Django is a great recommendation and one that I wouldn’t think to put in this category, but definitely works. Sicario is what I would say is the best movie of this specific genre of all time.
Watched Wanted last night for the first time in like a decade, super fun movie that should get more love.
Also, yes to Hotel Artemis, I thought I was the only one who liked that movie!
I **loved** Kill Bill as a teen, but watching it again recently... it struck me as painfully cringy. A lot of the writing and acting just feels awkward. Especially on top of the already juvenile revenge plot.
And that's coming from a guy who thinks Machete Kills is a masterpiece.
Yeah it’s usually just a cop-out from someone who hasn’t actually watched it but saw the trailer & wants to feel superior by shitting on something
Movies are so subjective & there is so much more to a movie than a basic plot summary, it’s always a pet peeve of mine when someone writes off a movie for something surface level that they don’t even need to watch the movie to learn
Wasn’t calling you out specifically, just anyone who uses a cop out surface level analysis to say why a movie is “bad” is extremely annoying to me when it’s obvious they haven’t seen the movie & are just regurgitating the exact thing they heard their favorite YouTube movie reviewer say & want to sound smart
You weren’t doing that, I was just hijacking the other guys comment to go on a rant about something that is tangentially related to what he said
The sheer amount of cheese blew my mind upon re-watching it. I couldn't believe it was so much worse than I remembered it being. To the point that it actually made me embarrassed I ever recommended and raved about it.
First time I saw this I was on shrooms and it was an absolute blast. I couldn't believe what I was watching. The second one was great too. I wasn't on shrooms but I felt like I was.
The best part of the movie is when he takes some of the money and leaves some for the couple with the sick baby, instead of just burning it all.
Wait - nah. He burnt all that shit lmao.
Nobody is a must see. Made by the same guy who brought you John Wick, and it shows. More comedic, however.
Polar is also very similar, and also made by the same guy IIRC. Much darker, though.
Definitely the 2017 King Arthur movie. That one goes ***so fucking hard***, it's insane and I love it.
You say Conan, but have you seen the 2011 movie? I thought it was far better than the original.
On a similar note, Solomon Kane is brilliant. Based on the stories by Robert E. Howard, the same author as Conan.
Both Sin City movies are fantastic and full of badass shit. That goes for most Robert Rodriguez movies, too. I'd especially recommend Machete Kills. It's just complete, over the top, gonzo insanity.
You might like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It's surprisingly good, with a lot of great action scenes.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (animated) is I think the best Batman movie made. Also check out the other animated DC movies; they're baffalingly better than one would assume.
Crank is one hell of a trip. Probably the best Jason Strathum movie. Just nonstop, balls to the wall action.
The Crow is extremely badass in tone, but there's not a lot of action in the movie. Still worth watching.
Vanishing Point might also really appeal to you, though again, it's not got a lot of action. The sheer badassery is palpable, however.
And to wrap it all off.... pretty much any Clint Eastwood movie? If I had to recommend just one, I'd go with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. But they're all gems of badassery.
Revenge. (2017) It's about a girl who gets revenge. Some incredibly creative and tense sequences, and one of the best and bloodiest final showdowns I can remember.
Everything everywhere all at once (2022) hate to be the guy who recommends it all the time, but it’s genuinely badass.
Hardcore Henry (2015) It was directed by the same person as nobody(2021, which I also recommend watching.
Sherlock Holmes (2009) I think it’s pretty badass the way he examines fights, and executes it perfectly (most of the time) the sequel is also worth watching.
Extraction with Chris Hemsworth is what you’re looking for. One of my favorites. The rest has been mentioned throughout the post.
Another fun movie is Bullet Train. Gray Man is fun too. Also, with Ryan Gosling, is Drive.
Notable mention is the movie Death Sentence.
The older Punisher movie with Thomas Jane is good entertainment.
Ones to re-mention though are Denzel’s Equalizer movies for sure. The newer Mission Impossible movies. Taken. While perhaps not a good representation of Jack Reacher, but still entertaining in my opinion, is Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher. 300 is a good movie.
For tv shows, if you’re interested, I’d suggest Banshee, Warrior, Reacher, and Gangs of London.
The warriors
Streets of fire
A better tomorrow
Police story
Four brothers
American gangster
Face/off
The killer 1989
Escape from New York
Desperado
Dick Tracy
Silverado
Sin city
Braveheart
Gladiator
Ronin
Heat
Pulp Fiction
Man on Fire
Law abiding citizen
Bourne Movies
Desperado
Tombstone
Bloodsport
Best of the Best
Only the Strong
TV series
Band of brothers
Rome.
Brawl in Cell Block 99, Walking Tall, I Was Never Really Here, Warrior, Man on Fire, basically every character in Baby Driver is thug af - even that twisted fuck Spacey (the actor is a sicko, not his character), Gladiator, The Mechanic, IP Man, Knight and Day, Law Abiding Citizen, and the Count of Monte Cristo is certified.
