Prime Video is one of the best streaming services around, but it’s also one of the best free streaming services. While its free offering used to be split into a separate platform known as Freevee, now the free and paid movies are under one umbrella.
This has resulted in Prime Video’s free streaming selection getting a little lost in the larger library offered by its subscription-requiring sibling. But if you know where to look, you can find plenty of enjoyable movies that can be streamed without a monthly subscription.
The only catch is a few pesky commercials, but those can be easily overlooked when you’re getting dozens of movies and complete TV shows without needing to spend even a single cent. But be warned the free content library is also home to a lot of cinematic slop.
So, to help you spot the gems (or at least, the fun-but-flawed movies still worth watching), I’m picking out the five best action movies you can stream for free on Prime Video below.
For more recommendations, check out the latest Netflix action blockbuster.
'Den of Thieves' (2018)
“Dens of Thieves 2” landed in theaters earlier this year, but if this action-thriller franchise passed you by originally, this is the perfect time to circle back to it. The movie stars Gerard Butler as detective Nick O’Brien, the leader of an elite unit within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Nick and his team spring into action when they learn that a criminal gang, consisting of ex-marines and led by Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), is planning an audacious heist to rob the city’s Federal Reserve bank.
Fueled by copious amounts of testosterone, “Den of Thieves” is big and brash and offers plenty of dumb fun.
Watch "Den of Thieves" on Prime Video now
'The Hitman’s Bodyguard' (2017)
If you want your action to come with a hearty slice of comedy, look no further than “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.” This 2017 flick pairs together Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, also featuring Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek, it’s an impressive cast for such a silly action-comedy.
Reynolds plays a down-on-his-luck bodyguard, while Jackson plays the world’s most lethal assassin. The two team up, when the latter is targeted by a blood-thirsty Eastern European dictator (Oldman). This loud-mouthed comedy was so successful that a sequel followed in 2021, and “Hitman’s Wife Bodyguard” is also streaming for free on Prime Video.
Watch "The Hitman's Bodyguard" on Prime Video now
'Anna' (2019)
“Anna” pulls together quite an impressive cast with Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy and Helen Mirren featuring alongside star Sasha Luss. It’s a good thing the cast bring their best because the movie around them is fairly pedestrian.
Nevertheless, it still has its share of heart-pounding moments, and fans of director Luc Besson’s other work such as “Leon: The Professional” and “Lucy” won’t want to skip it. It sees Luss play the eponymous Anna, a Russian woman who is hiding a deadly set of skills behind her strolling beautiful exterior.
Watch "Anna" on Prime Video now
'The Hunt' (2020)
![The Hunt - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sowGYbxTPgU/maxresdefault.jpg)
One billed as one of the most controversial movies ever made because of its political overtones, “The Hunt” may not have been worthy of all the hype, and sensational headlines, but it’s an enjoyable actioner with a hooky premise.
It sees a group of strangers awaken in a forest clearing with no idea how or why they’re there. Moments later, they have been kidnapped by a group of uber-wealthy elites to become the prey in a brutal blood sport. However, when one of the captives (Ike Barinholtz) flips the script and becomes a predator all bets are off. “The Hunt” isn’t as clever as it believes, but it’s a good time regardless.
Watch "The Hunt" on Prime Video now
'Escape from Pretoria' (2020)
To be totally honest, “Escape from Pretoria” is more of a prison thriller than an action movie, but it’s such a gripping chronicling of an attempted prison break that you’ll be too hooked to care if there are no explosions or car chases.
Inspired by a real-life prison escape in 1970s South Africa, Daniel Radcliffe plays Tim Jenkin, alongside friend Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber) the two have been arrested for carrying out anti-apartheid missions. They are sent to the infamous Pretoria Prison, and once there, begin plotting a daring scheme to break free.
Watch "Escape from Pretoria" on Prime Video now
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