Entertainment
These 10 2020s Thriller Series Have Much Better Action
Reacher is one of the most exciting, talked-about shows of the 2020s. With a fourth season coming, fans can’t wait for the action to continue. There’s no official release date yet, but it should be arriving later in 2026. Don’t sweat the wait, as there are tons of thriller series from the 2020s that have just as much action, if not more. Even the ones that aren’t as action-packed have better high-octane scenes that will fill the hole while you wait for Reacher‘s return.
Some of them hail from Prime Video as well, while you’ll find others on Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, and HBO Max. Looking for something with better action, different storylines, and equally compelling protagonists? You can’t go wrong with these shows.
1
‘The Night Agent’ (2023–Present)
You might view The Night Agent as Reacher‘s cornier little sister show, but the Netflix action thriller has matured leaps and bounds since Season 1. There are many reasons you should be watching The Night Agent. The action is intense, only ever letting up for brief moments throughout the plot, right from the very beginning of each episode. Even in those moments when Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) has a minute to breathe between trying to save a person or the entire country from a tragedy, he’s still always on edge, which means you are, too.
Yes, the fight scenes are sometimes badly choreographed and look rehearsed, but there’s an element of charm in that. By contrast, Reacher‘s action scenes feature a man with combat experience who really doesn’t seem like the guy you should challenge. Peter is more relatable, and that makes the fight scenes involving him seem more real, with higher stakes, because he can be overcome. The Night Agent is a bingeable show, and the storyline keeps you as invested as the action.
2
‘Cross’ (2024–Present)
Cross isn’t all action, all the time. But when it is, the look on Alex Cross’ (Aldis Hodge) face says it all. Sometimes, he has to creep around corners. Other times, he uses his intellect and ability to psychoanalyze as a forensic psychologist as well as a detective to subdue criminals. His strong moral code permeates every action scene as well. Cross will protect those who should be protected, no matter the cost.
There’s something compelling about seeing Cross and others from the show in action-packed scenes, whether it’s a high-speed car chase or racing a serial killer before he (or she!) can kill their next victim. With explosive scenes like the Season 1 finale when Cross protects his kids from a grieving woman, to Bobby Trey’s (Johnn Ray Gill) unhinged attacks and the chilling Season 2 scenes when Rebecca/Luz (Jeanine Mason) takes down one victim after another while in disguise, it’s not all about Cross. The show lets other characters shine, too, good and bad.
While a lot of the action in Twisted Metal pertains to high-speed car chases, the Peacock series still has better overall action. The fight scenes are exciting, especially involving the killer clown Sweet Tooth (Joe Seanoa, voiced by Will Arnett). The elements of humor in the show add a light-hearted nature to the otherwise extreme violence, making the series one of the most underrated comedy shows of the 2020s so far.
There are exciting characters, each with their own special skills, and the post-apocalyptic elements add another sense of urgency. With explosions galore and quirky personalities, it’s a very different show with very different levels of action. But it goes far beyond the cookie-cutter feel to deliver a different level of excitement.
4
‘Paradise’ (2025–Present)
Paradise was initially believed to be a political thriller, and it is. But as the post-apocalyptic twist was revealed, and the second season dove into that angle more, the Hulu show became far more action-packed. With Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) traveling back above ground from a lavish underground bunker built for the elite, he meets challenges from angry and violent survivors.
Even Season 1, however, has some incredible action scenes, including the final chase as Xavier discovers who was responsible for killing President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), along with flashback action scenes to the day the megatsunami hit. Paradise offers a nice balance of high action and quiet terror, but it works in a way that’s more cerebral with its sci-fi twist. It’s more thought-provoking than action just for the sake of action.
5
‘Silo’ (2023–Present)
There isn’t as much action in Silo as there is in Reacher, but when there is action, it’s high-flying. Whether it’s a group of people revolting against those who manage the underground bunker where they live or Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) fighting someone trying to take her down, every scene makes Silo a sci-fi masterpiece.
With a dark post-apocalyptic theme, Silo has more depth to its plot than Reacher, an overarching story that moves beyond the protagonist and asks meaningful questions about humanity. There are some great fight scenes, and while they are fewer and farther between than in Reacher, they’re gripping when they do pop up.
6
‘The Boys’ (2019–Present)
Reacher doesn’t even come close to the level of violence in The Boys, and the two shows approach action in very different ways. With The Boys, it’s superheroes with special powers fighting in ways people in Reacher couldn’t even imagine. But this also adds another layer to the fight and action scenes beyond the usual fists flying and guns, knives, and other weapons being wielded.
The Boys centers around superheroes who are more interested in serving themselves than the people. While Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) can take on the biggest, burliest, most cunning enemies, he’d dissolve into a puddle if he tried to fight anyone from The Boys. The level of action as these Supes use powers like heat vision eyes, superhuman strength, and even tentacle-like extremities to fight enemies makes every action scene bloody, gory, and shocking.
7
‘The Last of Us’ (2023–Present)
The action doesn’t get much better than in shows like The Last of Us, where at least some of the enemies you’re running from are mutated humans who can run at warp speed and take you out in gruesome ways. The energy is dialed up to 11 in The Last of Us, with the action scenes exciting because it’s about survival without much to help in a world that is nothing like it used to be.
Yes, there are guns, knives, and other weapons, but there’s something about the desperation in the action scenes, knowing that the entire fate of humanity could be at stake, that makes the series far more intense. The clever ways the main characters manage to narrowly escape death are fascinating and the result of very creative writing.
8
‘Shōgun’ (2024–Present)
There are intriguing cultural and historical elements to Shōgun that make its action scenes instantly more interesting. Plus, when you combine this with samurai fighting, the action scenes in Reacher look tame in comparison. You can’t compete with martial arts versus traditional fists flying. The dance is so much more intriguing.
The fighting in Shōgun, a nearly perfect action show, isn’t just to achieve a singular goal of taking down one bad guy after another and saving innocent lives. It’s about honor, culture, training to respect the art form, and traditions. It’s far deeper than Reacher, which has more surface-level action. Shōgun really gets you invested in every physical and emotional move.
9
‘Stranger Things’ (2016–2025)
The action in Stranger Things involves not just fights between people or garden-variety car chases, but incredible scenes taking place in a dark, alternative world involving monsters. There’s an ominous angle to the show that takes you on a journey with characters who aren’t necessarily used to fighting.
The action is both fun and energized. The backdrop of the 1980s takes you into another time as well, while the show overall takes you into another dimension. With witty writing and a touch of humor, Stranger Things takes the action to different heights beyond what Reacher achieves with a bigger cast of endearing characters.
10
‘Fallout’ (2024–Present)
How can the action not be incredible in a TV show like Fallout that’s based on a role-playing video game, especially when the series looks like the game has come to life? Plus, there’s a badass young woman coming into the post-apocalyptic world for the first time from her underground bunker, and a ghoul who fears nothing and operates like he’s from the old west. Combine that with men in armored suits tricked out with all types of weapons, and it’s no competition.
It’s easy to see how Fallout, one of the best Prime Video action shows you can binge in a weekend, is far more enticing than Reacher in this department, depicting backdrops and situations for action that Reacher doesn’t. When a ghoul can be impaled, flailing with a post through his body for days, and still survive, or a young woman has her finger cut off and is almost chopped to bits to harvest her organs, there’s a completely different level of intensity.
Fallout
- Release Date
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April 10, 2024
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan
- Directors
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Frederick E. O. Toye, Wayne Che Yip, Stephen Williams, Liz Friedlander, Jonathan Nolan, Daniel Gray Longino, Clare Kilner
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