15 Thrilling Movies Like Nobody You Need To Watch Next
Best known for his work as Saul Goodman on the crime series "Breaking Bad" and its spin-off "Better Call Saul," Bob Odenkirk's most iconic character is a lot of things, but being brave isn't one of them. And with some surprising comedic roots before his role on Vince Gilligan's magnum opus, it surprised many of us to see him knock it out of the park as the star of the 2021 violent action thriller "Nobody."
The blood-filled mayhem starts when Odenkirk's Hutch Mansell is the victim of a home invasion. Everything seems more or less normal given the circumstances until events outside of his control force Hutch to call upon his previously unseen skills as a professional assassin. In Hutch's case, those circumstances are the theft of his daughter's kitty cat bracelet, which blows the lid off a much deeper conspiracy.
With all that in mind, below we'll be rounding up some of the films that best capture the spirit of "Nobody" in one way or another, and are guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat. Some are mindless fun, and others have a bit more to say, but each and every pick is just as thrilling as the next.
John Wick
The clearest suggestion for any fan of "Nobody" is the "John Wick" series. Producer David Leitch is behind both titles, and the similarities are clear. A life of peace and solitude is shattered after John Wick's home is invaded by a gang of violent criminals, who rob him and brutalize his dog, which served as the last connection to his late wife. Unbeknownst to the crooks, they crossed the last man in the world they'd ever want to when they finally discover Wick's true identity.
Played by Keanu Reeves and fueled by a thirst for revenge, Wick relies on his skills as a former assassin to take out those who wronged him and deliver bloody justice. The plot might sound corny, but the "John Wick" series hasn't become a pop culture phenomenon for nothing (via Vulture). Gritty action and interesting lore about the inner workings of his former career all combine to make the "John Wick" series endlessly entertaining. And with the story of the iconic dog-loving assassin not yet finished, we can expect the high-octane action to keep on coming.
The Man from Nowhere
Easily one of the best picks on our list, "The Man From Nowhere" is yet another example of South Korea's continued mastery of cinema. The 2010 action thriller was only bested by "Avatar" for box office earnings in South Korea that year, and it's not hard to see why.
Sex workers, the impoverished, and various delinquents are the types of folks that surround Cha Tae-Sik. He puts food on the table thanks to his pawn shop in a rough Seoul neighborhood, and he's cut himself off from everyone in his life. A young girl living in the slums is the only exception to that rule, and when her mother steals from a few very dangerous people, both her daughter and Tae-Sik get caught up in their wrath. When Tae-Sik calls upon his experience as a trained killer with a specialty in staying unseen though, the mobsters soon find out they picked the wrong mark.
Packed with gritty action, "The Man From Nowhere" will keep you hooked with its balance of a well-written story and heavy-hitting emotional beats. And audiences who loved "Nobody" will be glad to hear that this is one film that doesn't shy away from some absolutely brutal fight scenes.
Hardcore Henry
"Hardcore Henry" is unique in its unorthodox visual style, as it blurs the line between traditional action thriller and video game with its camera angles locked in a first person perspective. Henry awakens in a laboratory after a horrific audience, and audiences go along for the ride from his point of view, as he discovers he's the recipient of advanced cybernetic upgrades and also unable to speak. Things quickly go south however, as the lab is attacked by a psychic warlord and his minions, which forces Henry into a desperate fight to survive.
Sure, the plot has about as much substance as our hero's face has screen time, but no one's looking to rank this one among cinema's greatest achievements. However, if you're a fan of "Nobody," who's looking to find a thrilling flick that never hits the brakes on the action, the visual trip of "Hardcore Henry" is tough to beat.
Falling Down
1993's "Falling Down" is a lot of things, but it definitely isn't your everyday thriller. William Foster's life has gone from bad to worse. Between losing his high-profile career as a defense engineer and subsequently divorcing his wife, the stress proves to be too much one day, and he finally snaps. Abandoning his car on the road and heading home, he encounters one person after another, who all wind up just pushing him further to the edge. It all culminates when a failed drive-by shooting puts a bag of guns in his hands, and he's finally able to exact revenge against all his perceived wrongs in the world.
Typical action and dark comedy combine with a psychological thriller to elevate this film and make poignant commentary on the state of the world. And though the film's lead follows the expected arc from films like "Nobody" of going from mild-mannered everyman to one with an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, we'd be hard pressed to call him a typical hero, but that's partly what sets this film apart.
