15 Best Movies Like Bullet Train - LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Summary

Bullet Train
‘s unique action-comedy style sets it apart, but there are other movies with similar elements that provide a thrilling experience.
The best movies like
Bullet Train
are fast-paced, funny, and maintain high energy, making them purely entertaining popcorn movies.
Films like
Snatch, Smokin’ Aces,
and
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
showcase the same exciting elements that made
Bullet Train
a hit.

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With its wild action, colorful characters, and bloody sense of humor, many viewers are seeking other movies like Bullet Train that provide a similar thrill ride. The 2022 action comedy sees Brad Pitt play a reluctant assassin who boards a bullet train on a seemingly easy mission to retrieve a briefcase — only to find the train filled with deadly people who want it as well. Bullet Train was a surprise hit and a crowd-pleasing ride with a star-studded cast to back up Pitt’s hilarious leading role, and thanks to its fresh and edgy feeling left many audiences wanting more.

Bullet Train‘s Easter egg-filled action-comedy style makes it a unique movie, yet not so unique that there aren’t other movies like it out there ready to be enjoyed. Whether they’re handsomely cast thrillers about assassins, high-concept action stories set on trains, or just strikingly stylish action films, the best movies like Bullet Train exude the elements that helped it become such a hit. These movies are fast-paced, funny, and maintain the high energy that matches Bullet Train as a purely entertaining R-rated popcorn movie.

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15 The Fall Guy (2024)

A Retired Stuntman Tries To Find A Missing Movie Star

The Fall Guy
PG-13

Director David Leitch Release Date May 3, 2024 Cast Ryan Gosling , Emily Blunt , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Stephanie Hsu , Winston Duke , Hannah Waddingham , Teresa Palmer

Bullet Train director David Leitch followed up that action-comedy movie with another, taking a similar tone and using it to great success for The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling stars in this remake of the classic Lee Majors action series as a washed-up Hollywood stuntman who attempts to help out his exes’ directorial debut by locating the movie’s mission lead actor (Aaron Taylor Johnson).

Like Pitt’s performance in Bullet Train, Gosling is endlessly charming and entertaining as the laid-back yet impressive action hero. He is not afraid to look foolish in the role, but he expertly pulls off the impressive action sequences. Leitch continues to prove he is a great director in combining action and comedy while the rest of the cast is terrific with Emily Blunt as a stand-out, helping to give the movie a rom-com feeling as well.

14 Bat Times At The El Royale (2018)

Strangers With Secrets Converge At A Roadside Motel

Bad Times at the El Royale
R

Director Drew Goddard Release Date October 4, 2018 Cast Nick Offerman , Cailee Spaeny , Jeff Bridges , Cynthia Erivo , Jon Hamm , Dakota Johnson , Lewis Pullman , Chris Hemsworth Runtime 142 Minutes

Part of the fun of Bullet Train is seeing all these different characters converging on the same train and seeing their own secrets and motivations gradually becoming clear. There is a similar bit of fun and mystery pulled off in the very underrated crime thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. The movie is set in 1969 and follows a group of strangers who find themselves all staying at the same roadside motel as their individual secrets begin to be revealed.

While there is some humor to be found in the movie, it has a much darker and sinister tone than Bullet Train. However, it is another wonderful ensemble of actors with unique characters, from Jeff Bridge’s priest to Jon Hamm’s traveling salesman to Cynthia Erivo’s aspiring singer to Dakota Johnson and Cailee Spaeny as runaway sisters. It is capped off by Chris Hemsworth in a great villainous role.

13 Nobody (2021)

A Mild-Mannered Family Man Reignites His Deadly Skills

Nobody
R

Director Ilya Naishuller Release Date March 26, 2021 Cast Paisley Cadorath , J.P. Manoux , Gage Munroe , Araya Mengesha , Bob Odenkirk , Christopher Lloyd , Humberly González , Aleksey Serebryakov , RZA , Connie Nielsen , Paul Essiembre Runtime 92minutes

Brad Pitt’s Ladybug comes off as an unconventional action hero early in the movie. He is looking for a more peaceful life and attempts to be easygoing, but can certainly handle himself in a fight when necessary.

