Hong Kong, March 16 -- Craving a cinematic cocktail of stylish action, stoic heroes and a world of unspoken rules? Look no further than the best movies that echo the pulse-pounding thrill like the

franchise. These movies, often dubbed "gun-fu" because of numerous scenes of gunfighting, offer a unique blend of elegance and brutality, where carefully choreographed fight sequences meet darkly captivating narratives.

At the heart of these films lies the archetype of the retired assassin. Once a legend in the criminal underworld, the protagonist is forced back into their deadly past by a personal tragedy. This leads to a vengeance-filled saga.

Think the character of John Wick, who is haunted by the grief of his wife's death, or Bryan Mills ...