If you’re a fan of the heart-pounding, explosive action in Netflix’s hit movie Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, you’re probably craving more high-octane thrills. The 2020 film follows a fearless black market mercenary with nothing to lose as he takes on the most deadly extraction of his career – rescuing the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord.
With Extraction 2 now out on Netflix and delivering even more intense action, you may be wondering what other movies can match its level of non-stop excitement. Well, look no further! We’ve compiled a list of the 18 best action movies like Extraction that are sure to get your adrenaline pumping. From classic ’80s action flicks to modern blockbusters, these films feature daring heroes, ruthless villains, and jaw-dropping stunts.
So grab some popcorn, strap in, and get ready for an action-packed ride as we count down the top movies to watch if you loved Extraction. Let’s dive in!
1. John Wick (2014)
First on our list is the stylish neo-noir action thriller that launched a franchise – John Wick. Keanu Reeves stars as the titular character, a retired hitman seeking vengeance after a group of thugs break into his home, steal his vintage car, and kill his puppy – the last gift from his recently deceased wife.
What follows is an adrenaline-fueled rampage as Wick uncovers a dark underground world and showcases his deadly skills. With exhilarating gun-fu combat, slick cinematography, and world-building that expands with each film, the John Wick movies deliver incredible action on par with Extraction. Once you start, you’ll want to binge the whole series.
| IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
| RT Score | 86% |
| Where to Watch | For rent on Amazon, Apple TV |
2. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
For bone-crunching martial arts action, it doesn’t get much better than the Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption. The plot is simple but effective: an elite squad must fight their way to the top of a high-rise building serving as a safe house for a ruthless drug lord and his army of killers and thugs.
Starring the incredibly talented Iko Uwais, the film features some of the most hard-hitting, intricately choreographed fight scenes ever put on screen. Director Gareth Evans delivers a relentless assault of fists, feet, knives and gunfire that will leave you breathless. A sequel, The Raid 2, amps up the action even further, expanding the scope into a sprawling crime saga.
- IMDb Rating: 7.6
- RT Score: 87%
- Where to Watch: Free w/ Ads on Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi, Vudu
3. Atomic Blonde (2017)
Charlize Theron kicks ass and looks great doing it in the stylish spy thriller Atomic Blonde. Set in Berlin during the Cold War, Theron plays an elite MI6 agent tasked with taking down an espionage ring and recovering a list of double agents.
What sets Atomic Blonde apart is its slick ’80s aesthetic and the raw, visceral action choreography. Theron did many of her own stunts, and her combat prowess is on full display in several bruising, close-quarters fight scenes. A highlight is a 10-minute long-take sequence of Theron fighting her way down a stairwell. If you like the one-woman army vibes of Extraction, Atomic Blonde is a must-watch.
Atomic Blonde
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| IMDb Rating | 6.7 |
| RT Score | 78% |
| Where to Watch | HBO Max |
4. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
This South Korean action thriller stars Won Bin as a mysterious and shady pawnshop owner with a violent past. When the young girl who lives next door is kidnapped by a vicious drug gang, he stops at nothing to save her and take down the criminals.
The Man from Nowhere balances emotional character moments with intense bursts of bloody action. It has a gritty, neo-noir style and some extremely impactful fight scenes that showcase Won Bin’s surprising physicality. The film was a huge hit in South Korea and has gained a cult following internationally. If you want another brooding, one-man-army thriller like Extraction, check this one out.
The Man from Nowhere
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| IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
| RT Score | 100% |
| Where to Watch | Amazon Prime Video |
5. Sicario (2015)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Sicario is a taut, grim thriller about the moral quagmire of the drug war on the US-Mexico border. Emily Blunt stars as an idealistic FBI agent recruited to a shady government task force to take down the leader of a powerful cartel. She soon finds herself in over her head as the mission blurs ethical lines.
While not as action-heavy as Extraction, Sicario still delivers some incredibly tense and hard-hitting set pieces, including an ambush on a desert highway. Blunt is fantastic as the tough, resilient hero, and Benicio del Toro gives a chilling performance as a mysterious operative. Sicario is a smart, uncompromising film that shows the dark realities behind the slick action of movies like Extraction.
Sicario
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| IMDb Rating | 7.6 |
| RT Score | 92% |
| Where to Watch | Showtime, Fubo, DirecTV |
6. Upgrade (2018)
Upgrade is a sci-fi action thriller with some surprisingly gory violence and inventive fight scenes. Set in a near-future world of advanced technology, a mechanic (Logan Marshall-Green) is implanted with an experimental AI chip called STEM after a mugging leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead. STEM gives him superhuman abilities to get bloody vengeance.
The movie has some darkly comedic moments as the hero tries to control his new powers, and the action is fast-paced and brutal. Upgrade also boasts impressive world-building on a budget, immersing you in its grimy cyberpunk setting. It’s a great pick if you like Extraction’s one-man-army angle but want some sci-fi flair.
