Summary

• Movies like John Wick offer thrilling action sequences, stoic heroes, and a fast-paced narrative that keeps audiences on the edge of their seat.
• Action films such as A Company Man and The Man From Nowhere showcase the legacy of the genre and deliver on the expectations set by the John Wick franchise.
• Nobody and Deliver Us From Evil provide unique takes on the lone killer archetype, offering compelling characters and intense action that rivals that of John Wick.

Movies like John Wick achieve their level of cultural impact by going above and beyond what audiences have come to expect from action thrillers. Each John Wick sequel has upped the ante from the standard set by its predecessor, and the franchise has developed a huge fan base over the years, leading to John Wick: Chapter 4 being one of 2023's biggest releases and the highest-grossing entry into the franchise yet. As the franchise expands into various spinoffs, it makes it all the more impressive that it all began with the simple and underestimated 2014 action movie starring Keanu Reeves as a one-man army out to avenge his murdered puppy.

With John Wick: Chapter 4 feeling like a definitive conclusion to the story (at least for now), fans are left looking for other stylized and thrilling action movies to enjoy. Luckily, they can still stream many great action movies that have either influenced–or been influenced by–the John Wick franchise. These movies often include a stoic hero with a deadly set of skills they unleash on unlucky enemies, vibrant action set pieces, and a relentlessly fast pace that delivers one thrill after another. These movies like John Wick show the great legacy of action movies as well as some of the great modern offerings in the genre.

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30 A Company Man (2012)

A Dedicated Professional Attempts To Leave His Hitman Job

Director Lim Sang-yoon continued a long tradition of action movies with this story about a hitman who falls for a woman at the wrong moment, which tests his resolve and causes him to become a target of his own employers. The format is a staple of action movies and, while it certainly doesn’t break any molds, A Company Man plays all the hits through a variety of fan-favorite action sequences. Most interestingly, the John Wick franchise infuses a lot of intricate workplace mundanity into its subterranean world of assassins and, as the title, implies, A Company Man takes a similar approach to the corporation of cold-hearted killers in its story.

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29 The Man From Nowhere (2010)

A Mysterious Loner Tries To Save His Only Friend From Criminals

Director Lee Jeong-beom's breakout action thriller was a huge hit in its native South Korea and has steadily become a word-of-mouth action movie favorite across the world. As is the case with many of the best movies like John Wick, the plot of the film isn’t particularly unique, as it follows the typical mysterious loner as he brushes up against a group of criminals, only for him to reveal himself as an unstoppable killing machine with a troubled past. However, the movie’s gleeful construction–and lead actor Won Bin’s unflinching delivery–of an iconic action hero badass makes The Man from Nowhere a must-see for fans of the towering John Wick persona.

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28 Street Kings (2008)

A Corrupt Cop Confronts A Deeper Conspiracy

Keanu Reeves has been in a number of action thriller movies beyond the John Wick franchise, including ones that put an equally high emphasis on martial arts, but one of the most similar characters to John Wick that Reeves has played is corrupt cop Tom Ludlow in Street Kings. Both Ludlow and Wick are seasoned killers with a preference for muscle cars who are haunted by their many misdeeds and work through their grief over their wives' deaths through unflinching acts of violence. However, Ludlow somewhat clings to the idea of doing the right thing, which makes his discovery of a far-reaching conspiracy in the LAPD an engrossing mystery.

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27 Nobody (2021)

A Mild-Mannered Family Man Reveals His Violent Past

It is always fun when action thrillers take a lead actor who doesn't fit the stereotypical build for an unrelenting assassin and convincingly transform them into that. One of the most notable examples of this in recent years is Bob Odenkirk in Nobody. When the film was released, Odenkirk was heavily associated with action-packed shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul but had always been known as a comedic actor, so seeing him become a John Wick-like killer with impressive hand-to-hand skills and a fearsome reputation was worthy of comparison to Keanu Reeves' turn as "Baba Yaga."

The film's story has a number of similarities to John Wick and follows an unassuming man who goes to war with a powerful Russian mob boss after an altercation with one of the mob boss's young and unruly relatives. Odenkirk still brings a more lighthearted edge to the story than a movie like John Wick would allow for, but that never detracts from the harshness of the violence or the creativity behind it. Considering that the film is also directed by the producer and uncredited co-director of the original John Wick movie David Leitch, it's no wonder why movie fans question if Nobody is set in the John Wick universe.

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26 Deliver Us From Evil (2020)

A Skilled Killer Avenges His Estranged Family

Not to be confused with the 2014 horror movie of the same name, Deliver Us from Evil is an action thriller from South Korea starring Hwang Jung-min as a stony assassin who is dragged back into his former life when he learns that his old flame was murdered by human traffickers, and the daughter he never knew he had has been kidnapped by them too. The main character is also relentlessly pursued every step of the way by a notoriously vicious yakuza killer played by Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae, so John Wick fans will never be left wanting for stakes in the action as the tension is always nail-biting.

