John Wick Chapter 4 is set to be one of the biggest action movies of the year. Keanu Reeves and the team behind the movies have always managed to produce quality action in every installment. While many fans are hyped and will be re-watching the first three chapters in anticipation, there are other options.
From comedic takes on the style to even better fight sequences, the John Wick franchise has inspired and been inspired by many places and movies. If fans are looking for more of the great action style of John Wick, before Chapter 4 brings out intense action scenes, there are definitely some films they will want to see.
7 Nobody
Perhaps inspired directly by John Wick, Bob Odenkirk stars in this increasingly amusing deconstruction of the action genre. Despite being a more humorous version of a movie like John Wick though, Nobody has some fantastic action scenes which are not to be underestimated.
Odenkirk is the perfect man for this performance. Following his success in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, he has the perfect style for this uncommon man who appears to be common. Even going so far as to take on a Russian mob boss after a run-in with his relative, Nobody is basically a spin-off of the John Wick franchise in all but name.
6 The Equalizer
This time around, Denzel Washington is the quiet leading man who has a life of danger and incredible skills behind him. While The Equalizer has managed a franchise of its own with a third installment on the way, it hasn’t quite gained the worldwide notoriety of John Wick.
Washington is an excellent star, who can still appear threatening and dangerous despite his advanced age. More, he’s still able to pull off great action sequences, although they aren’t as heavy on the hand-to-hand combat style into which John Wick action scenes often descend. Still, The Equalizer is a perfect movie for fans of the John Wick franchise to check out, as well as its sequel.
5 The Man From Nowhere
Another mysterious leading man, much like John Wick himself, is at the front of The Man From Nowhere. South Korean action movies have been lifting into the stratosphere of critical and commercial acclaim over the last decade, but this movie predates most of the renowned work that has made its way to the mainstream Western audience. Mostly, South Korean cinema is still known for horror movie s.
The Man From Nowhere stars Won Bin as a young loner who goes up against a group of criminals in a brutal and destructive style. Taking on the numbers without flinching and consistently providing amazing action sequences, this movie is another excellent watch in the style of John Wick.
4 Bullet Train
Another recent outing that has perhaps taken some of the style of John Wick as part of the flair it has, Bullet Train stars Brad Pitt and a great ensemble cast. Set in Japan, aboard a bullet train, Pitt stars as an operative recovering a briefcase from fellow assassins The Twins. When pushed into fighting for his life against a series of other assassins and thieves, he begins to wonder what conspiracy led them all to be aboard the same train.
Bullet Train is a fantastic example of how to blend comedy, even bordering on the madcap style, with the great action that movies like John Wick have been producing over the last decade. It would be surprising to see this not capitalized on with future installments because of how much fun everyone that appeared in Bullet Train seemed to be having on-screen.
3 Man Of Tai Chi
This is simply a must-watch for Keanu Reeves and John Wick fans. Man of Tai Chi isn’t just the directorial debut of Keanu Reeves, but he also plays the leading villain against a young man who enters the world of Tai Chi. The martial arts focus is a throwback, purposefully due to Reeves’ history with that style.
A very fun movie, and an interesting look at how Reeves would differ in directing style from Chad Stahelski, who directs the John Wick movies. Man of Tai Chi is a fun one and a fascinating look at Reeves as the villain as well, which is a role he doesn’t often delve into.
2 Dredd
Karl Urban stars in the closest thing that the superhero genre has come to delivering John Wick. Predating any of the Wick movies, Dredd was released in 2012 and stars Urban as the equivalent of a policeman in a futuristic world. When a new drug operation is revealed and Judge Dredd is caught in a building with only one other officer against an army, he must fight his way to the top, brutally.
Dredd is no-nonsense, the same as the John Wick movies, and it also has a frankness that fans of those movies will adore. The style of action is efficient and brutal, and Dredd is exactly the sort of character that fans of John Wick will appreciate to no end.
1 The Raid: Redemption
One of the biggest and best Indonesian movies of all time, director Gareth Evans became known for bringing the Indonesian action style to the world through The Raid: Redemption. Sticking completely to the no-nonsense, minimal story style which John Wick fans will love, The Raid stars Iko Uwais as a young cop who enters a 15-story building owned by a drug lord.
The surrounding team has only a little ammo and plenty of bad guys to take down, and The Raid follows their attempts to survive and take down everybody else. A thrilling example of how world cinema has laid the carpet for movies like John Wick, The Raid is a great watch for any action fan.