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Movies Like 'Bullet Train' to Watch Next

From more Brad Pitt ('Ocean's Eleven, 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith') to revenge action ('John Wick,' 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'), discover these 10 films to watch after 'Bullet Train.'
by Taylor Freitas — 
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From left to right: Brian Tyree Henry and Brad Pitt in 'Bullet Train'

Sony Pictures

Based on the novel by Kôtarô Isaka, Bullet Train is the latest film by director David Leitch, which just hit theaters. It stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug, a trained assassin who doesn't have much interest in killing. Despite this, he accepts a mission from his handler, Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock), to recover a briefcase on a high-speed train racing across Japan. 

Once onboard, Ladybug quickly realizes that he isn't the only hitman on the train, nor is he the only one looking for that coveted briefcase. To get his hands on it, he has to battle a ruthless crew of international criminals — including Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Prince (Joey King), and Hornet (Zazie Beetz) — who aren't afraid to use lethal force to get their way.

Set against the captivating and colorful sights of Japan, Bullet Train is packed with creative fight scenes and amped-up action sequences in a very limited physical space (the train) — no doubt inspired by Leitch's extensive background in stunt work (including appearing as a stunt double for Pitt in Fight Club). It also finds a clever way to connect all of the individual criminals, toss in some personal motives for some of them, and, eventually, force the ones who survived each other to work together against a much more dangerous one.

If you're looking for something as high-adrenaline and full of unique characters as Bullet Train to add to your watch list, here, Metacritic highlights 10 movies like Bullet Train to watch next, ranked by Metascore. 


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Daniel Craig (front left) in 'Knives Out'

Lionsgate

Knives Out

Metascore: 82
Best for: Fans of murder mysteries
Where to watch:

, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 131 minutes

Knives Out is a 2019 comedy mystery written, directed, and produced by Rian Johnson. It revolves around the death of author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who passed away just after his 85th birthday party. The police determine the death to be by suicide, but shortly thereafter, an anonymous donor pays Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to conduct a private investigation, raising eyebrows among some of Harlan's family. The film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Critics' Choice Movie Awards, as well as Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes.

"A sendup of twisty murder mysteries with all-star ensemble casts that also loves and respects that silly tradition." — Dana Stevens, Slate


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George Clooney in 'Ocean's Eleven'

Warner Bros. Pictures

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Metascore: 74
Best for: Fans of comedy-heavy heist films
Where to watch:

, , , iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 116 minutes

Released in 2001, Ocean's Eleven is Steven Soderbergh's remake of the classic Rat Pack film of the same title. In this one, George Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, an ex-con who leaves jail with a plan to commit the biggest heist that Las Vegas has ever seen. To pull it off, he recruits longtime friend and fellow crook Rusty Ryan (Pitt), along with a supporting crew of specialized criminals. The star-studded action-comedy flick was one of the top-grossing films of 2001, raking in more than $450 million at the worldwide box office. It later spawned two direct sequels (Ocean's Twelveand Ocean's Thirteen) and a female-led followup (Ocean's 8 in which Bullock plays Danny's equally cunning sister.)

"Good, expensive, easygoing fun." — Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune


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Uma Thurman in 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'

Miramax Films

Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Metascore: 69
Best for: Fans of martial arts and combat-centric movies
Where to watch:

, , , , Vudu
Runtime: 111 minutes

Uma Thurman is a former assassin known as The Bride in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, the 2003 revenge thriller written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie follows her quest for vengeance after being betrayed by her ex-boss and lover, Bill (David Carradine), who leads a crew of killers called the Deadly Vipers. Eventually, her violent journey leads her to Japan, where she shows off her deadly skills in an epic sequence of samurai sword battles. The Bride's adventure continues in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, which was released six months after the first film.

"A hyper-violent, hyper-gory, kung-fu grindhouse flick. And there's nothing at all wrong with that." — Jim Agnew, Film Threat


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Nicolas Cage in 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent'

Lionsgate

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 

Metascore: 68
Best for: Fans of quirky action comedies
Where to watch:

, Google Play, , Vudu
Runtime: 105 minutes

Nicolas Cage plays a pseudo-version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a satirical comedy that came out in early 2022. Facing money problems and not being fulfilled professional, Nic agrees to attend the birthday party of Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), an unpredictable billionaire who claims to be one of his biggest fans. After a tense initial meeting, the two men soon start to develop a genuine friendship — which catches the attention of a pair of CIA operatives, who want Nic to go undercover and expose the truth behind Javi's questionable business dealings.

