About John Wick
John Wick is an Action Thriller movie written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski. It’s about a legendary hitman, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, who is forced out of retirement when the son of a mob boss and his men invade his home and kill his puppy. A puppy who was the last present to him from his now deceased wife. What starts next is a one-man vendetta against the entire mob and its action scenes are second to no film in recent memory.
As a big fan of John Wick I begin to think ‘what are some other movies like Inception’ which fans may want to check out? In this article I take you through my top picks and hopefully you’ll add a few more movies to your bucket list.
1. The Equalizer (2014)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. It was released in the year 2014.
The Equalizer is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. It focuses on a former U.S. Marine turned DIA intelligence officer who returns to action to protect a teenage prostitute from the Russian mob.
2. Extraction (2020)
Directed by Sam Hargrave, Extraction stars Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyuli, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi, and David Harbour. It was released in the year 2020.
Extraction is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. It’s about an Aussie black ops operative who’s sent on a mission to save the son of an Indian crime lord. However, when he’s double crossed, the storyline spirals out of control.
3. Nobody (2021)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd. It was released in the year 2021.
Nobody is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. It’s about an average family man who returns to a life of crime after his house is robbed and this puts him on the hit list of a local crime lord.
RELATED: Nobody Review (2021): John Wick on Dynamite
4. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 2 stars Keanu Reeves, Common? Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Lance Reddick, Peter Stormare, Bridget Moynahan, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane. It was released in the year 2017.
John Wick: Chapter 2 continues the saga of retired hitman John Wick. This time around he’s forced back into his old life to fulfill a blood oath to crime lord Santino D’Antonio. Like the first John Wick, this is a nonstop adrenaline ride.
5. Hitman (2007)
Directed by Xavier Gens, Hitman stars Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, and Olga Kurylenko. It was released in the year 2007.
Hitman is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. Hitman is about a professional Hitman turned assassin who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy which sees him on the run from Interpol and the agency he works for.
6. Crank (2006)
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Crank stars Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam. It was released in the year 2006.
Crank is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. Crank follows Chev Chelios who is poisoned by the mafia and will die if his heartbeat beats too slow. So what follows is a nonstop thrill ride where Chev must do anything to keep his adrenaline pumping.
7. Wrath of Man (2021)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Wrath of Man stars Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Laz Alonso, Paul Eagle, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei, Eddie Marsan, and Scott Eastwood. It was released in the year 2021.
Wrath of Man is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. Wrath of Man follows cash truck driver H who thwarts a robbery and whose violent past is gradually revealed. Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds.
8. 24 Hours to Live (2017)
Directed by Brian Smrz, 24 Hours to Live stars Ethan Hawke, Xu Qing, Paul Anderson, Liam Cunningham, and Rutger Hauer. It was released in the year 2017.
24 Hours to Live is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. Except with a bit more of a sci-fi tweak in which Ethan Hawke’s character is brought back to life for a period of 24 hours. Thanks to some experimental technology and science fiction gobbledygook.
9. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Directed by Doug Liman, The Bourne Identity stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente. Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. It was released in the year 2002.
The Bourne Identity is one of the many great movies like John Wick. It follows a man suffering amnesia who gradually begins to piece back together his identity. An identity which is revealed as Jason Bourne who is intrinsically linked to a conspiracy unfolding within the CIA. This is basically Matt Damon at his very best.
10. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 3 stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane. It was released in the year 2019.
John Wick 3 depicts the fallout of John Wick killing an international crime lord. With a price out on his head he undergoes this epic quest to find out how he can get the bounty on his head removed. All the while he fends off every dangerous assassin charged with killing him.
11. Taken (2008)
Directed by Pierre Morel, Taken stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, and Holly Valance. It was released in the year 2008.
Taken is one of the many great movies like John Wick. It’s about an ex-Secret Service agent whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers and will do anything he can to get her back. Even if it means kicking the butts of every man in Paris to get to her.
12. Wanted (2008)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, and Chris Pratt. It was released in the year 2008.
Wanted is about a young man named Wesley who learns that his father (who has missing for years) is an assassin. But when his father is murdered he’s then recruited into this secret society of assassins.
13. Collateral (2004)
Directed by Michael Mann, Collateral stars Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, and Bruce McGill. It was released in the year 2004.
Collateral is one of the many great movies like John Wick. It’s about a taxi driver named Max whose passenger, Vincent, is on a mission to assassinate a long list of people. Max summons the courage to take on Vincent in a game of wits.
