6 Alan Ritchson Movies & TV Shows To Watch This Weekend

Alan Ritchson had been working in Hollywood for years before Reacher, but the role of Jack Reacher completely changed his career. The actor’s commanding physical presence made him an obvious fit for Lee Child’s famous character, but the performance worked because the actor brought so much personality to it over just brute strength. It’s no surprise that the Prime Video series is a massive hit and has turned Ritchson into one of TV’s biggest action stars.

However, there is so much more to the actor than this one role. Ritchson has spent years proving that he can be far more versatile than his action-star image suggests. In fact, some of his best work remains underrated to this day. With Reacher Season 4’s recent premiere, now is the perfect time to look beyond the show and revisit six Ritchson movies and TV shows that are a 10/10.

1

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (2014)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Alan Ritchson spends almost the entirety of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hidden beneath a seven-foot CGI turtle, but Raphael still feels like one of the most recognizable performances of his career. The 2014 reboot follows reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox), who is investigating a criminal organization called the Foot Clan when she discovers four mutant brothers secretly protecting New York City. Ritchson plays the physically strongest and most short-tempered member of the family. The stakes rise with the Foot Clan’s leader, Shredder (Tohoru Masamune), planning an attack on the city, and the brothers are forced to leave the sewers to fight alongside April.

It might seem unlikely, but the film fully captures the extent of Ritchson’s acting prowess. Not only does he provide some of the story’s emotionally strong moments, but the physicality he brings to Raphael even beneath the shell and visual effects also needs to be appreciated. His chemistry with the other three Ninja Turtles is the heart of the narrative, and even when the plot of the film occasionally slows down, their dynamic keeps the energy going. Anyone who only knows Ritchson as Jack Reacher might be surprised by how much personality and humanity he brings to an anthropomorphic turtle.

2

‘Playdate’ (2025)

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

Playdate is a ridiculous action comedy that would not have worked if it wasn’t for Ritchson. The Prime Video film follows Brian (Kevin James), a recently unemployed accountant who is struggling to adjust to life as a stay-at-home father. He agrees to spend the afternoon with another father named Jeff (Ritchson) and his unusually athletic son, CJ (Banks Pierce), in the hopes of helping his stepson socialize. However, the harmless playdate quickly turns into complete chaos when a team of armed mercenaries starts hunting them. Jeff initially seems like an overly enthusiastic suburban dad who takes everything a little too seriously.

But the audience and Brian soon realize that all of this has prepared him for every car chase, shootout, and near-death experience they encounter. Ritchson fully commits to the character’s strange combination of action-hero confidence and almost childlike friendliness, which allows him to make fun of the same hypermasculine image that made him famous in Reacher. The plot of the film becomes increasingly absurd, and the narrative unfolds with a very specific kind of humor that some might not understand. Even then, there’s no denying that Ritchson breathes life into Playdate with his chaotic, awkward, and exaggerated energy. That alone makes the film worth watching.

3

‘Ghosts of War’ (2020)

Image via Vertical Entertainment

Ghosts of War combines two genres that don’t usually go together, but this World War II/haunted-house nightmare is pretty fascinating to watch. The film follows five American soldiers who are ordered to guard a large French château previously occupied by the Nazi high command. The assignment initially sounds like a rare opportunity to rest, but the soldiers they are replacing seem unusually desperate to leave. It doesn’t take long for strange noises, moving objects, and disturbing figures to reveal that something inside the house wants them there. Ritchson plays Butchie, who is, once again, the physically strongest member of the group and the person usually expected to handle any threat that requires brute force.

However, there is only so much strength can do against something no one can see or understand. That allows Ritchson to play a very different kind of fighter from Jack Reacher. The increasingly supernatural events inside the château leave him just as frightened and confused as everyone else. The story intentionally begins with familiar war-film archetypes before gradually venturing into much stranger territory. The final act of Ghosts of War delivers a twist that completely changes the audience’s understanding of everything that came before it. Ritchson might not be the central character in Ghosts of War, but he still holds his own overall engaging film with stellar performances.

