Summary

• Kingsman movies offer wild action, humor, and strong performances, similar to other spy genre films like Atomic Blonde and Kick-Ass.
• The Suicide Squad serves as a reboot that combines humor, irreverence, and vicious violence, reminiscent of Kingsman’s style.
• Bullet Train, directed by John Wick’s director, offers a wild action-comedy with colorful characters, aligning with Kingsman’s tone.

Movies like Kingsman (2014) and the other entries in the franchise offer action and spy genre fans something a little wilder and unexpected. With a lot of action mixed expertly with humor, as well as the strong performances from the cast, it is easy to see why Kingsman: The Secret Service was spun into one of the most well-known action movie franchises of recent years. However, as unique as Kingsman can be, plenty of other movies have also done interesting things within the spy genre and even managed to capture some of the same magic.

The Kingsman series already consists of three movies to date with the promise of The Kingsman 3 to come. Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle (2024) is the latest movie to show how other movies can explore the similar territory of fun spy movies that embrace wild action as well as a cheeky sense of humor. From other big franchises to superhero movies to full-blown comedies, these movies will offer just what fans of the Kingsman movies are looking for as they wait for the next chapter in the franchise.

20 The Suicide Squad (2021)

James Gunn’s Colorful Comic Book Action Movie

Before James Gunn took over the DCU, he proved he could bring his own unique style to this specific comic book universe in The Suicide Squad. Like Kingsman, Gunn loves to combine irreverent humor with vicious violence, combining to make for a hilarious and wild ride filled with colorful characters.

The movie follows a band of supervillains who are tasked with a secret and dangerous government operation to stop a rogue science experiment being conducted on a foreign island. It is another colorful and vibrant movie that uses that exciting aesthetic to depict graphic and cartoonish violence, making for a fun ride and one of the best DC movies.

19 John Wick (2014)

Keanu Reeves Stars In The Vibrant Revenge Movie

While the action in the John Wick movies is far less cartoonish than what is seen in the Kingsman movies, fans who enjoy the long-take and ultra-violent church scene in the first movie will find plenty to like in Keanu Reeves’ action franchise.

While all John Wick movies provide thrilling action, the first movie is the best place to start with the series as it takes a very simple yet effective approach to the action revenge story before the sequels build the grand mythology of the world. They are stylish and colorful action movies that are among the genre’s best in recent years.

18 Bullet Train (2022)

Brad Pitt Leads The Comedic Action Adventure

One of the directors of the original John Wick movie offers another wild action movie with a tone much closer to The Kingsman movies. Bullet Train is an action comedy starring Brad Pitt as a reluctant assassin who attempts to take an easy mission of retrieving a suitcase from a train only to find himself stuck onboard with a host of colorful and deadly characters with motivations of their own.

Despite the cast of deadly characters, Bullet Train is a fun ride with a great sense of humor. Pitt is especially funny and the rest of the ensemble includes the likes of Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Sandra Bullock, and Michael Shannon.

17 Smokin’ Aces (2006)

A Star-Studded Action Movie About A Collision Of Deadly Characters

The infamous church shootout in the first Kingsman movie is a testament to how action movies can have over-the-top and ridiculous violence while also shocking the audience with its brutality. Smokin’ Aces is one action movie that pulls this off incredibly well as it can be funny and wild at one moment only to get gruesome and gritty the next moment.

The movie is another great action ensemble that features the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Chris Pine, and Ben Affleck in the story of various FBI agents, assassins, and bounty hunters who all converge as they hunt the same target. The movie fully embraces its chaotic and

16 Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Quentin Tarantino’s Bloody Revenge Epic

Quentin Tarantino is one filmmaker who helped inspire the genre of movies, like The Kingsman, in which graphic violence collides with an ironic tone. However, there are still few who do it as well as Tarantino himself. In terms of action, Tarantino proved himself best with his kung-fu revenge movie Kill Bill. While Kill Bill is actually split into two movies, the first showcases the kind of wild action that Kingman fans will enjoy.

It stars Uma Thurman as a trained assassin who is betrayed and left for dead. After waking from a coma, she sets out on a mission to kill those responsible. The scene in which The Bride takes on the Crazy 88 gang in an epic sword fight feels like the kind of action sequence The Kingsman‘s church sequence strives to be.

