Action Saturday Nights: Five Lesser-Known Action Films Worth Watching

Here is this week's look at five lesser-known action films you can stream for Action Saturday Night:

Badland Hunters (Netflix)
Maybe it's because South Koreans have lived under the threat of war for decades, but one of the most popular genres of action film in that country is best described as "apocalyptic wasteland." Some invader, natural disaster or zombie infestation has destroyed South Korea's society and it's now every man and woman for themselves.

There's not much a plot of Badland Hunters, which shows life in Seoul after the city is destroyed by a massive, building-flattening earthquake. There are hunters, some creatures which are zombie-adjacent, a mad scientist and a plot that you won't be able to follow without a massive white board and eight different colored markers.

But in the end, the film works because it's just fun to watch. Ma Dong-seok kills his way through the ruins of Seoul and while it's not always clear what's going on, if you just let the carnage wash over you like some unsettling wave of destruction, you'll be just fine. Badland Hunters isn't a great movie. But it's a fun way to spend of couple of hours on a Saturday night.


Dante's Peak (Prime Video)
The 1990s were a peak time for competent, entertaining big studio action films. Even though special effects were still in the baby era compared to what you can see even on a television series in 2024, there were dozens of solid action films that delivered plenty of thrills and unexpected twists. 

On the face of it, there's nothing notable about the 1997 disaster film Dante's Peak. Pierce Brosnan plays volcanologist Harry Dalton, who struggles to convince Mayor Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton) that an unexpected eruption is coming that will wipe out her little mountain town. The story has all of the twists you'd expect to see, from the unexpected deaths of lesser ensemble characters to the rush to save some endangered kids. But the film - directed by Roger Donaldson - expertly weaves it all together in a slick action film that won't let you take a breath once the eruption begins.

Greenland (Max)
I don't have a problem watching an action movie that only has the sparsest amount of character development and backstory. I'd argue that more than one otherwise fun action film has been ruined by a half an hour of unneeded interpersonal back-and-forth (see: Geostorm). In a lot of ways, Greenland is the perfect Saturday night action flick. The plot is familiar, most of the characters are two-dimensional and there is more than one scene that will make you yell out "Oh. C'mon!" when you watch it.

But it is also a really fun ride with surprisingly deep things to say about society, greed and the urge to live even if it means sending other people into certain destruction. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin star as an estranged couple who are trying to repair their relationship while also trying to save themselves and their son from incoming comet Clarke. There are a lot of familiar story beats if you've watched other apocalyptic films. But it's extremely well-done and the acting is solid across the ensemble. If you want to watch the world possibly come to an end and have seen Armageddon a few too many times, this is film to see.

Spectral (Netflix)
This 2016 action film was one of Netflix's early big budget ($70 million) efforts and while it didn't make much of an impact, it is a fast-moving, sometimes inventive film with a couple of unexpected twists. The film was produced by Legendary and was originally headed to movie theaters like Legendary's other effort around that time, the video game to movie screen adaptation Warcraft. And while it wasn't based on a video game, Spectral feels a lot like some offshoot of Gears Of War. A military unit is being attacked by some mysterious spectral creatures that almost look like ghosts. There are the requisite crusty and untrusting special forces troops, the scientists who may or may not have the answer and of course, a lot of people die along the way. 

Unstoppable (AMC+, Tubi)
While it is apparently based on a true story, this film about a runaway train filled with explosive materials headed towards a populated city in Pennsylvania is filled with lots of plot points that will seem familiar to anyone who has ever watched an action movie. There's the greedy corporate owners, the grizzled old employee who uses his previously under-appreciated knowledge to save the day, the young screw-up whose wife is thinking about leaving him even though she still loves him. But the movie also has a murderer's row of great actors, including Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson. And special props to character actor Lew Temple, who does a great job as longtime train employee Ned, who spends much of the movie chasing the train in his pick-up truck.

There are a lot of ways this movie could have been a - forgive me - disaster. But Unstoppable just goes balls-out for an hour and thirty-eight minutes. There's nothing fancy about the movie, but like any good train, this movie delivers the goods.