In 2014, the main antagonist of John Wick was not so much the head of the Russian mafia, but the constantly growing Marvel machine that conquered the whole world. John Wick, for its part, did not try to entertain its audience every second of the running time, but told a rather dramatic story and created its own style. The film was handled by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski – the main stuntmen and directors of the action scenes of the famous Matrix, and they were able to stage combat scenes that really harmonized with the story. Every fight feels tough and realistic. And although in the future parts, John Wick is already more like a superhero, but the direction in which he moved aroused the interest of moviegoers, and today we will try to highlight a dozen films that were inspired by John Wick, and also served as its inspiration.

1. Bullet Train (2022)

Few things are more like a David Leitch movie than another David Leitch movie.

At the head of the story is a professional hired killer nicknamed Ladybug, who accepts a new assignment in Japan on the instructions of his curator. He boards an innovative high-speed train traveling from Tokyo to Morioka to track down and steal a mysterious suitcase, but faces difficulties.

As it soon turns out, in addition to him, there are several cold-blooded killers on the train with a similar goal, which turns the trip into an extreme, non-stop slaughter.

2. The Raid (2011)

The quintessence of the action genre, the plot here is exactly as much as is needed to justify the events taking place on the screen.

A team of special forces is sent with the task of arresting one of the leaders of the drug syndicate. He turned a high-rise building in a poor neighborhood into his personal fortress. The operation fails, and the fighters find themselves in a multi-story trap, where thugs armed to the teeth await them at every corner.

The movie is worth watching because of the stunning fight scenes, in the filming of which not only actors, but real masters of oriental martial arts, took part and the main character Iko Uwais is actually the champion of Indonesia in Pencak Silat, a type of oriental martial arts.

3. Atomic Blonde (2017)

This is another film by John Wick’s father, David Leitch. The film takes itself much more seriously than an ordinary action film, giving a glimpse of espionage intrigues on the territory of the incredibly stylish Berlin of the late eighties.

Lorraine Broughton is the most skilled agent of the British secret services. A bright and attractive beauty has a decent arsenal of skills and abilities for the most difficult tasks. She needs to find and return an important file that is located in Berlin. The heroine meets agent David Percival, who works undercover, to complete the task together.

4. Kate (2021)

The first film on our list is made by media giant Netflix. Kate, a professional killer, works with curator Varrick, who has raised her since childhood. In Osaka, a girl agrees to eliminate a mysterious target, but soon realizes that the client wants her to kill a teenage girl, Ani.

Unwilling to complete the assignment, Kate heads to Tokyo and prepares for another assignment that will help restore her reputation. Before an important event, Kate meets a handsome stranger in a bar, but the next day she faints during a task. Waking up in the hospital, the killer learns that she has been poisoned and has 24 hours to live. Kate sets out to find out who decided to get rid of her and why.

5. Equilibrium (2002)

A time-tested dystopian story, not too complicated to draw the viewer’s attention, but deep enough to reflect on the importance of empathy in society in between, without exaggeration, unique battles.

In the future, humanity is under the constant control of the Tetragrammaton organization. Every citizen is given a substance that dulls emotions. This is the only way to guarantee the survival of humanity, which almost destroyed itself in the last war.

Those who want to feel feelings are mercilessly hunted. Clerics became the best fighters of the new world, perfectly trained killing machines. Coincidentally, one of them, John Preston, begins to feel emotions and does not want to return to the gray everyday life under the influence of the drug. But for this he will have to destroy the whole system.

6. Nobody (2021)

The most controversial film in our selection. The screenplay, written by Derek Kolstad, the screenwriter of all parts of John Wick, tells the story of a former hit man, but this time the approach is radically different.

Hutch is a boring man with a boring life. Every day is the same: office work, city bus and quiet evenings with the family. But Hutch’s measured everyday life is disturbed by the intrusion of two inexperienced robbers. The man doesn’t even try to resist: he wants to “minimize the damage.” But very soon his patience will come to an end.

Standing up for a girl he didn’t know on the bus, Hutch maims a whole bunch of young thugs. One of them turns out to be the brother of the merciless gangster Yulian Kuznetsov, the bodyguard of the money of the Russian mafia. Kuznetsov announces a hunt for Hutch, who will have to return to his mysterious past and take up arms again.

7. Drive (2011)

This is the second film on our list in which the story is more important than the action, and even a few words about the battles may turn out to be critical spoilers. Drive first debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and combines haunting melancholy with fast and brutal combat.

A first-class racer from Los Angeles (Ryan Gosling) works as a stuntman on film sets during the day. He loves risk and adores speed. At night, he plays a dangerous game related to crime and big money, works as a driver for bandits, steals cars.

The scheme is well-established and reliable, however, everything changes at one point, when a not very safe contract appears in his life. The main character is left alone, he has a lot of dirty money in his hands, there are only problems around him, and a considerable price is announced for his life.

Will the professional racer be able to save his life and the life of his beautiful neighbor, who ended up with him in a dangerous race?

8. Deadpool 2 (2018)

Let’s move on with the filmography of David Leitch. The realistic fight choreography only benefited Deadpool.

Wade Wilson endured a battle with an incurable disease and with the villain Ajax, who, taking advantage of people’s hopelessness, changed them and sold them into slavery. However, instead he gave superpowers. They helped Wade in a new image and under a new name – Deadpool – to win and reunite with his beloved. But now other challenges and deadly battles await him. After all, the life of superheroes cannot be simple and boring…

9. Blade (1998)

Yes, good old Wesley Snipes as a vampire hunter. Where else would you find a reason to return to him? Of course, it is difficult to talk about realism in a film about the extermination of New York vampires with a katana. If I may, I would put “Blade” next to the third part of John Wick.

The hero of the film, Blade, is a half-human, half-vampire who takes revenge on blood vampires for the death of his mother, who was bitten by them during pregnancy.

10. Wrath of Man (2021)

Rounding off our selection is director Guy Ritchie’s latest film with the man of many trades, Jason Statham. This film is the only one in our selection that does not take from John Wick the style of combat scenes, or complex combat choreography, but leaves too similar feelings after watching it.

The taciturn and determined English gentleman Hill is obsessed with the desire to establish justice. It is important for him to identify the customers and perpetrators of a series of robberies. The culprits, no matter how they try to hide, will definitely feel Hill’s wrath and his ability to take revenge.

We hope you found something interesting for yourself and will be able to spend your time with pleasure. Stay with us, let’s talk more about cinema.