Movies like The Equalizer will always find an audience, because there’s something about watching a one man army exacting revenge on his enemies that’s just so viscerally satisfying.
Denzel Washington leads Antoine Fuqua’s revenge thriller as Robert McCall, an unassuming man who turns out to be a lot more dangerous than he looks after a run-in with the Russian mob.
If you want fist-fights, shootouts, explosions, car chases and a charismatic leading man on especially grizzled form, then we’ve got ten perfect companion pieces for you to check out.
10 Epic Revenge Movies Like The Equalizer
1. The Equalizer 2 (2018)
There’s no other place to star our rundown of movies like The Equalizer than with the second installment, which marked the very first sequel of Denzel Washington’s distinguished career.
This time, Robert McCall’s close friend and former colleague has been murdered, which draws him out of hiding to seek revenge on those responsible and discover their motivations.
Washington is on typically fine form, and the action sequences pack a punch as the leading man continues to prove that his impeccable skills haven’t been dulled by the sands of time.
2. John Wick (2014)
Movies like The Equalizer never require a particularly complex plot to get people on board, and John Wick boasts one of the most straightforward loglines in recent history.
The bad guys kill grieving widower John Wick’s dog, forcing the legendary hitman out of retirement to decimate them all single-handedly as he works his way to the very top.
Almost ridiculously stylish, the precision-engineered fight scenes have already become the stuff of legend, with Keanu Reeves adding another action classic to a career full of them.
3. Man on Fire (2004)
Denzel Washington and Tony Scott collaborated on a number of occasions, and for the most part they took place in the same action thriller sandbox as the actor’s movies like The Equalizer.
Man on Fire has a much harder edge though, as bodyguard Creasy does everything in his power to save the 9 year-old girl that he was hired to protect from harm.
Almost unrelentingly bleak, the violence becomes increasingly outlandish and extreme, mirroring the central hero’s desire to retrieve the child he’s grown close to by any means necessary.
4. The November Man (2014)
Pierce Brosnan spent almost a decade as James Bond, so it’s surprising that he didn’t end up starring in a whole lot more action-orientated movies like The Equalizer than he actually did.
A retired CIA veteran gets back into the game to help an ex-lover out of a sticky situation, but soon enough he ends up being framed as the villain of the piece, and must fight to clear his name.
The bare bones of The November Man have been seen a thousand times before, but Brosnan’s charm and director Roger Donaldson’s accomplished camerawork make it an espionage actioner well worth watching.
5. Homefront (2013)
Jason Statham has built his entire career on churning out movies like The Equalizer, but a tight script from Sylvester Stallone leads to Homefront packing some extra punch.
A former DEA agent is trying to live a quiet life in a backwoods town with his daughter, but soon runs into trouble with the local drug kingpin, and a battle for supremacy ensues.
James Franco, Winona Ryder and Frank Grillo add some heft to the ensemble, but the focus is squarely on Statham doing what he does best, which is unsurprisingly Homefront’s greatest asset.
6. The Punisher (2004)
It might seem strange to have a Marvel comic book adaptation on a list of movies like The Equalizer, but The Punisher is about as far away from spandex and superheroes as it gets.
Military veteran Frank Castle’s entire family are murdered as an act of revenge, forcing him to seek violent retribution against the crime lord who ordered the hit.
Thomas Jane projects subtle charisma as the title character, and his stoic performance is nicely balanced by John Travolta on prime scenery-chewing form as the villain.
7. Safe House (2012)
Denzel Washington featuring heavily on a countdown of movies like The Equalizer is to be expected, but Ryan Reynolds adds an extra does of star power to Daniel Espinosa’s Safe House.
Reynolds plays a rookie CIA handler forced to deal with Washington’s supposed traitor, but the two are forced to form an uneasy alliance as they discover a much larger conspiracy at work.
The A-listers play off each other throughout the movie, offering plenty of entertainment value in an old-fashioned two-hander that’s shot with style and verve.
8. Mile 22 (2018)
Mark Wahlberg is another actor that’s known for appearing in countless action thriller movies like Mile 22, and his fourth collaboration with director Peter Berg is by far the most underrated.
A CIA operative and his elite team must transport a high value asset to an extraction point, but everyone else is after the target, and plenty of obstacles are put in their way.
A gritty and violent street-level thriller, Mile 22’s tangible action and ear-piercing sound design add an extra layer of realism to an extended close quarters battle against the odds.
9. 2 Guns (2013)
Baltasar Kormakur directs genre veterans Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in an action thriller that leans more into the tropes of the buddy comedy than a lot of movies like The Equalizer.
A DEA agent and a Navy intelligence officer work undercover as members of a drug ring, but neither of them are aware that the other is a law enforcement officer.
That unique bait and switch powers both the story and the humor, as the two are forced to team up and bring the bad guys down after being disavowed by their respective agencies.
10. The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
The last of our movies like The Equalizer to star Denzel Washington, Tony Scott’s contained thriller sees a gang of heavily armed criminals hijack a subway train.
Washington’s veteran MTA employee engages in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the leader of the criminals, and they swiftly find themselves locked in a battle of wits.
John Travolta is an excellent foil for Washington’s reserved performance, and the stakes continue to escalate as the two wily opponents attempt to outwit and outdo each other at every turn.