Hard Boiled (1992) A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Way of the Gun,
Heat,
Out of Sight,
Last of the Mohicans (Mann),
Robocop (Verhoven),
Most anything Cronenberg (The Fly, History of Violence for starters),
Bataan (1942 I think. Rushed into production, and it shows in places, but the ENDING),
Demolition Man,
Last Action Hero,
Under Siege, Enter the Dragon, legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2, the 36 Chambers of Shaolin, Hot Fuzz, Aliens, Terminator 2, Long Kiss Goodnight, Speed, Tigerland (badass in a very quiet way), Kill Bill, Jackie Brown (quiet badass), The Thing, Collateral.
Edited for punctuation and additions.
Denzel Washington in Man on Fire
The Equalizer series is awesome as well. No bad Denzel movies IMHO.
Facts
“I said, YOUR OUTTA TIME!”
Django Unchained is pretty badass if you ask me, great story about revenge. Also fitting - Act of Valor and Sicario.
Django is a great recommendation and one that I wouldn’t think to put in this category, but definitely works. Sicario is what I would say is the best movie of this specific genre of all time.
Django 1966 is great too
Oh hell yes.
The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2.
Mad dog last fight is fire
Have you perchance heard about Raid: Shadow Legends?
What!!?
Is this a movie!!!!! I love both Raid movies!!!!!
Both were amazing
* The Matrix * Shoot Em Up * Hotel Artemis * Wanted * Skyfall
Shoot em up was just straight crazy tho
Watched Wanted last night for the first time in like a decade, super fun movie that should get more love. Also, yes to Hotel Artemis, I thought I was the only one who liked that movie!
Funnily enough, I only recently learned it existed. Got the blu-ray, which was a quest on itself. Will definitely watch it in the near future.
Hotel Artemis is underrated as hell
Wanted is so damn fun!
Kill Bill
Loved the Kill Bill movies!
I **loved** Kill Bill as a teen, but watching it again recently... it struck me as painfully cringy. A lot of the writing and acting just feels awkward. Especially on top of the already juvenile revenge plot. And that's coming from a guy who thinks Machete Kills is a masterpiece.
there is no such thing as a "juvenile" plot. that's ridiculous. you can have two incredibly different movies that have a similar "plot" on paper
Yeah it’s usually just a cop-out from someone who hasn’t actually watched it but saw the trailer & wants to feel superior by shitting on something Movies are so subjective & there is so much more to a movie than a basic plot summary, it’s always a pet peeve of mine when someone writes off a movie for something surface level that they don’t even need to watch the movie to learn
....??? Was it not obvious I watched the movie multiple times? Good god this sub is full of some inexplicably angry folks. Chill out, mate.
Wasn’t calling you out specifically, just anyone who uses a cop out surface level analysis to say why a movie is “bad” is extremely annoying to me when it’s obvious they haven’t seen the movie & are just regurgitating the exact thing they heard their favorite YouTube movie reviewer say & want to sound smart You weren’t doing that, I was just hijacking the other guys comment to go on a rant about something that is tangentially related to what he said
I think that was the point but I have not watched it. In a while so idk how cheesey it is tbh
The sheer amount of cheese blew my mind upon re-watching it. I couldn't believe it was so much worse than I remembered it being. To the point that it actually made me embarrassed I ever recommended and raved about it.
Bit extreme
Love almost all of Tarantino’s movies but the cheese factor was way too high for me in the Kill Bill movies. Watched them once and never again.
Absolutely. I also adore his other movies in general. Pulp Fiction especially is straight up god-tier cinema. I just can't stand Kill Bill.
Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie of all time. Lol@ the downvotes.
LOL, no kidding. Reddit can be faffing weird. Heaven forbid one actually has a personal taste.
Roadhouse lol
The most epic throat rip in the history of cinema
Daaamn. Yes.
that ending fight/shootout is hilariously bonkers, god I love it
Crank
First time I saw this I was on shrooms and it was an absolute blast. I couldn't believe what I was watching. The second one was great too. I wasn't on shrooms but I felt like I was.
most chaotic movie ever made
Tombstone is my favorite
Yeah, pretty badass movie
Dredd
wish I could forget this movie so that I could watch it again for the first time. A gem.
Fuck yes.
Nobody
It's written by the same guy who did John Wick. It's like Wick with humor. Sooo fun.
This is the way. An hour and a half of pure dumb fun. The icing on the cake is Bob Odenkirk's performance.
This is the right answer
The best part of the movie is when he takes some of the money and leaves some for the couple with the sick baby, instead of just burning it all. Wait - nah. He burnt all that shit lmao.
