White House Down is the second of the Die Hard-in-the-White House action movies that came out in 2013 after Olympus Has Fallen. It stars Channing Tatum as aspiring Capitol police officer John Cale and Jamie Foxx as the President of the United States James Sawyer. They team up to rescue Cale’s daughter and save DC from a paramilitary terrorist threat.
It came off as the lesser of the two similar movies in terms of box office returns. But for those who have more affinity for this star-studded thriller, there are other similar action movies out there.
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Available to stream on Netflix
In Olympus Has Fallen, Gerard Butler’s Secret Service agent, Mike Banning, must rescue US President Benjamin Asher from a presidential hostage situation in the White House. Gerard Butler cemented his reputation as one of modern movie history’s top action stars with his performance as the uncompromising Banning. Combined with over-the-top action movie dialogue and set pieces, this is an entertaining thriller from start to finish.
The movie’s plot similarities with White House Down are immediately obvious and Olympus Has Fallen ended up being a bigger box office success on a smaller budget, prompting two sequels, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen. Butler is slated to return as Banning for a fourth movie titled Night Has Fallen.
Die Hard (1988)
Available to stream on Starz
A classic that redefined how audiences view action movies in general, creating a Star Wars-like wake of copycats that turned into something like a genre unto itself, Die Hard remains a top-tier action thriller.
A number of elements in White House Down are direct references to the original Die Hard, not least of which is Channing Tatum’s white tank top, a look made famous by Bruce Willis’ lone cop battling well-armed thieves in a skyscraper. While Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down may share a number of plot points, Die Hard is the true creative source of both of their characters and stories.
Under Siege (1992)
After the success of Die Hard, the concept of a single man overpowering a much larger force in a contained siege situation became a new Hollywood screenwriting obsession. Bruce Willis’ lead role catapulted him to a level of action movie stardom associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Steven Seagal was always known as an action star, but his Die Hard clone was by far his most successful mainstream movie.
As a Navy SEAL turned ship’s cook, Seagal faces Tommy Lee Jones’ colorful villain, with more wild supporting antics from Gary Busey. Under Siege is essential viewing for a White House Down fan looking for the best siege movies.
Vantage Point (2008)
Available to stream on Hulu
An assassination attempt made against the President of the United States is seen from multiple viewpoints as the same time periods before, during, and after the attack are replayed and seen from the perspectives of different characters.
The main draw for White House Down fans here is Dennis Quaid’s character, the dedicated Secret Service agent who will stop at nothing to save the President. Beyond that though, Vantage Point is a well-cast thriller that’s built all around its many twists.
Executive Decision (1996)
One of the most popular spin-offs of the Die Hard formula is the self-explanatory ‘Die Hard on a plane’ scenario and one of the best in that arena has to be Executive Decision. Kurt Russell plays a fish-out-water CIA consultant who has to lead an elite team to infiltrate and take back a hijacked passenger plane without it landing.
The movie finds plenty of ways to keep its claustrophobic environment exciting and fans of White House Down will appreciate its similarly robust cast of supporting players.
Con Air (1997)
Nicolas Cage got his own white tank top hero in this beloved ‘Die Hard on a plane’ movie that’s packed with dazzling supporting players like John Malkovich, John Cusack, and Steve Buscemi. Con Air sees his likable former Army Ranger fight to take back a prisoner plane that’s been hijacked by Malkovich’s nefarious criminal mastermind.
White House Down fans will appreciate the movie’s similarly tongue-in-cheek tone that allows the action sequences to become entertainingly ridiculous.
The Rock (1996)
Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery lead this characteristically excessive action extravaganza from renowned action movie director Michael Bay. When Ed Harris’ rogue military leader takes over Alcatraz Island and uses it as a base to threaten San Francisco with stolen chemical weapons, it’s up to the unlikely pair to break into the famous prison and save the day.
White House Down fans are sure to have blast with Bay’s trademark fireball explosions and penchant for overdramatics.
The Sum Of All Fears (2002)
Available to stream on Paramount+
The fourth Jack Ryan movie, The Sum of All Fears features the third onscreen Ryan courtesy of Ben Affleck. In this entry, Ryan discovers a plan from a Neo-Nazi faction to detonate a nuclear weapon in an American city and must stop it from creating a conflict between the US and Russia. Ryan is paired up with CIA director William Cabot, played by Morgan Freeman, and together, they spruce up every big moment with intensity.
This is an action-packed thriller that handsomely adapts one of Tom Clancy’s most famous novels and fans of White House Down will like the high stakes as much as the big stars.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Available to stream on Disney+ and FuboTV
The second Captain America movie in the MCU elevated the cinematic universe to an all-new level. The movie puts Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff in the middle of a classic conspiracy.
The Winter Soldier balances the heroics of Captain America and the underlying political themes of the story through the trappings of the spy movie genre. Plus, the team-up of Cap, Falcon, and Black Widow makes for some stellar action sequences. White House Down fans will likely enjoy the scale of this Marvel movie, whether they’re fans of superhero films or not.
Air Force One (1997)
Available to stream on FuboTV
When Russian radicals hijack Air Force One, led by Gary Oldman’s loyally Soviet version of Hans Gruber, Vice President Kathryn Bennett, played by Glenn Close, negotiates with them while Harrison Ford’s roguish President James Marshall retaliates against the terrorists on board in true action movie fashion.
Among the Die Hard rip-offs, Air Force One is one of the best because of Ford’s iconically quotable performance and White House Down fans will love the movie’s unabashed exuberance.
