Here is a compilation of 24 Movies Like Ambulance That Are Must Watch. A Michael Bay movie has an oddly soothing quality. Sure, they’re ham-fistedly pro-military at best and corny at worst, but when it all comes together, they’re deliciously simple and easily cool. Although “Ambulance,” the newest movie from director Michael Bay, is undoubtedly of that type, it nonetheless manages to sprinkle in a few touching moments amid its unnecessary drone shots.
It’s acceptable to say that these movies can be enjoyable, whether or not you’re ready to admit that you genuinely liked “Ambulance.” Sometimes you simply need to relax, put your feet up, and let a movie take care of your thinking.
However, why end at “Ambulance”? Bay is not the first to examine the cat-and-mouse game between the lads in blue and the crooks they are pursuing or even to dial a bank heist to a disastrous degree. Here are 24 Movies Like Ambulance that will prolong the Bayhem for a little while if you’re looking for a few more suspenseful thrillers (or even just a glorified road movie or two).
1. Bad Boys (1995)
Michael Bay’s debut film, 1995’s Bad Boys, introduced his own insane brand of fast-paced action right away. Bad Boys is a thrilling action thriller about brotherhood, much like Ambulance. Although Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s quarreling “buddy cop” companions Mike and Marcus, weren’t reared by the same parent as Will and Danny, they are nonetheless as close as brothers.
Michael Bay’s very first movie, Bad Boys, is the one that established him as a director capable of producing action-packed, fast-paced blockbusters with plenty of explosions. Of course, the film chronicles the exploits of two investigators who frequently deviate from the established script. After the intense action of Bad Boys, Michael Bay released Bad Boys 2.
The fact that Bad Boys and Ambulance are directed by the same person, which results in many parallels, is the reason why they are comparable to one another. Ambulance and Bad Boys both have the same fast-paced, high-octane action. Of course, there’s also the fact that Michael Bay’s films are known for their explosive content, and Bad Boys is no exception.
2. A Better Tomorrow (1986)
John Woo from before the Millenium is the only place to search for more completely insane action movies. The Hong Kong filmmaker paved the path for megastars like Bay, but there was a time, long before the absurd “Face/Off” and the cliched “Mission: Impossible” sequel when Woo was only well-known for the occasional wuxia movie. He wouldn’t reinvent himself until the middle of the 1980s, when “A Better Tomorrow” made Chow Yun-fat a legitimate megastar.
More than its flashy shootouts, the movie is about their strained relationship and the brotherhood Ho discovers with his friend Mark (Chow). While being absolutely apparent, both are amazing.
3. Baby Driver (2017)
Although the tension inside the ambulance is what’s most intriguing, Bay’s most recent work features a lot of expertly manufactured violence. The heist goes wrong, Will and Danny steal an ambulance, and the movie turns into a long police pursuit.
Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, starring Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver who follows the beat of his iPod playlists, is one of the best police chase movies in recent memory. One of the best films of 2017, and still superior to many of the movies produced today, is Baby Driver. The fundamental premise of this film is that the lead character drives for clients who want the greatest driver in the business for heists. And you already know that the main character, Baby, drives while listening to his iPod playlist. Therefore, this movie is full of fast-paced automobile chases.
The fast-paced action in Baby Driver is propelled by the high-octane police chases that you can witness in both movies, which is what makes the two movies so similar to one another. Baby Driver is essentially a movie about a driver who excels in escapes, which makes the entire plot of Ambulance—which is about two thieves trying to elude the police—similar to Baby Driver.
4. The Town (2010)
The Town, one of Ben Affleck’s most well-known films as a filmmaker, is a grimy old-school criminal thriller about four best friends who plot to rob a bank in Boston.
Affleck is joined by such illustrious supporting actors as Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, and Pete Postlethwaite in the cast’s star-studded ensemble. The Town, like Ambulance, explores issues of brotherhood through the external tension of a bank heist.
5. Dragged Across Concrete (2018)
S. Craig Zahler, an underappreciated director, is pushing the envelope of on-screen gore with his violent action thrillers while reviving vintage exploitation filmmaking. A notable example is his gory neo-noir film Dragged Across Concrete. Vince Vaughn, who Zahler reimagined as a bloody action hero in Brawl in Cell Block 99, and Mel Gibson play two corrupt cops who are tracking down a group of bank robbers.
