Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by Antoine Blossier, ‘K.O.’ follows former MMA champion Bastien (Ciryl Gane), who works in a salt mine after accidentally killing his opponent in a bout and retiring from the sport. The tragedy happens in front of the latter’s wife Emma (Anne Azoulay) and son Léo (Maleaume Paquin), and haunts Bastien ever since. While he tries to suppress the trauma by burning himself in a menial job and lifestyle, the child Léo follows a darker path while processing his grief. Falling into the clutches of mobsters in Marseille, Léo goes missing and forces Emma to turn to Bastien for help.
Determined to make amends, Bastien sets out on the young man’s trail and crosses paths with police captain Kenza Alaoui (Alice Belaïdi). The two decide to work together as Kenza reveals she is on a mission to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of Marseille’s most brutal gang. The Netflix action thriller has real-life MMA fighter Ciryl step into the shoes of his fictional counterpart, and features realistic yet breathtaking action sequences as a result of the experience and expertise that he brings. If it has managed to tickle your fancy, here is a curated list of films similar to ‘K.O.’ that you may consider watching next.
10. A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
Based on Billy Moore’s eponymous autobiography, ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire tells the story of the British boxer arrested in Thailand on charges of possessing stolen goods and a firearm. During his time at the Klong Prem prison, Billy (Joe Cole) faces the horrors of being incarcerated in a second-world country while battling severe drug addiction. However, he soon manages to become a part of the prison’s Muay Thai team with the help of his new friend, Fame (Pornchanok Mabklang), adapting to a new martial arts style and fighting to survive. Like Bastien in ‘K.O.’, Billy stays away from the ring after his life takes a dark turn, but is forced back in the fight with the stakes being much higher the second time.
9. Close (2019)
‘Close’ revolves around close protection officer Sam Carlson (Noomi Rapace), who is charged with safeguarding Zoe (Sophie Nélisse), the heir to a deceased billionaire business tycoon. During a visit to Morocco to finalize a business deal, Zoe’s safehouse comes under attack by a group of mercenaries. With almost her entire security detail massacred, Zoe is left under the sole protection of Sam, who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. The way Sam protects Zoe in the Vicky Jewson directorial brings to mind what Bastien does for Léo in ‘K.O.’
8. Avengement (2019)
Jesse V. Johnson’s ‘Avengement’ stars Scott Adkins as Cain Burgess, a skilled martial artist who gets pulled into the world of crime after he approaches a loan shark, Lincoln Burgess (Craig Fairbrass), for help to open up a business. Lincoln forces Cain to rob a mark carrying a package for a rival gang in exchange for his help, which soon goes sideways as a lady gets killed in the process. Cain goes to prison, where he is turned into a cold-blooded killer to ensure his own survival. Both Cain and Bastein from ‘K.O.’ start off as professional martial artists, only to begin fighting for real by a twisted turn of fate.
7. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
‘Brawl in Cell Block 99,’ directed by S. Craig Zahler, is about former boxer Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn), who loses his job as an auto mechanic while his marriage is going through a rough patch. Desperate to make things work, he opts to earn money by becoming a drug mule. Law enforcement officials soon catch up with Bradley and his allies, and a violent gunfight ensues. Badly injured, he is captured and thrown in prison, only to continue being blackmailed by the drug kingpin he worked for. While Bastien in ‘K.O.’ dusts off his old skillset to protect the person he is charged with, Bradley learns how to fight in prison and goes the distance to protect the love of his life, his pregnant wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter).
6. Havoc (2025)
Directed by Gareth Evans, ‘Havoc’ explores the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, when a gang of thieves steal a batch of washing machines containing a hidden shipment of cocaine. One of the thieves, Charlie (Justin Cornwell), is the son of a real estate tycoon and mayoral candidate Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker). Lawrence tasks corrupt cop Patrick Walker (Tom Hardy) to keep his son safe, a job that he finds exceedingly difficult with both criminal syndicates and law enforcement officials on his tail. Patrick’s role in locating Charlie and keeping him safe is similar to what Bastien does for Léo in ‘K.O.’
5. Sleepless (2017)
Based on the French film ‘Sleepless Night’ by Frédéric Jardin, Baran bo Odar’s ‘Sleepless’ tells the story of undercover Las Vegas police officer Vincent Downs (Jamie Foxx), who steals a shipment of drugs from the road, infuriating the entrepreneur Stanley Rubino (Dermot Mulroney). Rubino sends his men to kidnap Vincent’s teenage son (Octavius J. Johnson), to goad him to return the stolen products. However, with internal affairs breathing down his neck, Vincent is forced to race against time to save his son and bring the real criminals to justice. The lengths to which Vincent goes to ensure his son’s safety are reminiscent of how Bastien tries to protect Léo in ‘K.O.’
4. Last Seen Alive (2022)
‘Last Seen Alive’ by Brian Goodman follows real estate agent Will Spann (Gerard Butler), whose wife Lisa (Jaimie Alexander) goes missing from a gas station while they are traveling to the latter’s parents’ home. A paranoid Will calls the police but decides to take matters into his own hands rather than patiently waiting for them to solve the mystery. His actions cause law enforcement to turn their heat on him, but Will refuses to stay put until he has ensured the safety of his wife. The protective instinct and the grit to go all the way are what make him and Bastien from ‘K.O.’ similar.
3. Taken (2008)
Pierre Morel’s ‘Taken’ chronicles the attempts of retired CIA officer Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) to rescue his daughter Kimberly (Maggie Grace) after she gets kidnapped while on a holiday in France with her best friend. Kimberly is on the phone with Bryan while she is abducted, which allows the latter to warn the kidnappers of his intent to hunt them down if they do not let his daughter go. As his threat falls on deaf ears, Bryan traverses continents to put his words to action. His efforts mirror Bastien in ‘K.O.’ as they both defy all odds to bring the teenagers depending on them to safety.
2. Safe (2012)
Directed by Boaz Yakin, ‘Safe’ stars Jason Statham as Luke Wright, an ex-cop turned cage fighter who accidentally fails to throw a fixed match. The Russian mob kills his pregnant wife in retaliation, upending his life. A year later, he comes across Mei (Catherine Chan), a young girl pursued by the same mafia, in addition to Chinese gangsters, as well as a group of corrupt police officers in the NYPD.
Mei is a math prodigy who holds a numerical code in her mind, for which the various groups are ready to kill. Her appearance gives Luke a purpose in life, and he decides to protect her at all costs. Luke is driven to keep Mei safe as he is haunted by the death of his own family. A similar drive is experienced by Bastien in ‘K.O.’, who takes it upon himself to keep Léo safe after accidentally killing his father in the fighting ring.
1. Sixty Minutes (2024)
From the mind of Oliver Kienle, ‘Sixty Minutes’ is set around professional MMA fighter Octavio Bergmann’s (Emilio Sakraya) desperate attempt to keep custody of his daughter. On the night of one of his biggest fights, Ocatvio’s opponent is late to the ring. As it coincides with the birthday of his daughter, his former wife threatens to file for sole custody if he fails to turn up at the party within an hour. Deciding to risk it all, Octavio leaves the arena and tears through the city of Berlin, even as violent mobsters attempt to get him to return. Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Sixty Minutes’ and ‘K.O.’, starting from both Octavio and Bastien being MMA fighters. They risk the wrath of multiple dangerous groups, but fight through them all to ensure the safety of their wards.
Read More: Is K.O. a True Story? Is Bastien Based on a Real MMA Fighter?
