John Wick
2014USA★ 7.54.5 pt match
What ties these together is grief, rage, and loyalty under pressure. They share the same lens on corrupt institutions. Both move the same way too, bleak, brutal, relentless, and escalating.
Ballerina
발레리나
2023South KoreaLanguage: koDirected by Lee Chung-hyun★ 7
Available in English: subtitled
Grieving the loss of a best friend she couldn't protect, an ex-bodyguard sets out to fulfill her dear friend's last wish: sweet revenge.
Themes and style
Tone
bleakbrutalmelancholiccold and detached
Pacing
relentlessescalatingslow build to explosion
Story
pursuitsurvivalescape
Emotion
griefguiltloyalty under pressuresacrificerage
Themes
men and women navigating expectationscorrupt institutionspoverty
Feel
catharticgut punchexhaustingdiscussion starter
Violence
graphicWhere to watch
Hollywood films like Ballerina
If Ballerina hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
2021USA★ 6.94.5 pt match
What ties these together is grief, rage, and guilt. The world both films live in revolves around corrupt institutions. The feel is the same: bleak, brutal, relentless, and escalating.
The Equalizer
2014USA★ 7.34 pt match
Both films sit with rage and guilt. They share the same lens on corrupt institutions, poverty, and men and women navigating expectations. The feel is the same: brutal, cold and detached, escalating, and slow build to explosion.
Gladiator
2000USA★ 8.23 pt match
Like Ballerina, this one is rooted in grief, loyalty under pressure, and rage. The world both films live in revolves around corrupt institutions. The feel is the same: bleak, brutal, escalating, and relentless.
Nobody
2021USA★ 7.93 pt match
Like Ballerina, this one is rooted in rage. Both move the same way too, brutal, slow build to explosion, and escalating.