feelsalike.comSign in
John Q poster

Movies that feel likeJohn Q (2002)

John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.

If you loved John Q, the closest films we have are We Own the Night (2007), Layer Cake (2004) and 36th Precinct (2004). All three share John Q's contemplative and tense feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Red Rock West (1993).

πŸ… 26% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.1 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Nick Cassavetescontemplativetensegritty
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

See it on the Mood Map

When is John Q streaming? β†’

If John Q hit the spot, these will too

We Own the Night poster
We Own the Night
2007 Β· dir. James Gray
πŸ… 57%β˜… 6.8drama Β· crime Β· thriller

The same two preoccupations: parents and children, and hospital

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hitmen.

Layer Cake poster
Layer Cake
2004 Β· dir. Matthew Vaughn
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.2drama Β· thriller Β· crime

One thread runs through both: kidnapping

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

36th Precinct poster
36th Precinct
2004 Β· dir. Olivier Marchal
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.1crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Contemplative where it counts, tense underneath

In Paris, two cops are competing for the vacant job of chief of police, in the middle of the search for a gang of violent thieves. The movie is directed by Olivier Marchal, a former police officer who spent 12 years with the French police before creating this story, taken in part from real events of the 1980s.

Red Rock West poster
Red Rock West
1993 Β· dir. John Dahl
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7crime Β· thriller

Thriller with a pulse of grit, in both cases

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than John Q does

When a promised job for Texan Michael fails to materialize in Wyoming, Mike is mistaken by Wayne to be the hitman he hired to kill his unfaithful wife, Suzanne. Mike takes full advantage of the situation, collects the money, and runs. During his getaway, things go wrong, and soon get worse when he runs into the real hitman, Lyle.

Phone Booth poster
Phone Booth
2003 Β· dir. Joel Schumacher
πŸ… 72%β˜… 7.1thriller Β· crimePrime Video

Both lean on tension more than on crime

A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.

Traffic poster
Traffic
2000 Β· dir. Steven Soderbergh
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5thriller Β· drama Β· crime

Contemplative drama in both cases

An exploration of the United States of America's war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the war becomes personal when he discovers his well-educated daughter is abusing cocaine within their comfortable suburban home. In Mexico, a flawed, but noble policeman agrees to testify against a powerful general in league with a cartel, and in San Diego, a drug kingpin's sheltered trophy wife must learn her husband's ruthless business after he is arrested, endangering her luxurious lifestyle.

The Unjust poster
The Unjust
2010 Β· dir. Ryoo Seung-wan
β˜… 6.5crime Β· thrillerNetflix

Thriller built on grit, twice over

An honest cop has to compromise with his principles when he is told to find a scapegoat for a high-profile serial killer case in exchange for a big promotion.

Irreversible poster
Irreversible
2002 Β· dir. Gaspar NoΓ©
πŸ… 60%β˜… 7.3drama Β· thriller Β· crime

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

A woman’s lover and her ex-boyfriend take justice into their own hands after she becomes the victim of a rapist. Because some acts can’t be undone. Because man is an animal. Because the desire for vengeance is a natural impulse. Because most crimes remain unpunished.

Infernal Affairs poster
Infernal Affairs
2002 Β· dir. Alan Mak Siu-Fai
πŸ… 94%β˜… 8drama Β· thriller Β· crimeMax

Crime with a pulse of tension, in both cases

Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.

The Bank Job poster
The Bank Job
2008 Β· dir. Roger Donaldson
πŸ… 79%β˜… 7.2thriller Β· crime Β· dramaPrime Video

Both lean on grit more than on drama

Terry is a small-time car dealer trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Martine is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighbourhood who knows that Terry is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a bank, Terry recognises the danger but realises this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Primal Fear poster
Primal Fear
1996 Β· dir. Gregory Hoblit
πŸ… 77%β˜… 7.7crime Β· drama Β· thrillerParamount+

The thriller is handled with the same confidence

Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.

Killing Them Softly poster
Killing Them Softly
2012 Β· dir. Andrew Dominik
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.2crime Β· thriller

Both know what they want from crime

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share John Q’s defining feeling.