Daniel Benmayor's Spanish action thriller Xtreme has remained one of the trendiest titles since premiering on Netflix on June 4, 2021. The film has been compared to throwback action films from the '80s and '90s for its hyper-violent fight sequences, sparse dialogue, relentless action, and absurd plotline.
The film stars Teo Garcia as Max, a retired assassin determined to avenge the death of his father and son two years prior. A seemingly easy mark becomes far more complicated when Max realizes his own brother is the one responsible for the deaths. Drawing inspiration from several superior action movies of yore, Xtreme joins a long lineage of martial arts-infused sibling rivalries.
Double Impact (1991) - Amazon Prime
Of all the halcyon Jean-Claude Van Damme action films, few resemble Xtreme more than the 1991 salvo Double Impact. Van Damme plays estranged, diametrically opposed twin brothers who are out to avenge their parents' murder.
While Chad is a soft-spoken gentleman, his twin brother Alex is a macho tough guy who doesn't suffer fools easily. Reuniting 25 years after their parents' assassination, the two reluctantly join forces to use their martial arts expertise and cache of weaponry to serve merciless payback against those responsible.
Hard To Kill (1990) - Tubi
Hard to Kill may not be Steven Seagal's best overall action film, but it's the one most redolent of Xtreme's intense familial plotline. Seagal plays Mason Storm, a Los Angeles police officer whose wife is brutally murdered during a mafia-backed home invasion.
Stuck in a coma following the attack, Storm recovers seven years later and mounts an indefatigable death march against those who killed his wife and left him for dead. Seagal shows off his mastery of aikido with a solid mixture of shoot-em-up action and skilled hand-to-hand combat.
The Expendables (2010) - Amazon Prime
With a collection of the best and biggest action stars of the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, The Expendables serves as one giant love letter to action films of yore. The same can be said for Xtreme, which also pays heartfelt homage to the genre's glorious past.
Approached by the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to overthrow a Central American dictator, mercenary Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) rounds up a team of badass specialists and skilled super-soldiers to help complete the mission. The high-powered assault of the team's military arsenal and the martial artistry of Yin Yan (Jet Li) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) makes the two films simpatico.
Crank (2006) - Amazon Prime
Jason Statham has made an entire career starring in throwback action films, none more breathless, ultra-violent, and entertaining as Crank. Like Max in Xtreme, Statham plays a hitman in the film out to avenge his ruthless rival.
When Chev Chelios's longtime enemy injects him with a toxin that will end his life should his heart rate drop below a certain BPM, the one-person wrecking crew mounts a vicious revenge campaign and does whatever necessary to survive.
Taken (2008) - Hulu
Pierre Morel's Taken comes to mind while watching Xtreme, if for no other reason than seeing an aging family man hell-bent on avenging his endangered loved ones. Both lead characters play retired killers who return to a life of danger on behalf of family members.
In Taken, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is an ex-CIA agent forced to knock off the rust and show his physical dominance when his estranged daughter is kidnapped during a trip to Paris. With intense shootouts and visceral fight sequences, Taken and Xtreme are solid companion pieces.
The Raid (2011) - Amazon Prime
Hailed as one of the most brutal action films of the past decade, Gareth Evans' The Raid is a must-see for fans of Xtreme. Akin to a hyper-violent video game, the undying action film features a 20-man S.W.A.T. unit tasked with bombarding a drug cartel trapped on the seventh floor of a fortified building.
With stark realism, immersive shootouts, and extreme hand-to-hand combat, The Raid and its sequel The Raid 2 feature some of the most elaborately crafted and well-choreographed action battles in some time.
John Wick (2014) - Amazon Prime
The most obvious comparison one can draw with Xtreme is John Wick and its two highly entertaining action sequels. In the former, Max acts in a similar, cold-blooded fashion as Wick (Keanu Reeves) does in the latter after the hitman's pet dog Daisy is killed.
Living by his own compromised sense of morality, the laconic Wick globe-trots in search of those who did him wrong, leading him down a path of increasingly dangerous and action-packed encounters with former hitmen, mobsters, shady criminals, and high ranking officials.
The Killer (1989) - Supreme
As one of the foremost authorities on action cinema, Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo has no shortage of films to appeal to Xtreme fans. However, his 1989 masterpiece The Killer is the place to start.
Ah Jong (Chow Yun-Fat) is an aging hitman nearing his last days. Desperate to retire, he accidentally hurts an innocent woman while reacting to a liquor store robbery. Desperate to pay for the woman's eye surgery, Ah Jong accepts one final assassination job. Once he completes the daring tasks, Ah Jong finds himself on both sides of the law.
Warrior (2011) - Amazon Prime
Despite featuring more of a dramatic sports element, Gavin O'Connor's Warrior is one of the best action fight films revolving around a sibling rivalry. The story follows Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), two estranged brothers who face off for supremacy in an MMA tournament.
The drama is increased when the brothers' father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), decides to train Tommy while Brendan is left to train himself as an amateur before climbing the ranks of the fight game.
Kill Bill (2003) - Hulu
Minus the gunpowder, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill is the best movie for fans of Xtreme to watch. Both films feature a ruthless assassin willing to stop at nothing to kill one family member as payback for another, and both include action-packed martial artistry.
When Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) is shot in the head and left for dead by Bill (David Carradine), her boyfriend and father of her unborn baby, she awakes from a coma and goes on a violent killing spree as payback. Years later, Beatrix finally serves Bill his just desserts in a moonlit beach fight.