10 Best Action Movies If You Love The Reacher TV Show

Reacher‘s third season has just drawn to a close, and plenty of viewers are in agreement that it was the show’s strongest outing yet. Not only did the season further develop all the compelling character dynamics from previous episodes, but it also raised the stakes in ways that most shows wouldn’t dare save for their third series. Reacher season 3 clearly surpassed expectations, and it’s left many audiences looking for another gripping action project to fill that hole.

Thankfully, there are plenty of great movies from the past few decades that either directly inspired Reacher or just sit comfortably in the same genre. There’s been a clear increase in dynamic, ultra-stylized action movies in recent years that Reacher shares many similarities with, but the show also has a very grounded story that places its characters above all else. That’s exactly why Reacher season 3 worked so well, but it’s certainly not the only project to do that.

10

The Equalizer (2014)

Directed By Antoine Fuqua

The Equalizer (2014) - Poster - Denzel Washington With A Rifle

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The Equalizer

R

Thriller

Action

Crime

12

9.3/10

Release Date

September 24, 2014

Runtime

132 Minutes

Cast

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    Denzel Washington

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The Equalizer is the first movie in Antoine Fuqua’s acclaimed action trilogy, following Denzel Washington’s protagonist Robert McCall as he tracks down a group of criminals to save a young girl he suspects is in danger. The film is brimming with sharp action sequences and engaging characters that elevate it beyond the sum of its parts, with Fuqua’s screenplay exploring such potent themes as power, selflessness, and masculinity in fascinating ways. While audiences can argue about which of the sequels (if any) lives up to the heights of this first movie, nothing can take away from this action spectacle.

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher and Maria Sten as Frances Neagley in Reacher

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In Reacher season 3’s finale, Maria Sten’s Neagley not only steals Jack Reacher’s best line from the book but also surprisingly makes it sound better.

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9

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Directed By Doug Liman

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The Bourne Identity

PG-13

Mystery

Thriller

Action

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10/10

9.5/10

Release Date

June 14, 2002

Runtime

119 minutes

Cast

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    Chris Cooper

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The Jason Bourne franchise is another one of the most influential action series in recent memory, and The Bourne Identity is where everything started. It may not strictly be the best Jason Bourne movie, but it’s certainly the best place for newcomers to start. Its storytelling is also the most similar to Reacher‘s, blending high-stakes espionage with grounded character work that refrains from keeping the audience at a distance. Bourne is such an easy figure to relate to, and he shares many of the stoic values that make Reacher such a compelling protagonist.

8

Jack Reacher (2012)

Directed By Christopher McQuarrie

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Jack Reacher

PG-13

Action

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

7/10

11

8/10

Release Date

December 21, 2012

Runtime

2h 10m

Cast

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    Tom Cruise

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Ultimately, those who are enjoying Reacher shouldn’t have to look much further than Christopher McQuarrie’s cinematic adaptation of the books for something to scratch the same itch. While the picture is widely considered less creative and more saturated than Amazon’s hit series, it’s still a brilliant action movie that features one of Tom Cruise’s most charming performances ever. The film is a loyal adaptation of One Shot, the ninth book in Lee Child’s series of novels and widely considered one of the most engaging.

7

London Has Fallen (2016)

Directed By Babak Najafi

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London Has Fallen

R

Action

Thriller

Crime

ScreenRant logo

4/10

Release Date

March 4, 2016

Runtime

99minutes

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    Radha Mitchell

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Robert Forster

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While London Has Fallen may have a bad reputation compared to the other entries in this franchise, it’s certainly one of the most ambitious action films in recent years — also very similar to Child’s high-stakes storytelling in the Jack Reacher books. The film centers around a Secret Service agent named Mike Banning who is responsible for safely escorting the world’s leaders away from a terrorist attack at the funeral of the British Prime Minister. The so-called Has Fallen franchise has an undeniable problem with its villains, but this entry mostly overcomes that challenge with Alon Moni Aboutboul’s memorable antagonist.

6

The Accountant (2016)

Directed By Gavin O’Connor

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The Accountant

R

Action

Crime

Drama

ScreenRant logo

6/10

18

8.9/10

Release Date

October 14, 2016

Runtime

128 Minutes

Cast

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    Ben Affleck

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    Anna Kendrick

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Ben Affleck’s The Accountant is rarely in the discussion as one of the best action movies in recent history, but it certainly deserves to be. This film is overflowing with style and confidence that really makes the story work despite a few hiccups and plot conveniences along the way. The narrative centers around Affleck’s protagonist Christian Wolff, a shady accountant who works alongside many criminal organizations to manipulate their financial records and keep the police at bay. However, when law enforcement finally realizes what he’s doing, Wolff is forced to take a legitimate client to throw off their scent.

