“Die Hard” on a boat. “Die Hard” on a plane. “Die Hard” on a bus. In the wake of John McTiernan’s iconic action film, it seemed that action filmmakers all wanted to see what crazy situations they could drop their own John McClanes into next.
In this respect, “John Wick” is certainly the “Die Hard” of the 21st century.
Since the release of the 2014 action film, starring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman who reenters his old underworld after his puppy is murdered, its impact has been felt across the action genre. Every year, it seems like more and more revenge films inspired by “Wick” pop up with new faces.
These movies all feature some combination of the same aspects. Someone seeks revenge for the harming of a loved one. A retired action star returns to the world of their checkered past. An unlikely action hero emerges with an emphasis on well-crafted stunts and creative combat. Many of these films even carry over figures integral to the “Wick” franchise — David Leitch, Chad Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, to name a few.
Here are nine post-2014 movies inspired by the world of “Wick” — not counting its own sequels and spin-offs.
“Atomic Blonde”
Not only the first entry on this list, “Atomic Blonde” has the honor of being one of the first action flicks to truly feel in the “John Wick” vein. Only three years in “Wick’s” wake, David Leitch made his solo feature directorial debut with this Charlize Theron action vehicle. The movie was a pretty safe bet. At the time, Theron was only a few years out from delivering one of the century’s best action performances as Furiosa in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Leitch, likewise, was an integral part of the first “John Wick” movie, and would go on to take part in a number of other entries on this list.
“Atomic Blonde” is neither the most nor the least successful entry on this list. It’s a stylish, promising movie that has kept fans waiting for a planned follow-up. More than anything, this movie can be seen as a canary in the coalmine, one signalling what an impact “Wick” would have going forward.
“Bullet Train”
Another movie actually directed by Leitch, “Bullet Train” takes the concept of a sprawling universe of assassins and jams them all onto a single piece of public transit for a high-energy action comedy. Brad Pitt stars as the assassin Ladybug, who hasn’t quite made it to his first “John Wick” movie — rather than being the killer who got out and gets dragged back in, Ladybug is struggling to put down his guns and leave crime behind for the first time.
“Bullet Train” was probably one of the more popular movies on this list when it came out, taking in more than $200 million at the box office. The movie mixes “Deadpool’s” sense of humor with the editorial style of a Guy Ritchie flick, for better and for worse. It doesn’t reach the same heights as those origin points — nor is it a quality competitor to “John Wick’s” throne — but it’s not hard to see how “Bullet Train” gained a summertime audience.
“Day Shift”
“Day Shift” shares some core DNA with the “John Wick” movies – chiefly the involvement of “Wick” architect Chad Stahelski as producer and writer Shay Hatten, who penned some of the later “Wick” movies (and “Ballerina”), along with long-running “Wick” composer Tyler Bates. But there are some key differences – the biggest being the movie’s action elements being mixed with some equally compelling horror elements. Jamie Foxx plays a vampire hunter in the San Fernando Valley, who uncovers a vast vampire conspiracy. You know, that old chestnut.
J.J. Perry, who followed in Stahelski and Leitch’s footsteps, going from a stunt coordinator to director (he’s actually in the first “John Wick” as a stuntman), working with Stahleksi’s team from 87Eleven, stages the action masterfully, including some inspired use of drones during a chase sequence. This is definitely very much in the world of “John Wick,” but the additional horror stuff gives it a vibe all its own. It’s a shame it didn’t do better – we’d gladly watch the continuing adventures of Foxx’s low-rent monster hunter.
“Kate”
One of the more underrated movies on this list, “Kate” follows an assassin (played by the always wonderful Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who, on her latest job, is poisoned and goes on a quest to figure out who did her wrong (before she does herself). The plot set-up gives it a lovely ticking clock structure – one that it (spoiler alert) mercifully follows through on, with Winstead proving her action movie cred as she mows down countless thugs and Yakuza lackeys. And while it is definitely connected to the world of “John Wick” – it hails from David Leitch’s 87North and Leitch’s partner (in life and in film), Kelly McCormick, produced the film, in some ways following up on the promise of the “Atomic Blonde” sequel that still has yet to materialize.
If you haven’t seen “Kate,” it really is terrific – a fun, neon-lit underworld odyssey that incorporates influences from Asian cinema (like John Woo movies) into its own unique brew.
“Monkey Man”
Despite being an immensely successful actor, and somebody able to perform intricate fight choreography, nobody would give Dev Patel an action vehicle. So he made one for himself.
