Movies Similar to John Wick: Chapter 4 — Stylish Violence Action Thrills for Those Who Love It
John Wick: Chapter 4 has solidified its place as among the most groundbreaking action movies of the past few years, reinforcing the series' legacy of awe-inspiring choreography, stylish violence, and engaging world-building. The fourth installment of the franchise follows the legendary hitman as he uncovers a path to defeating The High Table, facing new enemies and confronting old friends who have become foes.
For those who have already watched Keanu Reeves deliver another stellar performance as the "Baba Yaga" and are craving more high-octane action, there are numerous films that capture the spirit and style of the John Wick series. This definitive guide delves into films which have the DNA of John Wick: Chapter 4, from their neo-noir look to their intricately choreographed combat scenes.
The Evolution of Gun-Fu and Stylized Combat
The John Wick franchise has revolutionized action filmmaking through its distinctive "gun-fu" style, blending firearms and martial arts into seamlessly choreographed combat sequences. This approach wasn't created in a vacuum but evolved from earlier influences while adding its own unique flair. Understanding the roots of this style helps appreciate the films that share John Wick's action DNA.
One of the most influential precursors to John Wick's action style is "The Matrix" (1999), which not only featured Keanu Reeves but also utilized Chad Stahelski—who would go on to direct the John Wick franchise—as Reeves' stunt double. The film was the first to introduce innovative action sequences that blended martial arts with gunfighting in a manner that set the standard for many action movies that came afterward. Stahelski has himself admitted to this debt, saying, "Without The Matrix or the Wachowski influence, John Wick doesn't exist, I don't exist. I don't know how I'd be the person I am without them." The movie's impact on John Wick transcends its star to its underlying style of action choreography and visual storytelling.
Further back in time, Hong Kong action film established much of the foundation of John Wick's balletic violence. John Woo's "The Killer" (1989) set many of the conventions that would come to characterize the gunfight style of John Wick, such as the hitman with a code of honor as the main character, gunfights with a stylistic flair, and honor among thieves as a theme. Woo's dual-wielding pistol fight scenes were directly responsible for the action sequences in the John Wick series, providing a tradition of stylized gun fighting that transcends decades and continents.
Modern One-Man Army Thrillers
A number of recent movies have adopted the "one man against the world" premise that powers the John Wick franchise, with talented heroes facing insurmountable odds with grit and incredible fighting abilities.
"Nobody" (2021) is arguably the closest spiritual cousin to John Wick, with Bob Odenkirk playing Hutch Mansell, an unassuming suburban family man who turns out to be a deadly retired government hitman when his house is broken into13. Directed by Ilya Naishuller and written by Derek Kolstad, who also wrote the first John Wick, the movie has much in common with the franchise: a retired hitman brought back into service, high-octane fight scenes, and a criminal underworld lurking beneath. What distinguishes "Nobody" is that its protagonist presents himself first as a bland middle-aged man, making the contrast all the more jarring when his violent skills are discovered.
"Atomic Blonde" (2017), directed by David Leitch (who co-directed the original John Wick but was uncredited), stars Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent navigating Cold War Berlin while investigating the murder of a fellow agent1. The film features some of the most brutal and realistically exhausting fight scenes in recent memory, including a now-famous single-take stairwell sequence that showcases the physical toll of combat. Similar to John Wick the main character is an extremely competent operative who fights against several enemies while having a unique visual aesthetic—1980s neon-soaked Berlin in this instance rather than John Wick's contemporary noir.
"Extraction" (2020) tracks black-market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) as he is assigned to extract the kidnapped son of an international crime lord2. Although the narrative varies from that of John Wick's revenge arc, the movie has its focus on prolonged, meticulously choreographed action sequences. Most significantly, "Extraction" has a 12-minute sequence that has been made to appear as a single take, tracking Rake through shootouts, car chases, and hand-to-hand combat—a technical feat that parallels John Wick's focus on providing uninterrupted action.
