Tried and Tested: Top 5 Go-To Movies When You Want to See Something Exciting

Although dozens of new movies are released every year, sometimes there is nothing exciting to watch. In this case, there are classics of the action genre that always get the job done. Here are just five movies you can revisit when you want something exciting to watch.

The Hunt for Red October (1990, 7.5 on IMDb)

Available on: Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Set during the Cold War, this spy thriller starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin follows the traitorous captain of the eponymous Soviet submarine who decides to turn it over to the U.S. forces that are hunting the state-of-the-art vessel. Filled with suspense and unexpected twists, this movie has everything you need to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Fifth Element (1997, 7.6 on IMDb)

Available on: Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Luc Besson's iconic sci-fi action film tells the story of the not-so-distant future of Earth, which is about to be destroyed by a giant and somehow sentient celestial body, and only a special ritual involving four ancient stones representing the four elements of nature can stop it. The movie has all the attributes of good action: space travel, evil aliens, laser gun battles, ancient conspiracies, and love.

The Terminator (1984, 8.1 on IMDb)

Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron's sci-fi action film is set in the 1980s, but somehow tells the story of a post-apocalyptic future Earth where almost all of humanity has been wiped out by a malevolent artificial intelligence. The movie centers on Schwarzenegger's Terminator, a cybernetic assassin sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor, whose yet unborn son will one day save humanity from the AI. It's a cult classic, what more is there to say?

Aliens (1986, 8.4 on IMDb)

Available on: Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Another James Cameron film on the list, the second installment of the Alien franchise continues to follow Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the alien attack on her team's spaceship, as she is sent to the exomoon LV-426, the place where she first encountered the voracious alien, now turned into a terraforming colony. Accompanied by a corps of Colonial Marines, she must investigate why contact with the colony was lost, only to discover that it's infested with hordes of aliens.

Back to the Future (1985, 8.5 on IMDb)

Available on: Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Robert Zemeckis' sci-fi classic stars Michael J. Fox as a 1980s teenager who is accidentally sent back to the 1950s in a time-traveling car, where his actions wreak havoc and inadvertently prevent his own parents from falling in love, threatening his own existence. Now Marty must reconcile them and find a way to return to his time before it's too late.