With theaters closed for the time being, Netflix’sExtractionis about the closest thing we’re going to get to a blockbuster at the moment. Jam-packed with action, boasting a killer long-take “one-er”, and one Mr.Chris Hemsworth, one of the best working action stars at the moment,Extractionis a gritty with gritty on top action thriller that’s tearing up the charts on Netflix.
Directed by stunt veteran turned filmmakerSam Hargrave, the film stars Hemsworth as Tyler Rake, a mercenary tormented by his dark past who takes on his deadliest job yet rescuing the kidnapped child of an international crime boss. The one-man-army is a tried and true tradition of the action genre, and if you’re looking for more movies to fill the void once the credits roll, we’ve got you covered with a list of picks. Some of them have a similar action vibe, many of them follow the tradition of the “badass man on a rescue”, and a few that tie into either the tone, the material, or the filmmakers that madeExtractionsuch a hit.
Check out our list of movies to watch if you lovedExtactionbelow and be sure to sound off in the comments with your recommendations. And if you want to know more about the movie, be sure to check out ourspoiler-filled chat with Hargrave about the ending.
A Whole Bunch of Denzel Washington Movies
There is no shortage of great “grizzled man who’s seen too much shit rescues and/or avenges an innocent in a hail of gunfire” movies. Pretty much every great action star has one. With that in mind, you could also watchThe Transporterfilms,Blood Father,Taken(and a few other late-career Liam Neeson actioners), among countless others. But if there’s one actor who really seems to have a soft spot for the subgenre, it’sDenzel Washington. The go-to here isTony Scott’s celebrated 2004Man on Fireremake. And absolutely, if you’re looking for a movie that almost feels like a sibling cinematic experience toExtraction, you can’t do much better thanMan on Fire, which has all the rough action and tough-guy talk (or lack thereof) and an incredible performance from Washington as a man on a mission of vengeance after a child he holds dear gets kidnapped.
Elsewhere,Antoine Fuqua’sThe Equalizerspins a similar high-action yarn about a mysterious but very badass man who makes it his mission to rescue a wayward young woman (Chloë Grace Moretz), who’s fallen under the control of a powerful gangster. If that one does it for you, there’s also the 2018 sequelThe Equalizer 2. And finally, if you want a fun twist on that formula, check outDaniel Espinosa’s 2012 thrillerSafe House, which stars Washington as the one being rescued, byRyan Reynoldsno less, who stars as a rookie CIA agent tasked with protecting Washington’s hardened criminal when his safe house is attacked. It’s a fun subversion of the hardass on a rescue mission role we’ve come to know and love from Washington, and he has good chemistry with Reynolds, acting as an untrustworthy voice of guidance to the young operative.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Considering the team behindExtraction, we had to have one of the MCU movies on the list, and if you’re looking for the closest style and tone, you can’t do better thanCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. While you won’t get your Hemsworth fill here,The Winter Soldierwas the first Russo Brothers’ first Marvel film and Hargrave was the stunt double for Cap. Naturally, as an MCU and thus Disney film, the action inThe Winter Soldieris decidedly less violent, but with a lot of the core team in place, it still has that high-impact, hyper-kinetic vibe that stands out inExtraction. Plus, it’s one of the MCU’s best yet, always great for a watch, and the perfect post-Extractionwatch if you want another intense action-driven thriller that the whole family can enjoy.
John Wick 3
WhenDavid LeitchandChad StahelskimadeJohn Wick, they set an exceptional bar for the level of technical mastery and storytelling prowess we could expect from stunt veterans turned filmmakers. So naturally,Extractionhas been earning a lot of comparisons toWickthanks to Hargrave’s exceptional stunts resume. But whichWickmovie should you watch if you’re looking to carry over thatExtractionhigh? Well now, the obvious answer isall of them, always. But if you’ve only got time for one, my vote goes toJohn Wick 3, which not only has a bit more of that over-exposed desert climate vibe along the way, but showcases the franchises most over-the-top set-pieces yet.
Triple Frontier
If you’re looking for another movie you can fire up on Netflix right away, set your sights onTriple Frontier, the long-developed crime thriller that finally found its way to screens on the streaming service last year.A Most Violent YearandAll Is LostfilmmakerJ.C. Chandordirects an A-list ensemble includingBen Affleck,Oscar Isaac, andCharlie Hunnamas a team for former special forces operatives who reunite for a mercenary gig to take down a South American drug lord… and take home a whole heap of cash. Naturally, nothing goes according to plan and the action descends into chaos when they get trapped with their haul, trying to make their way home. Much likeExtraction,Triple Frontierhas a grim and gritty “no mercy” philosophy, pulling no punches. It’s less action-packed, more focused on the bonds of brotherhood between the fractured group of friends, but it’s a fellow philosophical action-thriller with a taste for the harsh kill that makes a fine pairing withExtraction’s more balls-to-the-wall hails of bullet fire and bloodshed.