The result was “Monkey Man,” a film starring and directed by Patel (and co-written by Patel, Paul Angunawela and John Collee) that feels wholly in the “John Wick” vein. The film shares some connective tissue with the “John Wick” world, another revenge story produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. The action, while big and complex, is generally more grounded than that found in the “Wick” franchise (especially its later entries). Here, Patel shows off the range of his action abilities, with a wholly committed performance showing that he can excel in this genre. It’s not a perfect film, but as a directorial debut and an action star arrival, it’s an effective entry to this genre.
“Nobody”
One of the several Leitch-produced “John Wick” follow-ups, Ilya Naishuller’s “Nobody” feels the most closely connected to Keanu Reeves’ assassin-for-hire franchise. The film, written by “John Wick” scribe Derek Kolstad, stars Bob Odenkirk as an unlikely action hero — and steers into that idea hard. At the beginning of the movie, Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell lives his life as a mundane, downtrodden everyman. He’s bored of his life as an office worker, and his family, in turn, is bored of him.
After his daughter’s kitty cat bracelet goes missing following a home invasion, however, Hutch’s family’s life is turned upside down when they discover that their forgettable father figure is actually a retired contract killer — and those skills haven’t gone away. Odenkirk makes a meal out of his badass role, playing completely against the character type established in projects like “Better Call Saul” and “Mr. Show.” “Nobody” earns the distinction of being the first film of these “Wick” riffs to receive a sequel, with Timo Tjahjanto’s “Nobody 2” in theaters now.
“Pig”
The best movie on this list also happens to be the only one that entirely switches up genres. When audiences first heard of “Pig” — a movie starring Nicolas Cage as a reclusive loner who finds his pet pig abducted in a very “Wick”-like fashion — many anticipated it to have more in common with the actioners that fill this list.
Instead, Cage and writer/director Michael Sarnoski left viewers with something more patient, and far more interesting. “Pig” may hold some of a “Wick” film’s core DNA — the harming of an animal, the main character’s re-entry into his old underworld — but it’s not nearly the revenge movie one might believe. Instead, it’s a highly empathetic film, one questioning the nature of the revenge genre in general. Cage gives one of his best performances to date in this weird, twisty and always interesting exploration of a man’s grief. “Pig” isn’t something to watch if you’re looking for big, explosive action, but it’s the strongest overall film among these ranks.
“Silent Night”
Like “Monkey Man,” “Silent Night” connects to “Wick” through producers Iwanyk and Lee. This film, directed by John Woo, stars Joel Kinnaman as a father hellbent on getting revenge after his son is killed in a drive-by shooting on Christmas Eve. When Kinnaman’s character chases after the criminals, he is shot in the throat, leading to an almost entirely dialogue-free action thriller.
Though “Silent Night” feels indebted to “John Wick,” Woo is obviously a legend of the action genre, one who likely served as an immense inspiration to the “Wick” crew themselves. However, “Silent Night” is not one of the director’s strongest works, with the no-dialogue gimmick unable to elevate what is otherwise a rather muddled and boring revenge story. Sadly, this movie may not even be the best Christmas-themed “Wick” riff.
“Sisu”
One of the most successful — and most violent — entries on this list, “Sisu” follows Aatami (played by Jorma Tommila), a Finnish man attempting to live in peace during the Lapland War. However, soon after he strikes gold (literally), Aatami finds himself beset upon by a platoon of Nazi soldiers. Unluckily for them — and luckily for the audience — Aatami happens to be a legendary ex-commando, and retirement hasn’t dulled his skills in the least.
“Sisu” is gorier and goopier than your traditional “John Wick” action flick. However, Jalmari Helander highly violent revenge story adopts the same Looney Tunes, Buster Keaton approach to its skin-shredding action that’s made the “Wick” franchise proper so enduring. The kills are big, gross and highly entertaining. Bonus “John Wick” connection: the Nazis attach a grenade to Aatami’s dog’s collar. Things don’t go too well for them after that.
A sequel to “Sisu” titled “Sisu: Road to Revenge” releases Nov. 21.
“Violent Night”
Produced by Leitch, “Violent Night” is just as much part of the “’Die Hard’ in a Blank” subgenre as it is a part of the “Wick” family. This feature, directed by Tommy Wirkola with a screenplay by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, stars David Harbor as a burnout, drunkard Santa Claus who stumbles upon a hostage situation involving a little girl on Christmas Eve.
The movie wears its “Die Hard” influences on its jolly red sleeve, evoking John McClane’s office building escapades in a mansion setting. At the same time, the story is clearly reminiscent of the world of Wick, with Ol’ Saint Nick finding himself dragged back into his violent past. It’s not all effective, but it’s certainly one of the more fantastical movies listed here. A sequel to “Violent Night” is expected in 2026.
