casually? This HBO Max action lineup is built for that exact mood—movies that hit the gas early and don’t let up, whether you’re here for superhero spectacle, high-concept thrillers, sword-and-sand epics, or pure adrenaline chaos. Press play, turn the volume up, and pick your weapon of choice from the 24 picks below.
Superheroes and comic-book mayhem
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Birds of Prey (2020) — Harley Quinn chaos with a sharp, kinetic team-up vibe.
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The Dark Knight (2008) — the modern benchmark for grounded superhero action.
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Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) — an intense DC animated “what-if” that goes darker than you’d expect.
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Superman (1978) — classic, sincere, and still wildly watchable as a genre foundation stone.
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Wonder Woman (2017) — big-hearted origin story with blockbuster-scale set pieces.
Big franchise adrenaline
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Dune (2021) — epic sci-fi action with politics, prophecy, and scale.
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Dune: Part Two (2024) — larger, louder, and more ruthless in its momentum.
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Fast & Furious (2009) — a key entry that locks in the franchise’s “family + speed” identity.
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) — adventure-forward fantasy action in Middle-earth mode.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) — a masterclass in quest storytelling and large-scale battles.
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The Hunger Games (2012) — dystopian survival action with real bite.
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) — smart, tense franchise rebooting with a killer escalation arc.
Pure “lean forward” thrill rides
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Bullet Train (2022) — assassins collide in a fast, funny, bruising ride.
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Inception (2010) — action as a brain teaser, built like a precision machine.
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Speed (1994) — one of the tightest “don’t let it slow down” premises ever filmed.
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The Terminator (1984) — relentless pursuit thriller that still hits hard.
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Meg 2: The Trench (2023) — big, ridiculous creature spectacle that knows what it is.
Gritty, prestige, and genre-bending action
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) — brutal, propulsive world-building with mythic intensity.
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Love Lies Bleeding (2024) — crime, obsession, and violence wrapped in a neon-noir mood.
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Deadwood: The Movie (2019) — a tough, grown-up return with frontier brutality and payoff.
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The Woman King (2022) — muscular historical action anchored by a commanding lead performance.
International and animated action essentials
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The Hidden Fortress (1958) — Kurosawa adventure energy that influenced generations.
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Princess Mononoke (1997) — epic, emotionally heavy, and action-packed in a way only Ghibli can do.
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) — stylized, videogame-flavoured fights with comedy timing.
