Movies like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2014)
The best movies like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2014) are The Four 3 (2014), Firestorm (2013) and How to Rob a Bank (2007). If Once Upon a Time in Shanghai hooked you with its action and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)8.0/10 from 19,720 votes
- NewestKarate Kid: Legends (2025)Released 2025
- In ChineseThe Four 3 (2014)Also in Chinese
The Four 3 (2014)
The reputation of the Four constables survives, but since Emotionless’s departure, there have been changes at the Divine Constabulary. The four Coldblood, Iron Hands, Life Snatcher, rescue Zhuge Zhengwo from An Yunshan’s mountain fortress, then with the Emperor and Di armies, they attack. But An Yunshan absorbs their power, which means the constables and their allies now face their most lethal opponent yet, a nearly invincible kung fu master who won’t stop until he has absolute power...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFirestorm (2013)
Hong Kong. When Cao Nan and his group of thieves rob an armored car in broad daylight, they don't hesitate to murder innocent people on the run. Lui Ming Chit, a veteran police inspector, is forced to use sinister tactics to catch them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Rob a Bank (2007)
Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Big Shot (2019)
A car fixer jumps off stairs after illegal demolition. Police officer tries to find the crime and catch the evil boss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMartial Arts of Shaolin (1986)
In ancient China, Zhi Ming trains at the legendary Northern Shaolin temple to avenge the death of his father at the hands of a nefarious magistrate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDisciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)
Monk San Te tries to support and protect Shaolin and her Fang Shih-yu who purposely attacks corrupt Ching officials.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShaolin Wooden Men (1976)
Little Mute is an orphan traumatized into silence by the death of his father at the hands of a vicious fighting master. Living at the Shaolin monastery, he befriends a dangerous prisoner who teaches him a secret form of deadly kung fu. Seeing his intense determination, other masters share the wisdom of the Gliding Snake and Drunken Master techniques. In one of the most exciting fight scenes ever filmed, Little Mute must run the gauntlet of the famous 108 wooden men in an extreme test of skill and endurance. But if he becomes a master, will he use his unmatched force for redemption or revenge?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExecutioners from Shaolin (1977)
After the destruction of the Temple, a Shaolin disciple devotes years to mastering the Tiger style in order to defeat the martial arts master who killed his teacher. His wife, a Crane style specialist, has a feeling one style won't be enough.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKids from Shaolin (1984)
Romance blossoms between two rival families practicing Shaolin and Wudang kungfu respectively. despite familial opposition - until they overcome a gang of scheming bandits together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Karate Kid (2010)
12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKung Fu Panda (2008)
Chosen by prophecy but doubted by all, Po is an unlikely choice for the mystical title of the Dragon Warrior—a clumsy panda thrust into the world of kung fu as a deadly enemy threatens the Valley of Peace. Under reluctant guidance by Master Shifu and the Furious Five, Po must embrace who he is to unlock the power that no scroll can teach.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Face of Fu Manchu (1965)
Grisly strangulations in London alert Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard to the possibility that fiendish Fu Manchu may not after all be dead, even though Smith witnessed his execution. A killer spray made from Tibetan berries seems to be involved and clues keep leading back to the Thames.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDick Tracy (1990)
The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHuman Lanterns (1982)
A psychotic craftsman pits two rival Kung-Fu masters against each other while designing special lanterns from a disturbing source.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Paper Tigers (2020)
Three middle aged men polish their martial arts skills to avenge their fallen master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006)
It is the story of an average, popular American teenager named Wendy Wu who discovers that in order to win the coveted crown she must first learn the way of the warrior. Wendy Wu has a one track mind, and that track leads directly to the title of homecoming queen -- no unscheduled stops, and no unnecessary detours. When a mysterious Chinese monk named Shen arrives to mold Wendy into a fearless kung fu warrior, however, her royal aspirations suddenly jump the track as she desperately attempts to juggle her boyfriend, her homework, and of course, the fierce competition to become homecoming queen. Now, as Wendy begins to train her mind, body, and spirit in the ancient tradition of the martial arts and her inner warrior gradually begins to emerge, the girl who once obsessed over popularity finally begins to put that popularity into perspective as she gradually realizes what truly matters in life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKarate Kid: Legends (2025)
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren't enough. Li's kung fu teacher Mr. Han enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShanghai Triad (1995)
Shanghai, China, 1930. When young Shuisheng arrives from the countryside, his uncle Liushu puts him at the service of Bijou, the mistress of Laoda, supreme boss of the Tang Triad, constantly threatened by his enemies, both those he knows and those lurking in the shadows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle – but she lives to plot her vengeance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBatman Begins (2005)
Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
The Bride unwaveringly continues on her roaring rampage of revenge against the band of assassins who had tried to kill her and her unborn child. She visits each of her former associates one-by-one, checking off the victims on her Death List Five until there's nothing left to do … but kill Bill.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisZatoichi (2003)
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDC Showcase Original Shorts Collection (2010)
An anthology of DC Showcase stories consisting of a new Superman/Shazam feature and extended versions of older shorts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHero (2002)
During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Water (2018)
A deep cover operative awakens to find himself imprisoned on a submarine. With the help of a fellow prisoner and an amateur agent, he must race against the clock to escape the vessel and expose who set him up.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai?
The closest matches to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai are The Four 3 (2014), Firestorm (2013) and How to Rob a Bank (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Once Upon a Time in Shanghai?
Start with The Four 3 (2014), the closest match to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai.
What is the highest-rated movie like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai?
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), rated 8.0/10 by 19,720 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai?
Karate Kid: Legends (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai?
Yes: The Four 3 (2014), Firestorm (2013) and The Big Shot (2019).
How are movies similar to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.