But instead of turning them in, they want to retain the stolen goods for themselves. Similar to Ambulance, Dragged Across Concrete is a gripping, action-packed thriller that is supported by two antiheroes who genuinely care about one another.
Although not many people may be familiar with it, Dragged Across the Concrete is a fantastic movie if you enjoy films with a stakeout and similar concepts. The main characters of the entire film are two police officers who follow a group of bank thieves but end up retaining their stolen goods for themselves. In a thriller with a lot of action, you see corrupt police who have figured out a way to get around the system.
The excitement and thrills in Dragged Across the Concrete are similar to those in Ambulance. Truth be told, this film is much more vicious and gory than Ambulance, but there are parallels in that you will experience the same level of excitement when viewing both films. However, they are distinctive in the thrills and suspense they offer.
6. Speed (1994)
In Ambulance, Will is unable to stop the ambulance since doing so might result in him and his brother being shot or detained by the oncoming police. Sandra Bullock cannot stop the bus in the movie Speed because it has been fitted with a bomb that would go off if the speed drops below 50 mph. As the brave cop wanting to save the bus passengers, Keanu Reeves plays the lead role. Speed is obviously a parody of the Die Hard template, but it has a completely original scenario in a public transportation system, a ticking time bomb that heightens the Hitchcockian tension, and Keanu Reeves playing Jack Traven without any attempt.
One of the most popular cop-chase films of the 1990s, Speed is comparable to the typical Michael Bay films you see nowadays. In the movie’s plot, a lady is driving a bus that she cannot stop because a bomb attached to it will detonate if the speed goes below 50 mph. She is therefore compelled to collaborate with a police officer on the bus to find a solution to a predicament that may very well result in the death of every person on board. In that they both follow similar stories, the Ambulance is kind of like the ambulance equivalent of Speed.
Because the police would catch them and jail them, the protagonists in Ambulance cannot halt the ambulance. The bus shouldn’t slow down in Speed, though, or the bomb will detonate. The similarities are obvious because both movies rely on the fact that the characters’ cars can’t be stopped.
7. End Of Watch (2012)
End of Watch by David Ayer turns a cop movie into “found footage” style. It not only added a new perspective to a stale format that desperately needed one, but it also added delightfully realistic action to a classic police noir. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Jake Gyllenhaal’s similarly well-matched co-star in the movie Ambulance. Michael Pea plays Gyllenhaal’s ride-or-die buddy in End of Watch.
The film End of Watch adheres to the found footage style that is frequently used in horror films. This time, though, the idea is employed in a film that includes actual police officers in action. It is a realistic film that tells the narrative of committed police officers who care about both one another and their jobs. Because Jake Gyllenhaal portrays the lead roles in each of these movies’ major characters, End of Watch and Ambulance are comparable to one another.
Of course, Gyllenhaal also has a police partner who is similar to the one he had during the Ambulance events. But because Gyllenhaal plays characters on opposing sides of the law in these films, the stories are distinct.
8. Unstoppable (2010)
Unstoppable, Tony Scott’s last movie, is a quick-paced two-hander like Ambulance. Similarly, it switches between different points of view while a huge external war develops quickly. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine play two railway workers who are tasked with stopping a runaway train—one veteran who is being fired by management and the other one of the unionized young people replacing his generation. With a half-hour runtime shorter than Ambulance, Unstoppable is a leaner, tauter film as well. It’s a non-stop actioner that continually escalates the stakes as it barrels through unanticipated twists and turns.
In the movie Unstoppable, railroad workers are charged with putting a runaway train to a stop. As a result, a younger worker is forced to work alongside an older, irate veteran who is upset that management is demoting him in favor of the younger workforce. As they try to figure out how to stop the overspend train from inflicting harm, the characters’ dynamics and tension are clear.
Ambulance and Unstoppable share a plot that centers on a speeding car, which is the most evident similarity between the two films. Both of these films have a lot at stake. The lives of those inside the ambulance, as well as the thieves’ future, are in jeopardy in the movie Ambulance. Unstoppable, meantime, is concerned about the potential harm that the train could do to people’s lives as well as its own.
