Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by Chad Stahelski, ‘John Wick’ stars Keanu Reeves as the titular character, who is also known as the Baba Yaga. Set in a world where all organized crime is controlled by a global syndicate, complete with its own system of currency, John is introduced as a retired killing machine who strikes fear in the heart of the entire underworld. While he is mourning the death of his wife, young sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal his car and kill his dog, which was his wife’s last gift to him. Overcome with a thirst for vengeance, John goes back to his old ways, killing every last person between him and Iosef, even as the latter’s father and John’s former employer, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), puts a bounty on his head. The fast-paced action thriller of 2014 that launched a franchise essentially reinvented how close-contact combat is captured in Hollywood. If you’re on the lookout for movies similar to John Wick to stream on Netflix, the following list of films is sure to help.
9. Upgrade (2018)
Set in 2046, ‘Upgrade’ by Leigh Whannell follows auto mechanic Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), whose wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) works for Coalt, a company that deals with human-computer augmentations.. When an accident takes her life and leaves Grey paralyzed, his client and renowned tech innovator Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) provides Grey with a chip called STEM, a chip installed in the brain that controls motor functions. With its help, Grey hunts down his wife’s killers to take revenge, but also comes across a more sinister plan that has been at work in the shadows. Giving up control of his body to STEM turns Grey into a killing machine, which is reminiscent of ‘John Wick.’ You can watch the movie here.
8. My Name is Vendetta (2022)
‘My Name Is Vendetta’ by Cosimo Gomez is about Sofia Romeo (Ginevra Francesconi), a teenager who disobeys her father, Santo (Alessandro Gassmann), and uploads his photographs on Instagram. Soon afterward, two criminals trace the family back to their home and brutally murder Sofia’s mother and uncle, claiming it’s payback for an old incident. This prompts Sofia to learn the truth of her father’s past and team up with him to take revenge on her mother’s killers. Like ‘John Wick,’ Sofia and Santo fight to avenge their family. Catch up with the film on Netflix.
7. Kate (2021)
Helmed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, ‘Kate’ stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a highly skilled assassin who is at the height of her game. However, after feeling dizzy on a job one night, she realizes that she has been poisoned. She ends up in a hospital, where she learns that she has acute radiation poisoning caused by Polonium-204. Knowing that she only has around 24 hours to live, Kate pumps herself with stimulants and steals a gun to exact revenge for her own murder. While the action thriller mimics ‘John Wick’ with its action and tone, it brings a fresh perspective of the protagonist racing the clock as her own inevitable death approaches. Watch ‘Kate’ on Netflix.
6. Ballerina (2023)
From the mind of Lee Chung-hyun, ‘Ballerina’ revolves around Jang Ok-ju (Jeon Jong-seo), a former bodyguard for VIP clients. When her best friend Choi Min-hee (Park Yu-rim) is forced to take her own life, she makes only one demand of Ok-ju: to take her revenge. Min-hee was victimized by trafficker Choi Pro, who drugged and assaulted her in an unconscious state, as well as filmed the incident to extort her for money. Devastated and furious, Ok-ju sets out determined to put an end to him. Like ‘John Wick,’ the story of ‘Ballerina’ is fuelled by the need for vengeance. You can watch the film here.
5. The Gray Man (2022)
Based on Mark Greaney’s eponymous novel, ‘The Gray Man’ by Anthony and Joe Russo centers around Courtland Gentry, aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling), who uncovers the organization’s dark, hidden secrets while on a job. As he confronts his colleague about the nature of his missions, Sierra Six gets a bounty placed on his head, with mercenaries across the globe attempting to cash in. Leading the group is CIA agent-turned-mercenary Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans). While ‘The Gray Man’ delivers on the action sequences similar to ‘John Wick,’ it changes the underlying reason to trying to escape rather than to hunt. Watch the film here.
4. Extraction (2020)
Marking the feature directorial debut of Sam Hargrave, ‘Extraction’ adapts the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo for the screen. The story is set around Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of a Mumbai gangster who gets kidnapped by one of his family’s sworn rivals. A ransom amount is demanded for his release, which the crime boss fails to acquire from prison on account of having his finances frozen. However, his syndicate understands the gravity of the situation and hires Australian mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth)to rescue the teen. Skilled in all weapons and hand-to-hand combat, Tyler lets loose, much like John Wick, in the foreign land. Catch ‘Extraction’ on Netflix.
3. Polar (2019)
Adapted from the graphic novel ‘Polar: Came From the Cold’ by Víctor Santos, Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Polar’ follows Duncan Vizla, aka The Black Kaiser (Mads Mikkelsen), the world’s top assassin working for the organization Damocles. Approaching his age of retirement, upon which he is owed $8 million, Duncan is forced to accept one last job, which turns out to be a plot to put him down. Backed against a corner, Duncan finds himself returning to his former self and holding nothing back as he goes up against an army of younger and more agile killers. The comeback to the killer ways mirrors the return to the underworld of John Wick in his movie. You can watch ‘Polar’ here.
2. Kill Boksoon (2023)
From the mind of Byun Sung-hyun, ‘Kill Boksoon’ tells the story of Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon), one of the best contract killers working for M. K. Ent with a 100% success rate. A mother to a closeted teenager, Boksoon is in a relationship with a co-worker, Han Hee-Sung (Koo Kyo-hwan). She has the respect of M. K. Ent. CEO Cha Min-Kyu (Sul Kyung-gu), and is despised by his younger sister, Cha Min-Hee (Esom). When the time comes for her contract to be renewed, Boksoon gets assigned a sensitive job that she does not want to take up. ‘Kill Boksoon’ underlines the conflict between the assassin and her organization, which is also explored in ‘John Wick.’ Watch the film here.
1. The Equalizer (2014)
Based on the eponymous TV series from the 1980s, ‘The Equalizer’ by Antoine Fuqua stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former Marine and retired DIA/DCS officer living a quiet life in Boston. He befriends a young sex worker, Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), during his late-night strolls in the neighborhood. When he discovers that she has been manhandled by Russian mobsters, Robert refuses to remain on the sidelines. He comes out of retirement as an avenging angel for the weak and helpless, taking on everyone who preys on them. Like John Wick, Robert gets drawn back into a life of violence after seemingly leaving it behind. Both of them start with avenging one act of brutalism, but it soon spins out of hand as they continue on their personal missions. Watch ‘The Equalizer’ on Netflix.
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