The Night Agent and the 6 best action Netflix shows of 2023

It’s almost the end of 2023, and it’s the perfect time to share Netflix Life’s list of the best action Netflix shows of 2023. This year has been an incredible time for new action shows on Netflix. We saw new seasons of several action hits, like Outer Banks, but the streamer also released a bunch of new action shows, including The Night Agent. 

The overnight senstation is up first on our list of the best action shows of the year! We’ll add more shows to the list if Netflix drops anymore new action shows later this year. We think Berlin, the Money Heist spinoff, will also make the list, and that premieres on Dec. 29, 2023.

The Night Agent

The Night Agent is easily one of the best action shows of the year, and it’s one of the best action Netflix shows of all time. The first season premiered on Netflix in March 2023, and it was quickly renewed for season 2 purely based on how good the show was and how many people were tuning in.

The series is based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quirk. Shawn Ryan developed the Netflix series, which stars Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei, Enrique Murciano, D. B. Woodside, and Hong Chau.

In the series, Basso stars as Peter Sutherland, a government employee who mans a phone at night in the basement of the White House. When spies who are part of the Night Agent program are in trouble, Peter sends their information to the right person. When he gets a call from a non-spy, Rose (Buchanan), in trouble, Peter goes above and beyond to keep her safe, which results in the pair working together to stop a major conspiracy involving those in at the highest levels of the United States government.

The Night Agent season 2 is in the works on Netflix, as mentioned, and coming soon!

Lupin

Lupin is another easy addition to the list of the best action shows of the year on Netflix. Lupin Part 3 premiered on Netflix in October 2023, and it’s an amazing addition to the series. It takes everything we know about Assane Diop (Omar Sy) and spins it in a new direction. Assane is truly tested like never before.

In the series, Assane Diop spends much of the first two seasons trying to get revenge on Hubert Pellegrini, a billionaire who had Assane’s father framed for robbery and killed years ago. Assane is inspired by the famous gentleman thief, Arsene Lupin, the main character in the works of Maurice Leblanc. If you’re into action heights, Lupin is definitely the show for you!

We’re still waiting for Lupin to be renewed. The latest episodes weren’t as big of a hit as the first and second parts of the series, which were released in 2021. It’s possible the long delay between seasons had something to do with that. There’s definitely potential for another season of Lupin on Netflix. When season 3 ends, it would be a shame if we didn’t get to see the next part of the story. There’s so much source material inspiration to draw from. I don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of Lupin just yet.

Outer Banks

If you love action shows, you probably love Outer Banks. No, these kids ain’t super spies, cops, or famed thieves, but they are pulling off heists of epic proportions. Pogues is the name, and treasure is the game.

The third season of Outer Banks premiered on Netflix in February 2023, and it was well worth the long wait after season 2. Outer Banks is clearly one of Netflix’s best and most dramatic shows. The series follows a group of friends and lovers from the Outer Banks who are caught up in several treasure hunts, including the treasure lost on the Royal Merchant and the Cross of Santo Domingo. The new season goes extra hard on the action, too, as the Pogues find their way into the path of a criminal organization trying to find the city of gold by any means necessary.

Outer Banks stars Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Madison Bailey, Carlacia Grant, Drew Starkey, Charles Esten, and Austin North. It was created by Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke, and the series premiered on Netflix in 2020. It’s been a massive hit each season, and it’s only getting bigger.

Outer Banks season 4 is currently in production, and the new season is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime in the second half of 2024. We’ll share more news about Outer Banks season 4 when we find out. Hopefully, we’ll getting the first look at season 4 after the new year.

FUBAR

FUBAR has to be on the list of the best action Netflix shows of the year. The new Netflix series premiered in June 2023, and it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro as a father-daughter duo who are both working with the CIA but don’t know the other is, too. When they’re forced to work together on a new investigation, they try to overcome the issues in their relationship.