Upgrade
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| IMDb Rating | 7.5 |
| RT Score | 88% |
| Where to Watch | FuboTV, Showtime |
7. Taken (2008)
“I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” With that iconic line, Liam Neeson cemented his late-career renaissance as an action star in Taken. He plays a former CIA operative who must use his “very particular set of skills” to rescue his daughter from human traffickers in Paris.
Taken kicked off a wave of geri-action thrillers and spawned two sequels. It delivers a straightforward but satisfying story of a father stopping at nothing to save his child. The action scenes are hard-hitting and intense, showing that Neeson can be a very intimidating physical presence. If you enjoy Extraction’s simple premise of an unstoppable hero, Taken is worth a watch.
Taken
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| IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
| RT Score | 58% |
| Where to Watch | Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube |
8. Oldboy (2003)
The South Korean neo-noir action thriller Oldboy is famous for its brutal violence, dark twists and a truly unforgettable hallway fight scene. The film follows a man who is imprisoned in a room for 15 years without knowing the identity of his captor or the reason for his punishment. When he is finally released, he embarks on a quest for revenge while also striking up a romance with a young sushi chef.
Directed by Park Chan-wook, Oldboy is a bleak, stylish and grim tale of vengeance. It’s less action-packed than Extraction but still delivers some hard-hitting, bloody set pieces. The single-take hallway fight is an all-timer, as our hammer-wielding hero takes on a gauntlet of thugs with a mix of intense rage and morbid humor. Be warned that Oldboy has some disturbing subject matter, but it’s a riveting, one-of-a-kind thriller.
Oldboy
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| IMDb Rating | 8.4 |
| RT Score | 81% |
| Where to Watch | Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube |
9. The Night Comes for Us (2018)
Another brutal Indonesian action flick, The Night Comes for Us stars Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim (both from The Raid) as a triad enforcer and his former protégé who betray the criminal organization by sparing a young girl’s life. With the entire underworld out for blood, the heroes must fight through an army of killers to protect the girl.
The Night Comes for Us is a relentless onslaught of over-the-top violence, with some of the most wince-inducing, bone-crunching fights you’ll ever see. Uwais and Taslim are incredible to watch, whether wielding guns, knives, or just their fists and feet. This movie makes the action in Extraction look tame by comparison. It’s a must-see for fans of hardcore action.
The Night Comes for Us
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| IMDb Rating | 7.0 |
| RT Score | 91% |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
10. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
The Mission: Impossible franchise is the gold standard for spy action thrillers, and Fallout is arguably the best installment yet. Tom Cruise once again pushes the limits as Ethan Hunt, facing off against old enemies while trying to recover stolen plutonium cores.
Fallout is a non-stop thrill ride, with jaw-dropping action sequences including a HALO jump, a motorcycle chase through Paris, and Cruise actually piloting a helicopter. The movie delivers a perfect mix of intense stunt work, slick filmmaking and compelling character drama, with Henry Cavill and Rebecca Ferguson as great foils for Cruise. If you want action blockbuster spectacle like Extraction but with a bigger scope and budget, Fallout is top-tier entertainment.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
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| IMDb Rating | 7.7 |
| RT Score | 97% |
| Where to Watch | Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video |
11. The Villainess (2017)
The Villainess is a South Korean action film that grabs you from its opening sequence: a blistering, first-person POV fight scene that feels like a violent video game come to life. The story follows a ruthless assassin who is recruited by South Korea’s intelligence agency after being betrayed by her crime syndicate.
Directed by Jung Byung-gil, The Villainess has a twisty revenge plot and a complex anti-heroine protagonist played by Kim Ok-bin. But it’s the action scenes that make it a must-watch. From sword fights on motorcycles to a climactic bus and car chase, the set pieces are stylish, brutal and thrilling. If you want to see a female assassin kick ass like Chris Hemsworth in Extraction, queue up The Villainess.
The Villainess
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| IMDb Rating | 6.7 |
| RT Score | 88% |
| Where to Watch | Hi-YAH!, Amazon Prime Video |
12. Dredd (2012)
Based on the cult British comic book character Judge Dredd, Dredd is a gritty, violent sci-fi action flick. Karl Urban stars as the helmeted future cop, tasked with taking down a vicious drug lord in a massive slum tower block.
Dredd has a similar premise to The Raid, with the heroes fighting their way up the levels of a criminal-infested building. But it adds some sci-fi flair with futuristic weapons and the reality-altering drug Slo-Mo. The action is extremely bloody and stylized, with Urban’s Dredd as a stoic, one-man army of justice. If you want to see Extraction-level carnage in a comic book setting, Dredd is a blast.
Dredd
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| IMDb Rating | 7.1 |
| RT Score | 79% |
| Where to Watch | Starz, Amazon Prime Video |
13. The Gray Man (2022)
Directed by the Russo Brothers of Marvel fame, The Gray Man is a big-budget spy action thriller in the vein of James Bond or Mission: Impossible. Ryan Gosling stars as a CIA black ops mercenary on the run after uncovering dark agency secrets. Chris Evans chews the scenery as the psychopathic assassin tasked with hunting him down.