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15 Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

The Classic Spy Franchise

Tom Cruise’s signature action-thriller franchise showed no signs of slowing down in its sixth installment, with the star finding new ways to up the ante with the series’ first long-haul director, Christopher McQuarrie.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout
sees a greatest hits compilation of side characters come together to form Cruise’s superteam this time around as they fight to prevent nuclear armageddon once again.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout sees a greatest hits compilation of side characters come together to form Cruise’s superteam this time around as they fight to prevent nuclear armageddon once again. Fans of the Kingsman series’ playful choreography will love the dedication to the stunts and structure of any given action sequence.

14 X-Men: First Class (2011)

The Mutant Origin Action Movie

Before adapting Kingsman for the big screen, director Matthew Vaughn had a similarly difficult task when aiming to revive the then-floundering X-Men movie franchise.

Once a pioneer in the comic book movie genre, the cinematic X-Men were at a difficult crossroads, trying to revive the series with a new cast taking on old characters. It may be nowhere near as graphic as any of the Kingsman movies but First Class certainly has plenty of Vaughn’s flair running throughout it, not to mention a distinctly swingin’ sixties James Bond vibe to it that Kingsman fans will definitely recognize.

13 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

A Spy Movie Comedy, More Than A Serious Action Franchise

In terms of send-ups and homages of the spy movies of the sixties and seventies, you can do no better than Mike Myers’ classic Austin Powers series, particularly the first installment. The first Austin Powers film was, in fact, so popular that it spawned two sequels, with persistent rumors of a fourth film still in development.

Myers’ titular sixties spy is thawed out, Captain America style, to face his arch-nemesis in a modern world and the humor is broader, zanier, and cruder than even Kingsman‘s. While Austin Powers is a franchise that does play with all the classic elements of the spy movie, it is far more of a comedy than an action movie franchise, with intentionally ridiculous stakes and comic-esque villains. It’s ideal for anyone who enjoys Kingsman, but is looking for slightly lighter fare.

12 The Ipcress File (1965)

An Early Spy Classic

One of the many spy icons being spoofed in both the Austin Powers movies and the Kingsman series, beyond the obvious James Bond references, is the fellow literary-turned-movie secret agent Harry Palmer, most famously played by Michael Caine. (His look is what Austin Powers’ and the Kingsman organization’s thick-rimmed glasses are in reference to, as is Caine’s casting in each series, essentially.)

A much more dour approach to the genre than the upbeat James Bond series, Caine’s first outing as Palmer is as significant in the evolution of the spy movie as Dr. No.

11 Atomic Blonde (2017)

Another Comic-Book-Based Superspy Movie

Adapted from the 2012 graphic novel ‘The Coldest City’, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as a Cold War superspy caught in the middle of a murderous game of double-crosses in Berlin.

As slow and weighty as the plot may sound, the movie is really anything but. Original John Wick co-director David Leitch injects plenty of that long-take, meticulously-choreographed, fun into the movie’s action sequences, all of it making for an intense rush of colorful bare-knuckle fun.

10 Spy (2015)

A Hilarious Send-Off Of The Spy Genre

Spy has many shining comedic moments throughout and brilliantly showcases Melissa McCarthy‘s strong comedic presence. Directed by Paul Feig, the movie stands out by putting more emphasis on the humor, but still maintaining a nice balance of action as well.

Both Spy and Kingsman focus on unlikely candidates stepping into the role of a suave international spy, and each offers a different spin on slapstick and gross-out jokes. In Spy, however, it is McCarthy’s Susan Cooper who finds herself out in the field, and unlike Eggsy in Kingsman, she knows the ins and outs of the industry well… but only from behind a desk. She is an office-based part of the secret agent team, who finds herself thrown into the action, with hilarious results.

9 American Ultra (2015)

A Stoner Spy Comedy

American Ultra has become a bit of a cult movie since its initial release. Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, the story follows a couple as they run from a squad of deadly agents trying to assassinate them.

With humorous performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in the lead roles, it’s easy to see why some hold it in such high regard, despite an unfortunate run at the box office. Though it is far from a traditional depiction of spies in movies, American Ultra is still a great watch for any fan of the Kingsman franchise.

8 Casino Royale (2006)

James Bond Always Makes For The Perfect Spy

There’s no denying the love that Kingsman shows for the various spy movies that came before it. Because of this, it only seems right to include at least one James Bond movie on this list.

