Movies like The Red Shadow (1961)
The best movies like The Red Shadow (1961) are Kamui (2009), Goemon (2009) and Welcome to Sudden Death (2020). If The Red Shadow 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 ratedBeast (2026)7.5/10 from 226 votes
- NewestBeast (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseKamui (2009)Also in Japanese
Kamui (2009)
A rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoemon (2009)
Follow the infamous ninja bandit named Ishikawa Goemon in an epic story. One night while looting treasure from Nanban, Goemon finds a mysterious box hidden inside a secret grave. A forgotten relic from the past containing untold powers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWelcome to Sudden Death (2020)
Jesse Freeman is a former special forces officer and explosives expert now working a regular job as a security guard in a state-of-the-art basketball arena. Trouble erupts when a tech-savvy cadre of terrorists kidnap the team's owner and Jesse's daughter during opening night. Facing a ticking clock and impossible odds, it's up to Jesse to not only save them but also a full house of fans in this highly charged action thriller.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNinja (2009)
A westerner named Casey, studying Ninjutsu in Japan, is asked by the Sensei to return to New York to protect the legendary Yoroi Bitsu, an armored chest that contains the weapons of the last Koga Ninja.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMexicali (2026)
A former special forces contractor is forced out of retirement as an avocado farmer in Mexico when local gangsters try to force him and his family off their farm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKnuckle Girl (2023)
Following the story of Ran, who confronts a mysterious organization by participating in a no-rules deathmatch after discovering her missing younger sister Yuzuki is involved in a crime. With danger at every corner, Ran must trade in her boxing gloves for brass knuckles. Will she save her sister?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003)
After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNaruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006)
Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, and Rock Lee are assigned to protect the prince of the Land of the Moon, Michiru, during his world trip; other escorts had been hired, but quit due to being treated poorly. The Land of the Moon is a very wealthy nation, so Michiru tends to buy whatever he wants, and has a very materialistic worldview. His Hikaru, also acts in much the same manner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (2010)
Assigned on a mission to capture Mukade, a missing-nin, Naruto Uzumaki sets out for the once glorious historic ruins of "Ouran", where he pursues and corners the rouge ninja. Mukade's goal is revealed to be a dormant leyline within the ruins; he unleashes the power of the leyline, causing a light to envelop Naruto, sending him into the past, 20 years before the series began. When Naruto awakens, he comes into contact with the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNinja Terminator (1986)
The hunt is on to gain the fabulous super-strength of ninja sorcery, after three top students of the Ninja Empire each steals one of the sections of the Golden Ninja Warrior statuette. On the case is interpol agent, Jaguar Wong, who must make sure that whoever re-unites the pieces uses the power for doing good not evil. A Hong Kong cut and paste edit of the 1984 Korean Film "스타페리의 不請客" (Uninvited Guest of The Star Ferry) with new ninja scenes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNinja: Shadow of a Tear (2013)
Fight everyone and trust no one: it's the code of survival practiced by martial-arts master Casey Bowman after his life of domestic bliss is shattered by a savage act of violence. Vowing revenge, the fearless American stealthily tracks the killer from Osaka to Bangkok to Rangoon with the help of a wise and crafty sensei. His only clues: a series of victims whose necks bear the distinctive mark of strangulation by barbed wire. Fighting to avenge as well as to survive, Casey must sharpen his razor-like responses and take his battle skills to the next level, even using deep meditation to fake his own death. His target: the sinister drug lord Goro, who is flooding the streets with deadly meth cooked at his remote jungle factory. To prepare for his ultimate confrontation, Casey must finally become an invisible warrior worthy of the name Ninja. But just when his prey is cornered, an unexpected twist shows Casey that his battle is only beginning: he truly can trust no one.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNinja Assassin (2009)
Ninja Assassin follows Raizo, one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Piece Episode of Sabo: The Three Brothers' Bond - The Miraculous Reunion and the Inherited Will (2015)
From a brotherhood bound by three cups of sake, one brother’s story has yet to be told! Visiting Dressrosa under orders of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo’s top-secret mission derails when Doflamingo announces the grand prize for battling in the Colosseum. The tragedy at Marineford still weighing on his mind, Sabo reunites with his little brother to protect the promises they made with Ace. Now, they’ll fight in disguise for the Colosseum’s ultimate prize: Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisK-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008)
In an alternate version of 1949 Japan in which World War II never happened, the Japanese capital of Teito is home to both an ultra rich upper class and the dirt poor masses. The city is thrown into a state of panic when a phantom thief called “The Kaijin (Fiend) with 20 Faces” (K-20 for short) begins to use his mysterious abilities to steal from the rich and give to the poor. One day a circus acrobat named Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is framed for K-20’s crimes and becomes determined to clear his name. He teams up with K-20’s next target, a wealthy duchess named Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her detective fiancé (Toru Nakamura), to take K-20 down once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisK: Missing Kings (2014)
