Movies like Explosive City (2004)
The best movies like Explosive City (2004) are Fast Charlie (2023), The Protector (1985) and The Mission (1999). If Explosive City hooked you with its action and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFallen Angels (1995)7.7/10 from 1,414 votes
- NewestFast Charlie (2023)Released 2023
Fast Charlie (2023)
When his aging mob boss is whacked, Charlie Swift, a loyal friend and hired gun, will stop at nothing to destroy the upcoming crew that took him out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Protector (1985)
Billy Wong is a New York City cop whose partner is gunned down during a robbery. Billy and his new partner, Danny Garoni, are working security at a fashion show when a wealthy man's daughter, Laura Shapiro, is kidnapped. The Federal authorities suspect that Laura's father is involved with Mr. Ko, a Hong Kong drug kingpin, so the NYC police commissioner sends the two cops to Hong Kong to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Mission (1999)
Triad boss Lung, who has just escaped being killed in an assassination attempt hires the killers Curtis, James, Mike, Roy and Shin for his protection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaster Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it's not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRun All Night (2015)
Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon has seen better days. Longtime best friend of a mob boss, Jimmy is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. But when Jimmy’s estranged son becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy has just one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTriad Wars (2008)
In the midst of a violent gang war, a series of misfortunes threaten the fate of a gang boss and his mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisP Storm (2019)
Liu Yue Ping reports to the ICAC about a rich 2G Cao Yuen Yuen who bribed officers of the Hong Kong Correctional Services (HKCS) from inside the prison. William Luk decides to infiltrate the prison as an inmate to conduct his investigation, while his partner Ching Tak Ming and Chief Inspector Lau Po-keung back him up from the outside.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFull Alert (1997)
A police inspector becomes obsessed with apprehending a criminal planning a major heist at the Hong Kong Jockey Club in the weeks leading up to Hong Kong's return to China.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpecial ID (2013)
A career-long undercover Hong Kong cop is sent to Mainland China when his former protégé becomes the primary suspect in a murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSPL: Kill Zone (2005)
Chan, an articulate senior detective nearing the end of his career, is taking care of the daughter of a witness killed by ruthless crime lord Po. Martial arts expert Ma is set to take over as head of the crime unit, replacing Chan who wants an early retirement.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Enforcer (2022)
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMotorway (2012)
Two police pursuit drivers, a hothead rookie and his long-suffering, almost-retired mentor, face off against an escape car driver from the latter's past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPeace Hotel (1995)
After his wife's murder, Ping sets up a Peace Hotel to act as a sanctuary for anyone who needs protecting. One day, a mysterious woman shows up who seeks shelter from a gang hunting her. Vowing to never turn anyone away, Ping must decide whether to help the women or risk confronting the gang.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisLegacy of Rage (1986)
A man is framed for murder by his drug-dealing best friend who covets his girlfriend, leading to eight years in jail and a vow of revenge upon release.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYoung and Dangerous 3 (1996)
This time taking on the rival Tung Sing triad, who is attempting to usurp Hung Hing influence in Hong Kong by having Tung Sing member Crow frame Ho Nam for the murder of Hung Hing Chairman Chiang Tin Sang. On the plus side, Chicken finds a new love interest in Wasabi, the daughter of the comedic priest, Father Lethal Weapon Lam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYoung and Dangerous (1996)
Five young hoodlums sing karaoke, murder, joke around, get beaten up, win and lose women, and learn the value of blind loyalty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWire Room (2022)
New recruit Justin Rosa must monitor arms-smuggling cartel member Eddie Flynn — and keep him alive at all costs. When a SWAT team descends on Flynn’s home, Rosa breaks protocol and contacts the gangster directly to save his life. As gunmen break into the Wire Room and chaos erupts, Mueller and Rosa make a final, desperate stand against the corrupt agents and officials who seek to destroy evidence and kill them both.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExpect the Unexpected (1998)
Bumbling mainland crooks mess up a jewelry heist. Two cops serious Ken and jokey Sam investigate but mix up these amateurs with dangerous mainland robbers in the neighborhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Right (2016)
A girl falls for the "perfect" guy, who happens to have a very fatal flaw: he's a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisContract Killer (1998)
Financially troubled, a newbie hitman reluctantly takes the job of finding the plotted killer of a Japanese tycoon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFatal Justice (1994)
Somewhere near the Texas-Louisiana border, the CIA maintains a force of domestic assassins. So secret is their work that their retirement program is a bullet in the head. Up-and-coming hitwoman, Diana, gets the order to dispatch Mars, a legendary CIA killer who's reached "retirement" age. She stalks him while he's in the bush leading a training exercise for recruits. Her pushy boyfriend Rick, also a CIA operative, insists on coming with her. Behind the scenes, a power play within the agency pits Ted Harmon against section boss George Marshall.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & action
Fallen Angels (1995)
An indifferent hitman, his infatuated business partner and an ex-convict search for love and meaning as their lives cross paths in Hong Kong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSmokin' Aces (2006)
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDesperado (1995)
El Mariachi plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho, for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his friend and a beautiful bookstore owner, El Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves his own trail of blood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gunman (2015)
Eight years after fleeing the Congo following his assassination of that country's minister of mining, former assassin Jim Terrier is back, suffering from PTSD and digging wells to atone for his violent past. After an attempt is made on his life, Terrier flies to London to find out who wants him dead -- and why. Terrier's search leads him to a reunion with Annie, a woman he once loved, who is now married to an oily businessman with dealings in Africa.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisDeath Bond (1988)
A professional killer working for corrupt Naval officials travels to Los Angeles where he finds himself double crossed and targeted for death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Ak-47 temible cuerno de chivo (1997)
A humble shoe shiner is hired by a drug lord as a driver, and he quickly raises up the ranks to become his most trusted hitman. But his biggest desire is a woman that can't be his.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & action
Eraser (1996)
Eraser, an elite federal marshal who "erases" the pasts of jeopardized informers and relocates them into safe anonymity, must protect a moving target who stands to uncover a conspiracy that could shift the balance of power in the world forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Death of Gary Goldwater (2014)
A dark comedy about two hit-men that think it's a lot easier to dispose of their target than it actually is.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Saka Saka (2013)
is about two siblings Alex Abueg (Falcon) and Abner Abueg (Marco), whose family and lives are shattered upon their initiation to the violent world of political assassins or saka saka. In this movie, it exposes the secret world of the saka saka as it explores and interrogates the age-old conflict between lawful righteousness and violent revenge. The movie is set against the contrasting backdrops of rustic, provincial life and the fast-paced, modern culture of the metropolis. By essence it is a story about family movie wherein it challenges audiences to think about the extreme extents that they may do to defend and protect their families from oppression and corruption.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Like Explosive City and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Explosive City?
The closest matches to Explosive City are Fast Charlie (2023), The Protector (1985) and The Mission (1999). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Explosive City?
Start with Fast Charlie (2023), the closest match to Explosive City.
What is the highest-rated movie like Explosive City?
Fallen Angels (1995), rated 7.7/10 by 1,414 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Explosive City?
Fast Charlie (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Explosive City chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Explosive City, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.