Best movies like The Equalizer
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 407000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, suspense, brutal, tense, stylized, suspenseful, captivating, action packed, action thriller
Best tv shows and movies like The Equalizer (2014):
Similar in 89%
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
Plot Summary:
Robert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, Italy
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, suspense, crying, spooky, neo noir
Similar in 85%
Safe (2012)
Plot Summary:
After a former elite agent rescues a 12-year-old Chinese girl who's been abducted, they find themselves in the middle of a standoff between Triads, the Russian Mafia and high-level corrupt New York City politicians and police.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, stylized, fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, captivating, suspense, disturbing, inspirational
Similar in 82%
Killer Elite (2011)
Plot Summary:
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives—Danny, an ex-special ops agent and Hunter, his longtime mentor—against the cunning leader of a secret military society. Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse—where the predators become the prey.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 134000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: UK, Australia, USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, suspenseful, suspense, realistic, action thriller, action packed, captivating, visually appealing, clever
Similar in 78%
Homefront (2013)
Plot Summary:
Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss' son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter,Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy's sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord. His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 128000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, exciting, rough, breathtaking, action thriller, cliffhanger, noir, gothic, cult classic
Similar in 89%
Peppermint (2018)
Plot Summary:
A grieving mother transforms herself into a vigilante following the murders of her husband and daughter, eluding the authorities to deliver her own personal brand of justice.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 70000
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: China, USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: exciting, brutal, neo noir, independent film, psychological, feel good, emotional, hood, fast paced, deep
Similar in 90%
The Punisher (2017)
Plot Summary:
A former Marine out to punish the criminals responsible for his family's murder finds himself ensnared in a military conspiracy.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 258000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 53 min
Plot tags: brutal, exciting, tense, disturbing, suspense, harsh, intense, suspenseful, bloody, humorous
Similar in 81%
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Plot Summary:
Leon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Leon's footsteps.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: neo noir, cult classic, rough, touching, suspenseful, suspense, emotional, tense, dramatic, intense
Similar in 89%
Parker (2013)
Plot Summary:
A thief with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew's latest heist.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 128000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, rough, realistic, neo noir, tense, saga, cult classic, action adventure, crime thriller
Similar in 88%
Safe House (2012)
Plot Summary:
A dangerous CIA renegade resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 233000
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: South Africa, USA, Japan
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspenseful, suspense, intense, tense, serious, realistic, clever, action packed, action thriller
Similar in 84%
Jack Reacher (2012)
Plot Summary:
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: "Get Jack Reacher!" So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 359000
Genere: Action, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspense, detective, suspenseful, serious, clever, intense, realistic, action packed, action adventure
Similar in 88%
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Plot Summary:
With a God-inspired moral obligation to act against evil, twin brothers Conner and Murphy set out to rid Boston of criminals. However, rather than working within the system, these Irish Americans decide to take swift retribution into their own hands.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 247000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: suspense, neo noir, entertaining, independent film, stylized, cult classic, bloody, grindhouse, action packed, dark comedy
Similar in 83%
Man on Fire (2004)
Plot Summary:
Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she's kidnapped he's consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 383000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Switzerland, UK, USA, Mexico
Duration: 146 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, brutal, exciting, emotional, psychological, harsh, rough, bloody, tragic ending
Similar in 79%
The Transporter (2002)
Plot Summary:
Former Special Forces officer, Frank Martin will deliver anything to anyone for the right price, and his no-questions-asked policy puts him in high demand. But when he realizes his latest cargo is alive, it sets in motion a dangerous chain of events. The bound and gagged Lai is being smuggled to France by a shady American businessman, and Frank works to save her as his own illegal activities are uncovered by a French detective.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 317000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, stylized, sexy, entertaining, action packed, suspenseful, realistic, fast paced, action thriller
Similar in 79%
The Punisher (2004)
Plot Summary:
When undercover FBI agent Frank Castle's wife and son are slaughtered, he becomes 'the Punisher' -- a ruthless vigilante willing to go to any length to avenge his family.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 169000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, exciting, stylized, rough, realistic, action packed, brutal, bloody, grindhouse
Similar in 90%
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Plot Summary:
Robert McCall returns to deliver his special brand of vigilante justice -- but how far will he go when it's someone he loves?.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 188000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: suspense, action thriller, action adventure, retro, bloody, cult classic, mind blowing, neo noir, ambiguous ending, surprise ending
