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Movies like The French Connection (1971)

The best movies like The French Connection (1971) are Kiss of the Dragon (2001), French Connection II (1975) and Killing Zoe (1993). If The French Connection hooked you with its action and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

    Liu Jian, an elite Chinese police officer, comes to Paris to arrest a Chinese drug lord. When Jian is betrayed by a French officer and framed for murder, he must go into hiding and find new allies.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. French Connection II (1975)

    "Popeye" Doyle travels to Marseilles to find Alain Charnier, the drug smuggler that eluded him in New York.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Killing Zoe (1993)

    Zed is an American vault-cracker who travels to Paris to meet up with his old friend Eric. Eric and his gang have planned to raid the only bank in the city which is open on Bastille day. After offering his services, Zed soon finds himself trapped in a situation beyond his control when heroin abuse, poor planning and a call-girl named Zoe all conspire to turn the robbery into a very bloody siege.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Year of the Dragon (1985)

    In New York, racist Capt. Stanley White becomes obsessed with destroying a Chinese-American drug ring run by Joey Tai, an up-and-coming young gangster as ambitious as he is ruthless. While pursuing an unauthorized investigation, White grows increasingly willing to violate police protocol, resorting to progressively violent measures -- even as his concerned wife, Connie, and his superiors beg him to consider the consequences of his actions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Smokin' Aces (2006)

    When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Hard Target (1993)

    When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Evil That Men Do (1984)

    A former assassin (Charles Bronson) comes out of retirement to avenge the brutal murder of his friend at the hands of a sadistic torturer (Joseph Maher) employed by an oppressive foreign dictatorship.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

  8. The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008)

    A Texas cop battles ex-navy seals who are trying to traffic drugs from Mexico into the USA.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Boondock Saints (1999)

    Tired of the crime overrunning the streets of Boston, Irish Catholic twin brothers Conner and Murphy are inspired by their faith to cleanse their hometown of evil with their own brand of zealous vigilante justice. As they hunt down and kill one notorious gangster after another, they become controversial folk heroes in the community. But Paul Smecker, an eccentric FBI agent, is fast closing in on their blood-soaked trail.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Out for Justice (1991)

    Gino Felino is an NYPD detective from Brooklyn who knows everyone and everything in his neighborhood. Killing his partner was someone's big mistake... because he's now out for justice.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Super Fly (1972)

    Priest, a New York City drug kingpin, devises a scheme to get out of the business and retire with a big payday, but his plans are complicated when a street dealer rats him out to the police.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Coffy (1973)

    After her younger sister gets involved in drugs and is severely injured by contaminated heroin, a nurse sets out on a mission of vengeance and vigilante justice, killing drug dealers, pimps, and mobsters who cross her path.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Training Day (2001)

    On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. New Jack City (1991)

    A gangster, Nino, is in the Cash Money Brothers, making a million dollars every week selling crack. A cop, Scotty, discovers that the only way to infiltrate the gang is to become a dealer himself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Crown Vic (2019)

    One memorable night in the life of veteran patrol officer Ray Mandel and his trainee, ambitious rookie cop Nick Holland in the LAPD's Olympic Division. With two cop killers on the loose and hunting for more targets, Mandel and Holland must contend with a city about to boil over, as well as Jack VanZandt, an unhinged rogue cop out for payback running wild in their patrol zone.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & action

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Dark Angel (1990)

    Jack Caine is a Houston vice cop who's forgotten the rule book. His self-appointed mission is to stop the drugs trade and the number one supplier Victor Manning. While involved in an undercover operation to entrap Victor Manning, his partner is killed, and a sinister newcomer enters the scene...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Wake of Death (2004)

    Ben Archer, an ex-mob enforcer, seeks revenge against a ruthless Chinese kingpin responsible for his wife's brutal murder. When Archer joins forces with his old underworld friends, an all-out war is waged against the Chinese Triad.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Hot Spot (1990)

    Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter quickly gets into trouble with the local authorities — and the local women — after he robs a bank.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Pulp Fiction (1994)

    A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  20. D.O.A. (1949)

    Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Judgment Night (1993)

    Four young friends, while taking a shortcut en route to a local boxing match, witness a brutal murder which leaves them running for their lives.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  22. Best Seller (1987)

    Hit man Cleve approaches writer/cop Dennis about a story for his next book: How Cleve made a living, working for one of the most powerful politicians in the country. To get the story right, they travel around the country to gather statements and evidence, while strong forces use any means they can to keep the story untold.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  23. Hallo, Taxi (1983)

    Being suspicious that his wife is cheating on him, a Belgrade taxi driver discovers that she's about to be traded by a local gang who drug women and sell them to Arabs. He decides to take the matter into his own hands, and fight the gang without the help of police.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

  24. Cochin Express (1967)

    Rajan, a police officer, is in charge of the investigation regarding a murder that took place on a train. He tries by hook or by crook to find the culprit as he has only one witness.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

  25. The Brave One (2007)

    A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  26. The Devil's Own (1997)

    Frankie McGuire, one of the IRA's deadliest assassins, draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism. But when he is sent to the U.S. to buy weapons, Frankie is housed with the family of Tom O'Meara, a New York cop who knows nothing about Frankie's real identity. Their surprising friendship, and Tom's growing suspicions, forces Frankie to choose between the promise of peace or a lifetime of murder.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  27. Diva (1981)

    Jules, a young Parisian postman, secretly records a concert performance given by the opera singer Cynthia Hawkins, whom he idolises. The following day, Jules runs into a woman who is being pursued by armed thugs. Before she is killed, the woman slips an audio cassette into his mail bag...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  28. Deadly Shots on Broadway (1969)

    An FBI agent is killed by the mob after making off with five million in gold bars in a robbery gone bad. Agent Jerry Cotton is called in to bring the gang to justice and find out where his dead pal hid the missing gold.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

  29. Dark Blue (2002)

    Set during the Rodney King riots, a robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  30. Madigan (1968)

    NYPD detectives Bonaro and Madigan lose their guns to fugitive Barney Benesch. As compensation, they are given a weekend to bring Benesch to justice. While they follow various leads, Police Commissioner Russell goes about his duties, including attending functions, meeting with aggrieved relatives, and counseling the spouses of fallen officers.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like The French Connection and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The French Connection?

The closest matches to The French Connection are Kiss of the Dragon (2001), French Connection II (1975) and Killing Zoe (1993). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The French Connection?

Start with Kiss of the Dragon (2001), the closest match to The French Connection.

What is the highest-rated movie like The French Connection?

Pulp Fiction (1994), rated 8.5/10 by 31,314 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The French Connection?

Crown Vic (2019) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The French Connection?

Yes: Kiss of the Dragon (2001), French Connection II (1975) and Killing Zoe (1993).

How are movies similar to The French Connection chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The French Connection, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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