Kick Ass
Director Matthew Vaughn's films generally put a unique and comedic spin on tried-and-true genres. In a 2021 interview with Forbes, the English director opened up about how he wants his films to be remembered: "When I'm making a movie, I'm trying to imagine myself sitting in the movie theater watching it and hopefully not getting bored. People may hate the film, and there are a lot of negative descriptions that I will accept when it comes to my movies, but boring and forgettable, I won't." That sentiment was clearly on his mind with 2010's "Kick Ass," which is definitely not forgettable.
After a lifetime of reading comics, ordinary teenager Dave Lizewski decides to become a costumed crime fighter himself. Along the way, our unlikely do-gooder is matched by an equally unlikely cast of characters. None of our heroes have any superhuman powers, but they more than make up for it with a willingness to dish out a beating on a crook at a moment's notice. Non-stop blood and equally foul language make this one entry that's definitely not for a younger crowd but will please any fan of the irreverence of "Nobody."
Face/Off
Nicholas Cage has made a name for himself by taking on projects that are a good fit for his own eccentric acting style. Wacky and absurd premises tend to work well for the Academy Award-winning actor, such as the 1997 sci-fi thriller "Face/Off."
Haunted by a brutal attack that left him wounded and his son dead, FBI Agent Sean Archer decides to getting revenge on Troy Castor, the man who took his child from him. Archer gets his chance when Castor is captured, but refuses to divulge the whereabouts of a deadly bomb he's planted in Los Angeles. Archer gets surgery to literally transplant Castor's face onto his own, and goes undercover as Castor to find the bomb's location. Of course, when his arch-nemesis discovers the plan, he finds a way to use Archer's own scheme against him.
With plenty of gripping action, most of the fun from "Face/Off" comes from seeing Travolta and Cage playing each other's characters. Despite being less grounded in reality than "Nobody," it's still a phenomenal thriller that will keep you guessing till the end.
The Equalizer
"The Equalizer" is one of Denzel Washington's highest-grossing releases in his career so far and for good reason. Washington's Robert McCall works a dull job at a big box store by day, and maintains an equally quiet life at night. When his friend Alina is savagely beaten by members of the seedy mafia she works for, he decides to make things right. After his attempts to play nice with the hardened criminals fail to guarantee Alina's safety, he decides to show his true hand as a former spec ops Marine to the mobsters and put his skills to the ultimate test.
Fans of "Nobody" looking for a story of an average Joe turned righteous vigilante should definitely give "The Equalizer" a try. McCall's fight to protect those who can't protect themselves amidst seemingly impossible odds make him a hero we want to win, and will leave you rushing to put on the sequel.
Taken
Though this 2008 thriller is in the middle of the pack when you look at Liam Neeson's films as a whole, "Taken" is still a great thriller that worked its way into the zeitgeist and has since become the subject of endless parodies, serving as a testament to its status as an iconic film in its genre.
Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, former Green Beret and current overprotective father. At least, that's what his daughter thinks, until she becomes the victim of an unexpected kidnapping while overseas. Making good on his now-famous monologue, Mills flies to Paris to track down his daughter's kidnapper, and discovers it's a well-known human trafficker. He only has four days to save his daughter before she disappears into the criminal underworld forever.
Fans of "Nobody" will get a kick out of watching a "dad on a mission" if they haven't seen this classic yet. And while we wholeheartedly recommend this one for fans of adrenaline-packed thrillers, we wouldn't go hunting for any of the much maligned sequels.
Kill Bill: Volume 1
Quentin Tarantino has made an art out of protagonists exacting their revenge on those who've wronged them, and "Kill Bill: Volume 1" is one of his best examples of that. This 2003 action flick opens with a wedding gone wrong and the bride-to-be shot dead. Turns out her would-be assassin didn't finish the job though, and the nameless bride vows revenge soon after. Her quest for vengeance sends her down a blood-soaked path to take down every one of her attempted killer's associates. Along the way her own past is gradually revealed, and it's interspersed with brutal violence and some of the best action Tarantino has put on screen so far.
If all this sounds great, you'll be excited to hear that "Kill Bill: Volume 2" is a rare instance where the sequel is even better than the original. "Kill Bill: Volume 1" is one of the goriest picks on our list, and audiences who enjoyed the unrelenting action in "Nobody" will feel right at home here.
Atomic Blonde
It's the last days of the '80s and the Cold War is in its death throes. On both sides of the Iron Curtain, spies are locked in a deadly battle of gunplay and espionage to discover each other's secrets before everything comes crashing down. In the wake of a high-level operative's death, MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton teams up with CIA agent Emmett Kurzfield to go deep into Berlin, avenge her fallen comrade, and recover a critical piece of intel he left behind. They both know they might not make it back from this mission, but who they can really trust is another question entirely.
