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The action film is the height of gung-fu crazy, with director Chad Stahelski going out with a bang in what we deemed a lengthy but stunning conclusion to the saga in our John Wick 4 world.
What other films like John Wick are the greatest for satisfying that adrenaline-pumping grim reaper itch in light of John Wick’s enormous global success? We want to create immersive worlds filled with murderers on the prowl and seminars in dancing.
The Villainess
The primary source of John Wick’s inspiration and tribute is Asian martial arts film, which deserves all the credit for doing for decades what Western motion pictures have just recently embraced.
Four years after Wick rekindled viewers’ interest in the lone wolf assassin theme, the South Korean action film The Villainess snuck onto the scene. Sook-Hee, a trained elite assassin played by Kim Ok-bin, embarks on a bloody vengeance spree in order to gain her independence and sever her links to the past.
The Villainess uses worldbuilding to provide depth, much like John Wick. Its underground realm has laws and mythology, which adds complexity and fascinating stakes.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
In Lynne Ramsey’s thriller on Amazon Prime Video, played by a worn-out Joaquin Phoenix, well-baked commentary on trauma, and terrible cathartic violence, a soldier named Joe finds meaning in saving a little girl from a horrible end.
Although their motivations and characterizations are different, Joe and Keanu Reeves in John Wick have a stony exterior. You Were Never Really Here is similarly excellent at abrupt bursts of violence.
Both films focus on guys who sense they are nearing the end of their lives but who go on one more mission nevertheless.
Nobody (2021)
Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk from Better Call Saul, is the film to see if you want more of the distinct style of combat choreography and stunt work seen in John Wick.
David Leitch was substantially engaged with the first John Wick, producing and co-directing the assassin movie. His name will appear on this list multiple times. Nobody adopts his identical stunt-forward aesthetics and has a writer in common with John Wick, despite the fact that he did not direct it.
Nobody is not a John Wick imitation and is a stand-alone film, yet it is one of several films that had the foresight to capitalise on Wick’s success.
Kate (2021)
Reeves is one of the very few performers who can help others wanting to revitalise their careers by giving a gritty performance in an action film. Male performers weren’t the only ones who benefited from this.
An emotionally guarded assassin takes on a charge in the shape of a tenacious young girl related to a strong criminal family in the Netflix spy film Kate. The film offers a unique spin on this concept while maintaining a lot of twists and turns and crowd-pleasing components.
A lot of neon lighting, a protagonist who doesn’t mince words, and a physically striking Mary Elizabeth Winstead are just a few of the elements that make Kate a film that shouldn’t end up in the Netflix film graveyard.
Atomic Blonde
Another entry by David Leitch, and this time he’s driving. In this film, which is set just days before the Berlin Wall fell, Charlize Theron kicks ass.
With an ice-cold Theron, a jaw-dropping long-take stairwell battle, and an intriguing mystery, Atomic Blonde is a stylish, seductive affair. James McAvoy makes an appearance as a figure we’re not sure we can trust, Sofia Boutella brings romance to the narrative.
The way Atomic Blonde deals with Lorraine’s terrible way of life is its strongest feature. Reeves established that you don’t have to be in your twenties to run one of these things, but Atomic Blonde expands on this by making Lorraine’s experience and knowledge her greatest strength.
Although the film’s editing takes quick detours from the action to show wounds bleeding, purple bruises colouring skin and ice packs covering puffy eyes, it doesn’t downplay the strain of her line of work.