Casino Royale was the first entry in the franchise to feature Daniel Craig in the lead role, but also breathed some new life into the franchise overall. With many classic elements thrown into a modernized story, Casino Royale is the perfect place for new fans to jump in, while also being a simply great action/spy movie on its own.

7 Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

A More Serious Action Thriller

Though it doesn’t focus nearly as much on the spy/secret agent aspects as Kingsman does, Olympus Has Fallen is still a very enjoyable movie of a similar caliber. Especially in regards to graphic violence, this movie, as well as its two sequels, have done an exceptional job with their stunt choreography, which is definitely something it shares with the likes of Kingsman.

Despite the great action in both series, Olympus Has Fallen does lack the same type of humor that Kingsman does, though a few good jokes still manage to find their way in.

6 Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Detectives With A Similar Spy Feel

Following his success as Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. took on the role of Sherlock Holmes himself in the 2009 movie. Though it is more of a mystery movie than a spy movie, the levels of deception and entertainment really mimic that of the Kingsman franchise as well.

Considering how both movies feature clever twists and turns, strong villains, and great performances from Mark Strong, the two franchises have a bit more in common than some may realize.

5 The Losers (2010)

The Losers

The Losers is a 2010 action comedy starring Idris Elba, Zoë Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Columbus Short, and Oscar Jaenada. The film centers on a betrayed special forces group who go against orders to kill a drug lord while rescuing a group of children. The film is an adaptation of the Vertigo Comic series created by Andy Diggle and Jock.

Director

Sylvain White

Release Date

April 23, 2010

Runtime

97minutes

In an age when comic book movies are all the rage, it is easy for some to slip through the cracks, as The Losers did for many. Released in 2010, the film is an action-comedy with a truly star-studded cast, including Chris Evans, Idris Elba, and Zoe Saldana. Like many other films in this genre, it’s a comic book adaptation, about a group of agents who go rogue to take down a villain.

The movie offers a lot of really smart humor throughout its action-packed narrative.

The movie offers a lot of really smart humor throughout its action-packed narrative, and it hits the classic beats of the genre throughout.

4 Now You See Me (2013)

Constant Twists In This Magic Action Movie

Now You See Me managed to bring some magic back to theaters in a more literal sense when it came out in 2013. With a very strong cast, this heist movie was as unique as it was charming. The film centers on a group of magicians pulling off a major heist, so elevates the usual heist trickery to new levels with sleight of hand and other phenomenal magic tricks.

Though the sequel didn’t perform as well, the fact that it didn’t take itself too seriously was part of what attracted audiences to it in the first place. Filled with suspense and humor, Kingsman fans will surely enjoy this magical crime movie.

3 The Bourne Identity (2002)

Amnesia Adds To This Spy Action Thriller

All of the Bourne movies are great action thrillers, the first, however, introduces a green superspy into the world of espionage in a very unique way, as Kingsman: The Secret Service does.

As far as its relation to Kingsman, the Bourne series is definitely much more serious and doesn’t feature anywhere near as many tropes from other spy movies. However, core elements of the genre are still there, albeit in a much more realistic way.

2 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Based on the television series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Set during the height of the Cold War, the film follows a CIA operative and a KGB agent who are forced to work together to stop an international criminal conspiracy. Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant star alongside Cavill and Hammer.

Release Date

August 14, 2015

Runtime

116minutes

With Guy Ritchie directing and Henry Cavill as a star, it’s a surprise that this film didn’t do better on first release. A classic spy set up sees CIA and KJB agents joining forces in the Cold War, for an odd-couple take on the classic spy set up.

Despite the middling reviews that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. received when it first launched, many have come to really appreciate the movie in the few years since it left theaters.

Thanks to strong performances, and Impeccable comedic timing, from the impressive cast, it is easy to see why so many feel it’s underrated.

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1 Kick-Ass (2010)

An Earlier Vaughn Hit

Matthew Vaughn’s filmmaking style and brand of humor have proven to be quite successful for many movies. From massive blockbuster movies such as X-Men: First Class to smaller ones like Stardust, Vaughn has certainly proven that he knows how to make an entertaining movie.

Like Kingsman, Kick-Ass is another comic book movie that distances itself from others in the genre, and fans of Vaughn are likely to find a lot of similarities in its tone, humor, and violence thanks in no small part o the original comics’ shared writer, Mark Millar.