Underworld and Criminal Society Movies
One of the strongest elements of the John Wick franchise is its thickly populated underworld of assassins, replete with its own codes, currency, and institutions such as The Continental Hotel. A number of films have this preoccupation with hidden criminal societies existing beneath the surface of mundane society.
"The Equalizer" (2014) and its sequel have Denzel Washington playing Robert McCall, an ex-black ops operative who staged his own death so he could enjoy a peaceful life but gets sucked back into the violence in order toprotect the innocent. Less concerned with a structured criminal underworld than John Wick, however, the films do include nefarious groups and highly trained operators. The fight choreography, especially in the hardware store showdown of the first movie, displays the hero's systematic effectiveness at taking out numerous adversaries—a characteristic of John Wick's fighting prowess.
"Wrath of Man" (2021) by Guy Ritchie and starring Jason Statham is about a cryptic new security guard of a cash truck with remarkable ability who has a personal vendetta against a team of bank robbers. The movie mirrors John Wick's fascination with the criminal hierarchy and revenge drives, albeit with Ritchie's typical fractured narrative setup. The main character's rational brutality and unstoppable nature resonate John Wick's mythic status to his adversaries.
"Birds of Prey" (2020) delves into the Gotham City criminal underworld through the eyes of Harley Quinn following her split from the Joker5. Although within a superhero universe, the action style of the film takes inspiration from John Wick's, with prolonged, innovatively choreographed fight scenes highlighting the unique fighting styles of the characters. The movie even employed Chad Stahelski's 87Eleven Action Design group to choreograph some of its most striking fight sequences, establishing a lineage direct to John Wick's action philosophy.
Martial Arts Excellence in Cinema
John Wick: Chapter 4 especially excels at its martial arts aspects, boasting standout performances by martial arts icons such as Donnie Yen. A number of movies have this commitment to presenting real martial arts capability in engaging stories.
"Ip Man" (2008) features Donnie Yen as the eponymous Wing Chun master who would subsequently teach Bruce Lee. Though in a period setting as opposed to John Wick's modern day, the movie contains similarly evident, expertly choreographed battle scenes with the same emphasis on visibility of technique over hyper-edited intensity. What both "Ip Man" and John Wick have in common is a fighter whose fighting manner reflects their personality—disciplined, streamlined, and lethal in its impact.
"Man of Tai Chi" (2013), Keanu Reeves' first time directing, features Tiger Chen as a tai chi master pulled into an illegal fighting tournament47. The film features genuine martial arts in straightforwardly shot scenes, eschewing quick cuts and shaky cam that afflicts so many action movies. Reeves plays the villain, and his work on this film may have prepared him for the physically challenging role of John Wick the following year.
"Blade" (1998) and more so "Blade II" (2002) synthesize martial arts and vampire legend with Wesley Snipes starring as the half-vampire vampire hunter. The sequel, shot by Guillermo del Toro, has especially slick fight choreography that, similar to John Wick, intersects gunplay and hand-to-hand combat. The smooth camera work following Blade through intricate action sequences foreshadowed the style of shooting action in John Wick.
High-Concept Action Films
Some movies match John Wick's dedication to action excellence but bring individual conceptual elements to the table that differentiate them, producing individualized variations on the competent-protagonist template.
"Upgrade" (2018) tracks a paraplegic man who gets an experimental computer chip implant that not only makes him mobile again but also provides him with superhuman combat skills7. The action scenes in the movie involve a characteristic camera work where the protagonist's actions are pinned as he fights, providing mechanical precision that reflects the character's superhuman capabilities. Although more science fiction than John Wick, both movies present protagonists whose expertise at violence is amazing and the visual style unique.
"Crank" (2006) stars Jason Statham as a hitman poisoned with a drug that will kill him if his adrenaline level drops, forcing him to constantly seek out stimulation and conflict7. The film's frenetic pace and creative action set pieces offer a different flavor of non-stop action than John Wick's more controlled approach, but both feature protagonists who seem to move from one spectacular fight to another with barely a moment to breathe.