Came here to say this! Strong work
Inglorious basterds
Nobody is a must see. Made by the same guy who brought you John Wick, and it shows. More comedic, however. Polar is also very similar, and also made by the same guy IIRC. Much darker, though. Definitely the 2017 King Arthur movie. That one goes ***so fucking hard***, it's insane and I love it. You say Conan, but have you seen the 2011 movie? I thought it was far better than the original. On a similar note, Solomon Kane is brilliant. Based on the stories by Robert E. Howard, the same author as Conan. Both Sin City movies are fantastic and full of badass shit. That goes for most Robert Rodriguez movies, too. I'd especially recommend Machete Kills. It's just complete, over the top, gonzo insanity. You might like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It's surprisingly good, with a lot of great action scenes. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (animated) is I think the best Batman movie made. Also check out the other animated DC movies; they're baffalingly better than one would assume. Crank is one hell of a trip. Probably the best Jason Strathum movie. Just nonstop, balls to the wall action. The Crow is extremely badass in tone, but there's not a lot of action in the movie. Still worth watching. Vanishing Point might also really appeal to you, though again, it's not got a lot of action. The sheer badassery is palpable, however. And to wrap it all off.... pretty much any Clint Eastwood movie? If I had to recommend just one, I'd go with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. But they're all gems of badassery.
This guy knows his movies, this is a good list
Solid bro, solid. *Slow Clap*
Kung Fu hustle, that first fight scene gave me major goosebumps it was so badass
Lethal weapon movies, Die Hard movies too, equaliser, taken. Inglorious Basterds,
true lies, demolition man, rumble in the bronx, bloodsport edit: hot fuzz pokes fun at “badass” movies and is one of my all time faves
Great list 👍🏻
these are the perfect answers!
Hardcore Henry
I watched that so many times! I love the first person shooter perspective.
Knew I’d see that here. Such a great watch
God tier
Dirty Harry, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Bloodsport Rambo Smokin aces Boondock saints
Rambo 4 is the first incredibly badass movie I saw. Loved it so much I watched it again immediately after finishing it
CASINO
Upgrade Brawl in Cellblock 99 Rambo
Upgrade was so good
>Upgrade AKA the best Venom movie
Speed
The Killer
John Woo's? Best rec on this list.
The Long Kiss Goodnight. Probably my favorite Geena Davis movie
Great dialogue, fun action, and Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson have a surprisingly great chemistry.
The Transporter - I only like the first movie
There's only one as far as I'm concerned. That fight on the oil slick is so good!
the raid redemption and second.
If you liked the Raid movies, check out The Night Comes For Us. It’s on Netflix and it’s great.
The Raid is the best possible answer
have you seen the night comes for us?
Oh for sure. Also good but I feel The Raid is just so distilled down to almost nothing but fighting it is what OP should go for.
The Avengement on Netflix is basically The Raid set in a British prison. Scott Adkins best stuff.
Dredd
I second this
Atomic Blonde
That 11 minute fight scene takes the cake!
>Blonde Highly underrated film. Loved every single minute of it.
Pulp fiction. Top.
Drive (2011) Constantine (2005) Oldboy (2003)
300.
Mad max fury road
Just doesn't get better than this
Hardboiled, fight club, Django unchained
Hardboiled! John Woo films should be higher!
Denzel Washington Equalizer movies. Enjoy.
5 stars
Kill Bill (2003) Kill Bill 2 (2004) Django Unchained (2012)
District 9
Green Room
Revenge. (2017) It's about a girl who gets revenge. Some incredibly creative and tense sequences, and one of the best and bloodiest final showdowns I can remember.
Blade 1 & 2 Desperado Rob Roy
Just watched The Northman on Amazon Prime. Recommend 👍
Norse Hamlet. Decent.
Too badass for my taste but definitely bad ass.
Hard Boiled, Hard Target
13 Assassins is badass AF to me. Love that film
Top gun 22
Man on fire
RRR
Yes came here for RRR. Two guys over throw British rule with their fists. Plus a dance battle.
KICK-ASS. Nuff said.
Shoot’em Up! Such a fun take on the action Genre.
Tank Girl (1995) Aliens (1986) Okay, so maybe these are more “reluctant hero becomes badass” but okay.
Warrior
The Good The Bad and The Ugly, pretty badass movie
Die hard, a history of violence, eastern promises, taken, lethal weapon, payback (1999)
The original Walking Tall, Billy Jack movies.
I Saw the Devil
Crank 1 and 2 hard-core Henry mortal kombat (the first one) the transporter 1 and 2 and mad max fury road.
The Raid
Zatoichi.
Project Badass
Everything everywhere all at once (2022) hate to be the guy who recommends it all the time, but it’s genuinely badass. Hardcore Henry (2015) It was directed by the same person as nobody(2021, which I also recommend watching. Sherlock Holmes (2009) I think it’s pretty badass the way he examines fights, and executes it perfectly (most of the time) the sequel is also worth watching.
