Movies like Mawaali (1983)
The best movies like Mawaali (1983) are The Hit List (2011), Dangerous (2021) and Section 8 (2022). If Mawaali hooked you with its action and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHounds of War (2024)6.3/10 from 208 votes
- NewestZip Wire (2026)Released 2026
- In HindiRomeo Akbar Walter (2019)Also in Hindi
The Hit List (2011)
A disgruntled man creates a hit list with a stranger during a drunken night out and must then race to try to save those he marked for extermination as the bodies begin to pile up and all fingers point to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDangerous (2021)
A reformed sociopath heads to a remote island after the death of his brother. Soon after his arrival, the island falls under siege from a deadly gang of mercenaries, and when he discovers their role in his brother’s demise, he sets out on a relentless quest for vengeance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSection 8 (2022)
After avenging the murder of his family, a former soldier is sprung from prison and recruited by a shadowy government agency.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExit Protocol (2025)
An assassin whose specialty is killing other assassins trying to get out of the business decides to try to get out himself and must then team up with his former mark to escape the hired killers now gunning for them both.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorder Hunters (2025)
After his police officer brother is killed by a drug dealer who flees to the protection of his cartel-connected uncle in Mexico, an American man with a diverse law enforcement/military background goes south of the border to get revenge
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKing of Killers (2023)
Garan is a part of a group of international hitmen who are contracted to take out the most dangerous killer in the world, only to find out that they're the ones being hunted.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Track: No Limits (2008)
Four young thrill-seekers race cars on the streets of Germany.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisHunting Grounds (2025)
Desperate to find refuge for her children, Chloe Marvino runs away from her Mafia tied husband, and finds shelter in a cabin with a recluse drifter named Jake. But as her husband's henchmen draw closer to her, it turns out that Jake is the biggest enemy of them all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisZip Wire (2026)
When her ground-breaking pharmaceutical discovery is stolen and partner murdered, researcher Amy must face her fear of heights to escape nefarious attackers, with the only path to salvation being a treacherous aerial runway. To outsmart the mysterious hostiles, she has to summon every ounce of courage to protect the world-changing scientific discovery — and herself — before it's too late.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Best Man (2023)
Mercenaries seize control of a remote resort hotel during a wedding and it's up to the best man, the groom and their drunken best friend to stop the terrorists and save the hostages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHounds of War (2024)
After a mission goes wrong, only one of a group of mercenaries is left alive to avenge his fallen brothers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOff the Grid (2025)
After a morally-bankrupt company tries to weaponize a brilliant scientist's revolutionary technology, he goes off the grid to safeguard humanity. When the company sends a strike force to find him, they make their biggest mistake of all – they weaponize the man they are trying to catch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRomeo Akbar Walter (2019)
Prior to the India-Pakistan war of 1971, the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) trains an Indian banker in espionage and martial arts, and sends him to Pakistan for an undercover operation where he finds himself sinking between emotions and violence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChief of Station (2024)
After learning that the death of his wife was not an accident, a former CIA Station Chief is forced back into the espionage underworld, teaming up with an adversary to unravel a conspiracy that challenges everything he thought he knew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdrenaline (2022)
A female FBI agent holidaying in Eastern Europe with her family gets her life upside down when her daughter is kidnapped. She has to team up with a criminal on the run to save her daughter before time runs out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisPoint Blank (2019)
A nurse is forced to spring a wounded murder suspect from the hospital when the man’s brother kidnaps his pregnant wife and wants to make a trade.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLights Out (2024)
A drifting ex-soldier turns underground fighter with the help of a just-released ex-con, pitting him against corrupt cops and hired killers now gunning for him and all those he cares about.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJericho Ridge (2024)
