Movies like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast (2017)
The best movies like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast (2017) are Kids from Shaolin (1984), Too Cool to Kill (2022) and Crazy Stone (2006). If Once Upon a Time in the Northeast hooked you with its action and comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedReturn to the 36th Chamber (1980)6.8/10 from 254 votes
- NewestHostile Takeover (2025)Released 2025
- In ChineseKids from Shaolin (1984)Also in Chinese
Kids from Shaolin (1984)
Romance blossoms between two rival families practicing Shaolin and Wudang kungfu respectively. despite familial opposition - until they overcome a gang of scheming bandits together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisToo Cool to Kill (2022)
Wei Chenggong, a working actor with big dreams, finally appears to get his big break when actress Milan invites him to play the lead role of "Killer Karl" in a new play. Little does Wei Chenggong know, he has fallen into a perilous conspiracy where all the villains are real, and only through his acting skills and good deal of luck will he be able to make it out alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrazy Stone (2006)
Three thieves try to steal a valuable jade that is tightly guarded by a security chief. But the security guards are not the only obstacle these thieves are facing. An extremely unlucky internationally known master thief is also trying to get a hand on this piece of precious jade. What would be the final destination of this piece of crazy stone?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrouble Man (2025)
Jaxen, a former cop turned Atlanta PI, is hired to find missing R&B star Jahari. His investigation uncovers her disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy, forcing him to question those around him and his own past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReturn to the 36th Chamber (1980)
The workers of a dye factory have their pay cut by 20% when the factory owner brings in some Manchu thugs to try and increase production. Desperate to reclaim their full wages, the workers hire an actor to impersonate a priest and kung-fu expert from the temple of Shaolin. The factory owner proves the actor a fraud, and punishes all those involved. The young actor feels he has let the workers down, and promises to atone. He sets out for Shaolin, determined to be accepted as a kung-fu pupil at the elite temple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Rob a Bank (2007)
Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisBulletproof 2 (2020)
Special Agent Jack Carter reluctantly assumes the identity of criminal Archie Moses to take down a powerful South African crime family. But when the real Moses is put in danger, he and Carter must work together to foil the scheme for good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHostile Takeover (2025)
Follows Pete, a professional hitman, as he faces a group of assassins after the boss of a crime syndicate suspects disloyalty due to his attendance at Workaholics Anonymous meetings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSheroes (2023)
When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand, they quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fighting to stay alive, they employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a heart-pumping battle for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisHard to Die (1990)
While doing the inventory for a lingerie outlet in a high rise office building, five attractive women are terrorized by a series of bizarre killings. They suspect that the strange janitor, who witnessed another series of killings six months previously, is at the bottom of the whole thing. Little do they know the real horror that they face in the end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDisciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)
Monk San Te tries to support and protect Shaolin and her Fang Shih-yu who purposely attacks corrupt Ching officials.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrazy Racer (2009)
Assassins, scammers, gangsters, cops, a washed-up bicycle racer, and a body continually cross paths; usually with negative outcomes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDetective Chinatown (2015)
After being rejected from the police college, a mannerly man travels to Bangkok where he and an energetic distant relative must solve a murder case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalf a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)
A young daydreamer assumes the identity of a dead martial arts hero and quickly finds himself caught up in a plot by several clans to steal famous martial arts artifacts being transported by an escort company.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAccident Man (2018)
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDouble Threat (2022)
With ruthless mobsters on her tail, a young woman with a split personality becomes entangled with a man on a pilgrimage across the country to scatter his brother's ashes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
Charlie and his troublesome cousin Paulie decide to steal $150,000 in order to back a "sure thing" race horse that Paulie has inside information on. The aftermath of the robbery gets them into serious trouble with the local Mafia boss and the corrupt New York City police department.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFun with Dick and Jane (1977)
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast?
The closest matches to Once Upon a Time in the Northeast are Kids from Shaolin (1984), Too Cool to Kill (2022) and Crazy Stone (2006). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Once Upon a Time in the Northeast?
Start with Kids from Shaolin (1984), the closest match to Once Upon a Time in the Northeast.
What is the highest-rated movie like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast?
Return to the 36th Chamber (1980), rated 6.8/10 by 254 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast?
Hostile Takeover (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Once Upon a Time in the Northeast?
Yes: Kids from Shaolin (1984), Too Cool to Kill (2022) and Crazy Stone (2006).
How are movies similar to Once Upon a Time in the Northeast chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Once Upon a Time in the Northeast, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.