Gabriel Luna, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Fabiana Udenio, Jay Baruchel, Barbara Eve Harris, Aparna Brielle, and Andy Buckley also star in the Netflix series created by Nick Santora.

Netflix quickly renewed FUBAR for a second season shortly after the first season premiered. Overall, FUBAR is not that great of a show, in my opinion, but it’s quality action, and this is a list of the best action shows of the year. We couldn’t put the list together without including FUBAR.

As mentioned, FUBAR is already renewed for season 2, and it sounds like the new season is in the works. Obviously, the problem is that there were two major Hollywood strikes in 2023, and that’s drastically impacted production on the season, so it’s probably going to be quite the wait for FUBAR season 2. Right now, we’re expecting the new season will drop sometime in 2025, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Obliterated

Obliterated is one of the most recent Netflix premieres. The new series from the creators of Cobra Kai, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, dropped on Nov. 30 on Netflix, and it’s been one of the most popular shows on Netflix since.

The Netflix series tells the story of a special ops team in Las Vegas who are trying to prevent a terrorist attack. There’s a lot of action in this series, but there’s also a lot of, I guess, comedy, jokes, gross-out scenes, and gore. It’s definitely for a specific audience; that’s for sure.

Shelley Hennig, Nick Zano, Terrence Terrell, Alyson Gorske, C. Thomas Howell, Eugene Kim, Paola Lázaro, and Kimi Rutledge star in Obliterated. 

Look, Obliterated is not one of my favorite shows. I didn’t particularly like it all, honestly, but it did feature a lot of good action sequences. Overall, the show lacked the heart that we saw in each minute of Cobra Kai, but it appears Netflix fans are hooked. I’ll be surprised, at this point, if Obliterated is not renewed for season 2.

Also, I must shout out Shelley Hennig, who is easily the best part of the series. Stay tuned for more news about Obliterated season 2!

Who is Erin Carter?

Who is Erin Carter? premiered on Netflix in August 2023, and it’s probably one of the best Netflix shows you didn’t see this year. If you’re into thrillers, this show is an absolute must-watch on Netflix.

Who is Erin Carter? tells the story of, you guessed it, Erin Carter, a young woman who is living in Barcelona. When she witnesses a robbery in progress at a grocery store, she is forced to use surprisingly good defense skills to kill the robbers and save herself and her daughter. The attention on Erin starts to draw attention to herself and her past, which she wishes would remain a secret. Let’s just say that not everything is as it seems!

Evin Ahmad stars as Erin Carter in the series, along with a great cast, which consists of Sean Teale, Indica Watson, Pep Ambròs, Denise Gough, Douglas Henshall, and more. The series was created by Jack Lothian.

Check out all seven episodes of Who is Erin Carter? on Netflix right now! So far, we haven’t heard anything about Netflix renewing Who is Erin Carter? for season 2, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Criminal Code

Criminal Code is one of the best international Netflix shows of the year! It never got super popular in the United States, but that’s fine. It’s already coming back for season 2, and if you like action series, especially with heist elements, Criminal Code is the show on Netflix for you.

Criminal Code premiered on Netflix on Nov. 14, and it’s one of the best action shows of the year. Rômulo Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Alex Nader, Rafael Zulu, and Thomás Aquino star in the Brazilian Netflix original series from Heitor Dhalia.

According toTUDUM, the series is based on the true events of 2017 and later when groups of criminals and gangs targetted private security holdings and the Brazilian investigations to catch the criminals. Criminal Code follows a detective, Benício (Braga), who is tasked with investigating a gang who is responsible for a string of armed robberies in South America.

Criminal Code was quickly renewed for season 2 in December 2023. We don’t have many updates on the upcoming season yet, but it’s early. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Criminal Code season 2 sometime in 2024, but it could be until 2025.

Stay tuned for more news about Criminal Code! 

That’s the list of the best action shows on Netflix in 2023. If you haven’t seen these great shows, we highly recommend watching them on Netflix before the end of the year.