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About The Equalizer
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. It was released in the year 2014.
The Equalizer is one of the many great action movies like John Wick. It focuses on a former U.S. Marine turned DIA intelligence officer who returns to action to protect a teenage prostitute from the Russian mob.
After a recent re-watch I began to think of other movies like The Equalizer who fans of vigilante and assassin films would enjoy. Let us know if you've seen any of these.
1. Hitman (2007)
Directed by Xavier Gens, Hitman stars Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, and Olga Kurylenko. It was released in the year 2007.
Hitman is about a professional Hitman turned assassin who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy which sees him on the run from Interpol and the agency he works for.
2. Extraction (2020)
Directed by Sam Hargrave, Extraction stars Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyuli, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi, and David Harbour. It was released in the year 2020.
Extraction is about an Aussie black ops operative who’s sent on a mission to save the son of an Indian crime lord. However, when he’s double crossed, the storyline spirals out of control.
3. Wrath of Man (2021)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Wrath of Man stars Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Laz Alonso, Paul Eagle, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei, Eddie Marsan, and Scott Eastwood. It was released in the year 2021.
Wrath of Man follows cash truck driver H who thwarts a robbery and whose violent past is gradually revealed. Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds.
4. Crank (2006)
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Crank stars Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam. It was released in the year 2006.
Crank follows Chev Chelios who is poisoned by the mafia and will die if his heartbeat beats too slow. So what follows is a nonstop thrill ride where Chev must do anything to keep his adrenaline pumping.
5. Collateral (2004)
Directed by Michael Mann, Collateral stars Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, and Bruce McGill. It was released in the year 2004.
Collateral is about a taxi driver named Max whose passenger, Vincent, is on a mission to assassinate a long list of people. Max summons the courage to take on Vincent in a game of wits.
6. Peppermint (2018)
Directed by Pierre Morel, Peppermint is a vigilante action movie starring Jennifer Garner, John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba, and Tyson Ritter. It was released in the year 2018.
Peppermint is probably the closest a movie can get to being The Punisher without actually being The Punisher or remotely linked to Marvel Studios. The story focuses on Riley, a woman whose family is killed by a gang, which then sends her on a vigilante crusade to get justice for her dead husband and dead daughter.
7. American Assassin (2017)
Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin stars Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar, David Suchet, Navid Negahban, Scott Adkins, and Taylor Kitsch. It was released in the year 2017.
American Assassin is a complicated film about main character, Mitch, whose girlfriend dies in a terrorist attack. So, in a convoluted plan to put an end to terrorism, he joins the CIA and that’s when things start to get interesting.
8. John Wick (2014)
Written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Willem Dafoe. It was released in the year 2014.
John Wick is about a legendary hitman (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) who is forced out of retirement when the son of a mob boss and his men invade his home and kill his puppy. A puppy who was the last present to him from his now deceased wife. What starts next is a one-man vendetta against the entire mob and its action scenes are second to no film in recent memory.
9. Nobody (2021)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd. It was released in the year 2021.
Nobody is about an average family man who returns to a life of crime after his house is robbed and this puts him on the hit list of a local crime lord.
10. Predestination (2014)
Written and directed by The Spierig Brothers, Predestination stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, and Madeleine West. It was released in the year 2014.
Predestination is based on a short science fiction story written by Robert A. Heinlein called “All You Zombies.” Predestination follows a temporal agent who is sent back in time to prevent a bombing in New York in 1975. The hunt for the bomber, however, quickly spirals out of control. This movie deals heavily with the concept of predestination paradoxes.
11. The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 2 in the second film in The Equalizer franchise and stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. It was released in the year 2018.
The Equalizer 2 continues the story of Robert McCall who is now working as a Lyft driver whilst continuing to help the less fortunate in his community. However, when Robert's former partner and DIA officer Dave York is investigating a murder suicide, Robert quickly becomes involved when he's targeted during a mercenary's botched assassination attempt.
12. Taken (2008)
Directed by Pierre Morel, Taken stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Katie Cassidy, Leland Orser, and Holly Valance. It was released in the year 2008.
Taken is about an ex-Secret Service agent whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers and will do anything he can to get her back. Even if it means kicking the butts of every man in Paris to get to her.
13. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 2 stars Keanu Reeves, Common? Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Lance Reddick, Peter Stormare, Bridget Moynahan, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane. It was released in the year 2017.
John Wick: Chapter 2 continues the saga of retired hitman John Wick. This time around he’s forced back into his old life to fulfill a blood oath to crime lord Santino D’Antonio. Like the first John Wick, this is a nonstop adrenaline ride.
14. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Directed by Doug Liman, The Bourne Identity stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente. Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. It was released in the year 2002.
