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Johnny Utah, Ted, Neo, and so many other Keanu roles led to one of our favorite Keanu Reeves movie series of all time: John Wick. Why is this movie so awesome? Is it the fast-paced, well-choreographed action sequences? Is it the creative cinematography and set design that draws our attention? Is it that Reeves performed most if not all stunts in the movies? Whatever it may be, these are just a few of the reasons we love the John Wick movies in all their glory.
Even though the first three films always re-watchable, it’s good to have similar options with new stories to explore while we wait for John Wick: Chapter 4. Check out this list of the best movies like John Wick to try a new shade of Wick.
The Raid 2 (2014)
In what some folks have come to call “the greatest action movie ever”, The Raid 2 is the high-octane sequel that greatly surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality and budget. From the same guys in The Night Comes for Us, the cast fully showcases their fighting and stunt skills that surely paved the way for these future projects. Keeping this in mind, so far this movie has been received as their best movie to date. Like John Wick, there are plenty of fight scenes and good secondary characters but in the end, there’s just one guy that single-handedly takes on a small army of assailants.
Read our review of Raid 2.
Nobody (2021)
The very new-age action-filled dark comedy that everyone’s talking about is Nobody, a movie that takes the “old guys kicking ass” genre to the next level. As the most recent movie on this list, it’s starting to become obvious that studios are catching up with what audiences want: mindless violence paired with dark humor. Though it isn’t the first film to do this, it seems they’ve already perfected the formula, only made better by Bob Odenkirk’s awesome performance and line deliveries. What makes this movie similar to John Wick is the sheer resilience of the protagonist, able to recover from injuries that would destroy any others.
Read our review of Nobody.
Hardcore Henry (2015)
The extreme, over-the-top violence of Hardcore Henry is one of the things audiences fell in love with right away. No disclaimer is required, the Bond-esque intro is plenty violent enough to dissuade any uncertain viewers. Shot entirely from a first-person perspective, this movie is unique in the way that it can somehow give the protagonist no face and literally no voice but still make you sympathize with him. Highlighted by the appearance of the Sharlto Copley clones, this movie also has a great, comedic self-awareness of just how ridiculous it is. If over-the-top action is what you’re looking for, look no further as Hardcore Henry gets increasingly more ridiculous until its twisted end.
Read our review of Hardcore Henry.
A rockingly retro, kickass movie of international espionage and double agents, Atomic Blonde is a spectacle that solidifies Charlize Theron as the badass leading lady she is. Set in Berlin, Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is a British spy who must navigate the chaotic city during the year the wall came down. As one might guess, it’s hard to know who to trust during the Cold War, resulting in many twists and turns in the plot. The addition of James McAvoy as Theron’s counterpart is truly a great choice as well, as showing obvious on-screen chemistry can do nothing but increase the watchability of this unique movie.
Read our review of Atomic Blonde.
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
Adapted from a graphic novel of the same name, The Night Comes for Us is a great story based on the horrifying actions and events caused by the Triad: A Chinese crime syndicate that reigns supreme over a large number of countries around the world. The action is graphic yet entertaining with a mix of styles like Kill Bill and John Wick combined to create a bloodier yet slightly excessive sequence of events. The thing that makes it unique is that this story feels bleaker and more hopeless from the start, creating more of an art-house feeling that stays with you.
Read our review of The Night Comes for Us.
Taken (2008)
Like Commando, Taken is about a daughter being stolen away from the one guy you don’t want to steal from. Like John Wick, Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) is a man of unshakeable focus when it comes to achieving his goal: to kill anyone and everyone responsible for his kidnapped daughter. Something similar about this movie is the actor’s age at the time: Reeves was 49 for John Wick and Neeson was 56 for Taken. Though Neeson does not perform his own stunts like Reeves, the mere fact that he’s present in a hardcore action flick is a blessing to fans everywhere. This is truly one of the best Liam Neeson movies of all time.
Read our review of Taken.
Extraction (2020)
Another story of a lone wolf that takes on the world, Extraction boasts practically non-stop action – after a short, story-building introduction – and some of the most intricate stunt work in modern-day cinema. Considering the director, Sam Hargrave, was the stunt coordinator on movies like Avengers: Endgame and another feature on our list Atomic Blonde, this movie was always guaranteed to exceed in at least that department. The action scenes are just as relentless and hardcore as John Wick, and also utilize long takes where the actors are performing most of the stunts. Plus you’ve got Chris Hemsworth throwing around henchmen like ragdolls as a bonus — especially if you love Chris Hemsworth movies.
Read our review of Extraction.
The Villainess (2017)
A bit more story driven than John Wick, The Villainess stands out on this list as having some moments of creative fight cinematography that will raise your expectations for fighting movies forever. The most similar things about this movie are the fighting styles, the choreography (they did the katana motorcycle fighting scene two years before John Wick Chapter 3 did),and even some of the set designs are reminiscent. This is one of two movies on this list with a female protagonist and boy does Kim Ok-bin provide an incredible performance.
Read our review of The Villainess.
Commando (1985)
A Schwarzenegger classic, Commando is another film on this list that shows us how far a man can go when someone takes his daughter from him. John Matrix (Schwarzenegger) may not be your favorite action protagonist, but you better believe that Arnold (as a retired Special Forces Colonel) is truly a one-man army. As far as cheesy 80s action movies go, this one’s up there in the ranks for silly. With its excessive explosions and a Freddie Mercury-styled villain, there are some laughable moments that arguably make the adventure even more enjoyable.
The Man From Nowhere (2010)
A genre-mixing film that kicks ass and might bring a tear to your eye, The Man From Nowhere (also known as This Man) is a beautiful blend of elements that naturally balance each other out. Despite a few corny editing and score choices throughout the film, the plot, performances, and action are all quite impressive. The characters are fun and well-written, giving it an additional comedic angle at times. It doesn’t contain quite as much action as John Wick but the revenge-based plot easily makes the build-up well worth the wait. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, it’s hard to overlook the great qualities of this film.
On the hunt for more films? Take a look at our list of upcoming movies and the top-reviewed movies of 2022.
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