The unique period setting and professional female lead combine to make "Atomic Blonde" unique in the genre. Additionally, fans looking for more of David Lietch's directing style that made "Nobody" so fun need to look no further than "Atomic Blonde" to scratch that itch. And even though the details surrounding a potential sequel are still a bit murky, it looks like we can still expect a follow-up film to this 2017 thriller sometime in the future.
A History of Violence
David Cronenberg's 2005 thriller "A History of Violence" is remembered as featuring one of Viggo Mortensen's best roles to date. Life in a sleepy Indiana town is rocked to its core when a pair of violent criminals make a friendly diner their next target. Backed into a corner, the restaurant's owner Tom Stall saves the day by taking the crooks down with uncanny precision. He becomes a sensation thanks to his bravery, but the eyes of the nation watching his every move are the last thing Tom's looking for. When a shadowy figure turns up on his doorstep soon after, Tom find's that the life he's carefully built here may get lost forever.
While "A History of Violence" is short on some of the death-defying gun battles and slick editing that's the bread and butter of many of our picks, it more than makes up for it by exploring the humanity of its protagonist. Fans of "Nobody" will thoroughly enjoy the similar change that both film's protagonists undergo, as Tom's quiet life as a family man takes a sudden turn when he's forced to come face-to-face with his own history of violence.
Gunpowder Milkshake
Best known for her work on the hit television series "Doctor Who" and "The Guardians of the Galaxy" films, Scottish actress Karen Gillian takes on yet another fun project with her lead role in "Gunpowder Milkshake." In this 2021 thriller, Sam has been raised to become a hired assassin after her family left her for dead as a child. Now in her mid '20s, her adoptive father and boss Nathan assigns her to a high-priority job that turns out to be much more complex than it seems.
Those who enjoy the action of "Nobody" will love "Gunpowder Milkshake, which is distinct in its all-female lead cast and energetic tone, even as it also bears some similarities to the "John Wick" franchise. And though we don't know everything just yet, it looks like we'll be treated to more of the sisterhood of assassins in the future.
Extraction
Everyone's favorite Asgardian God of Thunder ditches the hammer and cape in exchange for some special forces skills in this 2020 thriller. When the son of a powerful crime boss is attacked and kidnapped by a rival gang, his father tries to get the boy back. The only problem is that he's currently rotting in a prison cell for his crimes, so he has to outsource the high-risk job to lower-level members of his syndicate. They call up Hemsworth's Tyler Rake, a former Australian military professional turned soldier of fortune. With a small army of his employer's men at his side, Rake makes quick work of anyone who gets in his way. Though when the dangerous plan hits an unexpected snag, Rake is left fighting for his life, while trying to keep the boy from being killed.
Full of twists and non-stop action, "Extraction" proves that Chris Hemsworth has what it takes to tackle some fun roles that fall outside the scope of the MCU. And though the details of the plot are pretty different than those in "Nobody," if you're looking to check out another action thriller with an unlikely lead, "Extraction" is just what you're looking for.
Peppermint
Life is hard for Riley North and her family, and when they become the victims of a drug kingpin's wrath, she struggles to pick up the pieces of what's left from her old life. Worse still, when law enforcement is too afraid to bring her family's killers to trial out of fear for their own necks, her hope for justice becomes just another thing that's taken from her. Out of options and with no one else to turn to, the only choice she has left is to enact some bloody retribution on her own.
Unlike some of the other vigilantes on our list, our heroine has no prior service with any mysterious three letter agencies to call upon in her hour of need. For years, she perfects her skills and transforms herself from an everyday bank employee to a professional killer fueled by a hunger for revenge. When it's finally time to set her plan into action, the cartel members that pulled the trigger aren't the only ones to find themselves on her kill list. Though critics were pretty harsh on this one, audiences recognized "Peppermint" as a solid thriller.
Wrath of Man
Jason Statham has made a career out of causing mayhem. And when your gun-toting lead isn't afraid to do his own stunts, that's just the icing on a cake for any action flick. Sure, the type of movies he's in aren't usually high-brow Academy Award-winning entertainment, but they're still an undeniably fun bunch.
In the wake of a violent armored truck robbery on the streets of Los Angeles, Statham's Patrick Hill signs up as one of the latest recruits for the same security company that's been robbed. When the truck he's assigned to becomes the victim of yet another attack though, Hill's stellar performance under pressure raises a few eyebrows, and causes deeper speculation about who he really is.
Told in four distinct segments, with each piece unraveling another thread of this dark revenge thriller, "Wrath of Man" was a huge hit with fans and is one of the most entertaining picks on our list for fans of "Nobody," who love some good, old-fashioned fun and action.