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You Killed My Dog: 35 Best Movies like John Wick
- The Curator
- Apr 1
- 19 min read
About John Wick
John Wick is an action thriller written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski. It follows a legendary hitman, played by Keanu Reeves, who is forced out of retirement after a mob boss’s son and his crew invade his home and kill his puppy—the last gift from his deceased wife. What follows is a one-man vendetta against the entire mob, packed with some of the best action scenes in recent memory.
As a big fan of John Wick, I started thinking: what are some other movies that fans might enjoy?
In this article, I take you through my top picks—hopefully, you’ll add a few more to your watchlist.
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 2014.
The Equalizer is a slow-cooked vengeance fantasy dipped in zen calm and wrapped in hardware store carnage, with Denzel Washington playing Robert McCall—a quiet man with a storm humming under the hood. He reads Hemingway, stacks chairs like a monk, and when the world starts bleeding out its worst, he flips the switch from peaceful to predator. When a young sex-trafficked girl gets chewed up by the Russian mob, McCall doesn’t just bring the pain—he orchestrates it, with stopwatch precision and DIY death traps that make Home Alone look like child’s play.
It's slick, savage, and drips with righteous fury in every silenced second.
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 2020.
Extraction is a gritty, high-velocity action showcase that puts Chris Hemsworth’s physicality and emotional range front and center. As Tyler Rake, a battle-worn mercenary haunted by personal loss, Hemsworth dives headfirst into a mission to rescue a kidnapped boy from a city crawling with danger. Directed by Sam Hargrave, a former stunt coordinator, the film delivers visceral, kinetic set pieces—most notably a jaw-dropping “oner” that stitches together a relentless chase through the streets of Dhaka.
Beneath the gunfire and chaos, Extraction manages to inject just enough emotional depth to elevate it beyond standard shoot-’em-up fare, making it a solid entry in Netflix’s growing action catalog.
3. Nobody (2021)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd. It was released in 2021.
Nobody is a blood-splattered love letter to repressed rage and dadcore vengeance, where Bob Odenkirk shatters typecasting like a dude smashing skulls with a coffee mug. Hutch Mansell is your average beige suburban pushover—until a home invasion flips the switch and wakes the beast: a former government wetwork ghost with a pension for ultraviolence. What unravels is a glorious, knuckle-dusting ballet of carnage, booby-trapped nostalgia, and Russian goons catching hands (and bullets) in every direction.
It's John Wick in a bathrobe, soaked in dark comedy and midlife madness—and it slaps harder than a shotgun blast at family dinner.
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 2017.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is a gun-fu fever dream soaked in tailored vengeance and underworld flair, where Keanu Reeves reloads the legend of Baba Yaga with headshots, hurt feelings, and high fashion. Dragged back into the blood-soaked game by a debt written in crimson ink, Wick globe-trots from Rome’s candlelit crypts to NYC’s bullet-riddled back alleys—leaving a trail of corpses and shattered rules in his wake. The assassin mythos gets turbocharged with secret societies, golden markers, and enough tactical reloads to make your pulse tap-dance.
It’s operatic, ultra-violent elegance—and yeah, Wick still ain’t the guy you should’ve messed with.
5. Hitman (2007)
Directed by Xavier Gens, Hitman stars Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, and Olga Kurylenko. It was released in 2007.
Hitman is a cold-blooded ballet of bullets, bald heads, and barcode-brand chaos where Timothy Olyphant rocks the red tie and dead eyes as Agent 47—a lab-grown executioner with no chill and even less small talk. Framed for a political hit he didn’t pull, 47 slices through Eastern Europe like a human cheat code, dodging Interpol, ducking double-crosses, and dragging along a sultry wildcard who keeps messing with his kill-and-go vibes.
It’s sleek, shallow, and unapologetically video gamey—like someone threw The Bourne Identity into a blender with a Hot Topic catalog and hit “liquify.”
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 2006.
Crank is pure cinematic meth—chaotic, sweaty, and shot straight into your eyeballs. Jason Statham goes full glitch-mode as Chev Chelios, a hitman pumped full of poison that’ll kill him if he chills for even a second. So what does he do? Everything. Fights in traffic, defibs his chest with jumper cables, does the nasty in public, and rampages through L.A. like Grand Theft Auto on a 10-hour energy bender.
Logic’s out the window, adrenaline’s behind the wheel, and the plot’s just there to hold your beer.
It’s reckless, ridiculous, and runs on pure “WTF” energy from start to sweaty finish.
7. Wrath of Man (2021)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Wrath of Man stars Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, and Scott Eastwood. It was released in 2021.