Children of Men
If your main takeaway fromExtractionwas how much you love a good one-er, set your sights onChildren of Men, one of the most across the board exceptional films on the list, which also happens to have some of the best “single-take” shots in cinema history. The apocalyptic sci-fi starsClive Owenas a former activist living in a world turned to anarchy after the human race is mysteriously rendered infertile. But when a young woman miraculously turns up pregnant, he rekindles his faith in humanity and fights to help her make a perilous journey to safety. Directed byAlfonso Cuarónand featuring staggering camerawork by the greatEmmanuel Lubezki,Children of Menis a masterwork of using the camera to immerse viewers in the action, and much of the contemporary fascination with the technique is built around what they achieved in the Oscar-nominated 2006 sci-fi thriller.
However, if you’re looking for more gritty Hemsworth-led action, you’re not going to find that in the MCU, where the actor has thrived by embracing his easy charisma and knack for comedy. The thing is, outside the MCU, Hemsworth has struggled to find his footing as a leading man at the box office. There’sSnow White and the Hunstman, and while that’s a fun fantasy adventure, it’s pretty slight on action.In the Heart of the Seais fine, but it’s a bit more melodramatic.Red Dawn… well, I’m just not gonna recommendRed Dawn. The closest parallel you’re going to find isMichael Mann’s 2015 thrillerBlackhat. Hemsworth stars as an imprisoned coder who gets an offer of a reduced sentence if he helps the FBI track down an emerging terrorist hacker. It’s a bit of a mixed bag; uneven, draggy at times, and Hemsworth’s leading man credentials are still rough around the edges, but overall, it’s a pretty engrossing tech-thriller that didn’t quite deserve the lashing it received when it was first released.
The Mandalorian
OK, yeah, it’s not a movie but my list, my rules. And honestly, if you binge-watch all ofThe Mandalorian, the short runtimes give it about the heft of feature film. But most importantly,The Mandalorianshares the very heart ofExtraction– a ruthless mercenary for hire who finds his way back to his “humanity” when a job-for-hire puts him custody of a super-cute, soul-redeeming youngster. Of course, in the case ofThe Mandalorian, that little cutie is the internet’s collective son Baby Yoda, and we’re working in the world of Star Wars so there’s a lot more cool creatures and a lot less graphic bullets to the head. However, likeThe Winter Soldier,The Mandalorianis a fine companion toExtractionif you’re looking for something you’re able to watch with the kids that will keep the high-action story of redemption buzz going.
The Man from Nowhere
The Man from Nowherefirmly falls into that very specific and very prolific genre Denzel is so fond of, but it’s also one of the best.Won Binstars as a lowkey kinda guy with a highkey hardass past who runs a pawn shop. His only friend is a local kid So-mi (Kim Sae-ron), who gets caught up in the horrific underbelly of the criminal underground when her addict mother gets caught up in a drug-smuggling operation. Naturally, the secret badass has no choice but to put his life on the line to save his young friend from her kidnappers. There’s a dabble of organ harvesting, some ruthless action set-pieces, and a painted nail that will just break your heart. South Korean thrillers have earned a reputation for excellence over the past few decades, and Lee Jeong-beom’s 2010 crime drama is a gold star example.
The whole genre we’re talking about here owes a lot toMark L. Lester’s 1985 action classicCommando. An absolutely prime piece of full-on 80s action, the film starsArnold Schwarzennegeras a special forces operative who goes on a do-or-die rescue mission when his daughter (played by a very youngAlyssa Milano) is kidnapped. This is the apex of the machismo-fuelled 80s action iconography, and none of it is subtle. I mean,Extractionis not a subtle movie. Chris Hemsworth beats the hell out of children. Rake kills someone with a rake. ButCommandois a whole other level. Schwarzenneger famously rips a car seat out with his bare hands, for goodness sake. But it is an absolutely over-the-top delight and an iconic movie that helped set the template for what was to come. Before Bryan Mills, before The Equalizer, before Tyler Rake, there was John Matrix. And he was glorious.
City of God
Remember that whole thing about Chris Hemsworth, giant Disney-employed superhero, absolutely smacking down a bunch of children? Well, that was a result of the fairly tangential subplot about child soldiers in the criminal underground. That plotline ultimately never took on much value inExtraction, and if you found yourself wishing you could dig a little deeper into that world, good news:City of Godexists and it’s phenomenal.Fernando MeirellesandKátia Lund’s 2002 crime drama take place in another country, and the regional and cultural specificity is part of what makes it such a treasure, butCity of Godalso harnesses the universal truths of exploited youths caught in a cycle of violence and crime. The four-time Oscar-nominated film is a tour de force for all involved, charting a heartbreaking reality of life for kids caught in a deadly system of exploitation in the slums of Brazil, and the beautiful moments of vibrancy and life they find amidst the chaos. And if you find you love this one, I can’t recommend enough that you follow it up withIssa López’s hypnotic and heartbreakingTigers Are Not Afraid, which tells a dark fantasy tale about children trying to survive amid the cartels of Mexico.