4

‘Above the Shadows’ (2019)

Image via Gravitas Ventures

Above the Shadows has one of those strange premises that sounds ridiculous until the film fully commits to it. The film follows Holly (Olivia Thirlby), a young woman who literally becomes invisible after her mother dies. Her family gradually stops noticing her, and eventually, so does the rest of the world. Years later, she uses that invisibility to make a living as a celebrity photographer since she can enter private spaces and capture pictures no ordinary paparazzo could ever get. Things change when Holly meets Shayne Blackwell (Ritchson), a disgraced MMA fighter working as a nightclub bouncer who somehow manages to see her. The situation becomes even more complicated when she realizes that she played a major role in destroying his life by photographing him cheating on his famous girlfriend, Julianna (Megan Fox).

Now, Holly believes that helping him return to the ring might also make her visible again, and she sets out to do exactly that. Ritchson’s physical presence obviously makes him believable as a former MMA star. However, Above the Shadows is much more interested in what Shayne is like outside the cage. He begins the story as this angry, bitter man, but the audience slowly gets to see his vulnerable side as the story progresses. His chemistry with Thirlby keeps the film grounded whenever the fantasy logic starts becoming a little questionable, since the two are perfect reflections of each other. Above the Shadows proves that Ritchson does not need a traditional action-hero role to prove his acting chops. In fact, some of his most effective performances are the more human ones, just like in Above the Shadows.

5

‘Blood Drive’ (2017)

Image via Ilze Kitshoff / ©Syfy / courtesy Everett Collection

Blood Drive might be the most completely unhinged project in Ritchson’s career. The one-season Syfy series is set in a dystopian version of 1999 where water is scarce, violence has become normal, and the police force is almost as corrupt as the criminals. Ritchson plays Arthur Bailey, one of the last genuinely decent cops in Los Angeles, who accidentally becomes trapped in an underground cross-country race hosted by the theatrical and deeply disturbing Julian Slink (Colin Cunningham). The rules are simple but brutal. The contestants have to reach every checkpoint on time or have the explosive implanted in their neck detonated, not to mention that the race also involves cars running on human blood. Arthur is forced to partner with Grace d’Argento (Christina Ochoa), a ruthless racer hoping to use the prize money to help her sister. She has no problem feeding people into the engine when they need fuel, while Arthur insists on maintaining his morals in this messed-up world.

That conflict gives the series its funniest moments, but it also allows the narrative to gradually test how long Arthur can remain a good man when almost every situation rewards him for becoming something worse. The great thing about the show is that it fully embraces its absurdity. It moves between science fiction, cannibal horror, prison movies, corporate satire, and post-apocalyptic action without ever worrying about whether the combination makes sense. Ritchson is perfectly cast because he has the physical presence to handle the action, but his horrified reactions to the world around him are often even more entertaining. Unfortunately, Blood Drive was cancelled after only 13 episodes, despite positive reviews and a passionate cult following. However, that short run also makes it perfect for a chaotic weekend binge.

6

‘Blue Mountain State’ (2010–2011)

Image via Spike

It’s almost hard to believe that Ritchson was in Blue Mountain State before he became one of TV’s greatest action heroes. The sitcom follows players of a fictional college football powerhouse as they try to balance training, classes, and parties. The main narrative centers on backup quarterback Alex Moran (Darin Brooks), who wants all the benefits of being on the team without the pressure of becoming its star. However, almost everyone is eventually overshadowed by Ritchson’s Thad Castle, the captain of the Blue Mountain State Goats.

Thad is a physically dominant linebacker who treats college football like a sacred responsibility, but everything else about him is completely unpredictable. He can be aggressive, childish, sensitive, and just about everything under the sun. The character could have easily become exhausting, but Ritchson manages to pull it off. In Thad’s mind, every insane decision makes perfect sense, and that seriousness is exactly what makes the performance work. The show itself is crude and immature, with storylines that might feel a bit excessive at times. However, that lack of restraint is also why Blue Mountain State remains a cult classic after all these years.