Best Movies like Taken (2008)

Man on Fire centers on a former operative who uses his skills to rescue a kidnapped girl, mirroring the central rescue mission and similar character background found in Taken.

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.

Commando features a father with military experience who embarks on a relentless mission to save his abducted daughter, paralleling the parental rescue conflict and action-driven narrative of Taken.

John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fight his way through an array of punks, killers, one of his former commandos, and a fully equipped private army. With the help of a feisty stewardess and an old friend, Matrix has only a few hours to overcome his greatest challenge: finding his daughter before she's killed. Commando is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 6.7 by 3,195 people. The movie made an estimated total of $57,500,000 in the box office.

Run All Night focuses on a man with a troubled past using his unique skills to protect his son over a single harrowing night, echoing the time-sensitive, personal stakes and action-thriller tone of Taken.

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.

Prisoners revolves around parents desperate to find their missing children, delving into personal vengeance and the high emotional stakes associated with abductions, much like the suspense and family dynamics in Taken.

After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise. Prisoners is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 33m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 8.1 by 13,302 people. The movie made an estimated total of $122,127,446 in the box office.

Edge of Darkness follows a father investigating his daughter's disappearance and murder, sharing with Taken an investigator protagonist, family-driven motivation, and a narrative built around uncovering a dangerous conspiracy.

As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma's killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma's own mysterious life. Edge of Darkness is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.4 by 1,763 people. The movie made an estimated total of $81,126,522 in the box office.

The Man from Nowhere tells the story of a mysterious, skilled loner who risks everything to rescue a kidnapped girl, sharing Taken’s focus on a solitary protagonist applying specialized training to dismantle a criminal underworld.

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.

A Walk Among the Tombstones features a lone investigator taking on a child abduction case, reflecting the personal stakes and pursuit of justice prevalent in the storyline of Taken.

Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife. A Walk Among the Tombstones is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.3 by 3,055 people. The movie made an estimated total of $58,834,384 in the box office.

Extraction revolves around a professional extracting a kidnapped child from dangerous adversaries, sharing Taken’s focus on high-stakes rescue and a central character skilled in combat and tactics.

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.

The Equalizer centers on a former special operative who uses his expertise to dismantle criminal organizations and protect the vulnerable, much like the hero of Taken in both background and justice-driven narrative.

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.

Ransom features a parent whose child is abducted, prompting intense negotiation and desperate acts, connecting it to Taken through the central kidnapping plot and high personal stakes.

When a rich man's son is kidnapped, he cooperates with the police at first but then tries a unique tactic against the criminals. Ransom is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 1996 with an average rating of 6.7 by 2,147 people. The movie made an estimated total of $309,492,681 in the box office.

16 Blocks follows the perilous race against time as a lawman tries to protect a witness, capturing the ticking-clock intensity and action-thriller sensibility seen in Taken.

An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there. 16 Blocks is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,139 people. The movie made an estimated total of $65,664,721 in the box office.

Safe centers on a relentless protagonist protecting a young girl who is targeted by criminals, aligning with Taken’s structure of a solitary savior battling a criminal network to protect the innocent.

After a former elite agent rescues a 12-year-old Chinese girl who's been abducted, they find themselves in the middle of a standoff between Triads, the Russian Mafia and high-level corrupt New York City politicians and police. Safe is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,723 people. The movie made an estimated total of $40,300,000 in the box office.

Léon: The Professional features a solitary, skilled protagonist who forms a strong bond with a girl in danger, blending elements of protection and violent retaliation reminiscent of Taken’s narrative approach.

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.

Law Abiding Citizen tells of a man who takes extreme action after his family is devastated by crime, reflecting the personal quest for justice and intense confrontations with a criminal element as seen in Taken.

A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal. Law Abiding Citizen is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.4 by 5,765 people. The movie made an estimated total of $127,900,000 in the box office.

Blood Father follows a troubled father who must use force and resourcefulness to protect his endangered daughter, closely echoing the paternal rescue theme present in Taken.

An ex-con reconnects with his estranged teenage daughter while fighting to keep her alive after she becomes a target of violent drug dealers. Blood Father is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 6.2 by 1,688 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,903,033 in the box office.

The Missing weaves the story of a determined parent mounting a rescue when a daughter is abducted, showcasing shared themes of family bonds, rescue missions, and relentless pursuit of captors.

When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson sees her teenage daughter, Lily, kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel, in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute. The Missing is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 15m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 6.3 by 699 people. The movie made an estimated total of $38,364,277 in the box office.

Desperate Hours deals with civilians caught in the grip of violent criminals, engaging with the threat-to-family dynamic and tension-driven conflict over survival, elements that also appear in Taken.

An escaped con, on the run from the law, moves into a married couple's house and takes over their lives. Desperate Hours is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 5.4 by 224 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,742,912 in the box office.

Hostage centers on a protagonist using negotiation and action skills to resolve a life-or-death stand-off involving kidnappings, connecting with Taken’s focus on expertise under pressure and high-stakes rescue.

When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob. Hostage is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.4 by 1,792 people. The movie made an estimated total of $77,944,725 in the box office.

Trade explores the underworld of human trafficking and the efforts to save abducted individuals, paralleling the criminal network and abduction plot that drives Taken’s suspenseful narrative.

A Texas cop, whose own daughter might have been forced into sexual slavery, joins forces with a Mexican youth to find the boy's sister, who was abducted and forced into prostitution. Meanwhile, a Polish woman who was promised a better life in America also becomes a victim. Trade is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.0 by 317 people.

Stolen features a kidnapping and a race against time as a parent aims to rescue his child, mirroring the structure and urgency found in Taken’s plot.

