For those caught waiting between seasons of Reacher, here are three of Alan Ritchson’s best movies on Prime Video. Despite having a long career before the hit Prime adaptation, Ritchson’s casting as Jack Reacher transformed his career. He was perfectly suited for the title role, both in persona and physique.
The next season of Reacher will adapt Gone Tomorrow, the 13th book in Lee Child’s series. There’s more to Ritchson than one character though, as in between seasons he’s made films like Fast X or Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Ritchson’s next movie, Motor City, has gotten good early buzz and only contains five lines of dialogue.
Given that a Prime series changed his career, it’s only fitting that the streamer would have a bunch of Ritchson movies for subscribers to check out. From a recent action comedy to his own directorial debut, Ritchson’s filmography isn’t lacking for variety.
Playdate (2025)
One of Ritchson’s first big movie hits in a leading role is the Prime original Playdate, an action buddy comedy pairing him with Kevin James. This sees James’ accountant befriending his hulking new neighbor, Eamon (Ritchson), and arranging a playdate with their children. However, assassins are soon chasing after Eamon, and the day suddenly gets very chaotic.
Playdate is a retro throwback to the action comedies of the 1980s and 1990s. While it doesn’t do much new with the formula, James and Ritchson make for a surprisingly winning duo. Ritchson, in particular, looks like he’s having a blast getting to shed the more stern persona that Reacher demands of him, and the film just zips past.
Above the Shadows (2019)
Alan Ritchson starring in an MMA sports movie sounds like logical casting, but there’s little about Above the Shadows that’s logical. The actual thrust of the film involves Olivia Thirlby’s Holly, a paparazzo who has – for various reasons – turned invisible. Ritchson’s Shayne is one of the few who can see her, and she decides to aid his ailing MMA career.
Alan Ritchson previously co-starred with Megan Fox in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movies.
Naturally, a romance develops as Shayne’s career goes from strength to strength, though his old flame (Megan Fox) comes back on the scene. Above the Shadows might sound like a soapy mess with too many ingredients, but it’s actually a solid little drama. Ritchson and Thirlby give the film a lot of heart, and the fight sequences are well-staged.
Dark Web: Cicada 3301 (2021)
Based on the mysterious real-world organization of the same name, Dark Web: Cicada 3301 is a strange blend of comedy and conspiracy thriller. This involves a hacker (Jack Kesy) who gets sucked into solving a series of online puzzles posted by a secret society. The deeper he goes, the weirder things get.
Dark Web: Cicada 3301 marks Ritchson’s directorial debut, and he makes a supporting appearance as the somewhat dim NSA Agent Carver. The film itself doesn’t entirely work as either a thriller or dark comedy, but Alan Ritchson displays some real directorial chops. It’s also to his credit that he attempted something so ambitious for his first directing gig.
- Birthdate
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November 28, 1982
- Birthplace
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Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
- Height
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6 feet 2 inches
