Movies like Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
The best movies like Once Upon a Time in China (1991) are Birth of the Dragon (2017), Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). If Once Upon a Time in China hooked you with its action and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSeven Samurai (1954)8.5/10 from 4,460 votes
- NewestNothing left but the horizon (2025)Released 2025
Birth of the Dragon (2017)
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisDragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIp Man 4: The Finale (2019)
Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)
A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIp Man 3 (2015)
When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThree Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (2008)
The aging Zhao embarks on his final and greatest campaign, a road to adventure that will crown his name in glory for all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreet Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014)
If one man changes his path, will he be able to change his destiny...or will he only delay the inevitable? Ryu and Ken are two traditional warriors who find themselves isolated in some corner of Japan to carry out their training as fighters, trying to master an ancient style of fighting, known as "Ansatsuken" (The Killing Fist). There they will begin to learn about the mysterious past of their trainer, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy that the Ansatsuken style hides. Will they be able to choose their destiny or will history repeat itself once again?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Man Called Hero (1999)
After Hero Hua marries Jade and leaves her in China, he goes to America to work as a servant and rebels against cruel labour conditions. Jade soon joins him in New York, where they build a family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Wall (2016)
European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMulan (2020)
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Heroic Trio (1993)
While one tough woman with an invisible robe has stolen 18 babies for her powerful master, two other tough women and the cops try to stop her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster Hunter (2020)
US Ranger Captain Artemis and her team are part of a UN joint security mission north of Hemat, in Afghanistan. While searching for a missing team (Bravo), they are transported to a strange world where powerful monsters rule with deadly ferocity. Faced with relentless danger, the team encounters a mysterious hunter who may be their only hope to find a way home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThunderbolt (1995)
In order to release his kidnapped sisters, sports car mechanic, Chan Foh To, has to defeat a super-criminal street racer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit (2010)
Jack Hunter, an adventurous treasure seeker, goes to Syria after his mentor and father figure Professor Fredrick Shaffer is killed. Professor Frederick Shaffer believed that the people of Ugarit, a town in Syria that existed during the Pharoah’s reign, had buried a treasure before they were wiped out by the Pharoahs. Jack Hunter is one of the few archaeologists in the world who can interpret Ugarit writings
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlita: Battle Angel (2019)
When Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido, a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDark of the Sun (1968)
A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry travel through war-torn Congo across deadly terrain, battling rival armies, to steal $50 million in uncut diamonds. But infighting, sadistic rebels and a time lock jeopardize everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBilal: A New Breed of Hero (2016)
A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who earned his remembrance in time and history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJumper (2008)
David Rice is a man who knows no boundaries, a Jumper, born with the uncanny ability to teleport instantly to anywhere on Earth. When he discovers others like himself, David is thrust into a dangerous and bloodthirsty war while being hunted by a sinister and determined group of zealots who have sworn to destroy all Jumpers. Now, David’s extraordinary gift may be his only hope for survival!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSeven Samurai (1954)
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHandsome Vagabond (1982)
After serving three years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, an angry streetfighter seeks justice. Two sworn brothers oppose a gang of killers running a gym.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Kikaider Reboot (2014)
In the near future, the brilliant Dr. Komyoji is enlisted to lead the ARK Project—a scientific endeavor dedicated to forging a brighter tomorrow through robotics. However, the doctor’s mysterious death puts those plans to an abrupt hold... Not long after, the grieving Komyoji children wander into the crosshairs of a black ops squad on the hunt for their father’s research. But from within the cross fire emerges Jiro—a bleeding-edge android programmed to protect the siblings! Now on the run, the Komyojis soon discover their father’s once hopeful ambitions have taken a DARK turn...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Operette (1940)
A musician is offered a job in Vienna as stage director, but his disagreements with the aristocratic opera manager end in abrupt firing in spite of a mutual attraction. He's quickly engaged by another theatre and becomes famous for his lavish stage productions and fine acting, which begins their golden age with Suppé and Strauss.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Nothing left but the horizon (2025)
A young french man discovers a letter written in mandarin in an antique shop in France. After having it translated, he becomes captivated by its content and, on a whim, decides to travel to China to follow in the footsteps of the woman in the letter, to see what she experienced, her thoughts, her doubts, the things that shaped her, and what made her who she is.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Story of Yuan Tiangang (2024)
Three hundred years ago, the elegant and spirited young man Yuan Tiangang, born with a doomed fate, unintentionally caused the death of his loved ones from a young age. As a result, he decided to gamble with fate and mastered the skill of "Chenggu Bone Divination," using it to target those whose lives were not supposed to end prematurely. At that time, it happened to be the end of the Sui Dynasty, with widespread chaos in the world. How will Yuan Tiangang change his destiny and become a notorious but respected leader amidst the turmoil of the late Sui Dynasty?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Rider of Revenge (1971)
The story of Rider of Revenge revolves around a convict on the death row, who has killed many people and hidden a huge stash of loot somewhere. Several parties race against time and each other to get him out of jail, including the dashing daughter of the chief constable (Shang-Kuan Ling Feng), an upright lone swordsman (Tien Peng), a chivalrous young man (Chiang Pin), and gangsters coveting the treasure.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Kebab Connection (2004)
In Hamburg, Ibrahim "Ibo" Secmez, of Turkish descent, wants to direct the first German kung-fu movie. For now, he makes commercials for his uncle's kebab restaurant. Titzie, an aspiring actress and Ibo's German girlfriend, finds she's pregnant. Ibo is uncertain about fatherhood - compounded by his father's disowning him for getting a German girl pregnant - so Titzie sends him packing. He makes attempts at getting it right, but as the birth approaches, he's still not ready. In the background are three thugs in search of good tripe soup and a Capulet-Montegue feud between the kebab joint and a Greek taverna across the street. Can Ibo be the glove upon that hand?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWong Fei-Hung Goes to a Birthday Party at Guanshan (1956)
Wong Fei-Hung Goes to a Birthday Party at Guanshan is a Wong Fei-Hung movie starring Kwan Tak-Hing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Wong Fei-Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance (1956)
Wong Fei-Hung and the Lantern Festival Disturbance is a 1956 Wong Fei-Hung movie directed by Wu Pang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Once Upon a Time in China?
The closest matches to Once Upon a Time in China are Birth of the Dragon (2017), Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Once Upon a Time in China?
Start with Birth of the Dragon (2017), the closest match to Once Upon a Time in China.
What is the highest-rated movie like Once Upon a Time in China?
Seven Samurai (1954), rated 8.5/10 by 4,460 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Once Upon a Time in China?
Nothing left but the horizon (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Once Upon a Time in China chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Once Upon a Time in China, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.