Movies like The Arena (1974)
The best movies like The Arena (1974) are Gladiator II (2024), Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Gladiator (2000). If The Arena hooked you with its action and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGladiator (2000)8.2/10 from 21,847 votes
- NewestUnanswered//butterfly (2026)Released 2026
Gladiator II (2024)
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisConan the Destroyer (1984)
Conan is commissioned by the evil queen Taramis to safely escort a teen princess and her powerful bodyguard to a far away castle to retrieve the magic Horn of Dagoth. Unknown to Conan, the queen plans to sacrifice the princess when she returns and inherit her kingdom after the bodyguard kills Conan. The queen's plans fail to take into consideration Conan's strength and cunning and the abilities of his sidekicks: the eccentric wizard Akiro, the warrior woman Zula, and the inept Malak. Together the hero and his allies must defeat both mortal and supernatural foes in this voyage to sword-and-sorcery land.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGladiator (2000)
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisConan the Barbarian (1982)
A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness to seek vengeance on Thulsa Doom, the man responsible for killing his family. In the wilderness, Conan takes up with the thieves Valeria and Subotai. The group comes upon King Osric, who wants the trio of warriors to help rescue his daughter who has joined Doom in the hills.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this300 (2007)
A story very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987)
In this sequel, Scott Wylde, an American kickboxer, must go to Cambodia to rescue his Vietnamese girlfriend from Russian and Vietnamese troops.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragonheart: Vengeance (2021)
Lukas, a young farmer whose family is killed by savage raiders in the countryside, sets out on an epic quest for revenge, forming an unlikely trio with a majestic dragon and a swashbuckling, sword-fighting mercenary, Darius.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFalcon Rising (2014)
Chapman is an ex-marine in Brazil's slums, battling the yakuza outfit who attacked his sister and left her for dead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrimeval (2007)
A news team is sent to Burundi to capture and bring home a legendary 25-foot crocodile. Their difficult task turns potentially deadly when a warlord targets them for death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lost Princess (2025)
After an Ayahuasca vision transports him to a haunted castle, Alec meets Hanna who tales him the story of her mother's forced marriage and how the forbidden passion with her father was in danger when the princess pregnancy became obvious
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterceptor (2022)
A U.S. Army Captain uses her years of tactical training to save humanity from sixteen nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent attack threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014)
Stuck in a life of indentured servitude, Marek dreams of becoming a wizard. When she meets the beautiful priestess Teela in need of help, she offers her assistance and provides a motley troupe. Together they go in search of Teela's sister, who was kidnapped by a wild ogre.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisGuns Akimbo (2020)
An ordinary guy suddenly finds himself forced to fight a gladiator-like battle for a dark website that streams the violence for viewers. In order to survive and rescue his kidnapped ex-girlfriend, he must battle Nix, a heavily armed and much more experienced fighter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dive (2023)
Two sisters go diving at a beautiful, remote location. One of the sisters is struck by a rock, leaving her trapped 28 meters below. With dangerously low levels of oxygen and cold temperatures, it is up to her sister to fight for her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThree the Hard Way (1974)
After his wife is kidnapped by a group of White supremacists, a record producer teams up with a PR man and a martial artist to get her back and put a stop to their plot to poison the water supply with a toxin that only kills Black people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Challenge (1982)
Rick, a down-and-out American boxer, is hired to transport a sword to Japan, unaware that the whole thing is a set up in a bitter blood-feud between two brothers, one who follows the traditional path of the samurai and the other a businessman. At the behest of the businessman, Rick undertakes samurai training from the other brother, but joins his cause. He also becomes romantically involved with the samurai's daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisFemale Fight Squad (2017)
A former fighter reluctantly returns to the life she abandoned in order to help her sister survive the sadistic world of illegal fighting and the maniac who runs it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023)
In 1980s Hollywood, action star Johnny Cage is looking to become an A-list actor. But when his costar, Jennifer, goes missing from set, Johnny finds himself thrust into a world filled with shadows, danger, and deceit. As he embarks on a bloody journey, Johnny quickly discovers the City of Angels has more than a few devils in its midst. He faces off against a sinister secret society plotting a nefarious scheme, but the brutal fight against the bloodthirsty warriors of the Netherrealm is just beginning.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisNever Back Down: Revolt (2021)
An amateur fighter is lured by a trafficking syndicate specializing in elite underground fighting where her brutal captor forces her to fight or face certain death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Legend of Zorro (2005)
Despite trying to keep his swashbuckling to a minimum, a threat to California's pending statehood causes the adventure-loving Don Alejandro de la Vega and his wife, Elena, to take action.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Three Musketeers (1973)
In 17th century France, young D'Artagnan wants to join the King's Musketeers, but instead befriends three legendary musketeers—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—and together, they become embroiled in the political intrigue surrounding King Louis XIII and his adversaries, particularly the powerful Cardinal Richelieu.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Knight's Tale (2001)
William Thatcher, a knight's peasant apprentice, gets a chance at glory when the knight dies suddenly mid-tournament. Posing as a knight himself, William won't stop until he's crowned tournament champion—assuming matters of the heart don't get in the way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisZorro, The Gay Blade (1981)
In 19th century Mexico, legendary swordsman Zorro has passed on his weapon and his sense of duty to his noble son, Diego, a dashing swashbuckler like his father. But after an injury sidelines Diego, he is forced to hand the mask over to his twin, Ramon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnanswered//butterfly (2026)
In Sword Art Online, the first full-dive VRMMO, dying in the game means dying in real life. Emirun and Rex, who knew each other before entering the game, reunite by chance and join forces to survive. After their team is slaughtered by the mysterious PK known as the Black Swordsman, the two resolve to become stronger. Determined to avenge their fallen comrades, they seek out the legendary swordswoman Asuna and begin an intense training regimen. In a deadly game where even fellow players can become enemies, what fate awaits them at the end of this journey?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
She-Man: Mistress of the Universe (1988)
A spoof of the Filipino fantasy icon Ang Panday and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. A mysterious beggar bestows great power upon a blacksmith who showed him kindness. Will it be enough to counter the threat by strange beings from another world?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)
History's favorite Gauls assist Queen Cleopatra when she wagers that the Egyptian people can build a palace for Julius Caesar in just three months.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAng Panday IV (1984)
Fernando Poe, Jr. is back for the fourth time as Panday Flavio to combat evil once more.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
Asterix and Obelix depart on an adventure to complete twelve impossible tasks to prove to Caesar that they are as strong as the Gods. You'll roar with laughter as they outwit, outrun, and generally outrage the very people who are trying to prove them "only human".
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAsterix Conquers America (1994)
When marauding Romans capture - and catapult - their pal Getafix into lands unknown, the shrewd and cunning Asterix and his able sidekick Obelix spring into action! But their journey leads them to a strange and dangerous new world, where they must face a tribe of Indians, a stampeding herd of buffalo and a medicine man with designs on their magic potion!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Arena?
The closest matches to The Arena are Gladiator II (2024), Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Gladiator (2000). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Arena?
Start with Gladiator II (2024), the closest match to The Arena.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Arena?
Gladiator (2000), rated 8.2/10 by 21,847 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Arena?
Unanswered//butterfly (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Arena?
Yes: Gladiator II (2024), Conan the Destroyer (1984) and Gladiator (2000).
How are movies similar to The Arena chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Arena, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.