Movies like Set 'em Up (1939)
The best movies like Set 'em Up (1939) are The Paper Tigers (2020), Beast (2026) and Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993). If Set 'em Up hooked you with its action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Set 'em Up
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBeast (2026)7.5/10 from 226 votes
- NewestLion Fist (2026)Released 2026
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisBorn to Race: Fast Track (2014)
Danny Krueger is a twenty-year old drag racer who plays by his own rules. After winning a scholarship to the prestigious Fast Lane Racing Academy, Danny finds himself competing against some of the fiercest young drivers in the world. Tension soars on and off the track, and a terrible incident leaves Danny without a racing partner. Facing dismissal from the academy, Danny is forced to team up with an old rival. The pair must learn to set aside their differences as they vie for rookie spots on a professional racing team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (2014)
A documentary filmmaker interviews the now-famous Trevor Slattery from behind bars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLion Fist (2026)
Martial arts fighter Joe goes to prison for four years and takes his wife's blame for a drug bust. After his release, he learns that his son needs expensive surgery because of a life-threatening tumor. Joe's only chance to save him: a brutal all-styles tournament with a $100,000 prize.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHooper (1978)
Legendary stunt man Sonny Hooper remains one of the top men in his field, but due to too many stressful impacts to the spine and the need to pop painkillers several times a day, he knows he should get out of the industry before he ends up permanently disabled.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011)
Wenches Scarlett and Giselle fix each other up for their wedding, in which they would each marry their groom. Upon realizing that both their grooms were the same man, Jack Sparrow, the two wenches found themselves in an auction led by the Auctioneer. This short film serves as a prequel to The Curse of the Black Pearl, and explains just why Jack Sparrow's boat the Jolly Mon was seen sinking at the beginning of the whole story; why the wenches were so upset with him; and how Cotton lost his tongue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBirth of the Dragon (2017)
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies 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 action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Marine 5: Battleground (2017)
While working as an EMT back stateside Jake Carter after responding to a distress call, finds himself caught up protecting a person of interest from a biker gang ruthlessly hunting them down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWelcome to Sudden Death (2020)
Jesse Freeman is a former special forces officer and explosives expert now working a regular job as a security guard in a state-of-the-art basketball arena. Trouble erupts when a tech-savvy cadre of terrorists kidnap the team's owner and Jesse's daughter during opening night. Facing a ticking clock and impossible odds, it's up to Jesse to not only save them but also a full house of fans in this highly charged action thriller.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMexicali (2026)
A former special forces contractor is forced out of retirement as an avocado farmer in Mexico when local gangsters try to force him and his family off their farm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBruised (2021)
Jackie Justice is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after the fight, she's coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter who promises Jackie a life back in the Octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny - the son she gave up as an infant - shows up at her doorstep. A triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)
Ordered to teach a martial arts class of rambunctious bunny kittens, Po tells stories of each of the Furious Five's pasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLondon Calling (2025)
After fleeing the UK from a job gone wrong, a down on his luck hitman is forced to babysit the son of his new crime boss and show him how to become a man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDC Showcase - Batman: Death in the Family (2020)
Tragedy strikes the Batman's life again when Robin Jason Todd tracks down his birth mother only to run afoul of the Joker. An adaptation of the 1988 comic book storyline of the same name.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeadpool: No Good Deed (2017)
Deadpool sees an opportunity to save the day, but it doesn't go entirely as planned.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla vs. Gigan Rex (2022)
When army of Gigans tries to invade and destroy the Earth, the only one who can stop them is Godzilla.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Street Angel (2009)
When Doctor Pangea, "the world's deadliest geologist", escapes from prison with plans to destroy Earth as we know it, the city turns to its unlikely champion: 14 year old homeless girl - and kungfu skateboarding superhero - Street Angel! Short film based on the comic of the same name.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Flow (2017)
Two female soldiers in a divided United Kingdom settle a score.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Death of a Slut (2024)
Liam, crippled by his fear of intimacy, remedies his hunger for touch through trips to the beach where he fantasizes a life of connection. His voyeuristic daydream is challenged by a young man, Brayden, who decides to pursue him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Rollo Aller! 2 (1992)
After getting fired from his job cleaning the streets of Hamburg, Eule is fed up with big-city life, steals a moped, and sets off with his slot machine-addicted buddy Daddel on a trip to Hong Kong to visit Bruce Lee's grave. However, they only make it as far as Berlin for the time being...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Cross (2011)
First a boy is forced to run. Then he runs on his own. Then he watches another one run.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Harmless (2024)
Unable to pay her debt, Maya infiltrates a crime syndicate and hunts down the buyer of a precious item that will make her whole.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Lady Samurai (2019)
This is the story of Kaori Kawabuchi, a samurai sword performer, singer and motion capture actor. An inspiring woman keeping alive ancient traditions and spirituality in modern Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Wish Me Luck (2024)
An undercover cop presenting as an accountant for a gang of criminals has no choice but to take on all the gangsters when a kidnapped man is brought in to be killed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
In the Deathroom (2014)
Fletcher tells his psychiatrist how he was mistakenly held captive by a mysterious secret service. This secret service is said to have tried to manipulate him in an elaborate power game to break his spirit. Fletcher's psychiatrist is suspicious of the story and tries to help Fletcher stay sane, because the truth is even more frightening.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Set 'em Up?
The closest matches to Set 'em Up are The Paper Tigers (2020), Beast (2026) and Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Set 'em Up?
Start with The Paper Tigers (2020), the closest match to Set 'em Up.
What is the highest-rated movie like Set 'em Up?
Beast (2026), rated 7.5/10 by 226 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Set 'em Up?
Lion Fist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Set 'em Up?
Yes: The Paper Tigers (2020), Beast (2026) and Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993).
How are movies similar to Set 'em Up chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Set 'em Up, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.