Movies like Hired Guns (1981)
The best movies like Hired Guns (1981) are City on Fire (1987), Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019) and Shock Wave (2017). If Hired Guns hooked you with its action and adventure, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSPL: Kill Zone (2005)7.0/10 from 373 votes
- NewestTrap House (2025)Released 2025
City on Fire (1987)
Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLine Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019)
A car crash sparks a war between local police and an international terrorist organization.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShock Wave (2017)
When a terrorist who specializes in explosives takes hold of an underground tunnel, he threatens to kill hostages if his demands are not met.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbsolution (2024)
An aging ex-boxer gangster working as muscle for a Boston crime boss receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and reconnect with his estranged children. He is determined to leave a positive legacy for his grandson, but the criminal underworld isn’t done with him and won’t loosen their grip willingly.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisSheroes (2023)
When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand, they quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fighting to stay alive, they employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a heart-pumping battle for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisTrap House (2025)
An undercover DEA agent and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious, and surprising group of thieves – their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing from a dangerous cartel, using their parents' tactics and top-secret intel to do it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Line of Duty 4 (1989)
Two detectives who are up to their necks in trouble and in each other's face, as they try to shut down a drug-trafficking scheme that could be connected with international ties to organized crime. But in the midst of their investigation, innocent immigrant dock worker Luk Wan-Ting gets caught up in the mix when he witnesses the murder of an intelligence operative and is framed for the crime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReturn to a Better Tomorrow (1994)
An adventure that delves into the dark caverns of the underworld and tells the tale of three chivalrous gangsters who attempt to escape the powerful clutch of their gang leader.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rookie (1990)
Veteran cop Nick Pulovski is used to playing musical partners; many of the partners he's had in the past have died on the job, and often as a result of Nick's risky tactics. But the rookie who's been assigned to help Nick bust a carjacking ring is almost as hotheaded as he is … and when Nick gets kidnapped, his newbie partner is his only hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Crew (2008)
Hoping to raise enough capital to finance a legitimate business and leave behind his life of crime, Liverpool underworld boss Ged Brennan sends his brother Ratter and a crew to pull a daring final heist. But when Ratter kills a drug kingpin during the job, Brennan must turn to rival crook Franner to avert an all-out gangland war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTiger Cage (1988)
Something fishy is going on in the anti-Drug Trafficking Unit of the HK Police, and only a few honest cops know that the corruption goes all the way to the top. However, they must prove their case quickly, and by unconventional means, after they are framed for murder and drug-trafficking themselves. Dodging bullets from cops and criminals alike, the race is on to clear their names, protect their loved ones, and bring their corrupt colleagues to justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBodies at Rest (2019)
Working in the morgue, a hardworking forensics expert and his assistant are suddenly accosted by masked intruders who demand access to a body involved in a recent crime.
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 & adventure
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 thisMaster 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 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 thisThe Dancer Upstairs (2002)
A police detective in a South American country is dedicated to hunting down a revolutionary guerilla leader.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMotorway (2012)
Two police pursuit drivers, a hothead rookie and his long-suffering, almost-retired mentor, face off against an escape car driver from the latter's past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurry & Pepper (1990)
Two best friends and cop partners become the subject of a beautiful news reporter's documentary. The two soon find themselves competing for screen time as well as the love of the reporter while after a murderous arms dealer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
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Like Hired Guns and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Hired Guns?
The closest matches to Hired Guns are City on Fire (1987), Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019) and Shock Wave (2017). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Hired Guns?
Start with City on Fire (1987), the closest match to Hired Guns.
What is the highest-rated movie like Hired Guns?
SPL: Kill Zone (2005), rated 7.0/10 by 373 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Hired Guns?
Trap House (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Hired Guns chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Hired Guns, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.