The "Academy Island Incident" in which four "kings" cross paths... Since then, Silver Clansmen Kuroh Yatogami and Neko have been searching for their master, Shiro. Without finding any clues to Shiro's whereabouts, the two became disheartened. However, one day, they see HOMRA members Rikio Kamamoto and Anna Kushina being chased by someone.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBleach the Movie: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2007)
When an artifact known as the "King's Seal" is stolen during transport from Soul Society, Hitsugaya Toushirou is assigned to retrieve it. Toushirou goes missing after a battle with the thieves, leading Seireitei to suspect him of treachery. They order his immediate capture and execution. Unwilling to believe him capable of such a crime, Ichigo, Rangiku, Rukia, and Renji set out to find Toushirou.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBatman Ninja (2018)
Batman, along with many of his allies and adversaries, finds himself transported to feudal Japan by Gorilla Grodd's time displacement machine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNaruto: The Lost Story - Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (2003)
Naruto and his friends must get back a jug of stolen holy water from a band of higher class ninjas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAmerican Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)
Jackson is back, and now he has a new partner, karate champion Sean, as they must face a deadly terrorist known as "The Cobra", who has infected Sean with a virus. Sean and Jackson have no choice but to fight the Cobra and his bands of ninjas.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisSamurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStreet Angel (2009)
When Doctor Pangea, "the world's deadliest geologist", escapes from prison with plans to destroy Earth as we know it, the city turns to its unlikely champion: 14 year old homeless girl - and kungfu skateboarding superhero - Street Angel! Short film based on the comic of the same name.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
American Ninja (1985)
Joe Armstrong, an orphaned drifter with little respect for much other than martial arts, finds himself on an American Army base in the Philippines after a judge gives him a choice of enlistment or prison. On one of his first missions driving a convoy, his platoon is attacked by a group of rebels who try to steal the weapons the platoon is transporting and kidnap the base colonel's daughter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Octagon (1980)
Scott James, a veteran martial arts expert, is recruited as the protector of the wealthy and beautiful Justine after she becomes the target of a ninja clan. When Scott finds out that his ruthless arch-nemesis, McCarn , is involved with the stealthy and dangerous criminals, he is eager to settle old scores. Soon Scott is facing off against McCarn and the entire ninja horde in an effort to take them all down.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNintama Rantarou 10th Musical: ~This is The Ninja's Big Sports Event!~ (2019)
Because of the headmaster's sudden thoughts, Ninjutsu Academy will host a sports event. It seems like that it will have the committees compete against each other, would that be all right? All committee have different number of members, teams haven't decided yet, Kirimaru will not attend due to part-time job, still haven't decide who will say the oath yet, head figures are flying around, somehow Dokutake are here too. Because the headmaster makes all the decision all by himself without second thought, everything are messed up right before the sport event!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Cho Ninja Tai Inazuma (2006)
Jun Terada is a producer in the year 2076 and is trying to convince the president of Magical TV to allow her to create her life's work, Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!, based on the long-standing legend of a legendary lightning that bestows powers upon those struck by it. However, because the show is to be the 100th anniversary of the Hyper Hero Team Series" , it must be a first for the 100-year-long franchise. President Mishima convinces her to turn it into a reality show by traveling back to 1720 in the Edo period and picking three extremely inept locals and force them through humiliating training to become ninja.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
American Ninja 5 (1993)
When a scientists daughter is kidnapped, American Ninja, attempts to find her, but this time he teams up with a youngster he has trained in the ways of the ninja.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisAmerican Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
On a remote Caribbean island, Army Ranger Joe Armstrong investigates the disappearance of several marines, which leads him to The Lion, a super-criminal who has kidnapped a local scientist and mass-produced an army of mutant Ninja warriors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like this
Like The Red Shadow and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Red Shadow?
The closest matches to The Red Shadow are Kamui (2009), Goemon (2009) and Welcome to Sudden Death (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Red Shadow?
Start with Kamui (2009), the closest match to The Red Shadow.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Red Shadow?
Beast (2026), rated 7.5/10 by 226 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Red Shadow?
Beast (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Red Shadow?
Yes: Kamui (2009), Goemon (2009) and Knuckle Girl (2023).
How are movies similar to The Red Shadow chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Red Shadow, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.