Movies like Tracing Shadow (2009)
The best movies like Tracing Shadow (2009) are The Paper Tigers (2020), Trouble Man (2025) and Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978). If Tracing Shadow hooked you with its action and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)7.3/10 from 10,511 votes
- NewestGladiator Underground (2025)Released 2025
- In ChineseHalf a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)Also in Chinese
The 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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrouble Man (2025)
Jaxen, a former cop turned Atlanta PI, is hired to find missing R&B star Jahari. His investigation uncovers her disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy, forcing him to question those around him and his own past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalf a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)
A young daydreamer assumes the identity of a dead martial arts hero and quickly finds himself caught up in a plot by several clans to steal famous martial arts artifacts being transported by an escort company.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & 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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAirborne (1993)
Good-natured teen surfer Mitchell Goosen finds himself staying with his aunt and uncle in Cincinnati, Ohio when his parents head to Australia for work. There he meets his cousin, Wiley, and together they try to navigate the perils of high school—avoid the bullies, get the girl, and win a little respect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)
A movie within a movie, created to spoof the martial arts genre. Writer/director Steve Oedekerk uses contemporary characters and splices them into a 1970s kung-fu film, weaving the new and old together. As the main character, The Chosen One, Oedekerk sets off to avenge the deaths of his parents at the hands of kung-fu legend Master Pain. Along the way he encounters some strange characters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rundown (2003)
When Travis, the mouthy son of a criminal, disappears in the Amazon in search of a treasured artifact, his father sends in Beck, who becomes Travis's rival for the affections of Mariana, a mysterious Brazilian woman. With his steely disposition, Beck is a man of few words -- but it takes him all the discipline he can muster to work with Travis to nab a tyrant who's after the same treasure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
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 & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDouble Threat (2022)
With ruthless mobsters on her tail, a young woman with a split personality becomes entangled with a man on a pilgrimage across the country to scatter his brother's ashes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller Bean Forever (2008)
When things go bad in Beantown, top assassin Killer Bean is called to clean-up the mess. Detective Cromwell finds himself in the middle between Killer Bean and mob boss Cappuccino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman and Harley Quinn (2017)
Batman and Nightwing are forced to team with the Joker's sometimes-girlfriend Harley Quinn to stop a global threat brought about by Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit (2010)
Jack Hunter, an adventurous treasure seeker, goes to Syria after his mentor and father figure Professor Fredrick Shaffer is killed. Professor Frederick Shaffer believed that the people of Ugarit, a town in Syria that existed during the Pharoah’s reign, had buried a treasure before they were wiped out by the Pharoahs. Jack Hunter is one of the few archaeologists in the world who can interpret Ugarit writings
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGladiator Underground (2025)
Two brothers compete in the world's deadliest underground fighting tournament, where they must decide whether to play by the rules or to cast their honor aside and team up to bring down the dark syndicate running the tournament.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUncharted (2022)
A young street-smart, Nathan Drake and his wisecracking partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan embark on a dangerous pursuit of “the greatest treasure never found” while also tracking clues that may lead to Nathan’s long-lost brother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Legend (2024)
An archeologist noticed that the texture of the relics discovered during the excavation of a glacier closely resembled a jade pendant seen in one of his dreams. He and his team then embark on an expedition into the depths of the glacier.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragon Fist (1979)
After the death of his master, martial arts student Tong Huo-wan travels with his adoptive family to seek redress from the man responsible but finds himself torn between righteousness and filial piety after becoming entangled in a feud between a local clan and gangsters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Star of Heaven (2009)
Jack Hunter pursues his arch nemesis Littman across ancient Europe, intent on thwarting his attempt to salvage a deadly artefact.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbarosa (1982)
Karl Westover, an inexperienced farm boy, runs away after unintentionally killing a neighbor, whose family pursues him for vengeance. He meets Barbarosa, a gunman of near-mythical proportions, who is himself in danger from his father-in-law Don Braulio, a wealthy Mexican rancher. Don Braulio wants Barbarosa dead for marrying his daughter against the father's will. Barbarosa reluctantly takes the clumsy Karl on as a partner, as both of them look to survive the forces lining up against them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Bodyguard (2016)
Wu-Lin is the successor of an ancient, once powerful Chinese clan, the "Iron Feet." After the death of his master, Wu-Lin leaves his rural village for the City of Stone-Cold looking for his fellow apprentice Jiang Li. Along the way, he becomes the bodyguard of Fei-Fei, the daughter of Jia-Shan Li, the richest family in the city, and quickly gets drawn into a mob war in order to protect her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFirewalker (1986)
A pair of adventurers try to track down an ancient Aztec/Mayan/Egyptian/Apache horde of gold.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisSamurai Pirate (1963)
An adventurous and daring sailor sets sail to the castle of an ailing king to stop an evil premier, hungry for power and wealth, from succeeding the throne and marrying the king's beautiful daughter. Along the way, with the help of some courageous rebels and a lustful wizard, he must overcome the powers of a bewitching witch, a band of ruthless pirates, and the castle's Imperial guards. He must also free those kidnapped into slavery and restore the king's reputation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & comedy
Indrajith (2017)
An adventurous youngster sets out in search of a precious stone, somewhere in the forests of north east, accompanied by an archaeological survey team
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & action
Into the Blue (2005)
When they take some friends on an extreme sport adventure, the last thing Jared and Sam expect to see below the shark-infested waters is a legendary pirate ship rumored to contain millions of dollars in gold. But their good fortune is short-lived, as a ruthless gang of criminals gets word of what they have uncovered.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFool's Gold (2008)
Treasure hunter Ben "Finn" Finnegan has sunk his marriage to Tess and his trusty boat in his obsessive quest to find the legendary Queen's Dowry. When he finds a vital clue that may finally pinpoint the treasure's whereabouts, he drags Tess and her boss, billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, along on the hunt. But Finn is not the only one interested in the gold; his former mentor-turned-enemy Moe Fitch, hired by rapper-turned-gangster Bigg Bunny, will stop at nothing to beat him to it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisCasper (1995)
Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShark (1969)
A gunrunner loses his cargo near a small coastal Sudanese town so he's stuck there. When a woman hires him to raid a sunken ship in the shark-infested waters, he sees a chance to compensate for his losses. He's not the only one.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees – and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Scout (2009)
No-one expected an ordinary scout camp would turn into an extraordinary adventure that the children would never forget. The camp is situated near an ancient castle in a forest which the teachers consider as a peaceful and harmless place. But as the night falls, things go from bad to worse when the children encounter a giant ferocious serpent, flying frogs, and many more such horrifying creatures.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Set during the Cold War, the Soviets—led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko—are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young man whose friend—and Indy's colleague—Professor Oxley has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Tracing Shadow?
The closest matches to Tracing Shadow are The Paper Tigers (2020), Trouble Man (2025) and Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Tracing Shadow?
Start with The Paper Tigers (2020), the closest match to Tracing Shadow.
What is the highest-rated movie like Tracing Shadow?
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), rated 7.3/10 by 10,511 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Tracing Shadow?
Gladiator Underground (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Tracing Shadow?
Yes: Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978), Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985) and A Legend (2024).
How are movies similar to Tracing Shadow chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Tracing Shadow, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.