The Bourne Identity follows a man suffering amnesia who gradually begins to piece back together his identity. An identity which is revealed as Jason Bourne who is intrinsically linked to a conspiracy unfolding within the CIA. This is basically Matt Damon at his very best.
15. The Transporter (2002)
Directed by Cory Yuen, The Transporter stars Jason Statham, Shu Qi, François Berléand, Matt Schulze and Ric Young. It was released in the year 2002.
The Transporter is about a man named Frank Martin, a former special operations solder who now works as a driver/mercenary in southern France under the callsign, "The Transporter." When delivering a package he discovers that the package is a woman but delivers her to her destination. When he receives payment in the form of a suitcase and the suitcase blows up -- is where things get really interesting.
16. Inside Man (2006)
Directed by Spike Lee, Inside Man stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It was released in the year 2006.
Inside Man is about an elaborate Wall Street bank heist which is set within a 24 hour period. It focuses on an NYPD hostage negotiator, the mastermind of the bank heist and a Manhattan fixer who becomes involved at the request of the bank's founder. What makes this film so re-watchable is Spike Lee's careful orchestration of telling the story through the perspectives of those four main characters.
17. Déjà Vu (2006)
Directed by Tony Scott, Déjà Vu is a science fiction action movie starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg and Jim Caviezel. It was released in the year 2006.
Déjà Vu is about an ATF agent who travels back in time to prevent a terrorist attack but things are made complicated when he also has his own agenda: to save the woman he fell in love with who died in that same attack.
18. Cold Pursuit (2019)
Directed by Hans Petter Moland, Cold Pursuit stars Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, Emmy Rossum, Domenick Lombardozzi, Julia Jones, John Doman and Laura Dern. It was released in the year 2019.
When snowplow driver Nels Coxman's son dies from a forced heroin overdose he soon learns that he was murdered by a Denver drug cartel. Exacting vigilante justice with his wits, brute force and a sawn-off rifle, Nels decides to take on the cartel as a one-man justice machine.
19. I Am Wrath (2016)
Directed by Chuck Russell, I Am Wrath stars John Travolta, Christopher Meloni, Sam Trammell, Amanda Schull, Patrick St. Esprit, Rebecca De Mornay and Luis Da Silva. It was released in the year 2016.
I Am Wrath focuses on John Travolta's character Stanley Hill whose wife is stabbed and when he identifies the killer in a lineup the corrupt cops let him go. This turns Stanley into a one-man wrecking crew as he plans to get justice for his wife.
20. The Man From Nowhere (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom, The Man from Nowhere stars Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron. It was released in the year 2010.
The Man from Nowhere is about a mysterious man embarks on a bloody rampage when the only person who seems to understand him is kidnapped.
21. Payback (1999)
Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland, Payback stars Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello and David Paymer. It was released in the year 1999.
Payback is about Porter, a former U.S. marine and thief, who gets shot and screwed over for $70,000. The movie starts with Porter getting operated on, presumably after he's been shot, who then decides to track down all those who are responsible for betraying him. Friends and foe alike.
22. Transporter 2 (2005)
Directed by Louis Leterrier, Transporter 2 stars Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, François Berléand, Matthew Modine and Jason Flemyng. It was released in the year 2005.
Transporter 2 sees Frank Martin relocate from southern France to Miami, Florida. Now in Miami, he's a chauffeur for a wealthy family and bonds with their son, Jack. However, when there's a plan to kidnap Jack, Frank taps into his special forces training to do everything he can to keep him safe.
23. Man on Fire (2004)
Directed by Tony Scott, Man on Fire stars Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Rachel Ticotin and Mickey Rourke. It was released in the year 2004.
Man on Fire is about an ex-CIA officer turned bodyguard who is out for revenge after his charge, nine-year-old Lupita is abducted in Mexico City.
24. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane. It was released in the year 2019.
John Wick 3 depicts the fallout of John Wick killing an international crime lord. With a price out on his head he undergoes this epic quest to find out how he can get the bounty on his head removed. All the while he fends off every dangerous assassin charged with killing him.
25. Seeking Justice (2012)
Directed by Roger Donaldson, Seeking Justice stars Nicolas Cage, January Jones, Harold Perrineau, Jennifer Carpenter, Xander Berkeley and Guy Pearce. It was released in the year 2012.
Seeking Justice centers on Will Gerard (portrayed by Nicolas Cage) who is approached by a Stranger after Will's wife is raped and the perpetrator can't be found. The Stranger says he represents an organisation who can get justice for Will and his wife outside the usual rules of the law. However, when the rapist is caught and ends up murdered, Will begins to realise he's in too deep.
What did you think of this list of Movies like The Equalizer?
Are any of these films part of your collection or saved as your favorites?
Let us know in the comments.
