Netflix’s exciting action movies draw inspiration from films like The Raid and John Wick, but they lack a key ingredient found in both of those popular series: impressive gunplay combined with martial arts, often called ‘Gun-Fu’. Action movies in the 2000s often used shaky camera work to make fight scenes feel realistic and immediate. However, the John Wick movies, starting in 2014, revolutionized the genre.
The story of Keanu Reeves as a calm, retired assassin seeking revenge for his dog was interesting, but it was the incredible action scenes that really made John Wick a hit. The movies pioneered a distinctive style – fluid, dynamic camera work that followed the action closely – and many other films, including Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, Nobody, fight scenes in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Prime Video’s Pretty Lethal, have since copied it. John Wick created an immersive action experience with its smooth, moving camera techniques.
This filmmaking style offers audiences clear views of exciting fight scenes without sacrificing the raw impact of martial arts action. Though popularized by the John Wick films, the 2011 Indonesian movie The Raid demonstrated this technique earlier on. Director Gareth Evans crafted a relentlessly violent and thrilling story – a raid on a drug dealer’s apartment building – as a beautifully choreographed display of combat, which later influenced Netflix’s Extraction movies.
Extraction Mixes John Wick’s One-Man Army With The Raid’s Non-Stop Action
Directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo, Extraction follows Tyler Rake, a highly skilled and fearless black ops mercenary played by Chris Hemsworth. Rake, an Australian veteran, is hired to rescue the son of a drug lord, but the mission quickly becomes much more dangerous when he discovers he’s been betrayed. The film is a fast-paced, intense action thriller, similar in style to Man on Fire, featuring a determined hero fighting against overwhelming odds.
Watching Chris Hemsworth’s character relentlessly fight and pursue his targets naturally draws comparisons to the John Wick films. The movie’s fast-paced action is also reminiscent of The Raid series. Both Extraction 2 (with its incredible single-take prison scene) and these films clearly take inspiration from The Raid, particularly in their close-quarters combat style.
Both Extraction films borrow heavily from The Raid, particularly in their gritty portrayal of impoverished, crime-ridden urban environments – even mimicking its bleak color schemes. Although this might suggest the Extraction movies are simply copies of The Raid, the tragic history of the character Rake is actually more influenced by the storytelling and world-building of the John Wick franchise.
Netflix’s Extraction Franchise Highlights A Streaming Shortcoming
The Extraction films successfully blend the intense action of The Raid with the stylish gun-fu of John Wick, leading many to consider them among the best action movies Netflix has released since 2020. While reviewers generally applauded the impressive action in both Extraction and Extraction 2, they also pointed out that the stories and characters felt somewhat unoriginal. But it’s not these familiar elements that prevent the series from reaching its full potential.
The Extraction films demonstrate that some genres, especially action, are best experienced in a movie theater. The impressive and dynamic action sequences truly shine on the big screen. While films like John Wick and The Raid were enhanced by theatrical releases, Extraction might have been even more impactful if it had skipped streaming and gone straight to theaters.
2026-07-24 01:31