14. American Assassin (2017)
Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin stars Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar, David Suchet, Navid Negahban, Scott Adkins, and Taylor Kitsch. It was released in the year 2017.
American Assassin is one of the many great movies like John Wick. It’s a complicated film about main character, Mitch, whose girlfriend dies in a terrorist attack. So, in a convoluted plan to put an end to terrorism, he joins the CIA and that’s when things start to get interesting.
15. Taken 2 (2012)
Directed by Olivier Megaton, Taken 2 stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Šerbedžija, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, D.B. Sweeney and Luke Grimes. It was released in the year 2012.
After the events in the first film, Taken 2 kicks things up a notch. This time Bryan and Lenore are taken hostage, leaving it up to their daughter Kim to free Bryan. Prompting some father/daughter rescue action as they try to save Lenore.
16. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Directed by Renny Harlin, The Long Kiss Goodnight stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Amandes, Yvonne Zima, Brian Cox, Patrick Malahide, Craig Bierko and David Morse. It was released in the year 1996.
The Long Kiss Goodnight is about a woman named Samantha Caine who is as sexy as she is deadly. Unfortunately, she also has a case of amnesia which sets her on a dangerous quest to reclaim her memories, complete with hand-to-hand combat, gunfire and some accidental comedy.
17. Blade (1998)
Directed by Stephen Norrington, Blade stars Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N’Bushe Wright and Donal Logue. It was released in the year 1998.
Blade is the live action adaptation of the Marvel Comics’ half human/half vampire character named Blade. Although comic book purists would say it’s not a very good adaptation, I would say it’s worth a watch if you’re up for 2 hours of non-stop vampire ass-kicking to a high intensity soundtrack.
18. The One (2001)
Directed by James Wong, The One stars Jet Li, Delroy Lindo, Carla Gugino and Jason Statham. It was released in the year 2001.
The One is about Jet Li’s character, Gabriel Yulaw, a rogue interdimensional agent who realises that if he kills other versions of himself then their energies are redistributed into him and so he becomes stronger, faster and nigh unstoppable. When his other self from another reality, LASD deputy sheriff Gabe Law teams up with another interdimensional agent hot on Gabriel’s heels, is when things get really interesting. Ending in an incredible showdown between Jet Li’s characters and… himself.
19. The Transporter (2002)
Directed by Cory Yuen, The Transporter stars Jason Statham, Shu Qi, François Berléand, Matt Schulze and Ric Young. It was released in the year 2002.
20. Atomic Blonde (2017)
Directed by David Leitch, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones. It was released in the year 2017.
21. Blade 2 (2002)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Blade 2 stars Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus and Luke Goss. It was released in the year 2002.
22. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom, The Man from Nowhere stars Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron. It was released in the year 2010.
23. Payback (1999)
Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland, Payback stars Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello and David Paymer. It was released in the year 1999.
24. Léon: The Professional (1994)
Written and Directed by Luc Besson, Léon: The Professional stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello. It was released in the year 1994.
25. Transporter 2 (2005)
Directed by Louis Leterrier, Transporter 2 stars Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, François Berléand, Matthew Modine and Jason Flemyng. It was released in the year 2005.
26. Man on Fire (2004)
Directed by Tony Scott, Man on Fire stars Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Rachel Ticotin and Mickey Rourke. It was released in the year 2004.
27. La Femme Nikita (1990)
Written and Directed by Luc Besson, La Femme Nikita stars Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tchéky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau, Jean Bouise, Jean Reno, Philippe Leroy-Beaulieu, Roland Blanche and Jacques Boudet.
28. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Volume 1 stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Sonny Chiba, Julie Dreyfus, Chiaki Kuriyama, Gordon Liu and Michael Parks. It was released in the year 2003.
29. The Wolverine (2013)
Directed by James Mangold, The Wolverine stars Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen and Will Yun Lee. It was released in the year 2013.
30. Jack Reacher (2012)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo and Robert Duvall. It was released in the year 2012.
31. Hardcore Henry (2015)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Harcore He Ty stars Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Svetlana Ustinova and Tim Roth. It was released in the year 2015.
32. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Directed by Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Supremacy stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Karl Urban, Gabriel Mann and Joan Allen. It was released in the year 2004.
33. A History of Violence (2005)
Directed by David Cronenberg, A History of Violence stars Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt and Ed Harris. It was released in the year 2005.
34. Romeo Must Die (2000)
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, Romeo Must Die stars Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, DMX and Delroy Lindo. It was released in the year 2000.
35. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4 stars Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown and Ian McShane. It was released in the year 2023.
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