Wrath of Man marks a tonal shift for both Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham, trading in the director’s usual kinetic banter for a more brooding, methodical revenge narrative. Statham plays “H,” a mysterious and unnervingly focused newcomer at a Los Angeles armored truck company. As the story unfolds through non-linear storytelling and sharp perspective shifts, it becomes clear that H isn’t just there to move money—he’s on a personal vendetta, and nothing is going to stand in his way.
With minimal dialogue and maximum tension, Wrath of Man delivers a slow-burn crime thriller that leans heavily on atmosphere, precision, and the cold efficiency of its lead.
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 2017.
24 Hours to Live is a grindhouse cocktail of sci-fi adrenaline and existential meltdown, with Ethan Hawke cranking the intensity as a dead assassin rebooted for one last ride—literally. Brought back to life for 24 hours with a ticking clock stitched into his arm like a suicide watch for badasses, he rampages through a blood-splattered mess of black ops betrayal, crooked suits, and corporate sci-fi creepiness.
It’s John Wick by way of a Red Bull overdose, soaked in regret, redemption, and just enough ultraviolence to keep your pulse in overdrive. A dirty, dusty B-movie banger that knows exactly what it is—and blasts anyway.
9. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Directed by Doug Liman, The Bourne Identity stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, and Brian Cox. It was released in 2002.
The Bourne Identity kicks off with a guy pulled from the ocean with more bullets than answers and a serious case of amnesia. He doesn’t know who he is, but muscle memory says he’s definitely not your average tourist. Armed with a bank account number jammed into his hip and instincts that scream “trained killer,” he zigzags across Europe dodging trigger-happy agents and shady suits.
As he peels back layers of a shady CIA program, Jason Bourne starts to remember — and it’s not exactly warm and fuzzy. Throw in a reluctant ally in Marie and you’ve got a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with identity, espionage, and redemption on the line.
10. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, and Ian McShane. It was released in 2019.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is an adrenaline-laced symphony of carnage that picks up exactly where Chapter 2 left off—John on the run, excommunicated, and with a $14 million price tag on his head. What follows is a relentless, neon-drenched massacre ballet as Wick tears through waves of High Table assassins like a man possessed. From blood-soaked libraries to horse chases through Manhattan and a pit stop in the Moroccan desert, it’s all slick style, sharp suits, and sharper blades.
Wick isn’t just fighting for survival—he’s flipping the whole damn assassin world on its head, one headshot at a time.
11. Taken (2008)
Directed by Pierre Morel, Taken stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, and Leland Orser. It was released in 2008.
Taken is a bone-crunching, euro-slick punch to the face of every parent’s worst nightmare. Liam Neeson trades in his dad jeans for a vengeance-fueled rampage across Paris as ex-CIA ghost Bryan Mills, whose daughter gets snatched by sex traffickers faster than you can say “wrong girl.” Armed with a gravelly voice, a dead stare, and a “particular set of skills,” Mills shreds through sleazy nightclubs and villain monologues like a one-man apocalypse.
It's brutal, relentless, and delivers protective dad-action cinema at its absolute peak.
12. Wanted (2008)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, and Chris Pratt. It was released in 2008.
Taken is a tightly wound action-thriller that plays like a masterclass in streamlined storytelling and emotional stakes. Liam Neeson steps into the role of Bryan Mills, a retired CIA operative whose daughter is kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. What follows is a tense, high-speed descent into the European criminal underworld, where Mills relies on his training and instincts to outwit traffickers and bring his daughter home.
It’s a no-frills, high-impact film that helped redefine Neeson as an unexpected action hero and set the tone for a new wave of gritty, father-driven thrillers.
13. Collateral (2004)
Directed by Michael Mann, Collateral stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. It was released in 2004.
Collateral is a moody, neon-lit adrenaline ride through L.A.'s sleepless underbelly, where cabbie Max (portrayed by Jamie Foxx) just wants a quiet shift—until Tom Cruise’s silver-haired grim reaper, Vincent, hops in and turns the meter into a death clock. What starts as a routine fare spirals into a bullet-laced, existential chess match between a dreamer stuck in neutral and a hitman who treats life like a spreadsheet of bodies.
Michael Mann paints the City of Angels in ghostly digital blues, delivering a nocturnal noir soaked in philosophy, gunfire, and the gut-punch realization that some rides don’t have return trips.
American Assassin (2017)
Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin stars Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar and Taylor Kitsch. It was released in the year 2017.