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) remakes the post-apocalyptic action film genre in terms of practical effects and logically coherent action sequences in spite of their complexity7. Although its car-centric approach is different from John Wick's close combat orientation, both movies have a focus on action filmmaking clarity and a hero whose abilities and resolve render him unbeatable in spite of insurmountable odds. Director George Miller's preference for having action in the middle of the frame and keeping clear spatial relationships amid chaos reflects John Wick's doctrine of action visibility.
The Influence of International Cinema
John Wick borrows inspiration from international action traditions, most notably Asian cinema. A number of international movies share its emphasis on action superiority but with a different cultural bent.
Hong Kong action cinema specifically has had an impact on John Wick's filmmaking style. Aside from "The Killer," movies such as "Iron Monkey" and "Master Z" feature the fluid, balletic style that affected Western filmmakers such as the Wachowskis and later Stahelski and Leitch. These movies focus on unobstructed visibility of martial arts movements via wide shots and longer takes, a technique that John Wick adopted apart from the current Hollywood standard of rapid cuts and shaky cam.
French crime film also has DNA with the underworld look of John Wick. "Le Cercle Rouge" (1970), referenced in the search results, offers a chic crime story with measured pacing and a focus on professional criminals and their own moral code. Though less action-oriented than John Wick, its legacy is reflected in the franchise's depiction of a criminal underworld with its own rules and internal logic.
Technical Advancements in Action Cinematography
What really makes John Wick stand out—and what audiences look for in comparable films—is its technical style of capturing action. As mentioned in the search findings, many people enjoy John Wick because it avoids "shaky cam, quick cuts and close-up shots" in preference of action that is "fast-paced but absolutely clear and easy to understand".
Some movies exhibit this dedication to action simplicity. Both the original "The Raid" and its sequel are regularly cited for the same reasons as John Wick when discussing the best fight choreography and cinematography. "Dredd" (2012) also boasts clean, intense action beats that favor viewer understanding over dizzying ferocity.
John Wick: Chapter 4 specifically extended technical limits, with action sequences that director Chad Stahelski created to highlight ingenuity with various weapons, combat techniques, and environments. The rain-soaked Dragon's Breath shotgun sequence, the car chase through the Arc de Triomphe, and the overhead shot of the staircase fight are action filmmaking innovations that other directors will likely be inspired by in the years ahead.
Conclusion: The Continuing Attraction of Stylized Action
The box office success of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the franchise overall has proved the long-term popularity of well-made action movies that value choreography, unobtrusive filming techniques, and interesting world-building. What started out as a relatively modestly budgeted revenge story about a retired hitman killing in response to his dog's murder has expanded into an international phenomenon that has changed the way action movies are made globally.
What unites all the movies listed in this article is their dedication to taking action beyond spectacle and into something close to art—whether in the balletic shootouts of "The Killer," the physically draining realism of "Atomic Blonde," or the technical flair of "Upgrade." These movies understand that action sequences can be used to reveal character, drive plot, and make memorable movies when done with attention and imagination.
For John Wick: Chapter 4 fans looking for similar experiences, the movies covered here provide different points of entry into the realm of stylized action. Some highlight martial arts mastery, others the criminal underworlds, and others experiment with the limits of action filming techniques. They all, though, share John Wick's basic recognition that action pictures can be better than mere disposable entertainment—they can be made with the same quality and attention as any other kind of filmmaking.
As we look to the future of action cinema, the influence of John Wick will likely continue to be felt in films that prioritize choreography over chaos, clarity over confusion, and craftsmanship over quick profits. The gun-fu revolution that began with Hong Kong cinema, evolved through The Matrix, and reached new heights with John Wick has forever changed audience expectations for what action films can achieve.
