10 BEST DON JOHNSON MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO WATCH AFTER REBEL RIDGE

The Netflix thriller, Rebel Ridge debuted on the platform on September 6, 2024, and quickly became a hit among both audiences and critics. Don Johnson’s character, in particular, police chief Sandy Burnne, is essential to the story in which a former Marine, Terry Richmond, fights a corrupt police force. Johnson's performance shines as the plot unravels and the town’s treacherous power dynamics are exposed.

After watching Jeremy Saulier’s action-packed film, audiences have plenty of other options to get their Don Johnson fix. Over the course of more than four decades, the veteran actor has built a formidable resume that deserves attention.

Machete Is a Movie Based on a Fictional Trailer

2010

Originally only a fake trailer that was part of the Grindhouse double-feature which included Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, Machete became a full-fledged motion picture because the trailer was so beloved. It tells the story of the titular ex-Federale, played by Danny Trejo, who sets out for revenge after his wife is killed by a drug lord. Robert Rodriguez brings his hyper-violent style to the story of Machete, who is eventually framed for murder and embroiled in the machinations of a corrupt government.

Don Johnson plays the role of Von Jackson, a sadistic vigilante who operates along the border and leads a small militia. Von Jackson’s lack of ethics is exemplified in his funding of an electric fence along the border with illegal drug money. As one of the film’s main antagonists, Johnson brings an intense evil to this contemporized B-movie filled with blood and over-the-top violence.

From Dusk till Dawn: The Series Expands on the Story of a Hit Movie

2014-2016

Based on the 1996 movie From Dusk Till Dawn starring George Clooney, this horror series tells the further adventures of the movie's main protagonists, Seth Gecko and his brother Richie. Although the series lacks the star power of the film, which was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriguez, it makes up for the loss in its originality. In addition to vampire lore, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series shows a world peppered with Mesoamerican and Aztec mythologies.

Pursued by the FBI, the Gecko brothers cross paths with Don Johnson’s Ranger Earl McGraw and a host of supernatural obstacles, including a strip club full of snake-like creatures. Johnson's McGraw is the main character in the first of the show’s three seasons and returns in a guest-starring role in the second. The character of Earl McGraw originally appeared in the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, in which he was shot by Richie Gecko at a liquor store.

Kenan Is a Sitcom with Star Power

2021-2022

Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured star of Saturday Night Live and former star of All That and Kenan & Kel, stars in this surprisingly short-lived sitcom. With Lorne Michaels and Thompson on as executive producers, the show was a throwback to classic sitcoms, with a twist. It follows the life of a widower in Atlanta as he struggles to balance the challenges of being a newly single father with his role as a morning show host.

In a departure from his more dramatic roles, Don Johnson plays Kenan’s father-in-law, who disapproves of his efforts to move on from his past. The dynamic between the two actors and the dysfunction caused by their conflicting interests drive the show through its 20 episodes. Former SNL cast member, Chris Redd, adds further comedic tension to the mix as Kenan’s brother.

The Controversial Django Unchained Is About Retribution

2012

With an all-star cast headlined by Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained is a neo-Western written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Christoph Waltz earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Dr. King Schultz in the film. Empathizing with Django, Schultz, a bounty hunter, helps the freed slave rescue his wife from the clutches of a diabolic plantation owner played by DiCaprio. The resulting drama is a graphic tale of revenge and redemption as Django searches for his wife and her tormentor.

Don Johnson plays Spencer “Big Daddy” Bennett, a plantation owner who is friends with DiCaprio’s Calvin Candie. Bennet and Candie, with their heartless actions, represent the ingrained racism and atrocities of the plantation system against which Django and Schultz are fighting. The film earned Tarantino an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for the screenplay, despite the controversy the film endured for some of its language and violence.

Watchmen Re-imagines a Classic Comic

2019

Inspired by Alan Moore’s Watchmen comic, HBO’s Watchmen TV series turns the superhero genre on its head by positioning the superheroes as outlaws. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it takes a significant departure from the events of Moore's comic series, exploring themes of racism, cloning, and vigilantism. The hostility is palpable, with a white supremacist group, the Seventh Kavalry, on a mission to wreak havoc, specifically targeting the local police department.

