Is Die Hard a vigilante movie? Is John McClane a vigilante? Some people will be surprised at the question. After all, John McClane is a cop, right? Those people may be surprised to hear that that doesn’t settle the matter. Recall that McClane is a New York cop, taking matters into his own hands in Los Angeles. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that that means he is, effectively, a civilian — albeit one with the training and skills of a cop.)

But even if Nakatomi Plaza were located NYC, McClane might be counted as a vigilante. I’ve read that off-duty cops still retain their basic policing powers (e.g., to arrest people, to use deadly force if necessary, etc.) while in their own jurisdiction. But McClane’s shenanigans (including setting off a major explosion inside an office tower) would likely count as, well, going rogue at the very least. At least some theorists of vigilantism count cops as vigilantes when they act outside of their normal authority.

So: Does John McClane take matters into his own hands? Absolutely. Is he trying to maintain law & order (as opposed to just taking violent action to satisfy his own personal goals)… yes. Does he use force? You bet. Does he lack formal authority? Probably. Together, this adds up to a pretty good case for Die Hard being a vigilante movie (and, for my money, one of the best ones).

For what it’s worth, the cinephiles at IMDB don’t think it’s a vigilante movie: it’s not on the site’s list of the Best Vigilante Movies. (But a different Bruce Willis movie, Death Wish (2018) is on the list.)