Best Movies like John Wick (2014)

The Equalizer also centers on a former professional killer who is forced out of retirement to take on violent criminals, driven by personal reasons. Both films follow protagonists skilled in lethal combat as they pursue justice in contemporary urban environments.

McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer. The Equalizer is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 12m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.3 by 10,081 people. The movie made an estimated total of $192,330,738 in the box office.

Nobody explores the return of an underestimated man with a dangerous past, mirroring John Wick’s narrative of a retired assassin pushed back into violence when his private life is upended by crime.

Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a "nobody." When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch's unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind. Nobody is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.9 by 8,522 people. The movie made an estimated total of $57,512,470 in the box office.

Man on Fire, like John Wick, deals with an ex-operative propelled by personal loss and seeking retribution against those who have wronged him, emphasizing themes of vengeance and relentless pursuit.

Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she's kidnapped he's consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life. Man on Fire is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 26m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.5 by 5,795 people. The movie made an estimated total of $130,300,000 in the box office.

Taken focuses on a highly trained individual using his unique skills to track down and confront those who have targeted him or his family, a narrative evocative of John Wick’s drive and action structure.

Bryan Mills, a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Kim. After reluctantly agreeing with his ex-wife to let Kim go to Paris on vacation with a friend, his worst nightmare comes true. While on the phone with his daughter shortly after she arrives in Paris, she and her friend are abducted by a gang of human traffickers. Working against the clock, Bryan relies on his extensive training and skills to track down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launch a one-man war to rescue his daughter. Taken is a movie from France in English, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.4 by 12,239 people. The movie made an estimated total of $226,830,568 in the box office.

The Raid’s tightly focused, intense action sequences and its protagonist facing overwhelming criminal opposition offer a comparable experience to the set-piece-driven conflicts and single-minded drive seen in John Wick.

Deep in the heart of Jakarta's slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world's most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building's lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city's worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais. The Raid is a movie from Indonesia in Indonesian, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,951 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,148,519 in the box office.

A History of Violence explores how a seemingly ordinary individual’s hidden past as a violent figure comes back to the surface, echoing the themes of identity and the cost of former lives present in John Wick.

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner. A History of Violence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.2 by 3,807 people. The movie made an estimated total of $61,477,797 in the box office.

Upgrade follows a protagonist who, after a life-shattering assault, seeks vigilante justice amidst high-stakes violence, reflecting John Wick’s narrative of personal vengeance and brutal confrontation against organized adversaries.

A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure — an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility — skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life. Upgrade is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.5 by 5,127 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,976,561 in the box office.

Extraction’s story revolves around a driven, highly skilled operative undertaking a mission in hostile territory, paralleling John Wick’s focus on elite professionals entangled in intense clashes with criminal organizations.

A hardened gun-for-hire's latest mission becomes a soul-searching race to survive when he's sent into Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord's kidnapped son. Extraction is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 7.3 by 6,704 people.

In Polar, another retired hitman is targeted and forced back into violence, closely aligning with John Wick’s theme of a solitary killer who finds himself up against the criminal underworld after being wronged.

When a retiring assassin realizes that he is the target of a hit, he winds up back in the game going head to head with a gang of younger, ruthless killers. Polar is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 6.4 by 2,531 people.

Collateral follows a professional hitman operating within the criminal underworld, emphasizing stylized violence and a morally complex central character in an urban setting, traits shared with John Wick.

Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin. Collateral is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.2 by 6,384 people. The movie made an estimated total of $220,239,925 in the box office.

Point Blank features a protagonist driven by personal betrayal to methodically dismantle a criminal network, paralleling John Wick’s narrative of vengeance and the dismantling of the underworld’s hierarchy.

After being double-crossed and left for dead, a mysterious man named Walker single-mindedly tries to retrieve the rather inconsequential sum of money that was stolen from him. Point Blank is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 1967 with an average rating of 7.0 by 437 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,200,000 in the box office.

Le Samouraï examines the life of a disciplined, solitary hitman caught in the machinations of the crime world, resonating with John Wick in its focus on methodical killers and the code-driven underworld they inhabit.

After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts, finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him. Le Samouraï is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1967 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,278 people. The movie made an estimated total of $215,245 in the box office.

Léon: The Professional centers on a solitary contract killer who develops a personal motive that draws him into conflict with dangerous criminals, comparable to the personal stakes and character focus of John Wick.

Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps. Léon: The Professional is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 8.3 by 16,309 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,330,788 in the box office.

Haywire follows a highly trained operative betrayed by her employers, forced to use her skills against multiple pursuers, echoing John Wick’s themes of professional betrayal and relentless action.

A black ops soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and left for dead. Haywire is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 5.7 by 1,503 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,372,606 in the box office.

The Villainess presents the journey of a female assassin navigating betrayal and violence, reminiscent of John Wick’s blend of personal vendetta and kinetic hand-to-hand combat within a criminal milieu.

Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited with the promise of freedom after ten years of service. However, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for and now she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge. The Villainess is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.9 by 779 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,737,458 in the box office.

The Man from Nowhere depicts a former killer drawn back into violence to save someone important, paralleling John Wick’s structure of personal loss igniting a chain of retribution and direct confrontation.

A reclusive pawnshop owner goes on a brutal rampage to rescue a young girl kidnapped by a criminal organization. The Man from Nowhere is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.7 by 1,519 people. The movie made an estimated total of $43,059,790 in the box office.

Sicario delves into the moral ambiguities and violent realities of a protagonist embedded in armed conflict against criminal organizations, akin to John Wick’s exploration of violence and the dark side of justice.

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico. Sicario is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.4 by 9,723 people. The movie made an estimated total of $84,997,446 in the box office.

Jack Reacher’s lead is a mysterious, supremely capable ex-military investigator who uncovers and dismantles criminal operations through calculated force, echoing John Wick’s resourcefulness and focus on a lone hero upending the underworld.

One morning in an ordinary town, five people are shot dead in a seemingly random attack. All evidence points to a single suspect: an ex-military sniper who is quickly brought into custody. The interrogation yields one written note: 'Get Jack Reacher!'. Reacher, an enigmatic ex-Army investigator, believes the authorities have the right man but agrees to help the sniper's defense attorney. However, the more Reacher delves into the case, the less clear-cut it appears. So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep. Jack Reacher is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 10m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.7 by 7,757 people. The movie made an estimated total of $218,300,000 in the box office.

Drive’s central character is a stoic, skilled operator drawn into a spiral of violence after a personal loss, sporting a methodical approach and urban setting that connect it to the tone and narrative arc of John Wick.

Driver is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he's been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene and her young son, Benicio. When Irene's husband gets out of jail, he enlists Driver's help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery. Drive is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.6 by 13,817 people. The movie made an estimated total of $79,713,640 in the box office.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is propelled by a protagonist enacting revenge after a traumatic loss, with set-piece action and a singular quest for retribution that mirrors John Wick’s approach to storytelling and choreography.

An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle – but she lives to plot her vengeance. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 8.0 by 19,198 people. The movie made an estimated total of $180,906,076 in the box office.

Hardcore Henry unfolds through relentless, kinetic action as the protagonist battles through waves of adversaries, replicating John Wick’s fast-paced structure and focus on survival against formidable odds.

Henry, a newly resurrected cyborg who must save his wife/creator from the clutches of a psychotic tyrant with telekinetic powers, AKAN, and his army of mercenaries. Fighting alongside Henry is Jimmy, who is Henry's only hope to make it through the day. Hardcore Henry takes place over the course of one day, in Moscow, Russia. Hardcore Henry is a movie from Russia in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 6.4 by 2,714 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,810,562 in the box office.

Shoot 'Em Up delivers relentless, stylized gunplay as its protagonist takes on overwhelming criminal forces, mirroring John Wick’s emphasis on choreography-driven combat within a crime-centric plot.

A man named Mr. Smith delivers a woman's baby during a shootout, and is then called upon to protect the newborn from the army of gunmen. Shoot 'Em Up is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,141 people. The movie made an estimated total of $26,800,000 in the box office.

Oldboy deals with a man propelled by loss and seeking vengeance against those responsible for his suffering, paralleling John Wick’s central themes of retribution and personal justice.

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors. Oldboy is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 8.2 by 10,035 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,500,000 in the box office.

Dead Man's Shoes centers on a protagonist who returns to confront and punish those responsible for personal tragedy, aligning with John Wick’s themes of vengeance and the pursuit of moral reckoning.

A soldier returns to his small town and exacts a deadly revenge on the thugs who tormented his disabled brother while he was away. Dead Man's Shoes is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.1 by 620 people.

Atomic Blonde features a highly trained agent navigating deadly confrontations within an espionage-filled underworld, similar to John Wick’s professional assassin story, inventive action choreography, and shadowy criminal networks.

An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents. Atomic Blonde is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.4 by 6,702 people. The movie made an estimated total of $100,014,025 in the box office.

The Accountant spotlights a protagonist with a unique set of lethal skills who becomes entangled in action-driven criminal intrigue, akin to John Wick’s skilled antihero and plot focus on underworld machinations.

As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise. The Accountant is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 8m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.1 by 7,478 people. The movie made an estimated total of $155,160,045 in the box office.

Logan shows an aging, withdrawn expert drawn back into violence to protect what remains of his personal life, echoing John Wick’s motif of retired protagonists reclaiming their skills for a deeply personal mission.

In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant arrives, pursued by dark forces. Logan is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.8 by 20,614 people. The movie made an estimated total of $619,021,436 in the box office.

Blind Fury involves a seasoned, underestimated protagonist employing exceptional combat skills to take on adversaries, connecting with John Wick’s narrative of a lethal individual outmaneuvering and outgunning organized opposition.

