If you’ve watched Die Hard as many times as I and Detective Jake Peralta have, here are the best John McTiernan Movies that you’re sure to love!
Top 10 John McTiernan Movies
1. Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard hit three major targets with a single arrow. First, it turned McTiernan into a household name. Next, it majorly shifted the template for the upcoming 80s and 90s villains to a more realistic and charismatic Hans Gruber, inspiring iconic antagonists such as Deacon Frost in Blade, Agent Smith in The Matrix Trilogy, and Howard Payne in Speed. Finally, last but not least, it redefined the 80s action hero archetype from muscular, badass fighters like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone to a more relatable Bruce Willis.
The narrative follows John McClane (Bruce Willis), an NYPD detective who travels to LA to attend his estranged wife’s office Christmas party, in the hopes of reconciling with her. But things take an ugly turn when the venue, Nakatomi Plaza, is held hostage with all the people in it by the vicious and unpredictable Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).
Expect hair-raising suspense, sneak attacks, and all the thrill you can probably handle!
2. Predator (1987)
The Terminator shot Arnold Schwarzenegger to global fame, and three years later, Predator cemented his status as an action superstar. A story of a battle between a team of commanders and an extraterrestrial warrior, Predator seamlessly blends the aesthetics of a macho 1980s action film with sci-fi horror, inspiring countless films with this unique hybrid.
While the narrative is based on the core theme of survival, it masterfully taps into subtler themes such as technology vs primal instincts, teamwork, and brotherhood. In the climax, Major Dutch ultimately wins by primitive tactics and not gunpowder.
The film also features advanced special effects such as thermal vision for the extraterrestrial’s POV, and Stan Winston’s design for the Predator set a new standard for movie monsters.
3. The Hunt For Red October (1990)
Based on Tom Clancy’s best seller namesake novel, The Hunt For Red October is set against the backdrop of Cold War and follows Captain Ramius (Sean Connery), the commander of the most advanced Soviet Union submarine, the Red October, as he secretly plans defection by absconding to the U.S. with the Red October and his officers in it.
As the U.S. military and intelligence are anxiously trying to determine the meaning of Ramius’ move, the Soviet Navy pursues the Red October, the submarine renowned for its undetectability, to prevent the defection.
The narrative is noted for its atmospheric tension and intricate sound design. At the same time, great actors like Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and Scott Glenn turn up the heat in the plot, with their sharp performances. Widely regarded as one of the best submarine and espionage films ever made, The Hunt for Red October is as good as the book, and one of McTiernan’s best works.
4. Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
The third film in the Die Hard Series, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, revitalized the franchise with its inventive action and dynamic character pairing: Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson.
The story follows our beloved John McClane (Bruce Willis), who is now a suspended NYPD detective, as he tries to protect New York from a serious bomb threat. He is helped by Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson), a simple shop owner.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance uses the entirety of New York City as its playground for action, amplifying the scale and stakes of the narrative, breaking out of the first film’s structure, which used confined spaces.
In addition to the action, the “Simon Says” game is another highlight of the film that drives the narrative with clever puzzles and time-based challenges, balancing out muscle with wit. By tying the villain, Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) to the original film’s antagonist, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), McTiernan not only creates personal stakes for McClane but also cleverly plays on the viewer’s nostalgia for the original film.
5. Last Action Hero (1993)
Imagine being the assistant to your favorite action hero for a day? Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien), a young boy obsessed with action films, uses a magical ticket to enter the world of his hero, Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger), causing both the fictional and real worlds to collide when the villains from the movie escape into reality. Now, it is up to Danny and Jack to save both reality and fiction.
McTiernan’s homage to action films in the form of a bold parody, Last Action Hero, is drenched in ironic self-awareness and is a must-watch over-the-top spectacle for every action lover.
6. Rollerball (2002)
A beautiful metaphor in a sports-action film starring Chris Klein, Rollerball is set in a dystopian near future, where masses are obsessed with the sport of Rollerball. The narrative draws a parallel with how sports are intentionally used to distract citizens from the real issues, while oppressing them in a strange way, with their own madness. Rollerball explores controversial themes including media manipulation, spectacle versus substances, and individual morality versus systematic corruption.
If you like dynamic camera work and an immersive yet disorienting viewer experience, well, you can thank me later!
7. Medicine Man (1992)
If you like ensemble themes, Medicine Man is going to be your joyride. The narrative follows an eccentric and reclusive biochemist, Dr. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery), who is working remotely in the Amazon, trying to find a cure for cancer. Closing in on success, he asks his employer company to send him a research assistant, and they send Dr. Rae Crane (Lorraine Bracco) to help him out.
At first, Campbell arrogantly rejects Crane as his partner because she is a woman, but then is forced to collaborate with her when a few bulldozers encroach on their research site to destroy it, threatening both the ecosystem and their project. As they race against time, doing science together, an unlikely romance blooms between the two.
Medicine Man is marked by evocative visuals that bring the jungle to life to use it both as an antagonist and inspiration.
8. Basic (2003)
Another must-watch crime-action thriller directed by McTiernan. Basic features a Rashomon-style narrative, further elevated by numerous plot twists. The film follows a DEA agent (John Travolta) who’s called in to investigate the Army Ranger training exercise in Panama, after it kills and causes the disappearance of several soldiers and their instructor (Samuel L. Jackson).
Basic teaches us how films should be deliberate and expressive, rather than formulaic.
9. The 13th Warrior (1999)
Starring Antonio Banderas in the lead role, McTiernan’s The 13th Warrior is loosely based on Michael Crichton’s novel Eaters of the Dead. The narrative follows Ahmad ibn Fadlan (Banderas) as he gets involved in a quest to save a Viking village against the monstrous and mysterious invaders, the Wendols, after being exiled from his own kingdom by the Sultan.
Although the film did not fare as expected at the box office, it has gained a cult following for its atmospheric visuals and elaborate action sequences. The 13th Warrior is also recognized for pioneering the depiction of a Muslim hero in a mainstream Hollywood movie.
10. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
A romantic crime thriller, starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, The Thomas Crown Affair is a cerebral cat-and-mouse chase. The narrative centers on a bored billionaire, Thomas Crown (Brosnan), who orchestrates audacious art heists, but finally meets his match in the form of Catherine Banning (Russo), a sharp insurance investigator, determined to catch him.
While Brosnan and Russo’s onscreen chemistry is the biggest highlight of the film, the inventive, tension-filled, and witty heist sequences, which never prioritize violence, are a close second.
The Thomas Crown Affair is also admired for its sleek and sophisticated look. The film demonstrates how a heist film can be elevated just with the right amount of sophisticated romance.
For action lovers, McTiernan’s movies are always on their binge-watch list. If you’ve never explored his filmography beyond the Die Hard franchise, do let us know which one in the list you like the most.
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