50 Movies Like First Blood (1982) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View First Blood details →Ted Kotcheff's 1982 action thriller sends former Green Beret John Rambo drifting into a small town, where harassment by local law enforcement and an arrest for vagrancy push a damaged veteran past his breaking point. Forced into the surrounding mountains, he wages an escalating one-man war against his pursuers. Beneath the wilderness action is a bruised portrait of a soldier the country no longer knows what to do with, giving the survival scenes an unexpected weight. It's tense, physical and angrier than its reputation suggests. Watch it if you want action rooted in character and a quieter tragedy under the manhunt. Rambo is leaner and sadder than the sequels it launched.
If you loved First Blood (1982) by Ted Kotcheff, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Sisu. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to First Blood
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with First Blood in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
1985 · George P. Cosmatos
John Rambo is released from prison by the government for a top-secret covert mission to the last place on Earth he'd want to return - the jungles of Vietnam.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Rambo III
1988 · Peter MacDonald
Combat has taken its toll on Rambo, but he's finally begun to find inner peace in a monastery. When Rambo's friend and mentor Col. Trautman asks for his help on a top secret mission to Afghanistan, Ra
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Sisu
2022 · Jalmari Helander
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant
2023 · Guy Ritchie
During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Land of Bad
2024 · William Eubank
When a Delta Force special ops mission goes terribly wrong, Air Force drone pilot Reaper has 48 hours to remedy what has devolved into a wild rescue operation. With no weapons and no communication oth
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Rambo
2008 · Sylvester Stallone
In Thailand, ex-Green Beret John James Rambo joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn neighboring Myanmar to rescue a group of Christian aid workers who have been kidnapped by a ruthless
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
2021 · Stefano Sollima
An elite Navy SEAL uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife.
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Kandahar
2023 · Ric Roman Waugh
After his mission is exposed, an undercover CIA operative stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, al
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Act of Valor
2012 · Mike McCoy
When a covert mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative uncovers a chilling plot, an elite, highly trained U.S. SEAL team speeds to hotspots around the globe, racing against the clock to stop a dead
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Sisu: Road to Revenge
2025 · Jalmari Helander
Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, "the man who refuses to die" dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their h
In common: Action · Thriller · War
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
2011 · Brad Bird
Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Expend4bles
2023 · Scott Waugh
Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the ta
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Hunter Killer
2018 · Donovan Marsh
Captain Glass of the USS Arkansas discovers that a coup d'état is taking place in Russia, so he and his crew join an elite group working on the ground to prevent a war.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
GoldenEye
1995 · Martin Campbell
When a powerful secret defense system is stolen, James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using it.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Expendables 2
2012 · Simon West
Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an u
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Expendables 3
2014 · Patrick Hughes
Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and so
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Commando
1985 · Mark L. Lester
John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fi
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Rock
1996 · Michael Bay
When vengeful General Francis X. Hummel seizes control of Alcatraz Island and threatens to launch missiles loaded with deadly chemical weapons into San Francisco, only a young FBI chemical weapons exp
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Plane
2023 · Jean-François Richet
After a heroic job of successfully landing his storm-damaged aircraft in a war zone, a fearless pilot finds himself between the agendas of multiple militias planning to take the plane and its passenge
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Goldfinger
1964 · Guy Hamilton
Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to ra
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Counterattack
2025 · Chava Cartas
When a hostage rescue mission creates a new enemy, Capt. Guerrero and his elite soldiers must face an ambush by a criminal group.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Octopussy
1983 · John Glen
James Bond is sent to investigate after a fellow “00” agent is found dead with a priceless Indian Fabergé egg. Bond follows the mystery and uncovers a smuggling scandal and a Russian General who wants
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The World Is Not Enough
1999 · Michael Apted
Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time th
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
A View to a Kill
1985 · John Glen
A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. Jam
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
American Assassin
2017 · Michael Cuesta
Following the murder of his fiancée, Mitch Rapp trains under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley. The pair then is enlisted to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on military a
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Three Musketeers
2011 · Paul W. S. Anderson
The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the Fren
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Dirty Dozen
1967 · Robert Aldrich
12 American military prisoners in World War II are ordered to infiltrate a well-guarded enemy château and kill the Nazi officers vacationing there. The soldiers, most of whom are facing death sentence
In common: Action · Adventure · War
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
2023 · Edward Bazalgette
In the wake of King Edward's death, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades adventure across a fractured kingdom in the hopes of uniting England at last.
