Viewers who enjoyed the Road House remake must check out a 10-year-old underrated MMA show while waiting for Road House 2. Directed by Doug Liman, the new Road House movie was initially met with immense skepticism, and rightfully so. It was hard to even imagine how a remake would recreate the original cult classic’s intensity, charisma, and faintly mawkish appeal. Surprisingly, however, even though the Road House remake arguably falls short of being as iconic as the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie, it is an entertaining and memorable action movie in its own way.

Owing to this, the Road House remake has performed incredibly well on Amazon Prime Video and has even spawned a sequel. No official announcements surrounding Road House 2‘s release window have been made, suggesting that the film will take at least another year or two to come out. Till then, audiences can binge on another epic MMA-focused show that could help them kill some time as they eagerly wait for the Road House follow-up.

Kingdom (2014) Includes All The Best Bits Of The Road House Remake

From MMA-Centric Emotional Drama To Slam-bang Fight Scenes

Although relatively obscure, the 2014 MMA-centric series Kingdom shares many similarities with the Road House remake. Like Road House centers its narrative on the life of a former UFC champion, Dalton, who is troubled by the demons of his past, Kingdom focuses on the life of a retired MMA fighter, Alvey Kulina, whose best days are seemingly behind him. While walking through Alvey Kulina’s day-to-day snags and struggles of running an MMA gym, the show also introduces other characters who are either former fighters or struggling to make their name in the MMA world.

In many ways, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dalton in Road House seems reminiscent of the male leads from Kingdom because, like him, they find themselves getting so consumed by the violence inside the ring that it gradually seeps into their life outside the octagon. Apart from portraying MMA fighters in a refreshingly poignant light, Kingdom also features raw hand-to-hand fight scenes that convince viewers its characters are real fighters. Its cast members, including Nick Jonas, Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker, and Matt Lauria, are also in incredible shape, like Road House‘s Jake Gyllenhaal, adding a layer of realism to the show’s portrayal of MMA.

What Road House 2 Can Learn From Kingdom’s MMA-Centric Action & Drama

Road House 2 Can Learn How Kingdom Gets Viewers Emotionally Invested In Its Character Beats

Despite all the similarities, Kingdom is arguably way better than the Road House remake in almost every aspect, making it the perfect blueprint for Road House 2. Instead of solely being a popcorn flick like Road House, Kingdom balances its white-knuckling action with well-written family drama. The Road House remake does a decent job of adding more depth to Dalton’s backstory by revealing how he accidentally killed a friend in the ring, but it still stays relatively thin in storytelling.

Like Road House, Kingdom, too, has moments of spectacle where it walks through street fights and sanctioned octagon brawls. However, the show effectively raises the stakes of its fight scenes by backing them with compelling story beats that make viewers feel even more invested in their potential outcomes and consequences. Even the action in Kingdom is more grounded than Road House‘s, and its characters seem less invincible and more emotionally vulnerable. While Road House‘s appeal partially comes from its corny dialogue and over-the-top antics, it could benefit from making its characters seem more human and layered like those in Kingdom.