5

Taken (2008)

Directed By Pierre Morel

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Taken

PG-13

Thriller

Action

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9.1/10

Release Date

January 30, 2009

Runtime

90 minutes

Cast

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    Liam Neeson

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Taken is an undisputed classic of the action genre, and for good reason. Though its story is fairly simple and doesn’t take as many risks as projects like Reacher, it uses this simplicity to its advantage by constantly placing the characters above the plot. There’s a reason that Liam Neeson’s protagonist from Taken is so iconic: Pierre Morel’s screenplay does an excellent job of letting the audience into his head, and the action sequences help to characterize him as somebody who will go to any lengths to protect the people he loves.

4

Nobody (2021)

Directed By Ilya Naishuller

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Nobody

R

Action

Drama

Crime

ScreenRant logo

5/10

8/10

Release Date

March 26, 2021

Runtime

92minutes

Cast

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    Paisley Cadorath

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    J.P. Manoux

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Nobody was a huge success upon its release in 2021, and the upcoming Nobody 2 likely means this franchise will only become more and more popular in the years to come. This violent action spectacle follows Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell, an ordinary family man whose home is broken into by thieves and who later finds himself embroiled in a blood feud with a dangerous crime syndicate. It borrows plenty of storytelling aspects from other revenge thrillers like John Wick and Taken but stands out from the crowd thanks to its incredibly dynamic visuals and Odenkirk’s relentlessly devoted lead performance.

3

Extraction (2020)

Directed By Sam Hargrave

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Extraction

R

Action

ScreenRant logo

5/10

Release Date

April 24, 2020

Runtime

117 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Golshifteh Farahani

    Golshifteh Farahani

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Rudhraksh Jaiswal

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While much of Chris Hemsworth’s time has been taken up by the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the late 2000s, Extraction is proof that the actor knows exactly how to choose his projects whenever he gets free time. This fierce action thriller tells the story of ruthless mercenary Tyler Rake, who is hired to retrieve the teenage son of an Indian crime lord from his captors in Bangladesh. However, things quickly turn south upon Rake’s arrival in the country, and he’s forced to fight his way out with the young boy at his side.

2

John Wick (2014)

Directed By Chad Stahelski

John Wick 1 Movie Poster

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John Wick

R

Thriller

Action

ScreenRant logo

7/10

50

9/10

Release Date

October 24, 2014

Runtime

101 Minutes

Cast

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    Keanu Reeves

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Arguably the most successful action movie of the previous decade, John Wick spawned a whole new subgenre of grounded revenge thrillers that have become incredibly popular in the years since. While this original film is rarely considered the best John Wick movie, it’s the birthplace of everything that made the later sequels so memorable. Much like Reacher, the film takes a relatively ordinary character and uses creative fight scenes and well-plotted storytelling to slowly reveal the extent of his combat skills to the audience, subverting the everyman stereotype at every turn.

1

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Directed By Christopher McQuarrie

Mission Impossible Fallout Movie Poster

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Mission: Impossible – Fallout

pg-13

Action

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

13

8.4/10

Release Date

July 25, 2018

Runtime

148 Minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Tom Cruise In The UK premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’ Part One

    Tom Cruise

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    Rebecca Ferguson

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While audiences will likely never be of one mind regarding which of the Mission: Impossible film is truly the best, Fallout is certainly the sequel that most frequently finds itself ranked at the top of the ladder. This movie represents everything that’s so beloved about Mission: Impossible, from the breathtaking stunts to the poignant character arcs, and it feels like a true reward for those longtime fans who’ve stuck with this story since the very beginning.

The narrative of Mission: Impossible – Fallout takes Tom Cruise’s iconic Ethan Hunt on a dangerous journey across the globe to foil the plans of an international terrorist cell that seeks to detonate three nuclear warheads in three major cities. It features the highest stakes of any Mission: Impossible movie, but somehow also manages to feel the most grounded, using these characters’ selflessness and dedication to survival as an emotional tool that rewards their development throughout the series. Cruise may not have been the perfect candidate for Jack Reacher — that honor goes to Reacher‘s Alan Ritchson — but he’s certainly the perfect Ethan Hunt.

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Reacher

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

Action

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

464

9.2/10

Release Date

February 3, 2022

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

Nick Santora

Directors

Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent

Writers

Cait Duffy

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Alan Ritchson In The New York Premiere of Lionsgate's 'Ordinary Angels'

    Alan Ritchson

    Jack Reacher

  • Headshot Of Maria Sten

    Maria Sten

    Frances Neagley

Franchise(s)

Jack Reacher

Creator(s)

Nick Santora

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