Master thief Will Montgomery is just released from the State penitentiary after serving a 10 year sentence, is contacted by Vincent, his ex comrade in crime, who is holding Will’s teenage daughter ransom in a hijacked taxi cab. Vincent will only surrender her when Will reveals the whereabouts of the 20 million dollars he contrived to conceal from their last robbery. Stolen is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 5.5 by 1,130 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,106,557 in the box office.

Sleepless Night traces a father’s desperate efforts to recover his kidnapped son from organized criminals, offering a similarly relentless pursuit within an underworld setting as seen in Taken.

Vincent, a police officer, and his partner Manuel steal a large amount of cocaine from José Marciano, a ruthless crime lord who is quick to seek revenge, endangering Vincent's life, career and family. Sleepless Night is a movie from Belgium in French, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 5.9 by 166 people.

Jack Reacher presents an ex-military investigator delving into a violent conspiracy, engaging similar action-driven storytelling and a protagonist with a specialized skillset, as found in Taken.

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 7,760 people. The movie made an estimated total of $218,300,000 in the box office.

Taken 2 continues the story of Bryan Mills, further exploring his pursuit to save family members from kidnapping, directly expanding upon the signature themes and narrative style established in Taken.

In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter. Taken 2 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.4 by 7,190 people. The movie made an estimated total of $376,100,000 in the box office.

Big Bad Wolves follows a parent willing to cross lines to find a missing child, reflecting Taken’s theme of ordinary people propelled to extreme actions by family-driven desperation.

The twisted paths of three very different men brutally collide due to a chain of unspeakable murders: a grieving father who has been doomed to seek vengeance and a police detective who boldly crosses the narrow boundary between law and crime meet a religion teacher suspected of being the murderer. Big Bad Wolves is a movie from Israel in Hebrew, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.6 by 427 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,232 in the box office.

Searching follows a father’s intense investigation into his daughter’s sudden disappearance and highlights the drive to uncover the truth, paralleling the emotional urgency and familial focus of Taken.

After David Kim's 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter's laptop. Searching is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.6 by 4,294 people. The movie made an estimated total of $75,636,047 in the box office.

The Foreigner depicts a protagonist using a combat background to track down those responsible for attacking his family, aligning with the action-focused, vengeance-driven journey central to Taken.

Quan is a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love – his teenage daughter – dies in an Irish Republican Army car bombing. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers. The Foreigner is a movie from China in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,980 people. The movie made an estimated total of $145,374,099 in the box office.

Cold Pursuit features Liam Neeson as a father seeking to unravel the criminal network behind family tragedy, echoing Taken’s lead character and his mission against ruthless adversaries.

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.

Peppermint follows a parent seeking retribution for family tragedy by confronting organized crime, resonating with the direct-action approach and personal motivation seen in Taken.

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.

From Paris with Love brings covert operations and urban violence to a Parisian setting, similar to the European locale and high-stakes criminal pursuit that frame Taken’s plot.

James Reese has a good job as an ambassador's aid in France, but his real passion is a side gig—working in a minor role in the CIA. He would love to be a full-fledged agent and can't believe his luck when he lands an assignment with Charlie Wax. Trigger-happy Charlie soon has James crying for his desk job, but when he learns that the same guys they're trying to catch are after him, James realises that Charlie may be his only hope of survival. From Paris with Love is a movie from France in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.4 by 2,390 people. The movie made an estimated total of $52,800,000 in the box office.

The Brave One depicts an ordinary individual becoming an avenger after personal loss at the hands of criminals, showcasing the transformation and emotional drive akin to the hero’s journey in Taken.

A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge. The Brave One is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 6.6 by 1,103 people. The movie made an estimated total of $69,766,619 in the box office.

Oldboy tackles kidnapping and revenge, with its protagonist enduring and confronting his captors in a brutal underworld, sharing Taken’s central narrative of abduction and determined pursuit.

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.

Sicario delves into operations against organized crime with agents confronting moral dilemmas and danger, echoing the battle against trafficking organizations depicted in Taken.

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.

Memory stars Liam Neeson as a skilled operative entangled with criminal organizations, bringing the same actor’s signature action style and engagement with criminal underworlds as seen in Taken.

Alex, an assassin-for-hire, finds that he's become a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization. With the crime syndicate and FBI in hot pursuit, Alex has the skills to stay ahead, except for one thing: he is struggling with severe memory loss, affecting his every move. Alex must question his every action and whom he can ultimately trust. Memory is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2022 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,691 people. The movie made an estimated total of $13,900,000 in the box office.

Walking Tall centers on a protagonist standing against local corruption and violence, presenting a narrative where personal code and combat proficiency are used to restore safety, an element shared with Taken.

A former U.S. soldier returns to his hometown to find it overrun by crime and corruption, which prompts him to clean house. Walking Tall is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.3 by 1,695 people. The movie made an estimated total of $57,223,888 in the box office.

Hardcore Henry employs frenetic action and a protagonist fighting criminal groups to protect someone dear, mirroring the high-intensity and rescue motifs that form the foundation of Taken.

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.

Sicilian Ghost Story involves the desperate quest to find a missing loved one following an abduction, aligning with the personal stakes and relentless search that drives the narrative in Taken.

In a little Sicilian village at the edge of a forest, Giuseppe, a boy of 13, vanishes. Luna, his classmate who loves him, refuses to accept his mysterious disappearance. She rebels against the silence and complicity that surround her, and to find him she descends into the dark world which has swallowed him up and which has a lake as its mysterious entrance. Sicilian Ghost Story is a movie from Italy in Italian, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 150 people.

Harry Brown follows an aging man who fights crime in his community after suffering personal loss, sharing Taken’s theme of an unlikely avenger using his background against criminal forces.

An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice. Harry Brown is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,179 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,329,747 in the box office.