In common: Action · Adventure · War
Skyscraper
2018 · Rawson Marshall Thurber
Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The 355
2022 · Simon Kinberg
A group of top female agents from American, British, Chinese, Colombian, and German government agencies are drawn together to try and stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the wo
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Hanna
2011 · Joe Wright
Raised by her father, an ex-CIA agent, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing has been geared to making her the perfect assassin. Sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys ac
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Ashfall
2019 · Kim Byung-seo
A group of unlikely heroes from across the Korean peninsula try to save the day after a volcano erupts on the mythical and majestic Baekdu Mountain.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
U-571
2000 · Jonathan Mostow
In the midst of World War II, the battle under the sea rages and the Nazis have the upper hand as the Allies are unable to crack their war codes. However, after a wrecked U-boat sends out an SOS signa
In common: Action · Adventure · War
Blacklight
2022 · Mark Williams
Travis Block is a shadowy Government agent who specializes in removing operatives whose covers have been exposed. He then has to uncover a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highe
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Retribution
2023 · Nimród Antal
When a mysterious caller plants a bomb under his car seat, a bank executive begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks — all with his kids trapped in the back sea
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
300
2007 · Zack Snyder
A story very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians.
In common: Action · Adventure · War
Jason Bourne
2016 · Paul Greengrass
The most dangerous former operative of the CIA is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Anna
2019 · Luc Besson
Beneath Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world's most feared government assassins.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Where Eagles Dare
1968 · Brian G. Hutton
World War II is raging, and an American general has been captured and is being held hostage in the Schloss Adler, a Bavarian castle that's nearly impossible to breach. It's up to a group of skilled Al
In common: Action · Adventure · War
For Your Eyes Only
1981 · John Glen
A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. James Bond is sent to find the device that holds British launching instructions before the enemy Soviets get to it first.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Killer Elite
2011 · Gary McKendry
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives—Danny, an ex-special ops agent and Hunter, his longtime mentor—against the cunning leader of a secret militar
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Homefront
2013 · Gary Fleder
Phil Broker, a retired DEA agent, leads a quiet life with his daughter Maddy, until a school bullying incident draws them into a conflict with Morgan “Gator” Bodine, a local crime boss.
In common: Action · Thriller
The Day of the Jackal
1973 · Fred Zinnemann
An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin’s trail.
In common: Action · Thriller
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
1995 · John McTiernan
New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocen
In common: Action · Thriller
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
2016 · Michael Bay
An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
In common: Action
Crimson Tide
1995 · Tony Scott
After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmd
In common: Action · Thriller
Behind Enemy Lines
2001 · John Moore
While flying a routine reconnaissance mission over Bosnia, fighter pilot Lt. Chris Burnett photographs something he wasn't supposed to see and gets shot down behind enemy lines, where he must outrun a
In common: Action · Thriller
Mission: Impossible
1996 · Brian De Palma
When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the pr
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Casino Royale
2006 · Martin Campbell
Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorists, is scheduled to participate in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro, where he intends to use his winnings to establish his financial grip on the terro
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Skyfall
2012 · Sam Mendes
When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong, agents around the world are exposed and MI6 headquarters is attacked. While M faces challenges to her authority and position from Gareth Mallory, the
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Popular series
Breaking Bad
2008 · Michelle MacLaren
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
2023 · Kazutaka Yamanaka
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s m
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005 · Michael Dante DiMartino
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
