MOVIEPIQ · ACTION · FOR RESTLESS NIGHTS

Action Movies For Restless Nights From The 80S And 90S

Action movies for restless nights from the 80s and 90s. Includes Men in Black, The Karate Kid, Big Trouble in Little China and more, curated by Moviepiq.

Something to watch when the night won't settle. Absorbing enough to help, calm enough not to hurt.

Men in Black movie poster
1
1997 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent K and new recruit Agent J find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

Absorbing enough to quiet the mind, calm enough not to wind it back up.

The Karate Kid movie poster
2
1984 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

Big Trouble in Little China movie poster
3
1986 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm.

Absorbing enough to quiet the mind, calm enough not to wind it back up.

Beverly Hills Cop movie poster
4
1984 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

Project A movie poster
5
1983 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

A film that helps a restless night has something specific going for it. These have it.

Engages the restless energy without amplifying it.

The Professional movie poster
6
1981 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

French secret service agent Josselin Beaumont is dispatched to take down African warlord N'Jala. But when his assignment is canceled, he's shocked to learn that his government is surrendering him to local authorities. He is given a mock trial and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. But Beaumont escapes from prison and vows not only to avenge himself against his betrayers but also to finish his original assignment.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

Crimson Tide movie poster
7
1995 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsey insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound movie poster
8
1993 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

Mr. Money is holding another World Martial Arts Tournament and Mr. Satan invites everyone in the world to join in. Little does he know that Bojack, an ancient villain who has escaped his prison, is competing. Since Goku is currently dead, it is up to Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks to defeat Bojack and his henchman.

Absorbing enough to quiet the mind, calm enough not to wind it back up.

Point Break movie poster
9
1991 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

In Los Angeles, a gang of bank robbers who call themselves The Ex-Presidents commit their crimes while wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, Nixon and Johnson. Believing that the members of the gang could be surfers, the F.B.I. sends young agent Johnny Utah to the beach undercover to mix with the surfers and gather information.

Absorbing enough to quiet the mind, calm enough not to wind it back up.

Speed movie poster
10
1994 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

Tensions run high when a crazed bomber rigs a Los Angeles bus with a device that will kill everyone on board if the vehicle's speed dips below fifty miles per hour.

The right film for when sleep won't cooperate but exhaustion is already there.

These films work because they match where you actually are, not where you think you should be.

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