When Liam Neeson starred in Taken in 2008, the action movies genre saw a surge, and movie-goers who may have chosen other genres started watching movies of the sort. The action, the family bond, the revenge, and the fights are what kept viewers on the edge of their seats and wanting more. It wasn’t just Neeson’s performance, but the kind of story he was telling.

Before and since Taken, there have been other movies that keep audiences on their toes with their action, storylines, and performances. From Taken 2 and 3, allowing fans to see what happened to their favorite characters with a possibility of a fourth movie, to John Wick, one of Keanu Reeves most loved revenge films.

Updated on March 23, 2023, by Hannah Saab:

Fans are getting ready to line up for John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24), which shows the beloved protagonist going against his biggest challenge yet. The first installment in that franchise was one of the first few movies like Taken that highlighted the renewed interest in the action and revenge genres, which is still growing today.

10 ‘A Day to Die’ (2022)

Bruce Willis in 'A Day To Die.'

The way in which Neeson has been recognized for his role in action movies is the same way in which Bruce Willis’s career has been. He has been in many action movies including Die Hard and Red. In A Day to Die, he brings his action skills to the screen once more.

A Day to Die follows an ex-military ops officer who has to pay $2 million dollars in reparations in 24 hours. Brooke Butler, Leon Robinson, and Kevin Dillon join Willis’s newest adventure. The film has been criticized for its formulaic and predictable plot, but fans of Willis will likely still find some entertainment value there.

Watch on Hulu

9 ‘Taken 3’ (2014)

Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace in 'Taken 3.'

The Taken series allowed Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen to utilize their own special set of skills. Sadly, Janssen’s Taken journey ends during Taken 3 as her character is murdered by Stuart’s enemies. Following the revenge plot, Bryan Mills goes on a chase to hunt down the men who killed the woman he loved. While doing so, he has to make sure he is able to protect his pregnant daughter.

Taken 3 brings an end to the series (at least for now). Out of all three Neeson movies, this is the saddest one, as fans have to say goodbye to one of the main characters.

8 ‘Taken 2’ (2012)

Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen in 'Taken 2.'

Taken left viewers wanting more, and the sequel didn’t disappoint. Taken 2 follows the Mills family during their trip to Istanbul. While the first movie had Bryan Mills chasing after the bad guys who had kidnaped his daughter, the second one has him needing to escape kidnappers who caught him and his wife.

Kim goes from being the victim to being the one who can help her father and mother come home safe in this entertaining sequel. Taken 2 depicts the perfect arc for Kim’s character development, allowing Maggie Grace to showcase her acting skills.

7 ‘The Gray Man’ (2022)

Ryan Gosling in 'The Gray Man.'
Image via Netflix

For those who loved Taken because it was a father trying to protect his family with badass fight scenes, they will love The Gray Man just as much. Although Six does not have a blood-related family, he has created a family of his own in his very dangerous line of work. In the movie, viewers see him fighting against all odds – including a number of armed groups in Prague – to save the niece of the man who hired him. She is his only family.

Fans get to see Ryan Gosling fight several bad guys who stood no chance in the movie full of amazingly lit and colored scenes. It is also the perfect movie to watch Chris Evans play the villain for a change (which he does exceedingly well).

Watch on Netflix

6 ‘Extraction’ (2020)

Chris Hemsworth in 'Extraction.'
Image via Netflix

Rescue missions make for some of the best plot lines in action movies, and so is the case of Extraction. In the movie, a black market mercenary goes on a mission to rescue the kidnaped son of a crime lord. Usually, audiences do not care about crime lords, but the focus in the movie is on the mercenary and the son.

Extraction gave viewers, particularly MCU fans, the opportunity to see Chris Hemsworth as something other than Thor. He could definitely find his place in the action genre after this.

Watch on Netflix

5 ‘The Equalizer’ (2014)

Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer.'

The Equalizer has had several renditions during its cinematic history. The famous 2014 version had Denzel Washington front and center as an avenging angel helping those who cannot help themselves. The Equalizer follows McCall (Washington) as he comes out of his retirement to help a teenager mistreated by the Russian mob.

Just like in Taken, the main character presents a set of skills that make him the best in the game. Of course, it's Denzel Washington's incredible performance that makes The Equalizer movies worth watching.

Watch on Starz

4 ‘Promising Young Woman’ (2020)

Cassie (Carey Mulligan) sipping from a straw while reading a book in Promising Young Woman
Image via Focus Features

For those who loved Taken because of its revenge plot, Promising Young Woman will be right up their alley. Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, it tells the story of Cassie (Carey Mulligan), who is on a mission to avenge her friend. Going out with “nice” guys, she ends up taking care of those who try to take advantage of her.

Promising Young Woman provides a much-needed powerful message about how society acts towards women who come forward about their experiences. Mulligan's powerful performance far outweighs any criticism about the film's divisive ending, which is just more reason to watch it.

Watch on Prime Video

3 ‘The Bourne Identity’ (2002)

Matt Damon in 'The Bourne Identity.'

Matt Damon has played many characters throughout his career, from loving family men to action heroes. All of them are great in their own way, but one of the most memorable ones will always be his role in The Bourne Identity. With a set of particular skills, just like Bryan Mills, Jason Bourne sets on a search to find out who he really is and why there are assassins after him.

This is the first movie of the series, which is soon followed by: The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy (in which Jeremy Renner is the main character), and Jason Bourne.

Watch on HBO Max

2 ‘Nobody’ (2021)

Bob Odenkirk in 'Nobody.'

In Taken, Mills has to rescue his daughter while in Nobody, Hutch Mansell has to save his wife and son. After a break-in, Mansell’s rage comes to the surface and viewers see him fight with his fists and with guns. Car chases and fight scenes make this movie a top-tier contender in the action genre.

Nobody puts the one-man army, Bob Odenkirk, in the middle of the action, and he plays the role of Hutch to perfection. Like Taken, it will give you a family man trying to save his family, great fight scenes, chase scenes, and a particular set of skills that would impress anyone.

Watch on HBO Max

1 ‘John Wick’ (2014)

Keanu Reeves in 'John Wick.'

Keanu Reeves is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood no matter what he does. Whether he is fighting to save the world in The Matrix or playing Diane Keaton’s love interest in Something’s Gotta Give, he brings an audience into the theater. He did so once again when John Wick premiered.

John Wick tells the story of a former assassin as he hunts down the people who broke into his house, stole his car, and killed the puppy his deceased wife had given him. Fans ended up loving the movie so much that it became an international box office hit and a massively popular film series.

Watch on Peacock

NEXT: The Best Revenge Movies of All Time, Ranked According to Letterboxd