8 Influential Movies That Spawned Waves of Copycats

When a movie becomes a huge hit, it’s common for other artists and filmmakers to try and follow that success. If a blockbuster movie really surprises everyone with how well it does, many creatives will rush to make similar films, leading to a wave of imitations and copycat projects.

Certain movies become incredibly influential, inspiring countless imitations long after their initial popularity fades. These films can launch entire new subgenres, reshape how stories are told, and even fundamentally alter the landscape of big-budget filmmaking.

John Wick Shifted the Way Action Movies Were Made

A recent example of a highly influential film is 2014’s John Wick. This action movie was a huge success, captivating audiences with its impressive fight scenes, exciting gun battles, and a fantastic performance by Keanu Reeves, and it quickly inspired many copycat films.

After its release, John Wick didn’t just get three sequels and spin-offs – it also had a huge impact on action movies. Films like Nobody, Sisu, and Atomic Blonde clearly took inspiration from it, and you can see elements of John Wick‘s style in many action films being made today.

Scream Brought Forth a Million Post-Ironic Horror Flicks

Wes Craven is a legendary horror director, and many consider his 1996 film, Scream, to be his greatest achievement. Scream cleverly broke down the typical horror movie tropes of the time, revolutionizing the genre and captivating audiences with its self-aware humor and commentary.

As a horror fan, I truly believe Scream didn’t just launch a bunch of sequels – it totally changed the game. It opened the door for movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Happy Death Day, Ready or Not, and even the whole Scary Movie series. Honestly, without Scream, I think horror would be a much duller, more predictable place. Wes Craven was a genius, and Scream? That’s his crowning achievement, in my opinion.

Die Hard Spawned Countless Single-Location Action Joints

Released in 1988, Die Hard is arguably one of the greatest action movies ever made. It breathed new life into the action genre by moving away from the typical, larger-than-life heroes and introducing a more relatable, resourceful protagonist in John McClane. Set almost entirely within a single Los Angeles skyscraper, Die Hard revolutionized how action films were made.

Movies like Speed, Air Force One, Under Siege, White House Down, and Olympus Has Fallen clearly took inspiration from Die Hard. However, being similar to an existing film doesn’t automatically make it poor quality. It simply means it has a lot to live up to, and many films inspired by Die Hard have successfully become enjoyable in their own right.

Superman Is What Every Other Superhero Movie Has Been Chasing For Decades

Richard Donner’s 1978 film, Superman, is a remarkable achievement in blockbuster filmmaking, and it holds up even today. It essentially created the blueprint for adapting comic books into live-action movies, and its pacing, structure, tone, and story have been copied in countless superhero films since.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, and most other superhero origin stories all owe a debt to Superman. It’s a hugely important and groundbreaking film – without it, we likely wouldn’t have the Marvel Cinematic Universe or James Gunn’s new DC Universe.

The Matrix Was the Sci-Fi Genre’s Obsession For Years

Even now, the Wachowskis’ groundbreaking 1999 film, The Matrix, continues to inspire movies and TV shows. It fundamentally changed action filmmaking and demonstrated how science fiction could deepen even straightforward stories. The film’s distinctive visuals also had a huge impact, clearly influencing movies like X-Men, Resident Evil, and Underworld.

Several movies have clearly been inspired by The One, and even, surprisingly, by the critically panned Battlefield: Earth. The groundbreaking action sequences in the 1999 sci-fi film have heavily influenced many of the best action movies made since then. Iconic moments, like the slow-motion spinning kick and the bullet-time rooftop fight, have been repeatedly copied and referenced.

Pulp Fiction Had Countless Filmmakers Trying (And Failing) To Replicate It

Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is widely considered one of the most important and best films of the 1990s, and it continues to be a major part of our culture decades later. This incredibly stylish and violent crime thriller, known for its memorable characters, funny moments, and fantastic acting, heavily influenced many other films in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The film presented a complicated story with numerous characters and plotlines in a way that felt surprisingly smooth, which made adapting it seem achievable. However, nearly every attempt to imitate Pulp Fiction fell short of the original, with The Usual Suspects and the Get Shorty remake being only slightly better.

Every Sci-Fi Movie Since 1977 Has Been Influenced By Star Wars

Most modern science fiction films, even if their creators don’t say so, are clearly trying to recreate the success of Star Wars. Interestingly, George Lucas drew inspiration for his iconic story from older sources like sci-fi serials, samurai movies, and Westerns, meaning it’s not really a stretch to say that Star Wars itself was built on existing ideas.

Many low-budget sci-fi movies from the 1980s openly copied Star Wars, and even big-budget films often showed its influence. Today’s science fiction still owes a debt to Star Wars and its sequels. For example, the Dune films share many technical and stylistic similarities with Star Wars. Imitation of the groundbreaking 1970s film is common in Hollywood, and it’s undeniable that Star Wars is one of the most influential movies ever made.

There Is No Slasher Genre Without Halloween

John Carpenter’s 1978 film, Halloween, fundamentally changed horror movies. Without it, the landscape of horror in Hollywood would look very different, and popular franchises like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street might never have existed. Halloween essentially created the modern slasher film, and it made terrifying villains into lasting movie icons.

The movie Halloween isn’t just the inspiration for iconic horror franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street; it also launched a wave of inexpensive slasher films. There were so many imitations that it’s impossible to list them all, but the entire genre of ’80s slasher movies found in video stores wouldn’t exist as we know it without Halloween. It’s a true classic, and remains one of the most copied films of all time.

2026-02-05 04:40