Movies like China Passage (1937)
The best movies like China Passage (1937) are The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Song of the Thin Man (1947) and Shadow of the Thin Man (1941). If China Passage hooked you with its adventure and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDial M for Murder (1954)8.0/10 from 2,997 votes
- NewestThe Bad Guys 2 (2025)Released 2025
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The famous Pink Panther jewel has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catch the thief. The Inspector is convinced that 'The Phantom' has returned and utilises all of his resources – himself and his Asian manservant – to reveal the identity of 'The Phantom'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong of the Thin Man (1947)
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in to clear their friends and uncover the real killer. Their investigation leads through a lively world of jazz clubs, radio personalities, high society, and backstage rivalries, where almost everyone has a secret and the next clue may be hidden in the music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman (1943)
Japanese master spy Daka operates a covert espionage-sabotage organization located in Gotham City's now-deserted Little Tokyo, which turns American scientists into pliable zombies. The great crime-fighters Batman and Robin, with the help of their allies, are in pursuit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Thin Man (1939)
Nick and Nora Charles are back - and this time, they have a baby, a wealthy new client, and another murder to solve! Retired detective Nick is enjoying family life with Nora and their young son, Nick Jr., when eccentric industrialist Colonel MacFay asks for protection after receiving threatening messages. When MacFay is found dead at his isolated estate, Nick and Nora spring into action, questioning a houseful of suspicious guests and uncovering greed, blackmail, family secrets, and a dangerous inheritance plot. With their trademark wit and sophistication, the glamorous couple balances parenthood, parties, and peril as they race to expose the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFallen Angel (1945)
An unemployed drifter, Eric Stanton wanders into a small California town and begins hanging around the local diner. While Eric falls for the lovely waitress Stella, he also begins romancing a quiet and well-to-do woman named June Mills. Since Stella isn't interested in Eric unless he has money, the lovelorn guy comes up with a scheme to win her over, and it involves June. Before long, murder works its way into this passionate love triangle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Bundle of Trouble: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2017)
Aurora Teagarden and her boyfriend Martin are thrilled when they get an unexpected visit from his niece and her new baby. Their excitement is short lived when his niece disappears and the baby is left behind. Once again, Aurora finds herself drawn into a deadly investigation as she risks it all to help Martin reunite with his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005)
Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Brides of Fu Manchu (1966)
This time Fu Manchu and his army of henchmen are kidnaping the daughters of prominent scientists and taking them to his remote island headquarters. Instead of asking for ransom, Fu demands that the fathers help him to build a death ray, which he intends to use to take over the world. But Fu's archenemy, Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard, is determined not to let that happen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Bad Guys 2 (2025)
The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)
Join Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. crew as they head to Chicago for Talent Star, a hit talent show in which Fred and Daphne are finalists with some high hopes. Unlucky for them, the competition is frightful as the show is being broadcast from an opera house with a history of horrors and a particularly vengeful phantom that has cursed the show's production.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
Scooby-Doo and the gang are on the case when a mysterious lake monster starts scaring the guests at a summer resort in Erie Point, where Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have taken on seasonal jobs to pay for a barn they accidentally burned down. But in addition to sneaking suspicions, there's some romance in the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBenji (2018)
Two school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Blue Gardenia (1953)
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930)
The boys think their days of fishing to feed themselves have come to an end, when Stan's rich uncle Ebenezer dies leaving a large estate. But they soon learn that Ebenezer was murdered and all the relatives, including Stan, are suspects.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (2012)
Scooby-Doo and the gang participate in a toy store's holiday parade where they discover the abandoned haunted clock tower with a troubled past. A sinister snowman haunts the streets and accompanied with a large blizzard, threatens to close down the toy store for good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisScooby-Doo (2002)
When the Mystery Inc. gang is invited to Spooky Island, a popular amusement park, they soon discover that the attractions aren't the only things that are spooky. Strange things are happening, and it's up to Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma to uncover the truth behind the mysterious happenings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo, Where Are You Now! (2021)
After 52 years of solving mysteries, the Scooby gang reunite at Warner Bros. Studios to reminisce about their favorite cases and how they were filmed. But it turns out that the back lot may have its OWN monster problem. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo investigate this mystery while celebrating the legacy of the franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisL.A. Confidential (1997)
Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPoodle Springs (1998)
Private eye Philip Marlowe and his bride move to a desert town, where he uncovers a land scheme.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
Perfect Stranger (2007)
A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisLady Against the Odds (1992)
A private detective becomes involved in a new cast when her partner's guardian is murdered.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & mystery
Dial M for Murder (1954)
When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCrime at School (1982)
Zlatko Kovač, a provincial professor, gets the job in the big city's school, only to find out that his red-employment is not random. Professor Toth, the man he replaced, has died under the strange circumstances. Kovac meets a variety of strange people in his school's collective, and it was not long before they came up with the new body. However, the police is unable to solve the case, but he takes the matter into his own hands and setting a trap for a murderer on a school manifestation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Spriggan (2019)
The Ironlands is an unforgiving place; a fanatic cult plagues the kingdom of Annistiem, who in turn have resorted to begging adventurers to venture into the woods and cleanse their realm of the threat. Unbeknownst to them, something far more sinister guides the cult, and plots the destruction of Annistiem. Warriors, miscreants, and opportunists venture forth into the wood to slay the degenerate creatures, each having their own reasons and rationale. Some for gold, some for purity, and some for the hunt. But deep in the forest, only the trust of an ally, and the cold steel of sword and axe can save oneself from the terrors that lurk within.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Deception (2008)
As a corporate auditor who works in a number of different offices, Jonathan McQuarry wanders without an anchor among New York's power brokers. A chance meeting with charismatic lawyer Wyatt Bose leads to Jonathan's introduction to The List, an underground sex club. Jonathan begins an affair with a woman known only as S, who introduces Jonathan to a world of treachery and murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRise of the Footsoldier (2007)
Carlton Leach rises from one of the most feared generals of the football terraces to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through London and Essex in the late '80s and early '90s.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSubway in the Sky (1959)
Berlin provides the backdrop for this crime drama that centers on a military doctor falsely accused of dealing illegal drugs. Determined to prove his innocence, he escapes from the MPs and ends up holing up in the apartment his wife rented. He doesn't know that she has sublet the flat to a nightclub singer. When he finds out, he begs the singer to assist him. She is attracted to him and agrees. The doctor believes that his wife is behind the black-market dealings, but in the end, they find the real culprit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Like China Passage and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like China Passage?
The closest matches to China Passage are The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Song of the Thin Man (1947) and Shadow of the Thin Man (1941). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after China Passage?
Start with The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), the closest match to China Passage.
What is the highest-rated movie like China Passage?
Dial M for Murder (1954), rated 8.0/10 by 2,997 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like China Passage?
The Bad Guys 2 (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like China Passage?
Yes: The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Song of the Thin Man (1947) and Shadow of the Thin Man (1941).
How are movies similar to China Passage chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside China Passage, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.