American Assassin is your classic revenge-fueled bullet buffet, where trauma meets tactical training and the body count climbs faster than the testosterone levels. Dylan O’Brien ditches the teen drama for trigger discipline as Mitch Rapp—a grief-soaked, rage-powered rookie turned CIA death dealer under the mentorship of Michael Keaton’s crusty old war-dog, Stan Hurley. Cue the globe-hopping chaos, rogue agents gone nuclear, and enough macho brooding to power a protein shake commercial.
It’s loud, fast, and unapologetically drenched in grit, guns, and growls.
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 2012.
Taken 2 doubles down on the daddy rage and throws it into overdrive, swapping Parisian grit for Istanbul’s sun-soaked chaos. This time, it’s not just the daughter in distress—Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his ex-wife get snatched by the very pissed-off Albanian relatives of the dudes he throat-punched in the first film. Cue rooftop grenades, car chases through bazaar alleys, and Neeson grumbling threats like a human wrecking ball in khakis.
It’s a sequel that’s louder, sweatier, and powered entirely by vengeance, GPS coordinates, and pure middle-aged fury.
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 1996.
The Long Kiss Goodnight is what happens when a PTA mom ditches the bake sales and rediscovers she used to snap necks for breakfast. Geena Davis flips the switch from amnesiac sweetheart to eyeliner-wearing murder machine as Samantha Caine, a small-town teacher with a very bloody past. With Samuel L. Jackson dropping f-bombs like confetti as her jaded PI sidekick, the two barrel through a snow-drenched conspiracy of rogue CIA scumbags, car chases, and fiery one-liners hotter than napalm.
It’s part memory-lane meltdown, part ballistic therapy session—’90s action cinema with a martini glass full of attitude and a lit fuse.
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 1998.
Blade is a trench coat-drenched, blood-splattered rave of a film that drop-kicked the superhero genre into the dirt long before the MCU found its training wheels. Wesley Snipes struts in as the Daywalker—half-human, half-vampire, all lethal attitude—delivering roundhouse kicks and katana justice to undead club kids and smug bloodsucker CEOs.
With techno beats thumping like a heartbeat on Red Bull and Deacon Frost chewing scenery like it’s his last supper, Blade is a savage cocktail of horror, hip-hop edge, and comic book grit that
fangs and sunglasses mandatory for badassery.
18. The One (2001)
Directed by James Wong, The One stars Jet Li, Delroy Lindo, Carla Gugino, and Jason Statham. It was released in 2001.
The One follows Jet Li’s character, Gabriel Yulaw, a rogue interdimensional agent who realizes that killing other versions of himself redistributes their energy into him, making him stronger, faster, and nearly unstoppable. When his other self, LASD deputy sheriff Gabe Law, teams up with an interdimensional agent to stop him, things get intense—culminating in an incredible showdown between Jet Li 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 2002.
The Transporter is a nitro-fueled flex of fists, finesse, and fast cars—where Jason Statham introduces Frank Martin, the most dangerously punctual chauffeur this side of a Bond audition. He’s got three rules, a killer wardrobe, and a ride smoother than your favorite playlist. But when the “package” in the trunk starts breathing and pleading, all hell breaks loose. Cue gravity-defying car chases, oil-slick brawls, and enough roundhouse kicks to start a martial arts franchise (oh wait…).
It’s glossy, gloriously dumb, and cooler than a fridge full of Red Bull. Pure Euro-action pulp with a steel-jawed smirk.
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 2017.
Atomic Blonde is a vodka-soaked, synth-drenched sucker punch of Cold War carnage where Charlize Theron’s ice-veined MI6 operative struts through Berlin like a femme-fatale sledgehammer. Set days before the Wall comes crashing down, it’s a kaleidoscope of brutal stairwell brawls, trenchcoat double-crosses, and neon-lit betrayals. Lorraine Broughton doesn’t just walk into a fight—she turns it into performance art, with cigarettes, stilettos, and a firestarter attitude.
With every shattered bone and smoky glance, Atomic Blonde delivers high-style spycraft with a punk-rock pulse. It’s espionage cinema dipped in absinthe and lit on fire.
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 2002.
Blade II is a blood-slicked, trenchcoat-twirling symphony of carnage where Guillermo del Toro cranks the gothic weirdness and creature-feature flair to fang-popping extremes. Our favourite half-human, half-vamp daywalker gets dragged into an unholy team-up with the very bloodsuckers he lives to gut—because something nastier just crawled out of the genetic blender: Reapers, vampire-mutants who snack on their own kind like it's a buffet.
What follows is a savage ballet of blades, betrayal, and biomechanical nightmare fuel as Blade carves through lairs and lies with zero time for your undead drama. It's stylized, savage, and soaked in cool—the comic book sequel that said, “More blood? Hell yeah.”