North Washington county sheriff Tabby finds herself alone in the sheriff’s office one night while her colleagues are out on patrol, but she soon finds out they’ve been set up by a murderous drug cartel while she herself comes under siege at the office, where she must battle desperately to save herself and her son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJewel Thief - The Heist Begins (2025)
In this high-octane battle of wits and wills, ingenious con artist Rehan devises a diamond heist while trying to outsmart Rajan, his sadistic adversary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Action Hero (2022)
At the age of just 30, Maanav at the peak of his acting career gets caught up in a murder accusation, which turns his own life into an eccentric action thriller as he flees the country, with a vengeful politician hot on his heels.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYakeen (1969)
Rajesh Sharma, working with the Indian Government on a top secret research project, has to deal with enemy agents, explosions, murder and last but not least a dangerous look-alike.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003)
Arun Khanna is a spy for the Indian government whose aid is enlisted to stop ISI Chief Ishak Khan. Khan is trying to build a nuclear bomb with which he can liberate Kashmir from the Indians. A battle of wits ensues. When Khan detonates a bomb at Khanna's engagement party to a fellow spy, Khanna's resolve is only strengthened. Now not only does he have to fight Khan, but he also has to track down his missing fiancee.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & action
Murder at Monkey Hill (1976)
The story deals with a professional hitman, who falls in love with the woman he sets out to murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Sham Ghansham (1998)
Satyadev Singh lives with his wife, Ganga, and two sons, Sham and Ghansham, and their family leads a fairly comfortable life. Things turn for the worse for them when a new corrupt Collector named Bhim Singh enters their region. Satyadev is killed, and Ganga has to flee with her children away from this region, and from Bhim Singh. Years later, Sham and Ghansham have grown up and would like to avenge their father's death. Their quest takes them to Collector Bhim Singh and his men, who are ready to let history repeat itself, by killing the sons of Satyadev Singh.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Jurrat (1989)
Inspector Avinash is transferred to Mumbai and is tasked to nab smuggler Kama Seth. When Kama hoodwinks Avinash and makes him a laughing stock in the eyes of the media, he makes a dangerous decision.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
8 PM: A Murder Mystery (2008)
A cop investigates about a serial killer who follows a pattern of killing a fashion model at 8 PM.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Mona Darling (2017)
A contemporary who-dunnit, with a splash of supernatural, set in a college campus somewhere in India (a la Indian Institute Of Technology) where a few mysterious deaths occur and the only common link between the victims is that, seconds before their deaths, they all accepted a 'facebook friend request' from a certain profile page of Mona_Darling. The person behind the said page, Mona happens to be missing. Her friend, and a fellow student, Sarah recruits the help of a classmate, Wiki - a borderline sociopathic genius. This odd-couple of amateur sleuths carry on their investigation as the story leads them into unexpected corners and terrifying revelations. It's a pacy thriller, confined to limited locations on one single campus, populated by fresh, sexy, young characters that can be executed on a fairly shoestring budget. More importantly it captures the present zeitgeist of young India and its obsession with social networking.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Aakhir Palaayan Kab Tak..? (2024)
A cop faces personal struggles in a deceptive town where dark forces exploit community sentiments. The movie explores themes of greed, community manipulation, and personal redemption.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Murder Mubarak (2024)
When a gym trainer is murdered at an elite Delhi club, a wily investigator unravels the sordid secrets of its ultrarich members to find the killer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKaalakaandi (2018)
Unfolding through a course of a night in Mumbai, Kaalakaandi showcases three parallel tracks — a man who discovers he has terminal illness decides to let go of his principles and live a little; a woman involved in a hit-and-run seeks redemption and two goons must decide if they can trust each other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Like Mawaali and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Mawaali?
The closest matches to Mawaali are The Hit List (2011), Dangerous (2021) and Section 8 (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Mawaali?
Start with The Hit List (2011), the closest match to Mawaali.
What is the highest-rated movie like Mawaali?
Hounds of War (2024), rated 6.3/10 by 208 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Mawaali?
Zip Wire (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Hindi movies like Mawaali?
Yes: Romeo Akbar Walter (2019), Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins (2025) and An Action Hero (2022).
How are movies similar to Mawaali chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Mawaali, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.