Nobody has fun with a similar idea and takes it a step further by casting an actor who audiences would not typically see in the action genre. Bob Odenkirk stars as a mild-mannered family man who, after being humiliated following a home robbery, embraces his former hidden life as a skilled operative.

Odenkirk makes for a surprisingly great action hero while still maintaining an everyman quality that makes him out to be someone who is just frustrated with the world. The fight sequences are raw and brutal while the movie has a fun sense of humor to keep things relatively light amid the violence.

12 Free Fire (2016)

An Arms Deal Goes Wrong Leading To An Extended Shootout

Free Fire
R

Director Ben Wheatley Release Date April 21, 2017 Cast Cillian Murphy , Enzo Cilenti , Mark Monero , Jack Reynor , Noah Taylor , Babou Ceesay , Armie Hammer , Brie Larson , Sam Riley , Michael Smiley , Sharlto Copley , Patrick Bergin Runtime 90minutes

Free Fire is another ensemble movie about a group of people in an isolated location who find themselves fighting for the same thing. From filmmaker Ben Wheatley, it is a 70s-set crime thriller about two factions of criminals meeting in a warehouse to work out a deal over a cache of weapons. However, differences soon arise and the deal turns into a shootout.

It is a unique setup for the movie as the majority of the runtime is simply dedicated to this shootout between various characters. Alliances change, treachery is revealed, and just about everyone is shot at some point. It makes for a darkly comedic ride that gradually grows more intense and bloody as it continues. The roster of actors is also strong with Oscar winners Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson leading the cast of characters.

11 Speed (1994)

A Cop Tries To Stop A Bus Rigged With A Bomb

Speed
R

Director Jan de bont Release Date June 10, 1994 Cast Dennis Hopper , Sandra Bullock , Joe Morton , Jeff Daniels , Keanu Reeves Runtime 116 minutes

There are a number of memorable movies set on trains, but Bullet Train effectively uses the single location to provide a fast-paced and thrilling style to the movie. This is also achieved in the iconic 90s action movie Speed. Keanu Reeves stars as a hotshot cop who must save a bus full of passengers when a bomb is rigged to the vehicle that will trigger if it slows below 50mph.

It is a simple yet brilliant idea for an action movie, but it is impressive how the movie is able to maintain a level of excitement and energy from this setup. It features a sharp script filled with a nice balance of humor as well as some twists. It is also helped out by a terrific cast with another iconic action hero role from Reeves, a star-making role for Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper as a memorable villain.

10 Snatch (2000)

The Hunt For A Diamond Turns London’s Criminal World On Its Head

Snatch

Release Date January 19, 2001 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Benicio Del Toro , Jason Statham , Lennie James , Alan Ford , Stephen Graham , Dennis Farina , Brad Pitt , Vinnie Jones Runtime 102 minutes

Brad Pitt’s career as an actor has been littered with eclectic roles in highly stylized modern classics. His performance in Guy Ritchie’s Snatch is a noteworthy addition to that list for Bullet Train fans thanks to Ritchie’s signature dialogue, which is strongly echoed in Bullet Train, particularly the characters of Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree-Henry).

A comedic crime caper centering around a large diamond moving throughout the criminal underworld of London, Snatch‘s cast of characters features Pitt in a supporting role as a bare-knuckle boxer. Though the film isn’t as high stakes as a movie like Bullet Train, it makes up for any lapses in firepower with the kind of blistering storytelling speed that drives Bullet Train‘s plot. It also features a similar ensemble of colorful characters with their own stories and motivations who find themselves intersecting with each other.

9 Smokin’ Aces (2006)

Assassin, Bounty Hunters, And Cops Descend On The Same Hotel

One of the things that action movies like Bullet Train excel at is creating a linear experience made up of a diverse cast of characters whose stories all intersect in chaotic ways. Like Bullet Train,Smokin’ Aces is about various colorful assassins all converging in a single location, this time a hotel at Lake Tahoe that houses their shared target.

Smokin’ Aces is also a similar movie to Bullet Train in that it’s one of the few films in this highly graphic style that can claim to be as star-studded, if not more so. Aside from boasting the movie debuts of Alicia Keys and Common, the film also stars Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, and many other notable actors in supporting roles or cameos. With such famous faces, it is a lot of fun to see which of them will make it out alive in this outrageous story.

