John Wick, at first glance, appeared to be just another action movie. What we got, though, was a stunning physical performance from Keanu Reeves, tight action from director and former stuntman Chad Stahelski, and an exciting new world to inhabit thanks to characters like Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (Lance Reddick). These elements took a simple revenge story and turned it into something much bigger.

John Wick’s story starts simply: The son of a Russian mobster tries to buy retired hitman John Wick’s car. When John refuses, the hood and his goons break into the ex-assassin’s house, leaving him on the edge of death and killing his dog–a last gift from his now-dead wife. Wick goes on the warpath, putting down 77 people before the credits roll. Sharp action, a compelling protagonist, and some truly great world-building help make what could’ve been a forgettable action movie into a modern cult classic.

Now, with John Wick’s fourth entry in the rear-view mirror and spin-off film Ballerina a year out, we’ve been craving some good action-revenge movies to fill the gap. Not every movie on this list is a pure revenge flick, and not every one of them has the same kind of brutal action that John Wick had made so popular. They all fall along those lines, though: Someone messed with the wrong badass, whether that’s a vengeful father, an assassin doing one last job, or a triple-agent infiltrating the KGB. So let’s get mad, and then get even.