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 2010.
The Man from Nowhere is a razor-edged symphony of blood, heartbreak, and badassery, wrapped in South Korean noir and soaked in pure emotional jet fuel. Cha Tae-sik, a ghost with a haunted stare and a violent past, lives life off the grid—until the only light in his lonely world, a scrappy little girl named So-mi, gets swallowed up by a cartel knee-deep in drugs and organ trafficking.
What follows is a ballistic ballet of blade work, bullets, and broken bones as Tae-sik unleashes the full fury of a man with nothing left to lose. It’s brutal, beautiful, and hits you like a roundhouse to the soul.
23. Payback (1999)
Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, Payback stars Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, and David Paymer. It was released in 1999.
Payback is a cigarette-burned revenge bender dipped in grit, sarcasm, and Mel Gibson’s dead-eyed charm turned full bastard. Porter isn’t your noble anti-hero—he’s a chain-smoking, bone-breaking force of nature chasing down exactly seventy grand like it’s the last damn dollar on Earth. Double-crossed, shot, and left for dead, he claw-slams his way through the mob’s sweaty underbelly with a revolver in one hand and zero f**ks in the other.
It's pulp noir with brass knuckles—snarky, savage, and soaked in blue-gray grime. Don’t expect redemption—just retribution, one bullet at a time.
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 1994.
Léon: The Professional is a bullet-sprayed lullaby drenched in noir grit, potted plants, and the kind of offbeat soul only Luc Besson could bottle. Jean Reno’s Léon is a milk-chugging hitman with dead eyes and a soft spot, coasting through life in the shadows—until Mathilda crashes in, foul-mouthed, vengeance-fueled, and twelve going on apocalypse. Together, they form the weirdest little found family this side of a .45 caliber, with Gary Oldman chewing scenery like it’s laced with amphetamines.
It’s part coming-of-age fever dream, part assassin symphony, and all heart under the Kevlar. Disturbing? Yeah. Beautiful? Absolutely.
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 2005.
Transporter 2 is a slick, speed-addicted fever dream where logic takes the backseat and Jason Statham drives like God’s own stunt double. Frank Martin’s back—this time tearing through the neon-soaked chaos of Miami, caught babysitting a rich kid until a chemically unhinged cartel crashes the party with a virus and a vendetta.
What follows is a gear-grinding ballet of bonkers set pieces: cars defy gravity, fists fly with tailored precision, and Statham delivers stone-faced justice in designer threads. It’s gloriously dumb, unapologetically stylish, and so turbo-charged it might just punch a hole in the ozone layer.
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 2004.
Man on Fire is a molten revenge opera wrapped in smoke, gunpowder, and Denzel Washington’s soul-crushing intensity. John Creasy isn’t your average bodyguard—he’s a whiskey-soaked ex-killer with a death wish and a heart flickering back to life thanks to the one spark of innocence in his world: Pita, the girl he's hired to protect. When she’s ripped away by a kidnapping ring straight out of cartel hell, Creasy flips the switch from broken man to divine retribution.
What follows is a symphony of explosions, torture-by-C4, and poetic justice—all cut through Tony Scott’s chaotic lens like a fever dream with a body count. It’s brutal, it’s beautiful, and it doesn’t ask for forgiveness.
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. It was released in the year 1990.
La Femme Nikita is a gritty, guns-blazing glow-up from junkie to government ghost, dripping with French cool and existential bite. After a botched robbery lands her in a body bag (almost), Nikita gets snatched by a shady black-ops crew who trade her prison sentence for a crash course in murder and mascara.
What follows is a powder-keg blend of lethal precision and emotional whiplash, as our anti-heroine struts the line between trained killer and fragile human, all while dodging bullets and feelings. It’s moody, stylish, and laced with noir-flavored nihilism—the original femme fatale remix before Hollywood watered it down.
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 2003.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a neon-drenched fever dream of vengeance, sprayed in arterial red and soundtracked by swagger. Tarantino cranks the grindhouse dial past breaking point as The Bride (played with ice-cold fury by Uma Thurman), carves a crimson path through the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.
Waking from a coma with a kill list and a thirst for revenge, she slices her way from hospital gowns to Tokyo showdowns, taking down yakuza hordes and the lethal O-Ren Ishii in a snow-dusted, sword-slinging finale that’s pure cinematic chaos. It’s kung fu pulp, spaghetti Western attitude, and anime madness all blended into one blood-slicked, badass mixtape of revenge.
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 2013.
