Movies Like Detention (2003)

Detention is a 2003 action, thriller film from Sidney J. Furie with a MovieMagicScore of 4.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Outpost and The Guest.

Action Thriller

Outpost

2008

In a seedy bar in a town ravaged by war, scientist and businessman Hunt hires mercenary and former Royal Marine D.C. to assemble a crack team of ex-soldiers to protect him on a dangerous journey into no-man's land. Their mission is to scope out an old military bunker in Eastern Europe. It should be easy – 48 hours at the most. Lots of cash for little risk. Or so he says...

5.9

MagicScore

The Guest

2014

A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.

6.6

MagicScore

Serenity

2005

When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything – or anyone – to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But... the greatest danger of all may be on their ship.

7.4

MagicScore

Mesrine: Killer Instinct

2008

Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier, is back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido, Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder.

7.3

MagicScore

The Equalizer

2014

McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

7.3

MagicScore

Lethal Weapon

1987

A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.

7.3

MagicScore

Harsh Times

2005

Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.

6.4

MagicScore

No Escape

1994

In the year 2022, a ruthless prison warden has created the ultimate solution for his most troublesome and violent inmates: Absolom, a secret jungle island where prisoners are abandoned and left to die. But Marine Captain John Robbins, convicted of murdering a commanding officer, is determined to escape the island in order to reveal the truth behind his murderous actions and clear his name.

6.3

MagicScore

The Hunted

2003

In the wilderness of British Columbia, two hunters are tracked and viciously murdered by Aaron Hallam. A former Special Operations instructor is approached and asked to apprehend Hallam—his former student—who has 'gone rogue' after suffering severe battle stress from his time in Kosovo.

6.2

MagicScore

#10

Big Legend

2018

An ex-soldier ventures into the Pacific Northwest to uncover the truth behind his fiance's disappearance.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

The Veteran

2011

Soldier Robert Miller returns home from Afghanistan unable to fit back into society. Living on a violent council estate and finding work in undercover surveillance, he becomes obsessed with taking down a group of local gangsters who are intrinsically tied to a suspected terrorist cell. Taking the situation into his own hands, Robert embarks on a brutal quest for justice, with devastating consequences.

5.8

MagicScore

#12

Long Gone Heroes

2024

Gunner, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America. As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits way too close to home.

5.7

MagicScore

#13

American Ninja 4: The Annihilation

1990

The two American Ninjas, Joe Armstrong and Sean Davidson, team up to do battle against a terrorist and his band of Ninjas.

5.2

MagicScore

#14

Unstoppable

2004

The deranged military and former CIA agent Dean Cage is in a rehab program, trying to forget the traumatic loss of his best friend Scott in Bosnia. When he dates with his girl-friend and Scott's sister, Detective Amy Knight, in a dinning restaurant, he is mistakenly taken as being the CIA agent that is investigating the robbery of the military experiment EX by a man called Sullivan. He is injected with the drug and abducted by the thieves. Amy has six hours to find the also stolen antidote and save Dean's life.

5.2

MagicScore

#15

Wrath of Man

2021

A cold and mysterious new security guard for a Los Angeles cash truck company surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman's ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.

7.6

MagicScore

#16

Long Arm of the Law

1984

A group of desperate Chinese criminals hope to make a quick, effortless score in Hong Kong. Things go afoul, and the gang must hide out until the heat dies down, besmirched with the blood of an undercover cop.

6.8

MagicScore

#17

The Reflecting Skin

1990

In 1950s rural Idaho, a young boy watches helplessly as his friends and brother fall under the spell of a mysterious widow living up the road and becomes convinced that she is a vampire.

6.7

MagicScore

#18

One Fast Move

2024

A dishonorably discharged soldier seeks out his estranged father to help him pursue his dream of becoming a professional motorcycle racer. While training, he meets a small-town, aspiring singer and a motorcycle shop owner who begin to break down the walls his father's absence had built up.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

Sarrainodu

2016

Only one man can stop a villain who, backed by his father, brutally murders anyone who gets in the way of his unscrupulous real estate deals.

6.4

MagicScore

#20

Ten Seconds to Hell

1959

Two rivals from a German bomb squad are left to deactivate duds in postwar Berlin.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Detention?

The top films similar to Detention by MovieMagicScore are Outpost (5.9), The Guest (6.6), Serenity (7.4). Each shares action/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Detention worth watching?

Detention holds a MovieMagicScore of 4.4/10 from 61 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Detention?

Detention (2003) is a action, thriller film directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring Dolph Lundgren, Alex Karzis, Kata Dobó.

Where can I find more recommendations like Detention?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Outpost Movies like The Guest Movies like Serenity Movies like Mesrine: Killer Instinct Movies like The Equalizer Movies like Lethal Weapon

About movies like Detention

This ranked list pairs Detention (2003), a action and thriller film from Sidney J. Furie, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Dolph Lundgren take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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