10 Greatest One-Person Army Action Movies To Watch If You Love John Wick

Action movies take many different forms, from epic adventures to buddy cop comedies. Others focus on a single person conquering impossible odds, taking on anyone foolish enough to stand in their way. The protagonists in these movies are often portrayed as a one-person army of sorts, a loving term bestowed on some of the greatest action stars in cinema.

One-person armies have existed in movies for decades, and the archetype has changed dramatically over time. The 80s and 90s, in particular, are responsible for legendary characters, including John Matrix and Rambo. One of the most well-known and stylish in modern movies is Keanu Reeves' portrayal of John Wick. He's the Baba Yaga, and so formidable that he's the one you would send to kill the boogeyman.

John Wick's journey already spans four movies with another in the works. Fortunately, there are plenty of other fantastic options if you enjoy one-person army action movies. Fans will likely know the heavy-hitters in the subgenre, but there are certainly a few that may have slipped under the radar for casual moviegoers.

Many action movies feature a powerful protagonist or a hero skilled at fighting, but the films in this list all feature similarities to John Wick. Whether those similarities are in combat style or motivations, here's a selection of one-person army movies fans of John Wick are sure to enjoy.

10 Commando (1985)

We can't talk about one-person army movies without mentioning Commando. The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Matrix, a retired special forces operative. He's out of the game, but forced back into the fray when a former colleague, Bennett (Vernon Wells), kidnaps his daughter.

Bennett threatens to kill Matrix's daughter unless he completes a mission with a high-value target. His quest becomes a frantic race against time to rescue his daughter and put an end to Bennett's plan. The movie is full of impossible action set pieces and absurd but brilliant one-liners.

Commando is special because it feels like a blueprint for one-person army movies in many ways. The 80s and early 90s were full of classics using a similar format, but Commando is endlessly quotable, featuring Schwarzenegger doing what he does best.

9 Taken (2008)

The original Taken became a phenomenon in the 2000s, cementing Liam Neeson as an action movie star and household name. Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a highly-trained former CIA agent. His family sees him as an overprotective father, but he springs into action when his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), is kidnapped on holiday.

The movie follows Bryan on a somber globe-trotting adventure as he uses his special set of skills to track down his daughter's kidnappers. He's absolutely a one-person army, though his plight feels far more grounded than many on this list.

The original Taken is an intense action movie, but one with a great emotional heart to it. The idea of a loved one going missing on holiday is a relatable fear, and the movie does not shy away from the grisly implications of such a horrific situation.

8 The Equalizer (2014)

The Equalizer is a gritty crime thriller with a one-person army story at its core. Denzel Washington stars as Robert McCall. He's a man with a mysterious past, living a humble life working at a hardware store.

Robert befriends a young woman, Alice (Chloë Grace Moretz), and he springs into action when a group of gangsters hurts her. Robert is a unique protagonist because he looks so unassuming. The gangsters make the mistake of underestimating him with deadly consequences.

The Equalizer is an intense action movie and similar to Taken in many ways. Washington is exceptionally cool because he's so calm in the face of danger, and the 2014 movie started an entire franchise that's still going strong today.

7 Dredd (2012)

Dredd is a gritty reboot of the 1995 Judge Dredd movie that starred Sylvester Stallone. Karl Urban plays Judge Dredd in the 2012 movie in a brutal cyberpunk siege story.

Dredd is a respected judge and is assigned a rookie, Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), to teach her the ropes. The pair arrive at a murder scene at a massive apartment complex. Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) is a powerful crime lord and runs the building, and she decides to lock it down, forcing Dredd and Anderson into a frantic battle for survival.

Fans of the character praise Urban for his portrayal of Judge Dredd. He's an unstoppable force, and the movie makes full use of its R rating with plenty of violent, gory action sequences.

6 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The Kill Bill movies tell a stylish, bloody revenge story starring Uma Thurman as the Bride. She's a former assassin, though her once-comrades turned on her when she tried to retire, leaving her for dead.