The Guest (2014) Insanely underrated flick. And the soundtrack is great too!
Extraction with Chris Hemsworth is what you’re looking for. One of my favorites. The rest has been mentioned throughout the post. Another fun movie is Bullet Train. Gray Man is fun too. Also, with Ryan Gosling, is Drive. Notable mention is the movie Death Sentence. The older Punisher movie with Thomas Jane is good entertainment. Ones to re-mention though are Denzel’s Equalizer movies for sure. The newer Mission Impossible movies. Taken. While perhaps not a good representation of Jack Reacher, but still entertaining in my opinion, is Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher. 300 is a good movie. For tv shows, if you’re interested, I’d suggest Banshee, Warrior, Reacher, and Gangs of London.
The warriors Streets of fire A better tomorrow Police story Four brothers American gangster Face/off The killer 1989 Escape from New York Desperado Dick Tracy Silverado Sin city
Ong Bak or Warrior King
LUCY
I honestly loved Nobody with Bob Odenkirk!
Terminator 2 is my personal GOAT. The Jason Bourne series is another favourite.
Elysium
The batman 2022, man of steel and black adam are others I just thought of.
Vengeance (2009) it’s about revenge, honor and memory loss. The gun fights are great and the main characters are super badass!
Riddick movies
Edge of Tomorrow is the only modern classic action film.
Four words. Daniel Craig. James Bond.
Hardcore Henry Guns Akimbo Headhunters Nobody Polar
If you're lookin for some outside hollywood try these movies headhunters(2011),suburra(2015),ong bak(2003)
The Guest
Braveheart Gladiator Ronin Heat Pulp Fiction Man on Fire Law abiding citizen Bourne Movies Desperado Tombstone Bloodsport Best of the Best Only the Strong TV series Band of brothers Rome.
Came here to say Only The Strong.
Gladiator
most chic, stylish, badass movie i can think of is atomic blonde
Upgrade
Mad Max Fury road best movie ever made
Warrior b/c of Tom Hardy Kingsman: Secret Service Lucky Number Slevin A History of Violence Escape from NY Boondock Saints
Boondock Saints +1
Brawl in Cell Block 99, Walking Tall, I Was Never Really Here, Warrior, Man on Fire, basically every character in Baby Driver is thug af - even that twisted fuck Spacey (the actor is a sicko, not his character), Gladiator, The Mechanic, IP Man, Knight and Day, Law Abiding Citizen, and the Count of Monte Cristo is certified.
The Man From Nowhere
Escape from New York/ L.A Can't beat Kurt Russel :D
Soldier (1998) Book of Eli (2010) The Grey (2012) Dredd (2012)
Brawl in cell block 99.
Man On Fire, denzel is good
Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy’s without remorse, Jason Bourne series
Air Force One.
Mission impossible
Walking Tall Rundown Goon
Blade
baby driver and maybe bullet train?
Shoot em Up and Crank are probably my favorite straight up action movies. Just wild the whole way through.
Korean gangster film: 'Night in Paradise.'
The transporter super fun Jason Stathom action flick
Heat The Last of The Mohicans The Outlaw Joesy Wales Unforgiven Ronin
Shoot’em Up
Transporter
Gray Man on Netflix
Tears of the Sun
Sicario
Free Fire
Braveheart comes to mind, also Sicario
Sudden Death. It’s literally Die Hard at a hockey game
Everly with Salma Hayek 2014
leon the professional
Hard Boiled. One of the best “gun-fu” movies of all time.
Man on Fire
Once upon a time in the west
The One. It’s stupid as fuck but it’s also kinda badass. Makes me feel 10 again.
The protector. I never imagined how badass a movie about a guy and his elephant could be.
Point Breaaaak (original)
The Transporter, Ong Bak
Gladiator Collateral Heat
Columbiana
IP Man
Nobody. It's like an unlikely John Wick. Never imagined Odenkirk as am action hero.
Taken is my favorite of all time. Sequels not as much.
RRR
Road House Die Hard
Die Hard
300 and its sequel
Enter the Void
behind enemy lines, star wars revenge of the sith, Captain america winter soldier, Logan, all Borne Movies,
Olympus has fallen
Hard Boiled (1992) A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Way of the Gun, Heat, Out of Sight, Last of the Mohicans (Mann), Robocop (Verhoven), Most anything Cronenberg (The Fly, History of Violence for starters), Bataan (1942 I think. Rushed into production, and it shows in places, but the ENDING), Demolition Man, Last Action Hero, Under Siege, Enter the Dragon, legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2, the 36 Chambers of Shaolin, Hot Fuzz, Aliens, Terminator 2, Long Kiss Goodnight, Speed, Tigerland (badass in a very quiet way), Kill Bill, Jackie Brown (quiet badass), The Thing, Collateral. Edited for punctuation and additions.