Movies like Purple Darts (1969)
The best movies like Purple Darts (1969) are Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), Shogun Assassin (1980) and The Storm Riders (1998). If Purple Darts hooked you with its action and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Beekeeper (2024)7.3/10 from 4,709 votes
- NewestOne Mile: Chapter Two (2026)Released 2026
- In ChineseReturn of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)Also in Chinese
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
After the events of The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), a retired Fang Gang is drawn back into the jianghu to protect various young apprentices whose swordsmanship schools have been terrorized by 8 evil swordsmen seeking to rule the jianghu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShogun Assassin (1980)
A Shogun who grew paranoid as he became senile sent his ninjas to kill his samurai. They failed but did kill the samurai’s wife. The samurai swore to avenge the death of his wife and roams the countryside with his toddler son in search of vengeance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Storm Riders (1998)
Heeding a prophecy, a warlord trains two orphans after killing their parents. But the skills he teaches could lead to his downfall.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJourney to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
Tang Monk brings three disciples on a journey to the West. On the outside, everything seems harmonious. However, tension is present beneath the surface, and their hearts and minds are not in agreement. After a series of demon-capturing events, the monk and his disciples gain mutual understanding of each others' hardships and unease. Finally, they resolve their inner conflict and work together to become an all-conquering, demon-exorcising team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReign of Assassins (2010)
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)
A scientific expedition happens to discover that gold exists on Tarzan's escarpment. The villainous Medford and Vandermeer kidnap Jane and Boy to extort from Tarzan the location of the gold.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987)
In this sequel, Scott Wylde, an American kickboxer, must go to Cambodia to rescue his Vietnamese girlfriend from Russian and Vietnamese troops.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Mile: Chapter Two (2026)
Former special forces operative Danny is forced back onto a remote island when a violent, secretive community takes revenge by abducting his daughter Alex, launching a relentless hunt against enemies prepared for his every move.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVendetta (2022)
When his daughter is murdered, William Duncan takes the law into his own hands, setting out on a quest for retribution. After killing the street thug responsible for her death, he finds himself in the middle of a war with the thug's brother, father, and their gang, who are equally hell-bent on getting even. What ensues is a tense back-and-forth game of vengeance. By the end, William comes to find that the quest for revenge never has a winner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVampires (1998)
The church enlists a team of vampire-hunters to hunt down and destroy a group of vampires searching for an ancient relic that will allow them to exist in sunlight.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast X (2023)
Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they've ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who's fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFear Is the Key (1972)
A deep-sea salvage expert enacts an elaborate plan to infiltrate and take revenge on a criminal organization that dealt him a foul misdeed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisFor the Sake of Vicious (2021)
An overworked nurse returns home to find a maniac hiding out with a bruised and beaten hostage. When an unexpected wave of violent intruders descend upon her home, it becomes a fight for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEye for an Eye (2022)
A highly trained and exceptionally deadly swordsman looks for revenge after being caught in the middle of a power struggle that results in the assassination of an innocent woman's family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShe Rides Shotgun (2025)
Newly released from prison and marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly, at all costs. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly forge a bond under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive—and she teaches him the true meaning of unconditional love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Marine 3: Homefront (2013)
A Marine must do whatever it takes to save his kidnapped sister and stop a terrorist attack masterminded by a radical militia group.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStriking Rescue (2024)
A veteran Muay Thai expert goes on a take-no-prisoners mission of revenge after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered by mysterious forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorder Hunters (2025)
After his police officer brother is killed by a drug dealer who flees to the protection of his cartel-connected uncle in Mexico, an American man with a diverse law enforcement/military background goes south of the border to get revenge
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSword Master (2016)
Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, a powerful swordsman banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrippled Avengers (1978)
A group of martial artists seek revenge after being crippled by Tu Tin-To, a martial arts master, and his son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAs Man Desires (1925)
The story of a man who was robbed of his greatest love and the South Seas wildflower who found it for him, in the land of pawn trees where men of all nations gather; some seeking vengeance and some forgiveness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Trapped (1982)
A group of college students accidentally see a local redneck kill his wife's lover. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues, with the students trying to escape the area while the killer sets out to eliminate the witnesses who can tie him to the murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
The Italian Job (2003)
Charlie Croker pulled off the crime of a lifetime. The one thing that he didn't plan on was being double-crossed. Along with a drop-dead gorgeous safecracker, Croker and his team take off to re-steal the loot and end up in a pulse-pounding, pedal-to-the-metal chase that careens up, down, above and below the streets of Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Beekeeper (2024)
One man's campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as Beekeepers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMessage from the King (2017)
On a relentless quest to avenge his sister's murder, a man from Cape Town infiltrates a sprawling network of lowlifes and elites in Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAYNEKILLER (2028)
Years after the murder of his wife, retired detective Max Payne is pulled back into a case he never truly left behind. When a series of new killings begins to mirror the past, what once seemed like a closed investigation starts to reveal cracks, pointing toward something that was long hidden. As Max investigates, he finds himself stepping outside the law again, uncovering a big secret regarding his own tragedy—while a mysterious individual moves in and out of his path, making it harder to tell who can be trusted.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Coming SoonMovies like thisThe Mechanic (2011)
Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code requiring professional perfection and total detachment. One of an elite group of assassins, Bishop may be the best in the business - with a unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. When Harry McKenna, his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Harry's son comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIndra (2002)
A man embarks on a quest to make peace between two families fighting over the water problem in their district. In a bid to solve this crisis, he agrees to marry a girl from the rival family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Criminal (2014)
After his wife is murdered, Innis decides to take the law into his own hands. But as he comes closer to catching the man that killed his wife, Innis discovers the dark side of justice and finds the will to never look back.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
An Enemy Within (2025)
On his wedding night, Caleb Wingate is ordered to kill his father-in-law before midnight or his bride dies. As a deadly assassin closes in and family secrets erupt, Caleb must uncover the truth before the night ends in blood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Like Purple Darts and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Purple Darts?
The closest matches to Purple Darts are Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), Shogun Assassin (1980) and The Storm Riders (1998). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Purple Darts?
Start with Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), the closest match to Purple Darts.
What is the highest-rated movie like Purple Darts?
The Beekeeper (2024), rated 7.3/10 by 4,709 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Purple Darts?
One Mile: Chapter Two (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Purple Darts?
Yes: Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), The Storm Riders (1998) and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017).
How are movies similar to Purple Darts chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Purple Darts, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.