A blind Vietnam vet, trained as a swordfighter, comes to America and helps to rescue the son of a fellow soldier. Blind Fury is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 6.5 by 508 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,700,000 in the box office.

The Night Comes For Us explores violent confrontations within criminal organizations, focusing on personal vendettas and brutal close-quarters action—elements central to the structure and thematic drive of John Wick.

After sparing a girl's life during a massacre, an elite Triad assassin is targeted by an onslaught of murderous gangsters. The Night Comes For Us is a movie from Indonesia in Indonesian, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.9 by 831 people.

El Mariachi tells of a man mistaken for a killer who must survive alone against deadly criminals, mirroring John Wick’s focus on isolated, resourceful protagonists forced into violent confrontation with criminal groups.

El Mariachi just wants to play his guitar and carry on the family tradition. Unfortunately, the town he tries to find work in has another visitor, a killer who carries his guns in a guitar case. The drug lord and his henchmen mistake el Mariachi for the killer, Azul, and chase him around town trying to kill him and get his guitar case. El Mariachi is a movie from United States of America in Spanish, with a total 1h 21m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,308 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,040,920 in the box office.

I Saw the Devil’s storyline of a man seeking personal revenge by hunting down those who have wronged him closely matches John Wick’s premise of retribution and intimate, high-stakes conflict.

Kyung-chul is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. Soo-hyeon, a top-secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself. I Saw the Devil is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 24m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.8 by 3,092 people. The movie made an estimated total of $12,966,357 in the box office.

Vengeance navigates the story of a protagonist exacting justice for past wrongs, echoing John Wick’s core themes of loyalty, personal loss, and violent retaliation within a crime-ridden environment.

A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Macau, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia. Vengeance is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.6 by 207 people.

Peppermint features a grieving individual transforming into a vigilant force against those who destroyed her family, paralleling John Wick’s journey of personal loss escalating into all-out retribution against criminal networks.

A grieving mother transforms herself into a vigilante following the murders of her husband and daughter, eluding the authorities to deliver her own personal brand of justice. Peppermint is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.7 by 2,266 people. The movie made an estimated total of $53,918,723 in the box office.

3 Days to Kill portrays a former operative forced to return to dangerous work due to personal and family stakes, aligning with John Wick in its focus on a retired expert drawn back into violent action.

A dangerous international spy is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter. But first, he must complete one last mission - even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world's most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town. 3 Days to Kill is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.1 by 2,346 people. The movie made an estimated total of $53,260,230 in the box office.

Run All Night follows an ex-hitman protecting his family from dangerous criminals, sharing with John Wick the central element of a former killer’s personal stakes escalating into high-powered confrontations.

Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon has seen better days. Longtime best friend of a mob boss, Jimmy is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. But when Jimmy’s estranged son becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy has just one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right. Run All Night is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 6.4 by 3,012 people. The movie made an estimated total of $71,561,644 in the box office.

Blue Ruin examines the actions of an ordinary man driven by personal loss to pursue vigilante justice, connecting to John Wick’s use of revenge and the transformation of grief into action.

When the quiet life of a beach bum is upended by dreadful news, he sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. However, he proves an inept assassin and finds himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Blue Ruin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,655 people. The movie made an estimated total of $993,313 in the box office.

Wrath of Man follows a mysterious, skilled protagonist seeking revenge for a personal tragedy through infiltration and direct confrontations within the criminal underworld, a structure reminiscent of John Wick’s purposeful escalation.

A cold and mysterious new security guard for a Los Angeles cash truck company surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman's ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score. Wrath of Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.6 by 6,204 people. The movie made an estimated total of $103,966,489 in the box office.

The Killer centers on a professional assassin pulled into deeper conflict after a personal incident, reflecting John Wick’s exploration of honor, guilt, and action-driven retribution in a criminal setting.

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right. The Killer is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 7.6 by 918 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,350,174 in the box office.

Desperado features a lone protagonist taking on a cartel to avenge a personal loss, mirroring John Wick’s narrative of a vengeful individual navigating criminal environments with skill and tenacity.

El Mariachi plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho, for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his friend and a beautiful bookstore owner, El Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves his own trail of blood. Desperado is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 6.9 by 3,186 people. The movie made an estimated total of $25,405,445 in the box office.

Cold Pursuit depicts an ordinary man’s methodical descent into violent vengeance following a family tragedy, echoing the central narrative drive and escalating confrontations that define John Wick.

The quiet family life of Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver, is upended after his son's murder. Nels begins a vengeful hunt for Viking, the drug lord he holds responsible for the killing, eliminating Viking's associates one by one. As Nels draws closer to Viking, his actions bring even more unexpected and violent consequences, as he proves that revenge is all in the execution. Cold Pursuit is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 5.9 by 2,827 people. The movie made an estimated total of $76,419,755 in the box office.