The Josh Brolin-led series Amazon Prime has developed a substantial amount of memorable content from other genres, including action.
In fact, while the streamer has released some beautiful dramatic works, terrifying horror pieces, and rewatchable comedic projects, it's the entries in the action genre that are swiftly proving to be the most successful. A lot of it is owed to the success of The Office's John Krasinski, which helped set the stage for some of the streamer's less talky, more showy projects. Fortunately, with such a wide and deep library, IMDb can help new viewers know where to start.
Jolt (2021): 5.6
Jolt is the type of action film that goes for laughs nearly as often as it goes for bone-crunching combat sequences.
The plot follows Kate Beckinsale's Lindy Lewis, a former bouncer who experiences great surges of anger. After her date with Justin (Jai Courtney) leads to his death, police attention is ambivalent, so she must take it upon herself to uncover the truth. The film offers some shocking twists in the third act and is an interesting look at a character with an intermittent explosive disorder, but its greatest asset is Beckinsale's electric lead performance.
Without Remorse (2021): 5.7
While not quite one of Without Remorse is a suitably entertaining Tom Clancy adaptation that mostly forgoes the espionage in favor of spewed bullets.
The film follows Michael B. Jordan's U.S. Navy SEAL John Kelly as he avenges the Russian-ordered hit on his pregnant wife and cohorts. Considering both the reputability of the source material and Jordan's involvement in the lead role, Without Remorse went surprisingly under the radar, but there are those out there who favored it over the more dialogue-heavy Jack Ryan.
The Tomorrow War (2021): 6.6
Almost certainly the largest-scoped movie to hit Amazon's streaming service, The Tomorrow War was intended for a theatrical release before facing COVID-19 setbacks.
Starring Chris Pratt and a somewhat underused Yvonne Strahovski, Chris McKay's film is an action-packed, entertaining end-of-days alien apocalypse war film in the vein of Paul Verhoeven's Edge of Tomorrow, The Tomorrow War is a worthy Sunday afternoon actioner.
The Tick (2016-2019): 7.4
Peter Serafinowicz is an asset to any project in which he takes part, and The Tick is no exception. A comedic superhero series based on the 1980s comic of the same name, the Amazon series unfortunately only lasted two seasons despite receiving strong reviews.
The show benefitted from a well-balanced tone, likable characters, and even more likable actors portraying them. Alongside Serafinowicz as The Tick, the highlights include Griffin Newman as the young Arthur Everest and Jackie Earle Haley as the first season's villain: The Terror.
Hanna (2019-2021): 7.6
Hanna is a TV series adaptation of the 2011 Joe Wright film by the same name. Lasting for three seasons, the translation from film to television was a hit for the streamer, at least partially buoyed by an excellent cast that included Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Ray Liotta, and Dermot Mulroney.
But it was Esmé Creed-Miles' performance in the role previously inhabited by Saoirse Ronan that enraptured critics, the fans of the original film, and carried the series throughout its run.
Alex Rider (2020-Present): 7.6
14 years after the disastrous 2006 attempt at starting the Alex Rider franchise (the theatrical film, Stormbreaker), Amazon picked up the reigns with the eponymous series' first season.
While IMDb TV took over for the sophomore season, Amazon's first outing set excellent ground that establishes any number of directions for the franchise to go, especially given how much source material the showrunners have to work with. Furthermore, Otto Farrant's work in the title role ensures both a bright future in the role and in Hollywood overall.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018-Present): 8.1
One of the most frequently Jack Ryan is so popular it's been renewed for a fourth season before the third's premiere.
The show is an interesting new spin on a character that has been brought to life on the big screen by actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine. Krasinski's incarnation falls between Pine and Ford's in of experience, and the audience meets him while he's recovering from extreme injuries from his time as a Marine. The majority of the series, however, places Ryan in the field, where he's a bit more volatile than any other variation.
Reacher (2022- ): 8.2
The first season of the shorter-in-stature Tom Cruise who played the big-screen version of the character).
The show has been renewed, and there's no shortage of source material for the showrunners to mine. And, while Killing Floor is probably the best Reacher book (alongside One Shot), there is plenty of gold for the series to mine, and with Ritchson in the role, each season will be a winner.
Bosch (2014-2021): 8.5
Essentially Amazon Prime Video's flagship series, Bosch originally ran for an impressive seven seasons before concluding in 2021. However, the show was quickly picked back up for Bosch: Legacy, which is available to stream on Amazon's Freevee ad-ed service.
An adaptation of Michael Connelly's series of novels, the series stars Titus Welliver in the title role of Los Angeles Police department Harry Bosch, and he's just as good as Ritchson in the role of Jack Reacher.
The Boys (2019-Present): 8.7
Even in a sea of superhero projects, Amazon's The Boys has risen to a level of popularity only exceeded by the MCU.
At times genuinely shocking, this adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's graphic novel series is also well-constructed, perfectly cast, and often very funny. Just as Iron Man and Captain America are big names, now so too are Hughie Campbell, Starlight, Billy Butcher, and, especially, Homelander. With the second season being even better than its first, The Boys' third season is one of the biggest streaming events of 2022.