The narrative circles around Sister Night, also known as Detective Angela Abar, who is deep in the pursuit of justice following the murder of her friend, Judd Crawford, who happens to be the police chief and was played by Don Johnson. The show was a critical success, winning Emmy Awards for Best Limited Series, Best Actress for a Limited Series for Regina King as Sister Night, and Best Supporting Actor for a Limited Series for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Cal Abar.

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man Is an Underrated Nineties Action Flick

1991

Don Johnson was riding high on his Miami Vice success when Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man was released. Teaming him with Mickey O’Rourke seemed like surefire box office gold, but sometimes Hollywood success is not so easy to predict. Despite grossing only $7 million domestically, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is a buddy biker film worth watching.

The movie tells the story of two long-time friends, Harley Davidson (O’Rourke) and Robert Lee "Marlboro Man" Edison (Johnson), who band together to save their favorite haunt, Rock N' Roll Bar & Grille, from foreclosure. Their plan involves a daring armored car robbery. Things don't go quite as expected when they inadvertently become the owners of a new experimental street drug called crystal dream instead of the cash they were expecting. It’s a fun adventure featuring other nineties mainstays like Daniel Baldwin, Tom Sizemore, and Vanessa Williams.

East Bound and Down Brings the Laughs

2009-2013

Partly influenced by the attitude of former Atlanta Braves pitcher, John Rocker, East Bound and Down tells the tragicomic story of former MLB pitcher Kenny Powers. After his career takes a turn for the worse, Powers (brought to life by Danny McBride) returns to his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina. Here, he works as a substitute teacher at his former school where his ex is also a teacher. Over four seasons, Kenny Powers reconnects with old friends, lovers, and family as he desperately tries to regain his past glory.

Don Johnson joined the cast in the second and third seasons, taking on the role of Kenny's father, Eduard Sanchez Powers. His character is tracked down in Mexico by Kenny and his friend, Stevie. Johnson's character provides a deeper look into Kenny's past and his relationships, giving more insight into how Kenny became such an unpredictable person.

Don Johnson Returns to Police Procedurals in Nash Bridges

1996-2001

Don Johnson’s second most popular police procedural, Nash Bridges, tells the story of two detectives working in the Special Investigations Unit of the San Francisco Police Department. Johnson takes on the titular role while Cheech Marin plays his partner, Joe Dominguez, who Bridges convinces to come out of retirement and return to the force.

Nash Bridges is a single father in his forties with a teenage daughter. He spends much of his time cruising the streets of late-nineties San Francisco in a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible with his partner. Bridges' friendly demeanor and photographic memory aid him in his crime solving adventures. Despite being able to connect with witnesses and suspects, Bridges struggles in his personal life, dealing with two divorces and complex relationships with both his daughter and his father.

Knives Out Is a Classic Whodunnit

2019

Knives Out is an old-school mystery thriller in which every member and associate of a wealthy, dysfunctional family are suspects after the death of their patriarch, Harlan Thrombey, at his 85th birthday party. It's a contemporary take on the classic whodunit genre, pulling the audience into a web of family rivalries, mysteries, and unexpected surprises. Benoit Blanc, a private detective played by Daniel Craig, arrives on the scene to deduce the exact cause of Harlan's death.

Don Johnson joins the ensemble cast in the role of Richard Drysdale, the husband of Thrombley’s daughter, Linda. Richard's rocky relationship with Harlan causes Benoit Blanc to believe he is a potential perpetrator in the murder mystery. The film, directed by Rian Johnson of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, boasts an all-star cast featuring Ana de Armas, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, and Chris Evans alongside Johnson and Craig.

It Doesn't Get More Eighties Than Miami Vice

1984-1990

One of the most culturally influential shows of the eighties, Miami Vice left its mark on TV, fashion and the radio, where its theme song hit number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 and was an international hit. Don Johnson plays Sonny Crocket who, along with his partner Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), fights drug traffic and prostitution in the city, often forced to go undercover.

When he’s not undercover, Crockett can be seen flaunting his iconic South Florida style consisting of Italian sports coats, white linen pants, T-shirts, and sock-less loafers. In addition to its clothes, the show boasts an inimitable eighties style of New Wave-styled homes and clubs along with then-contemporary music. Aside from being a compelling crime drama, Miami Vice serves as a time machine to a version of the 1980s which may never have actually existed outside of television.

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