9. The Rock (1996)
Bayhem’s zenith, The Rock from 1996, could be compared to “Die Hard on Alcatraz Island.” It features Sean Connery as a daring SAS badass (who is essentially an older, gruffer version of James Bond) and Nicolas Cage as a geeky weapons specialist. The Rock demonstrates that Bay produces his best work on realistic, non-I.P. mid-budget action thrillers, much like Ambulance did. Even The Rock’s famous “f*** the prom queen” statement is referenced in Ambulance.
The Rock, directed by Michael Bay after the success of Bad Boys, features some of the aspects that were in his first picture and later turned into recurring themes in Bay’s subsequent works. Because you witness an FBI agent teaming up with a former spy to take on a task with a terrorist who plans to fire a chemical weapon from Alcatraz, The Rock is comparable to Die Hard, which also takes place in Alcatraz.
The constant action and explosive themes are both there in The Rock, despite the fact that it doesn’t have the same kind of high-stakes chase that you can see in Ambulance. Additionally, the suspense and anxiety in The Rock are comparable to those in Ambulance.
10. Heat (1995)
Ambulance resembles Michael Mann’s action-packed neo-noir masterpiece Heat with its visceral intensity, Los Angeles locale, foiled bank heist, and police shootout in the street. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro worked together for the first time on this incredible epic, which is deserving of the acting prowess of two of the finest actors in history. With some of the best action scenes ever created, Heat is a gripping cat-and-mouse thriller about an unstable investigator on the trail of a careful bank robber.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, two of the best actors of their generation, came together for the first time in the film Heat to create a duo that delivered the heat. This film depicts the story of a haphazard detective who is hunting a bank robber who is known to be highly methodical in how he conducts his job. Heat and Ambulance are similar in that both focus on law enforcement pursuing robbers.
Of course, let’s not overlook the fact that Heat contains a variety of action sequences, some of which tend to stand out as the best among 90s movies. In spite of the fact that there are more than 25 years between each movie, they are both thrilling and action-packed.
11. Misery (1990)
Stephen King himself was the inspiration for the horror and suspense film Misery. This classic examines what a stalker may do in a dire situation. The plot centers on a writer who was saved from a vehicle accident by a former nurse. He is taken to an isolated lodge by this nurse, who explains that she is his biggest supporter. However, she made the decision to lock the author in the cabin until he would write a novel that suited her preferences and bizarre dreams after learning that he was planning to kill off her favorite character.
When comparing the overall plot of Ambulance and Misery, they are not at all comparable. However, there is a resemblance in the tension felt by the protagonists in these movies, who are both imprisoned and unable to leave. Because of this, even though Misery has a distinct storyline, the tension in the movie is comparable to the anxiety the characters in Ambulance emanate.
12. Devil (2010)
The sole genuine horror film on our list is Devil, which tells the story of five strangers who were trapped in an elevator in a building after the electricity appeared to have gone out. The passengers in this horrific and terrifying movie are forced to confront their own secrets and past wrongdoings since they were unaware that one of them was truly the devil. If you enjoy horror films, you’ll enjoy them here.
Although the plot is different, there is still suspense since you are seeing characters who are confined to a small area and are compelled to experience the tension built during a supernatural occurrence. Although there is nothing supernatural in Ambulance, the protagonists who are stranded in the vehicle in the middle of a fast-paced pursuit experience the same stress.
13. Hush (2016)
Now let’s take a look at another film that, despite first appearances, shares some parallels with Ambulance. In the movie Hush, a deaf writer seeks solace in the woods but finds herself dealing with a killer who wants to break into her house for reasons you presumably already know. She is now forced to fight for her life in silence in a suspenseful film that is all about the tension you feel in every moment.
Again, Hush may not appear to be comparable to Ambulance, but in reality, it is because it shares the same sense of anticipation and misery that someone trapped in a space with no possibility of escape would have. Although the stories are distinct, the characters in Ambulance seem just as bleak as those in Hush.
14. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane, which has a tenuous connection to all of the other Cloverfield films, is one of the best films in the entire Cloverfield saga. Three people are locked up in a shelter after what is said to be an apocalyptic occurrence in this movie, which is another one of the genre’s restricted thrillers. The two other people in the film, however, have doubts about the other two because they think their captivity may be connected to something else.
Our movie lacks the fast-paced action that Ambulance does, like some of the other ones on this list. However, the anticipation it contains is what gives it such a striking resemblance to Ambulance. The suspense in 10 Cloverfield Lane’s hour-and-a-half-long moments and scenes will have you on the edge of your seat.
15. Ambulancen (2005)
In the Danish film Ambulancen, two brothers who are desperate enough to commit robbery are the main characters. However, when the robbery went wrong, they ended up hijacking an ambulance, and now they must handle the emergency crisis in the ambulance while ensuring that they elude the law. Yes, the plot is well-known.
This is the first iteration of Ambulance, which explains why the plot and title are so well-known. Wow, what a surprise! Since Ambulancen is merely a remake of the original Danish Ambulance movie, the plot has remained the same. In contrast to the original, Ambulance is presented in a much faster-paced and high-octane manner.
16. Transformers Movies (2007 – Present)
It would be impossible to list all of the Transformers movies, but they are all directed by Michael Bay, who made his name with a series of science fiction movies based on the Transformers toys and animated series. The conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons, two different Transformer factions that want to involve Earth in a protracted conflict, is the subject of the Transformers movies.
Michael Bay is the director of both Ambulance and the Transformers movies, even though their plots could not be further apart. Transformers will, therefore, probably feature a comparable amount of explosive action and relentless, rapid-fire storytelling. All of the Transformers movies are actually quite similar to one another, despite having various stories and plots.
17. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
Based on a genuine account of the soldiers that fought against Islamic extremists who assaulted the US Consulate in Libya on September 11, 2012, for 13 hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi tells the narrative of those soldiers. In this film, the soldiers are tasked with defending the operatives and diplomats in Benghazi from various Islamic radicals who want to destroy all signs of American influence there.
Despite the fact that the narratives of 13 Hours and Ambulance are very different from one another, both of these films have the same kinds of Michael Bay components. We are able to see the clashes between the forces stationed in Benghazi and the Islamic terrorists who want to assassinate the last remaining Americans in the city in 13 hours of uninterrupted combat. Despite having a different plot, Ambulance shares a lot of similarities with the former in terms of suspense and relentless, exhilarating action.
18. Locke (2013)
The slow-burn drama “Locke” would be of interest to fans of “Ambulance’s” constant motion. Tom Hardy plays a construction supervisor in the movie. After a long day at work, he gets in his car to go home to his wife and children, but he actually drives away. To what end? With each call Locke places from inside his car, the truth (and his meticulously planned life) slowly starts to come into focus.
Even though the entire movie takes place in Locke’s automobile, thanks to Hardy’s performance, it manages to sidestep the flaws of the “one location” stereotype. The stress-inducing performances in “Locke,” which is more of a simmering drama than a full-on thriller, partially carried by the excellent work of Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, and Tom Holland, make it a must-see late-night drive.
19. Nightcrawler (2014)
What more needs to be said about Dan Gilroy’s nauseating neo-noir than has already been said? Even after all these years, the nihilistic commentary on our media-obsessed, news-binging culture is still hard to escape from the 2014 film, which features some of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best performances.
With his role as Lou Bloom, a scrappy ambulance chaser who sells news stations more depressing murder scene footage for quick cash, Gyllenhaal elevated the concept of “hunger” to new heights. His freshly hired intern (Riz Ahmed, in top puppy dog form), as well as his contact at the news station (Rene Russo), are put at great risk as a result of his distortion of the American Dream and his thirst for achievement. In “Ambulance,” Gyllenhaal gives his fast-talking career criminal parts of Lou, but fans should definitely check out “Nightcrawler” for the genuine article.
20. Pain & Gain (2013)
Many people, including myself, overlook the fact that Michael Bay is a master of action and is also skilled in physical humor. Some of the funniest scenes in “Ambulance” make you laugh out loud when you least expect it, but many of Michael Bay’s best movies have a sarcastic streak. That said, “Pain & Gain,” a movie that has since come to represent the director at his best and worst, undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of his violent slapstick humor.
Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie play bodybuilders in the movie “Pain & Gain” who kidnap Tony Shalhoub’s character, a wealthy businessman, and want all of his possessions. The fact that all of this violence actually took place is the only thing more stunning than the fact that this plan ultimately fails catastrophically. “Pain & Gain” is partially based on the Sun Gym Gang’s real-life antics, which were described by the Miami New Times in 1999.
The funny thing is, Bay makes sure you never forget this by timing freeze frames and “REMEMBER: THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED!” title cards to break the film’s wildest scenes. The entire situation is completely ludicrous, yet ironically, it’s precisely the kind of movie that keeps the heist genre interesting.
21. Collateral (2004)
One of the top cab drivers in Los Angeles is Max (Jamie Foxx). He knows exactly how long it will take to get from Point A to Point B, but every time he is proven to be correct, he acts humble.
His most recent character, Vincent (Tom Cruise), immediately calls him out on this and many other things. In a way, he represents the quintessential success that Max has trouble achieving. He is effective, composed, and enthusiastic when making decisions. He demonstrates to Max what it means to live in the moment. Even more, he exhorts him to oppose his abusive supervisor. Only the fact that Vincent is A: killing people, and B: holding Max captive as he does it, detracts from their growing friendship and makes it a disappointing highlight of the movie.
“Collateral” is both a deeply depressing portrait of a violent city and of two guys with radically different worldviews. Foxx’s besieged L.A. cabbie and Cruise’s silver-haired contract killer make the perfect team, and it’s intriguing to witness how each affects the other. You can’t go wrong with any Michael Mann movie, least of all “Collateral,” if you liked the tension between Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in “Ambulance.”
22. Cellular (2004)
The “So Bad, It’s Good” movie genre enjoyed its heyday in the early 2000s. Pyrotechnics are essential in blockbusters, and cell reception was the lifeblood of suspense, according to filmmakers like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich. Even “Collateral” used this plot device to increase the drama, but very few movies based their entire story only on it.
Let’s talk about “Cellular,” a suspenseful drama from 2004 with Chris Evans, Kim Basinger, and Jason Statham. Basinger is a biology instructor whose husband gets involved in some dubious activities. A bunch of criminals, led by Jason Statham, obviously, break into Basinger’s home to draw out the husband. In order to prevent her from dialing for aid, they destroy her landline.
Quite a typical fare. Basinger successfully disassembles the phone long enough to dial a chance number. One she calls is I mean, Chris Evans. Although he has been years since playing either of his comic book career-defining roles, Evans unwillingly steps in to help. In order to save his anonymous caller—as well as her son, whose name is actually Ricky Martin—he faces gun-toting goons, cross-connecting cell lines, and poor reception. I don’t know what will persuade you to watch this terrible movie if that doesn’t.
23. Triple Frontier (2019)
If you like manic Jake Gyllenhaal, you probably also like sad Ben Affleck, who was a more subdued actor before him. Despite the fact that the eternal meme has thankfully stopped being discussed in public, Sad Affleck continues to make movies today. It’s difficult to top his equally depressing veteran-turned-thief from the Netflix film “Triple Frontier,” but traces of Sad Affleck could be seen in the disastrous sexual thriller “Deep Water.”
Affleck portrays a single father who joins forces with his equally desperate brothers in order to steal millions from an unknowing drug lord in Brazil. Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, Charlie Hunnam, and Garrett Hedlund round out the cast. Their journey across the Andes during their heist finally puts their brothers to the test, much like in most dad-core movies.
24. Set It Off (1996)
For women, the heist subgenre is not always the most friendly. Prior to recent movies like “Ocean’s 8” and “Widows,” the defining entry was arguably F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off,” which placed capable women at the center of the plot. The movie provides a unique exploration of the difficulties faced by lower-class women of color, particularly in a society that is so overtly misogynistic, racist, and classist.
At the risk of seeming effusive, “Set It Off” is flawlessly paced and cast. The picture is the ideal complement to “Ambulance” since Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise properly embody the struggles of their characters.