With a reported budget of $200 million, The Gray Man delivers slick action set pieces around the globe, from a shootout in Bangkok to a tram chase in Prague. It’s not as gritty as Extraction, but still has some intense fight scenes and a strong cast that also includes Ana de Armas and Billy Bob Thornton. Queue it up if you want to see Gosling as a more suave version of Tyler Rake.
The Gray Man
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| IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
| RT Score | 46% |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
14. Without Remorse (2021)
Another adaptation of a Tom Clancy novel, Without Remorse serves as an origin story for the character of John Clark, previously seen in movies like Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. Michael B. Jordan stars as a Navy SEAL out for revenge after Russian assassins kill his pregnant wife.
While not as well-received as some other Clancy adaptations, Without Remorse still delivers some solid action thrills in the Extraction mold of an elite soldier taking on a small army. Jordan is intense as the single-minded hero, and the supporting cast includes Jamie Bell and Guy Pearce. If you want to see a more serious take on the Extraction formula, Without Remorse is worth a watch.
Without Remorse
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| IMDb Rating | 5.8 |
| RT Score | 44% |
| Where to Watch | Amazon Prime Video |
15. Triple Threat (2019)
Triple Threat is an action fan’s dream team, uniting some of the biggest martial arts stars in the world for a barrage of fight scenes. Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak), Iko Uwais (The Raid) and Tiger Chen (Man of Tai Chi) star as a mercenary team tasked with protecting a billionaire’s daughter from assassins, including Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White.
The plot is pretty basic, but the action is top-notch, with each actor getting moments to show off their signature fighting styles. From gun battles to hand-to-hand brawls, Triple Threat moves at a fast pace and doesn’t skimp on the fists and fury. It’s not as intense as Extraction, but a great showcase for martial arts action.
Triple Threat
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| IMDb Rating | 5.6 |
| RT Score | 67% |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
Here are the final two movies to round out our list of the 18 best action flicks to watch if you loved Extraction:
16. The Foreigner (2017)
Jackie Chan takes on a serious dramatic role in The Foreigner, playing a London businessman and former Vietnam War special forces operator whose teenage daughter is killed in an IRA terrorist attack. He embarks on a revenge mission to find the bombers, using his old combat skills to take on both the terrorists and a government official with IRA ties (Pierce Brosnan).
While less action-heavy than his typical movies, The Foreigner still gives Chan some strong fight scenes to showcase his skills. But this is a darker, more brooding film, with Chan’s character traumatized by loss and focused on bloody justice. It’s a great pick if you want to see a different side of the action icon in a tense Taken-style thriller.
The Foreigner
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| IMDb Rating | 7.0 |
| RT Score | 65% |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
17. Headshot (2016)
Another Indonesian action film starring Iko Uwais, Headshot follows an amnesiac man who washes ashore with a serious head injury. Nursed back to health by a young doctor, he slowly regains his memory and fighting abilities, which come in handy when the hospital is attacked by a ruthless gang hunting for him.
Headshot has a bit more plot than The Raid movies, but still delivers plenty of brutal, bone-crunching action as Uwais takes on rooms full of bad guys. The fights make great use of the hospital location and feature some wince-inducing kills. If you want a action movie with non-stop carnage like Extraction, Headshot is 90 minutes of adrenaline.
Headshot
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| IMDb Rating | 6.4 |
| RT Score | 76% |
| Where to Watch | Hi-YAH!, Amazon Prime Video |
18. Avengement (2019)
Scott Adkins is a prolific B-movie action star, and Avengement might be his best showcase yet. He plays a former boxer turned convict who uses his prison leave to go on a score-settling rampage against the gangsters who landed him in jail. The movie jumps between his violent quest and flashbacks to his brutal time behind bars.
Avengement is a lean, mean British crime thriller with some jaw-dropping fight scenes. Adkins is a human wrecking ball, whether he’s smashing faces in a pub or taking on an entire prison yard of thugs. The movie has a gritty, uncompromising tone and a dark sense of humor, with Adkins chewing the scenery. If you liked Extraction’s one-man-army angle, Avengement delivers the bloody goods.
Avengement
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| IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
| RT Score | 90% |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
That rounds out our list of the 18 best action movies to watch if you’re craving more high-octane thrills after seeing Extraction. From martial arts extravaganzas to gritty crime thrillers to sci-fi shoot-em-ups, these films showcase the best of the action genre.
Whether you want to see Keanu Reeves blast his way through an army of assassins, watch Charlize Theron brutalize bad guys in Berlin, or witness Iko Uwais dismantle a building full of thugs with his fists and feet, these movies have something for every action junkie. And they all capture that same spirit of a tough, one-man army taking on impossible odds that made Extraction such a fun ride.
Thanks for reading, and happy viewing!
