Movies like City on Fire (1987)
The best movies like City on Fire (1987) are Shock Wave (2017), Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019) and Raging Fire (2021). If City on Fire 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 ratedRaging Fire (2021)7.1/10 from 324 votes
- NewestTrap House (2025)Released 2025
Shock Wave (2017)
When a terrorist who specializes in explosives takes hold of an underground tunnel, he threatens to kill hostages if his demands are not met.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLine Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019)
A car crash sparks a war between local police and an international terrorist organization.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRaging Fire (2021)
Cheung Sung-bong is a highly respected cop with a long history of success in dangerous cases. However, his past soon comes back to haunt him when a former protégé resurfaces, seeking revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAbsolution (2024)
An aging ex-boxer gangster working as muscle for a Boston crime boss receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and reconnect with his estranged children. He is determined to leave a positive legacy for his grandson, but the criminal underworld isn’t done with him and won’t loosen their grip willingly.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Rookie (1990)
Veteran cop Nick Pulovski is used to playing musical partners; many of the partners he's had in the past have died on the job, and often as a result of Nick's risky tactics. But the rookie who's been assigned to help Nick bust a carjacking ring is almost as hotheaded as he is … and when Nick gets kidnapped, his newbie partner is his only hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisIn Too Deep (1999)
Drug lord Dwayne Gittens rules Cincinnati with an iron fist. No wonder he's known as "God" on the streets. Determined to break Gittens' stranglehold on the city is undercover cop Jeffrey Cole. But as Cole takes on an assumed identity to penetrate Gittens' criminal empire, he makes a disturbing discovery -- he kind of likes being a gangster.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTiger Cage (1988)
Something fishy is going on in the anti-Drug Trafficking Unit of the HK Police, and only a few honest cops know that the corruption goes all the way to the top. However, they must prove their case quickly, and by unconventional means, after they are framed for murder and drug-trafficking themselves. Dodging bullets from cops and criminals alike, the race is on to clear their names, protect their loved ones, and bring their corrupt colleagues to justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell (2023)
An undercover cop who invade a drug cartel led by a notorious Thai drug lord. In classic heroic bloodshed fashion, the two develop a bond of brotherhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast Three Days (2020)
After getting mixed up with a dangerous crime syndicate, an undercover cop wakes up to discover he is missing his partner, his wife, and three days of his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Line of Duty 4 (1989)
Two detectives who are up to their necks in trouble and in each other's face, as they try to shut down a drug-trafficking scheme that could be connected with international ties to organized crime. But in the midst of their investigation, innocent immigrant dock worker Luk Wan-Ting gets caught up in the mix when he witnesses the murder of an intelligence operative and is framed for the crime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe System (2022)
When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisL Storm (2018)
ICAC Investigator William Luk and JFIU Chief Inspector Lau Po-keung both hit a dead end in their investigation of a bribery case and a money laundering case. In the meantime, William Luk was suspended when model Eva Ng went to Inspector Kenny Ching of ICAC’s Internal Investigation Group L, to file a report against him for accepting a $12M bribe. Lau discovered Luk was set up and whoever framed Luk was connected to his case. He began to suspect the bank manager Thomson Yau was assisting a gangster, Wong Hoi-wo in money laundering activities. When Director Hong Liang of China’s Anti-Corruption & Bribery Bureau (ACBB) provided Lau with important intelligence, it became clear the money laundering activities were connected to a corrupted Vice-Ministerial Level cadre. To clear his name, William Luk put everything on the line…
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAl Capone (1959)
In this unusually accurate biography, small-time hood Al Capone comes to Chicago at the dawn of Prohibition to be the bodyguard of racketeer Johnny Torrio. Capone's rise in Chicago gangdom is followed through murder, extortion, and political fraud. He becomes head of Chicago's biggest "business," but moves inexorably toward his downfall and ignominious end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrap House (2025)
An undercover DEA agent and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious, and surprising group of thieves – their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing from a dangerous cartel, using their parents' tactics and top-secret intel to do it.
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 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 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 thisInfernal Affairs III (2003)
Triad gangster turned corrupt cop Lau Kin-ming goes to dangerous lengths to avoid detection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & action
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 thisAssault on Precinct 13 (2005)
On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, officer Jake Roenick must cobble together a force made up cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreet Kings (2008)
Tom Ludlow is a disillusioned L.A. Police Officer, rarely playing by the rules and haunted by the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Woman in Black and the Black Dragon (1966)
Celebrity Sadora is seriously wounded in an air crash. Police commissioner Suen and subordinate Ko Cheung find out Sadora was under duress from the Black Dragon Gang to collude with the criminals who had held his daughter hostage. When Ko, assuming Sadora's identity to safeguard his life, is abducted by the gang, Suen turns to 'Black Musketeer' Muk Lan-fa. By blatantly refusing to cooperate with the authorities, Muk escapes the surveillance of both the police and the gang. Acting alone, she scouts the location of the lair but ends up being imprisoned in the same cell with Ko. The captives use every trick in the book to escape. An undaunted Muk returns to infiltrate the den, while her sister Sau-chen, Suen and Ko are lying in wait. The hostages are released and the gang wiped out in a battle fiercely fought. (Synopsis based on visual audiomaterials)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Rapid Fire (1992)
College student Jake Lo is pursued by smugglers, mobsters and crooked federal agents after he witnesses a murder by a Mafia kingpin.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRunning Scared (1986)
Two street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer that nearly killed them in the past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeyond the Law (1993)
Dan Saxon is an undercover cop who infiltrates a biker gang to nail the scum behind a drug-smuggling operation. In order to maintain the trust of the gang's leader, he must commit ever more dangerous and heinous crimes. Just how far 'beyond the law' will Saxon go?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTaxi (2004)
A mouthy and feisty taxicab driver has hot tips for a green and inept cop set on solving a string of New York City bank robberies committed by a quartet of female Brazilian bank robbers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisDestroyer (2018)
When Erin Bell was a young cop, she was given an undercover assignment that ended badly and destroyed her life. Years later, she must face her demons in order to make peace with her past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisHard to Kill (1990)
Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too. Mason is secretly taken to a hospital where he spends several years in a coma. His son meanwhile is growing up thinking his father is dead. When Mason wakes up, everyone is in danger - himself, his son, his best friend, his nurse - but most of all those who arranged for his death
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mod Squad (1999)
Three youthful delinquents escape conviction for their crimes by teaming with the LAPD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like City on Fire?
The closest matches to City on Fire are Shock Wave (2017), Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy (2019) and Raging Fire (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after City on Fire?
Start with Shock Wave (2017), the closest match to City on Fire.
What is the highest-rated movie like City on Fire?
Raging Fire (2021), rated 7.1/10 by 324 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like City on Fire?
Trap House (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to City on Fire chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside City on Fire, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.