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8 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

A Married Couple Discover They Are Rival Assassins

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Release Date June 10, 2005 Director Doug Liman Cast Keith David , Angelina Jolie , Kerry Washington , Vince Vaughn , Brad Pitt , Adam Brody Runtime 120 minutes

The success of movies like Bullet Train reminds audiences that while he certainly fits the part almost effortlessly, Brad Pitt is not typically cast as an action star. One of Pitt’s most defining action roles is without doubt his similarly comedic turn as another hired gun in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Once again, he plays the role of an atypical hitman, but instead of seeking a more zen-like life as with Ladybug in Bullet Train, this movie sees Pitt as an assassin struggling with domestic life.

Though it is mostly remembered in popular culture for lying at the center of the public’s introduction to Pitt’s relationship with his co-star, Angelina Jolie, director Doug Liman packs the screen with explosive spectacle beyond the two stars’ headline-making onscreen chemistry. The two stars play a husband and wife who discover that the other has been keeping a secret life as an assassin, and they each display their talents for comedy as well as action choreography.

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7 The Wolverine (2013)

Wolverine Goes To Japan And Is Mixed Up In A Mob War

The Wolverine

Release Date July 26, 2013 Director James Mangold Cast Famke Janssen , Will Yun Lee , Brian Tee , Hugh Jackman Runtime 2h 6m

Though Hugh Jackman’s titular Marvel Comics character is one of the most famously indestructible superheroes of all time, The Wolverine was the first X-Men film from director James Mangold, who presented the character in a much more vulnerable light. Following the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the 2013 sequel was the second attempt to give the popular mutant his own solo movie, and it worked out much better.

Before the Western-enthused drama of Logan, this Japan-set detective thriller put Wolverine in a number of his wildest action sequences, including a fight both in and on a moving bullet train. The full Extended Cut includes most of the film’s unusually graphic violence, and it’s this version that viewers seeking a similar experience to Bullet Train should seek out. Though there is a lot of excitement about Hugh Jackman’s return in Deadpool & Wolverine, this solo outing shouldn’t be ignored.

6 John Wick (2014)

A Skilled Killer Seeks Vengeance For His Murdered Puppy

John Wick

Release Date October 22, 2014 Director David Leitch , Chad Stahelski Cast Keanu Reeves , Adrianne Palicki , Willem Dafoe , Bridget Moynahan , Jason Isaacs , Alfie Allen

Action movie fans who enjoyed the functioning ecosystem of killers and handlers in Bullet Train really need to look no further than the world of John Wick (Keanu Reeves). The eponymous former assassin is certainly much quicker to kill than Pitt’s Ladybug, but Reeves’ deadpan delivery, mixed with his complete physical dedication to his performance as an unstoppable assassin, means that his quest for blood is never without its own sly sense of humor.

The original movie in the ongoing and ever-growing franchise has a straightforward revenge plot but opens up a much wider world of criminal empires that exist below the surface of the normal world. It also unquestionably influenced director David Leitch’s vision of the one in Bullet Train, as he co-directed and produced the first John Wick film. Despite how much the franchise grew from its modest beginnings, the first John Wick changed Hollywood action movies.

5 Train To Busan (2016)

Commuters Attempt To Survive A Zombie Outbreak Aboard A Train

Train to Busan (2016)

Release Date July 20, 2016 Director Sang-ho Yeon Cast Jung Yu-mi , Kim Su-an , Choi Woo-shik , Gong Yoo , Ma Dong-seok Runtime 118 minutes

As far as modern action movies set on trains go, there are few as renowned as 2016’s Train to Busan. The film is an engagingly emotional zombie thriller that sees the passengers of the titular train fighting to escape an undead apocalypse at breakneck speed. Like Bullet Train, however, there’s an equal-handed approach to dialogue-driven scenes and action-driven scenes with a strong ensemble of interesting characters to further elevate the story.

Though Train to Busan‘s concept is much more off-the-wall than Bullet Train‘s, it’s actually the more grounded movie overall, balancing its gory action sequences with dramatic moments. Like Bullet Train and many of the best Korean zombie movies, Train to Busan is as much an exploration of its characters and the personal histories that define them as it is an exploration of the limits of its genre.

