Movies like Shanghai Shanghai (1990)
The best movies like Shanghai Shanghai (1990) are Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), The Perfect Weapon (1991) and The Mission (1999). If Shanghai Shanghai 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 ratedThe Karate Kid (1984)7.2/10 from 4,958 votes
- NewestFast Charlie (2023)Released 2023
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it's not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Perfect Weapon (1991)
Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families. Jeff tries to help his old friend, but is too late to prevent Kim's death at the hands of an unknown hitman. Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mission (1999)
Triad boss Lung, who has just escaped being killed in an assassination attempt hires the killers Curtis, James, Mike, Roy and Shin for his protection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Enforcer (2022)
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisState Property (2002)
A Philadelphia gang member becomes a drug kingpin and starts a feud with vicious rivals in his quest for the American Dream.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpecial ID (2013)
A career-long undercover Hong Kong cop is sent to Mainland China when his former protégé becomes the primary suspect in a murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSPL: Kill Zone (2005)
Chan, an articulate senior detective nearing the end of his career, is taking care of the daughter of a witness killed by ruthless crime lord Po. Martial arts expert Ma is set to take over as head of the crime unit, replacing Chan who wants an early retirement.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSilverton Siege (2022)
After a failed sabotage mission, a trio of anti-apartheid freedom fighters ends up in a tense bank hostage situation. Based on a true story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWild Search (1989)
While conducting a raid of an illegal arms deal, detective Mew Mew discovers the body of a dead woman and her daughter who witnessed the murder. Believing that the girl may be in danger, Mew Mew seeks out her aunt Cher, and the three develop a bond, but Cher's ex-husband and a vengeful gunrunner soon show up to disrupt their short-lived peace.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIsland of Fire (1991)
Someone in a prison run by a corrupt warden fakes the deaths of convicts to later use them as expendable assassins. A police officer is sent into the prison to gather evidence of the corruption.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBest of the Best 2 (1993)
In an underground fight club, blackbelt Travis Brickley is killed after losing to the evil martial arts master Brakus. Travis' death is witnessed by Walter Grady, the son of his best friend Alex Grady. Alex and his partner, Tommy Lee, vow to avenge their friend's death by defeating Brakus and shutting down the fight club.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Charlie (2023)
When his aging mob boss is whacked, Charlie Swift, a loyal friend and hired gun, will stop at nothing to destroy the upcoming crew that took him out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAl Capone (1959)
In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEl padrino: The Latin Godfather (2004)
In the streets of East Los Angeles, Manny is a formidable drug dealer. Impressed by his extravagant lifestyle and prowess, his young son, Kilo, yearns to follow in his footsteps. Kilo resolves to learn how to prosper in the drug world, and his new life as a dealer begins. In a world where a man wants everything, he may end up with nothing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisConvict (2014)
Set in the dark and old Parramatta prison built by the original convicts our lead character Ray a war veteran finds himself serving 18 months for manslaughter after defending his fiance. He soon realizes that the prison boss has it in for him and does everything possible to break Ray even going after his fiance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Blood (2014)
When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisTriad Wars (2008)
In the midst of a violent gang war, a series of misfortunes threaten the fate of a gang boss and his mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe System (2022)
When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Hero Never Dies (1998)
Jack and Martin are gunmen who work for two rival kingpins. Jack and Martin have been fighting on their bosses behalf for close to a year. When a truce is made both Jack and Martin are cut loose. The two men then decide to join forces and take on the gangsters who used them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Protector (1985)
Billy Wong is a New York City cop whose partner is gunned down during a robbery. Billy and his new partner, Danny Garoni, are working security at a fashion show when a wealthy man's daughter, Laura Shapiro, is kidnapped. The Federal authorities suspect that Laura's father is involved with Mr. Ko, a Hong Kong drug kingpin, so the NYC police commissioner sends the two cops to Hong Kong to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisWong Fei-Hung: Bravely Crushing the Fire Formation (1970)
Wong Fei-Hung: Bravely Crushing the Fire Formation is the last film of the long running Huang Fei-hong series starring Tak-Hing Kwan
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & action
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Karate Kid (1984)
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLady in Black Cracks the Gate of Hell (1967)
Ghost-faced To is murdered in a mortuary after paying a visit to Muk Lan-fa. A set of teeth is found missing from another dead body. Lan-fa’s sister Sau-chen follows the leads on a business card To left behind to a dental clinic which suddenly bursts into flame. The news of her sister’s abduction by the infamous Japanese criminal Katsu Saburo soon reaches Lan-fa. Working together with her police friend Ko Cheung to crack the case, Lan-fa analyses photo evidences in minute detail. The duo order the retrieval of a pole that has survived the explosion intact while lying in wait at the clinic. Sau-chen, who has escaped, saves the duo from the chiller where they are detained. Inspector Yeung retrieves the operation plan concealed in the pole and the secret codes in the set of teeth, but the spook is shot dead by Katsu before he could reach the Hell’s Gate and the treasure buried there. Constable Kwan, and others and wipes out the gang at the Hell’s Gate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Pushed to the Limit (1992)
Magnificent Mimi is a woman with a destiny and a bright future ahead of her. She is the world's greatest female wrestling champion, she has a loving boyfriend and loyal family members who care and love her. But things take a turn for the worst when Mimi's boyfriend Nick is wounded and her younger brother is shot to death for trying to stiff local druglord Harry Lee. Lee is the toughest and meanest criminal figure in all of Southern California and if you double-cross him, you won't live to see the sun set. Not only does Lee rule his own empire, he also runs the Kumite, a gladitorial fight ring where warriors battle to the death. Mimi knows the police can't touch Lee with a ten foot pole and so she enlists the aid of her martial arts friend Master Vern to teach her kickboxing and tai chi so she can prepare for combat. Vern doesn't think Mimi is ready for Kumite, as it is a place where only one warrior can be left standing and breathing and the one who loses dies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Romeo Must Die (2000)
Two warring gang families (one African-American, the other Chinese) maneuver for bragging rights to the Oakland, California docks. Han Sing and Trish O'Day uncover a trail of deceit that leaves most of the warring factions dead... or worse!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHard 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: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKungfu Master (2008)
The film features Kung Fu Panda and Chinese martial arts folk hero Wong Fei Hung. In the film, the panda is assigned by the Buddha to protect an ancient treasure that could give the bearer the power to conquer the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Wong Fei Hung's Battle with the Gorilla (1960)
Wong Fei-hung and his disciples hear that a small village is being terrorised by a ferocious gorilla. It turns out that the beast is actually a small-time crook in a gorilla suit under the orders of a precious metal smuggler who wants to intimidate the villagers. The crook takes advantage of his disguise to abduct a beautiful girl and escape to the mountains, but has a surprise in store for him. Just how many gorillas are loose in them there hills?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
The Turtles and the Shredder battle once again, this time for the last cannister of the ooze that created the Turtles, which Shredder wants to create an army of new mutants. Meanwhile Splinter is coming... to a decision.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Shanghai Shanghai?
The closest matches to Shanghai Shanghai are Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), The Perfect Weapon (1991) and The Mission (1999). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Shanghai Shanghai?
Start with Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), the closest match to Shanghai Shanghai.
What is the highest-rated movie like Shanghai Shanghai?
The Karate Kid (1984), rated 7.2/10 by 4,958 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Shanghai Shanghai?
Fast Charlie (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Shanghai Shanghai chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Shanghai Shanghai, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.