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25 Payback (1999)

A Criminal Goes To War To Retrieve His Stolen Money

Based on the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake, which had already been adapted into the 1967 cult crime film Point Blank, Payback was the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Brian Helgeland. Fans of the odd but strictly observed principles that motivate John Wick and his associates will find Payback's main character equally fascinating, particularly in the much grittier director's cut of the movie, as he goes to war with a powerful criminal organization over a relatively measly $70,000 stolen by a traitorous former partner. Payback and the John Wick franchise also depict New York in similar ways, mixing elegant architecture and grimy decay with a distinct neo-noir flair.

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24 Wrath Of Man (2021)

A Mysterious Armored Truck Guard Seeks Out A Group Of Criminals

Though Jason Statham first rose to fame through the prominent roles he took in director Guy Ritchie's early films, Statham hadn't appeared in one of Ritchie's movies for over 15 years before leading Wrath of Man. A remake of the French thriller Cash Truck​​​​​​, the film certainly displays Ritchie's penchant for dialogue-driven scenes, but it's also conscious that Statham became a global action star in those intervening years. Like John Wick, the story hinges on steadily revealing the main character's deadly skills and vengeful motivations as he takes on a dangerous job as an armored truck guard, with Statham maintaining the mysterious aura of a highly capable John Wick-like character throughout.

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23 The Villainess (2017)

A Female Assassin Goes On A Bloody Mission Of Revenge

The Villainess not only creates a comprehensive world of professional killers but also a series of sequences so wild that the John Wick franchise did their own version of one of them a few years later. However, while the film is similar to John Wick in its deeply impressive dedication to the assembly of an action scene, The Villainess' story is anything but simple. The film follows the training and many missions of an expertly-trained assassin, but that same level of thought and care that's put into its action sequences is also used to stitch together a complicated saga spanning the main character's multiple identities across several decades.

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22 The Equalizer (2014)

A Former Operative Protects The Vulnerable Against Dangerous Villains

An action thriller adapted from the popular 80s TV series of the same name, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a quiet man living a lonely life in Boston before trying to help a young girl in the grip of the local Russian mafia. The ensuing conflict creates a war between him and a villainous enforcer but, similarly to John Wick, McCall is revealed to be a highly-trained killer who has a creative edge and isn't shy about bearing a grudge. Liam Neeson defined unexpected action movie turns from older dramatic actors in movies like Taken, but Washington improves on their tropes with a more emotionally resonant performance. It launched a franchise that recently ended with The Equalizer 3.

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21 The Accountant (2016)

An Accountant For Criminal Organizations Reveals His Killer Side

In this thriller, Ben Affleck plays a reclusive accountant who is revealed to be a highly-trained killer who deals with the finances of some of the most dangerous criminal organizations on the planet. Movies like John Wick are founded on the almost cold and calculated way in which their main characters dispatch hordes of opponents and Affleck's accountant is a brutally effective hand-to-hand fighter as well as a crack shot. The film has a slightly more dramatic edge to its events than a straight action movie like John Wick, exploring the history of Affleck's character and how he's treated due to his high-functioning autism, but the action is meticulously executed.

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20 No Tears For The Dead (2014)

A Guilt-Ridden Assassin Protects The Widow Of One Of His Victims

No Tears for the Dead is an action movie that really considers the emotional state of its main characters. The plot sees a ruthless hitman become traumatized and conflicted when he accidentally kills an innocent bystander in a horrific mistake, and he begins to fixate on his target's widow, which ultimately leads to a bloody confrontation with his hardened group of fellow assassins. Director Lee Jeong-beom's follow-up to The Man from Nowhere is an interesting –and fairly unusual– viewpoint on John Wick-like stoicism and its emotional toll. The film also shifts out of being a gritty crime drama to transform into a fantastically choreographed action-thriller in its third act.

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19 A Bittersweet Life (2005)

A Gangster Is Hunted By His Former Boss

Director Kim Jee-woon’s modern crime thriller classic A Bittersweet Life injects flourishes of grounded realism into the slick criminal underbelly at the heart of its story, giving the film a uniquely dry sense of humor that John Wick fans will no doubt appreciate. Lee Byung-hun is similarly a convincingly tough and impossibly well-styled protagonist, playing a loyal enforcer who finds his whole criminal underworld hunting him after things get complicated on his assignment to spy on his boss' mistress. John Wick fans will connect with the main character's steely resolve as he refuses to lay down and accept his fate as much as they will with the John Wick-like fashion.

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18 Bullet Train (2022)

A Reluctant Assassin Boards A Train Filled With Killers

It shouldn't surprise fans of the franchise that some of the best movies like John Wick come from the co-director of the original John Wick movie, David Leitch. Adapted from the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka, Bullet Train follows a covert operative, played by Brad Pitt, who gets reluctantly pulled into a labyrinthian gangster revenge plot that unfolds on a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto that's filled with competing assassins. Beyond the distinct collection of killers though, fans of the John Wick movies can rely on Leitch to achieve their high energy in the fight scenes while also dialing up all of their most comedic aspects.