The assassins brutally assaulted the Bride so badly that they put her in a four-year coma. She eventually wakes up, looking to kill those who put her in the hospital. The Bride has powerful enemies, but she's a highly trained fighter herself and travels across the world to take down her foes.

Kill Bill is packed full of visceral action scenes, but it also takes time to reveal the Bride's motivations. Her opponents are all larger-than-life, including Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii, a Yakuza crime boss. The movie is full of stylish flares and nods to classic martial arts titles, and the Bride's quest continues in Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

5 The Raid: Redemption (2011)

The Raid: Redemption is a celebrated martial arts movie with some particularly brutal fight scenes. The movie stars Iko Uwais as Rama. He's a member of a SWAT team, but stands out against his comrades for his incredible fighting style.

Rama is a skilled Pencak Silat practitioner and brutalizes his opponents with savage elbows and knees. His team enters a grimy apartment complex controlled by a drug lord. They are soon discovered and surrounded on all sides with no help on the way.

Fans of martial arts movies will adore The Raid: Redemption for its exceptional fight scenes, but it also stands up as a solid action movie. Rama is a strong protagonist, and he's not the only trained fighter in the building, leading to several unforgettable 1v1 brawls.

4 Atomic Blonde (2017)

Atomic Blonde leans more into spy adventure territory than other movies on this list. Nevertheless, Charlize Theron plays the deadly Lorraine. She's a skilled undercover MI6 agent who's ruthlessly efficient, but plays by her own rules.

The film is set during the Cold War, and Lorraine is sent to Berlin to investigate a murder. Even more importantly, Lorraine must also retrieve a list containing the identities of other spies. She forms an uneasy alliance with David (James McAvoy), another operative.

Fights in Atomic Blonde are surprisingly raw and brutal. Lorraine is absolutely a one-person army, but clearly has human limitations, which make the action scenes far more intense.

3 Monkey Man (2024)

Monkey Man is a visceral one-person army action movie telling a powerful revenge story. The movie stars Dev Patel as Kid. He's a mysterious, masked prizefighter, though he loses some battles on purpose if it would benefit him.

Kid uses the brutal fighting circuit to condition himself to seek revenge for heinous acts he witnessed as a young boy. He infiltrates a world full of wealthy, powerful people, as he fights his way through anyone and anything that stands in his way.

Monkey Man has many similarities to John Wick, including an emotional revenge story and a criminal underworld. The movie features many visceral action set-pieces, marking an incredible directorial debut for Patel, who also wrote and starred in the film.

2 The Transporter (2002)

Few modern action stars are as synonymous with one-person army movies as Jason Statham. Many of his films could have made the list, including The Beekeeper, though he has a special place in many fans' hearts as Frank in The Transporter.

Frank transports packages for shady customers and is exceptionally efficient at what he does. He also abides by a strict set of rules, which have kept him a step ahead of the law. One client double-crosses him, forcing Frank to take matters into his own hands. The Transporter is a skilled driver, and he's also a deadly fighter, willing to take down scores of henchmen along the way.

The original Transporter movie is arguably the best in the franchise, and Statham starred in the first three. The Transporter is full of intense action sequences, exciting fight scenes, and plenty of fancy driving for fans of car chases.

1 Nobody (2021)

Nobody is a visceral one-person army action movie with inspired casting. Bob Odenkirk is Hutch. As the title implies, he lives a quiet life with his wife and child. His house is burgled, but he fails to act, to the chagrin of his family.

Hutch finally snaps when he sees a group harassing a woman on a bus. He takes them on in a bloody, visceral fist fight, which ends up being just the tip of the iceberg when one of his victims turns out to have dangerous connections. The action scenes in Nobody feel real because Hutch is not invincible. He doesn't magically know when opponents are behind him or possess superhuman strength. Nevertheless, he's extraordinarily resilient, even when he's bloodied and bruised.

Odenkirk is fantastic in Nobody because he doesn't look like a conventional one-person army. His previous acting roles further sell the idea that his character could not fight, which makes his brutal fighting style even more of a spectacle.