"Like Cage, it's a curious creation, one that never quite matches the ambitions of the man of the hour, but does allow him to poke fun at himself and treat fans to something cathartically silly." — John Fink, The Film Stage


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Keanu Reeves in 'John Wick'

Lionsgate

John Wick 

Metascore: 68
Best for: Fans of revenge films
Where to watch:

, Google Play, , Vudu
Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by Leitch and Chad Stahelski, this action thriller follows highly skilled ex-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves). After his wife dies, John lives a quiet life, taking care of his puppy (a gift from his wife) and his vintage Ford Mustang. But everything changes one night when a group of criminals breaks into his home, kills his dog, and steals his car – forcing John to come out of retirement and seek revenge against the men who wronged him. Released in 2014, this movie launched the popular John Wick franchise (the fourth film is due out next year).

"Both ludicrous and ludicrously entertaining, John Wick's stylish look, B-movie vibe and less-is-more, longer-takes-are-stronger-takes approach to action make it a standout." — James Rocchi, The Wrap


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'Nobody'

Universal Pictures

Nobody 

Metascore: 64
Best for: Fans of violent action movies
Where to watch:

, , , ,
Runtime: 92 minutes

In Nobody, Bob Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, a suburban father of two who is living an ordinary life — now. One evening, a pair of thieves break into the family's home, prompting their teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), to take on the robbers, while Hutch steps aside without putting up a fight. However, the jarring incident awakens a rage that Hutch has kept contained for years, leading him to reveal the truth about his past as an assassin. Nobody was written by John Wick writer Derek Kolstad, which led several critics to point out the parallels between thefilms, including their violent nature and dark humor.

"Nobody is a thoroughly over-the-top and, at times, loony-tunes entry in the live-and-let-die vengeance-is-mine genre." — Owen Gleiberman, Variety


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Charlize Theron in 'Atomic Blonde'

Focus Features

Atomic Blonde

Metascore: 63 
Best for: Fans of spy thrillers
Where to watch:

, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 115 minutes

Based on Antony Johnston's graphic novel, Atomic Blonde tells the story of Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron), an MI6 agent who's sent to Germany during the Cold War. Her mission? Track down a list of double agents and bring it back to London. After arriving, she's greeted by David Percival (James McAvoy), a Berlin-based MI6 station chief who's been ordered to help Lorraine with her assignment. Leitch directed this 2017 espionage flick, which received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences with many praising its pumped-up action sequences and striking visuals; however, some didn't buy into the film's story. 

"Stuntman (Fight Club, 300) turned director (he had a hand in John Wick) David Leitch proves he was the right guy for the job with every furious blast of onscreen mayhem." — Roger Moore, Movie Nation


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From left to right: Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw'

Universal Pictures

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Metascore: 60
Best for: Fans of blockbuster action flicks
Where to watch:

, , Google Play, , Vudu
Runtime: 137 minutes

From the high-profile cast to the thrilling chase scenes to the witty back-and-forth dialogue, Hobbs & Shaw has a number of things in common with Bullet Train — not to mention that Leitch served as director on both films. This 2019 spin-off of the Fast & Furious franchise sees longtime rivals Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) reluctantly join forces to defeat a mutual enemy: Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a former MI6 agent with cyborg skills, superhuman strength, and an appetite for destruction. Although it garnered a mixed response from critics, Hobbs & Shaw did earn points for the lively banter between Johnson and Statham.

"Despite its lunkish, ludicrous — and frankly cynical — qualities, this entry retains much of the appeal of previous entries." — Christopher Machell, CineVue


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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

20th Century Fox

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Metascore: 55
Best for: Fans of action-packed romance stories
Where to watch:

iTunes
Runtime: 120 minutes

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a high-stakes action comedy starring Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith, a seemingly average couple in suburban America. Though they pretend to have regular day jobs, they're actually elite assassins working for rival agencies — unbeknownst to one another. After a mix-up on the job, John and Jane are ordered to kill each other, leading to an explosive game of cat and mouse that's full of passion, power, and intrigue. While critics were lukewarm on the film, it earned universal acclaim from audiences, largely due to the chemistry between new real-life couple Pitt and Jolie.

"An exhaustingly elaborate romantic fantasy actioner." — Todd McCarthy, Variety


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'The Magnificent Seven'

Sony Pictures

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Metascore: 54 
Best for: Fans of explosive Western dramas
Where to watch:

, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu
Runtime: 133 minutes

Like Bullet Train, The Magnificent Seven has its roots in Japan: it's a 2016 remake of the same-titled 1960 film, which was an adaptation of Seven Samurai, the 1954 Japanese classic. This version of the movie is set in the late 19th century, where the corrupt businessman Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) has taken over the town of Rose Creek. Desperate to save their community, the townspeople enlist the help of seven outlaws and hustlers to take down Bogue and his men. The Magnificent Seven was directed by Antoine Fuqua, who also produced Bullet Train.

"The film is mindless entertainment by way of scoundrels, dynamite and honor — not quite magnificent, but The Watchable Seven just doesn't have the same ring to it." — Matt Donato, We Got This Covered