The only genre Hollywood loves more than superhero movies are action flicks.

For decades, audiences have flocked to theaters to watch their favorite movie stars play action hero and kick-punch or shoot their way through many bad guys. In recent years, thanks to movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, the last two Mission: Impossible movies, and the John Wick series, the genre’s output has exceeded expectations and churned out considerable masterpieces in the fine art of explosions and fistfights.

As John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum aims to raise the action movie bar even higher, here are some essential entries in the genre you should watch before seeing Wick’s next adventure in theaters this weekend.

1. ‘John Wick’ (2014)

No one really expected John Wick to launch a franchise, but we are glad it did with its emphasis on in-camera, practical action over Hollywood’s recent trend to double-down on CG-fueled set pieces. The first movie in the John Wick series is a surprisingly emotional affair. After losing his wife and dog (a gift from his late wife), the vengeful assassin literally goes ballistic on an underworld full of killers and very, very bad men. The action scenes are inventive, executed with clear geography and a visual flair that puts them up there with some of the best the genre has ever produced. As fun-in-a-very-guilty-pleasure way as John Wick: Chapter 2 is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the far superior original.

2. ‘Speed’ (1994)

Keanu Reeves’ first attempt at action hero status is a legit ’90s classic. The killer elevator pitch premise — a bus can’t drop below 50 MPH or it will blow up — is elevated with relatable and charming performances from Reeves and passenger-turned-bus driver Sandra Bullock, who steals the show with her star-making turn. Joss Whedon’s uncredited rewrite can be heard throughout the movie’s best lines, and Keanu is perfect as a cop who is just a guy who doesn’t want to see people get hurt. What his character does to ensure innocent lives aren’t lost results in a perfect action movie.

3. ‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)

Netflix’s bloody assault is full of intense, over-the-top set pieces that figuratively pummel you while literally pummeling the characters. The complicated story centers on Ito, a gangland enforcer, who is caught in the middle of a violent power struggle within his Triad crime family. Lots of inventive ways to punch and impale baddies ensues, as the movie from the guys who helped give us The Raid sets a new standard for action cinema.

4. ‘Oldboy’ (2003)

Director Park Chan-wook’s must-see revenge thriller is as unsettling as it is violent. Dae-Su finds himself confined to a cell for 15 years, drugged, with his only companion being a television. When he is suddenly released from captivity, he begins a search for his captor and that’s when the movie takes several twisted — and bloody — turns on its way to an all-timer tragic finale. And the film’s infamous hammer fight in a hallway? So, so good.

5. ‘Man On Fire’ (2004)

The late director Tony Scott delivered some of his best action and drama with this Denzel Washington hit from 2004. When former government operative Creasy (Washington) isn’t drowning his sins in bottles of booze, he’s on the protection detail for the daughter (Dakota Fanning) of a shady businessman in Mexico. When the girl is kidnapped and seemingly murdered, Creasy carves a bloody and explosive swath of vengeance to find the bad guys responsible. Washington delivers a performance that is equal parts internalized and explosive, giving Creasy a sympathetic edge that underlies his ultimate (and bittersweet) attempt at redemption through violence.

6. ‘Atomic Blonde’ (2017)

Charlize Theron’s follow-up to the modern classic Mad Max: Fury Road is another action movie that finds her kicking considerable ass and further solidifying this Oscar-winner’s status as a legit action heroine. The convoluted and messy plot of this spy thriller is just a twisty excuse to execute gritty, bone-on-bone fight scenes and gun battles as Theron’s scorned MI6 spy tries to untangle a plot revolving around a list of double agents in Cold War Berlin. Atomic Blonde struggles to deliver on an emotional character level, but it more than succeeds on the visceral front. Standout action scenes include an outnumbered Theron vs. a room full of thugs and an epic, drag-out stairwell brawl that unfolds in one take.

7. ‘The Raid’ (2011)

A rookie commando finds himself confined in a building home to a brutal crime boss and his gang in this exceptional action movie from 2011. Director Gareth Evans’ action scenes are always clear on geography and never fail to deliver maximum impact in this violent ode to action movie masters like John Woo. Many action movies have tried to mimic The Raid since its release. Few have succeeded.

John Wick: Chapter 3 is in theaters this weekend. Get your tickets here.