The Wolverine slices its way through Japan in a brooding, blade-clashing romp where Logan’s claws meet existential crisis. Haunted by Jean Grey and neck-deep in samurai drama, our grizzled anti-hero heads east to honor a WWII debt and ends up tangled in Yakuza shootouts, mutant weirdness, and enough betrayal to make a soap opera blush.
Stripped of his healing factor and questioning his immortality, Wolverine gets raw, real, and a little unhinged as he throws down with Viper, a poison-peddling femme fatale, and a mech’d-out Silver Samurai. It’s gritty, it's moody, and it’s Logan at his most human—and most stabby.
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 2012.
In Jack Reacher, we meet the elusive former military cop, Jack Reacher, who’s pulled into a chilling case where a sniper has killed five random people in cold blood. When the man accused of the murders claims he's been framed, Reacher takes it upon himself to unravel the truth.
What starts as a routine investigation soon reveals a web of corruption, dangerous secrets, and a conspiracy that reaches much higher than anyone could’ve anticipated. With no time for niceties, Reacher uses his tactical brilliance and brute force to take down anyone standing in the way of justice—turning this crime thriller into a brutal, fast-paced ride.
31. Hardcore Henry (2015)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Hardcore Henry stars Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Svetlana Ustinova, and Tim Roth. It was released in 2015.
Hardcore Henry is the ultimate action trip, and it doesn't hold back. Shot entirely from a first-person perspective, the film thrusts you into Henry’s shoes—a man who wakes up with no memory, no voice, and a body full of cybernetic upgrades. As he battles through a chaotic world to rescue his wife from a psychotic villain, every moment is pure, unfiltered adrenaline.
Mercenaries? Check. Explosions? You bet. A mind-bending plot that keeps you guessing? Absolutely. It’s an unrelenting, wild rollercoaster that barely lets you catch your breath before the next insane action sequence hits.
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 2004.
The Bourne Supremacy kicks off with Jason Bourne (portrayed by Matt Damon) just trying to get some peace after the chaos of The Bourne Identity, attempting to live a quiet life with Marie (portrayed by Franka Potente). But, as always, peace isn’t in the cards. When a botched covert mission pins a political assassination on Bourne, he’s forced to return to the life he was trying to outrun.
With a ruthless CIA agent on his tail and his past threatening to swallow him whole, Bourne is dragged back into a world of lies, double-crosses, and high-stakes action. As he tries to uncover the truth behind the frame job, Bourne faces more than just physical enemies—he’s up against the very system that made him.
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 2005.
David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence takes the cozy small-town fantasy and rips it apart like a shotgun blast to the gut. Tom Stall (portrayed by Viggo Mortensen) is just a regular guy, running a diner and living the dream—until a couple of dirtbags try to rob the place, and he takes them out with the kind of precision that screams trained killer. Suddenly, he’s the local golden boy, but his newfound fame brings trouble in the form of a sinister, scarred-up mobster (portrayed by Ed Harris), who’s dead set on proving Tom isn’t some wholesome family man.
As the cracks in his past widen, the film peels back layer after brutal layer, exposing a violent history that refuses to stay buried. This is Cronenberg at his finest—every punch lands, every bullet counts, and every revelation hits like a sucker punch to the soul.
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 2000.
Romeo Must Die isn’t just another action flick—it’s a full-throttle, bone-crunching, hip-hop-infused brawl that redefines the martial arts genre. Jet Li steps in as Han Sing, a former cop who ditches a Hong Kong prison and heads straight into Oakland’s seedy underworld to hunt down his brother’s killer. Along the way, he links up with Trish O’Day (portrayed by the effortlessly cool Aaliyah), the daughter of a rival crime boss, and together they navigate a city where bullets and betrayals fly in equal measure.
With gravity-defying fight sequences, a soundtrack that slaps, and a plot that blends Shakespearean tragedy with ‘90s street flair, this one’s got all the firepower to keep your adrenaline spiked from start to finish.
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 2023.
John Wick: Chapter 4 cranks the action dial past eleven as Keanu Reeves’ unstoppable hitman goes scorched earth on the High Table. With a price on his head that could buy a small country, Wick globe-trots from neon-drenched Osaka to the blood-soaked streets of Paris, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.
Enter the Marquis de Gramont (portrayed by Bill Skarsgård), a villain with too much power and not enough common sense, and Caine (portrayed by Donnie Yen), a blind assassin who’s as deadly as he is stylish. With bullets, blades, and brutal beatdowns, this chapter is a ballet of destruction that pushes Wick to his limit—both physically and existentially.
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