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4 Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

A Wronged Assassin Sets Out To Kill The Boss Who Left Her For Dead

Kill Bill

Release Date October 10, 2003 Director Quentin Tarantino Cast David Carradine , Michael Madsen , Uma Thurman , Daryl Hannah , Lucy Liu , Vivica A. Fox Runtime 111 minutes

Western action movies directly drawing inspiration from films in Asia isn’t unusual, but seeing them set most of their stories in Asia itself as Bullet Train does still is. While samurai films from Japan and kung-fu movies from China have influenced an innumerable number of Hollywood films for the better, few of them have emulated the actual style of these films with as much accuracy and attention to detail as Kill Bill: Volume 1, the first part of Quentin Tarantino’s revenge epic starring the Bride (Uma Thurman).

Bursting with as much blood, distinct stylistic flair, and dark comedy as Bullet Train, Kill Bill: Volume 1 sees the Bride, once a member of a group of assassins, begin a mission to kill her former associates, with her quest to take down the new head of the Tokyo yakuza, taking up most of this first part. Fans of Bullet Train may come for the intense action but will want to stay for Tarantino’s famously quotable dialogue.

3 Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

A Hitman Attends His High School Reunion

Grosse Pointe Blank

Release Date April 11, 1997 Director George Armitage Cast John Cusack , Minnie Driver , Alan Arkin , Dan Aykroyd , Joan Cusack , Hank Azaria

People who preferred the sense of humor derived from the bickering between trained killers in Bullet Train over the action will want to check out this cult gem about a hitman (John Cusack) suffering a midlife crisis during his high school reunion. Juggling a former girlfriend (Minnie Driver) and rival assassins between phone calls with his assistant (Joan Cusack) and his therapist (Alan Arkin), Cusack’s contract killer in Grosse Pointe Blank is in a similar headspace to Brad Pitt’s Ladybug in Bullet Train, and the film’s quirky 90s soundtrack gives it a similarly robust personality.

The movie captures a distinct feeling of the 90s comedy vibe which is a lot of fun to revisit while the sharpness of the humor in Grosse Pointe Blank has helped it age wonderfully. Those looking for the kind of non-stop action that is provided in Bullet Train may be somewhat disappointed but there are some surprisingly solid and entertaining action scenes in the movie that give it another interesting element.

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2 Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

A Case Of Mistaken Identity Puts Josh Hartnett At The Center Of A Mob War

Action thriller movies like Bullet Train propel their plots along through the power of the slick twists and turns in their stories, and few others revel in bluffing and tricking the audiences as much as Lucky Number Slevin.

Like Bullet Train, the movie’s story revolves around unwilling participants in a complex plan involving warring gangsters, and the cast’s pedigree lends some believability to the tall tale. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, and Stanley Tucci support Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu in this dialogue-driven crime yarn that will impress fans of Bullet Train‘s narrative flow.

It is another movie that is not heavy on stylized action sequences in the same way that Bullet Train is. However, the film grabs the attention of the audience with its dark humor, witty banter, and intriguing mystery. It all builds in an engrossing way while leading to a satisfying twist that makes it the kind of movie audiences will want to watch immediately again to look for clues.

1 The Commuter (2018)

Liam Neeson Plays A Cat-And-Mouse Game Aboard A Train

The Commuter (2018)

Release Date January 11, 2018 Director Jaume Collet-Serra Cast Liam Neeson , Vera Farmiga , Patrick Wilson , Elizabeth McGovern , Jonathan Banks

Liam Neeson is another respected dramatic actor whose dabbling in the action genre always causes a stir and this action thriller about a mysterious conspiracy aboard a bustling commuter train is similar to Bullet Train in several ways. The film’s cast of veteran actors is so large that it leaves room for smaller supporting work from the likes of Florence Pugh and Letitia Wright, and the detective elements of the plot mean that the audience is kept guessing right up until the finale.

In The Commuter, Neeson plays an insurance salesman who, after being suddenly fired, finds himself wrapped up in a far-reaching conspiracy that hinges on a mystery passenger on his commuter train home. While the action in The Commuter may be more relative to the speed of the train in the story when compared to a movie like Bullet Train, it still has plenty of explosive surprises throughout.

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