Movies like The Return of the Shaolin Chef (1985)
The best movies like The Return of the Shaolin Chef (1985) are The Art of Fighting (2006), The Paper Tigers (2020) and Volcano High (2001). If The Return of the Shaolin Chef hooked you with its action and comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAccident Man: Hitman's Holiday (2022)6.8/10 from 288 votes
- NewestHostile Takeover (2025)Released 2025
- In KoreanThe Art of Fighting (2006)Also in Korean
The Art of Fighting (2006)
Byung-tae is the kid who is always on the receiving end of beatings from the school bullies—that is, until he meets Pan-su, a martial arts expert who takes him under his wing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVolcano High (2001)
Kim is expelled from his eighth school and finds himself at Volcano High where students fight to possess a treasured ancient document. Kim, who must resist from using his Chi, is caught in the middle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Brawl (1980)
A young Asian American martial artist is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fight competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAccident Man: Hitman's Holiday (2022)
The Accident Man is back, and this time he must best the top assassins in the world to protect the ungrateful son of a mafia boss, save the life of his only friend and rekindle his relationship with his maniacal father figure.
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 thisI, the Executioner (2024)
The veteran detective Seo Do-cheol and his team at Major Crimes, relentless in their pursuit of criminals, join forces with rookie cop Park Sun-woo to track down a serial killer who has plunged the nation into turmoil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDebt Collectors (2020)
A pair of debt collectors are thrust into an explosively dangerous situation, chasing down various lowlifes while also evading a vengeful kingpin.
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 thisHostile Takeover (2025)
Follows Pete, a professional hitman, as he faces a group of assassins after the boss of a crime syndicate suspects disloyalty due to his attendance at Workaholics Anonymous meetings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGuns & Talks (2001)
Four unlikely assassins question their assignments because they genuinely care about their customers and victims. However, they attract police attention and a prosecutor is on their trail.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRide Along (2014)
For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben has been trying to show decorated APD detective James that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela. When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela. Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.
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 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 & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAccident Man (2018)
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoing by the Book (2007)
The chief of Sampo City Police Office, Seung-u, organizes a simulation of a bank robbery, but a by-the-book cop gets too caught up in the role playing in which the simulation doesn't go the way he had anticipated.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDie Hart (2023)
Kevin Hart - playing a version of himself - is on a death-defying quest to become an action star. And with a little help from John Travolta, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Josh Hartnett - he just might pull it off.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisRide Along 2 (2016)
As his wedding day approaches, Ben heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James to bring down a drug dealer who's supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCode of Silence (1985)
A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisShootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)
Nick and Ruben are hoodwinked into a "shootfighter" (no-holds-barred, to the death) martial arts match by the evil Mr. Lee, who has a grudge against world shootfighter champ(and teacher of Nick and Ruben) Shingo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Return of the Shaolin Chef?
The closest matches to The Return of the Shaolin Chef are The Art of Fighting (2006), The Paper Tigers (2020) and Volcano High (2001). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Return of the Shaolin Chef?
Start with The Art of Fighting (2006), the closest match to The Return of the Shaolin Chef.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Return of the Shaolin Chef?
Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday (2022), rated 6.8/10 by 288 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Return of the Shaolin Chef?
Hostile Takeover (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like The Return of the Shaolin Chef?
Yes: The Art of Fighting (2006), Volcano High (2001) and I, the Executioner (2024).
How are movies similar to The Return of the Shaolin Chef chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Return of the Shaolin Chef, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.