Similar in 89%
Taken (2008)
Plot Summary:
While vacationing with a friend in Paris, an American girl is kidnapped by a gang of human traffickers intent on selling her into forced prostitution. Working against the clock, her ex-spy father must pull out all the stops to save her. But with his best years possibly behind him, the job may be more than he can handle.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 625000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, exciting, entertaining, suspense, intense, serious, harsh, fast paced, action packed, action thriller
Similar in 90%
The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Plot Summary:
His only friend called him 'the man from nowhere'... Taesik, a former special agent becomes a loner after losing his wife in a miserable accident and lives a bitter life running a pawnshop. He only has a few customers and a friend named Somi, a little girl next door. As Taesik spends more and more time with Somi, he gets attached to her. Then Somi is kidnapped by a gang, and as Taesik tries to save Somi by becoming deeply associated with the gang his mysterious past is revealed.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 74000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, brutal, exciting, touching, emotional, neo noir, bleak, suspense, harsh
Similar in 89%
Hitman (2007)
Plot Summary:
The best-selling videogame, Hitman, roars to life with both barrels blazing in this hardcore action-thriller starring Timothy Olyphant. A genetically engineered assassin with deadly aim, known only as "Agent 47" eliminates strategic targets for a top-secret organization. But when he's double-crossed, the hunter becomes the prey as 47 finds himself in a life-or-death game of international intrigue.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 176000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: France, USA, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, action packed, stylized, fast paced, suspenseful, breathtaking, bloody, realistic, emotional
Similar in 90%
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)
Plot Summary:
Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, France, Bulgaria, Germany
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, entertaining, romantic, scenic, perverse, action adventure
Similar in 83%
The Mechanic (2011)
Plot Summary:
Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when he is ordered to take out his mentor and close friend Harry, Bishop is anything but detached.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 169000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: clever, stylized, brutal, tense, suspense, action packed, exciting, rough, serious, realistic
Similar in 89%
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Plot Summary:
John Wick is on the run for two reasons… he’s being hunted for a global $14 million dollar open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule: taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. The victim was a member of the High Table who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental’s manager, Winston, has given him a one-hour grace period before he’s “Excommunicado” – membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 413000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: brutal, exciting, tense, suspense, harsh, action adventure, psychological, intellectual, epic, entertaining
Similar in 76%
The Accountant (2016)
Plot Summary:
As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 313000
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: suspense, surprise ending, tense, suspenseful, intense, clever, action thriller, crime thriller, neo noir, psychological
Similar in 85%
Sicario (2015)
Plot Summary:
A young female FBI agent joins a secret CIA operation to take down a Mexican cartel boss, a job that ends up pushing her ethical and moral values to the limit.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 462000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico, Hong Kong
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, serious, tense, neo noir, enigmatic, brutal, harsh, bleak, atmospheric
Similar in 83%
John Wick (2014)
Plot Summary:
Ex-hitman John Wick comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 722000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, China
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, neo noir, serious, brutal, entertaining, suspense, action thriller, rough, cult classic
Similar in 76%
Collateral (2004)
Plot Summary:
Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 426000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: neo noir, clever, tense, suspense, suspenseful, atmospheric, psychological, breathtaking, dark, action packed
Similar in 80%
Training Day (2001)
Plot Summary:
On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 463000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, realistic, harsh, suspense, hood, detective, crime thriller, psychological, clever
Similar in 78%
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Plot Summary:
A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 314000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: twist ending, suspense, psychological, surprise ending, clever, tense, serious, exciting, brutal, rough
Similar in 82%
Wrath of Man (2021)
Plot Summary:
A cold and mysterious new security guard for a Los Angeles cash truck company surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman's ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 200000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, humorous, psychological, exciting, hood, crime drama, perverse, cult classic, action thriller, mind blowing
Similar in 77%
Nobody (2021)
Plot Summary:
Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a "nobody." When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch's unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 312000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan, China
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: brutal, suspense, action thriller, funny, entertaining, suspenseful, bloody, slasher, hood, anamorphic
Similar in 82%
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Plot Summary:
John Wick is forced out of retirement by a former associate looking to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to aid him, Wick travels to Rome and does battle against some of the world’s most dangerous killers.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 498000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, Italy, Hong Kong, Canada
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: brutal, suspense, bloody, exciting, tense, neo noir, entertaining, realistic, stylized, scenic