This 1970s Cult Classic Walked so John Wick Could Run

John Wick reshaped the action genre after its 2014 debut, but its DNA owes a clear debt to Walter Hill’s 1979 gang saga The Warriors. The cult classic lacks John Wick’s stunt-heavy choreography, yet its pacing and worldbuilding are visible throughout the Reeves and Stahelski films.

Both pictures drop viewers into fully formed, mysterious societies. John Wick introduces coins, contracts and hotels with minimal exposition, while The Warriors parades through distinctive gangs and archetypes without explaining their origins. The Baseball Furies show why Hill’s approach works: striking visuals and no backstory, which make the setting feel lived-in.

Swan — a quiet, honorable figure pushed into violence after a setup — anticipates many of Wick’s traits, from restrained speech to sudden, decisive action. The Warriors isn’t the same high-octane spectacle, but its fingerprints are all over the John Wick franchise.

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