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17 Léon: The Professional (1994)

A Loner Hitman Protects A Young Girl From Corrupt Cops

One of the most beloved movie assassins ever, Jean Reno's Léon is a loner like John Wick, but instead of opening up to canine companions, he mentors an orphaned girl so that she can take revenge on the corrupt DEA agent who murdered her family. Natalie Portman is unforgettable in Leon: The Professional as his young trainee, to say nothing of Gary Oldman's scene-stealing performance as the villain. Despite an explosive finale, Léon generally isn't as action-driven as a movie like John Wick, but it influenced the tone of the action genre overall. It's a must-see for fans of the more dramatic and emotional sides of the John Wick franchise.

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16 Man Of Tai Chi (2013)

A Throwback Martial Arts Competition Movie

The directorial debut of John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, Man of Tai Chi is, much like the John Wick franchise itself, a bit of a throwback. It’s not without its own amusing idiosyncrasies from Reeves as a director but, for the most part, the film doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Man of Tai Chi is a movie that’s clearly made with a tremendous amount of love for classic martial arts movies and Reeves demonstrates a clear eye for fight choreography, as well as overall art direction.

Reeves is also smart enough to know that the best role in a movie like this is the villain, which is the role he takes. Reeves plays the devilish mastermind behind an underground to-the-death fighting ring, with Tiger Chen playing the lead role of a young student of tai chi who is drawn into this sinister world. Any martial arts movie fans who felt a little cheated because they never got to see a 90s Mortal Kombat movie starring Keanu Reeves may find some degree of restitution in what Man of Tai Chi has to offer.

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15 The Killer (1989)

A Guilt-Ridden Hitman Seeks Redemption

Those looking for more so-called gun-fu movies like John Wick really need to look no further than the films of John Woo. In his 1989 film The Killer, Chow Yun-fat plays a guilt-ridden hitman who becomes involved with a woman after accidentally blinding her during a shootout. Like John Wick, this titular killer would quickly become one of the most readily identifiable icons of the action movie genre thanks in part to his elegant suits. The director's love of gunplay would also begin a global love affair with his shooting style, and it would rarely be recreated with such gusto, even by Woo and Chow Yun-fat themselves.

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14 The Raid: Redemption (2011)

A Police Squad Raids A Building Controlled By A Gangster

Gareth Evans’ self-contained action epic The Raid: Redemption should be the first stop for any action movie fan who’s looking for the straightforwardness of a movie like John Wick. Iko Uwais leads the film as what appears to be a genre-typical cop in the wrong place at the wrong time when a tactical squad is trapped in a building overrun by violent criminals, but he then explodes into one of the most standout martial arts movie performances of recent years. As Evans' and Uwais' first film together, Merantau, did, The Raid showcases the martial art style of pencak silat, and with the help of co-stars Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian, it raised the profile of the style in movies.

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13 The Raid 2: Berandal (2014)

The Sequel Is Also High Octane

Ordinarily, action sequels –even to great movies– don’t warrant being much more than a footnote in the description of the original films. However, The Raid 2 is not only so much bigger than its predecessor, but it’s also more than different enough to warrant being counted as its own movie, so much so that it could almost be thought of as being entirely independent of the first installment.

The film follows Iko Uwais' top cop from the Raid franchise, Rama, but it places him into a much more complex plot set over a much longer period of time as he infiltrates a powerful crime syndicate in the midst of a bloody gang war. Freed from the confines of the original film's setting, the returning team of Uwais, Gareth Evans, and Yayan Ruhian head to the streets of Jakarta to wreak maniacal havoc with every action movie setup in the book, from the car chase to the prison brawl, all wrapped around a sprawling family crime saga.

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12 Man On Fire (2004)

A Troubled Bodyguard Goes After The Criminals Who Kidnapped A Little Girl

Denzel Washington made a number of notable thrillers with the late great director Tony Scott but, despite it being given a frosty reception from critics upon release, not many are held in as high a regard as Man on Fire. Washington stars in the movie as a reserved bodyguard who's out for brutal revenge against the cartel that kidnapped the young girl he was hired to protect, and his uncompromising tactics of guerilla warfare –mixed with an understated element of emotion– delivers the kind of thrills of the John Wick movies to see a relentless and skilled killer on a righteous mission of justice.

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11 Blade Of The Immortal (2017)

An Assassin Who Can't Die

Prolific director Takashi Miike was a perfect fit for adapting the wild story of Hiroaki Samura's long-running manga series Blade of the Immortal for the big screen. Miike's experience with horror stories comes in handy as the plot revolves around an un-killable former samurai who's sucked into a tale of revenge against a league of detestable assassins. Takuya Kimura is a satisfyingly hard-boiled lead and Miike's affinity for unashamedly weird and gory scenarios makes Blade of the Immortal an inventively violent movie. Like the John Wick movies, it operates from a satisfying midway point between magical and grounded, with its own distinctly dark sense of humor and codes of honor.

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