You may have noticed Netflix's top 10 most popular movies are very action-heavy this week. It's not too unusual for Netflix, since action is one of the most popular genres on the streamer. But if you're looking to narrow down your options, Watch With Us has selected the three popular Netflix movies that you need to watch now. Our picks this week include a family-friendly adventure, a YA sci-fi, and an action thriller that's currently No. 1 on Netflix's movie chart. 7 Must-Watch Netflix Movies of 2025 So Far, Ranked 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' (2012) Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) is the only primary character from Journey to the Center of the Earth who returned for the sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. This time, Sean's got a brand-new stepdad as played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Hank Parson (Johnson) is trying to be a good dad to Sean, even when the latter insists on breaking the law to find his long-missing grandfather, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine). It doesn't take long for Hank and Sean to get on the same page and hire a helicopter pilot, Gabato Laguatan (Luis Guzmán), and his daughter, Kailani Laguatan (Vanessa Hudgens), to locate the mysterious island where Alexander is trapped. The island is a place where fantasy meets reality, but the reunited family has to find a way back without being trapped when the island sinks again. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is streaming on Netflix. 'The Fifth Wave' (2016) To fully explain what The Fifth Wave is, we'd have to explain all of the other waves in this alien invasion flick. But the simplest way to say it is that invaders from another world have wiped out most of humanity through four waves of attacks. Now, a fifth wave is imminent, and there may not be many survivors left if it comes. 9 Must-Watch Action Movies on Netflix Right Now (July 2025) Chloë Grace Moretz leads the cast as Cassie Sullivan, a teenager who becomes the protector of her younger brother, Sam (Zackary Arthur). When Sam is taken by alien-possessed humans, Cassie takes it upon herself to rescue him. However, the aliens' ability to take over human bodies means that Cassie may not be able to trust anyone she meets along the way. The Fifth Wave is streaming on Netflix. 'Kandahar' (2023) It wasn't enough for freelance operative Tom Harris (Gerard Butler) to deal a crippling blow to the Iranian nuclear program. Kandahar depicts Tom's successful operation in the Middle East shortly before he's offered more money than he's ever seen to take on one more mission. However, Tom's priority shifts to survival when the details of what he did in Iran are leaked to the press. Before the second operation can even get underway, Tom and his Afghan translator, Mohammad "Mo" Doud (Navid Negahban), suddenly have a price on their heads while trapped in enemy territory. With Iranian, Pakistani and Taliban agencies on their trail, Tom and Mo race against time to the extraction point in Kandahar. Kandahar is streaming on Netflix.