Movies Like Cardboard Hero

If you liked Cardboard Hero (2026), a drama and thriller movie directed by Wes Tian, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Indemnity (2022)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
An ex-fireman with PTSD goes on the run when accused of a crime he doesn't even remember committing, leading him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy to the highest degree.
2
Oscar Shaw (2026)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
After retiring from the police force, a relentless detective haunted by the tragic loss of his closest friend sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance, seeking redemption and fighting to restore justice to the…
3
No Name on the Bullet (1959)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.
4
The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and drama
After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.
5
The Shepherd (2023)
★ 7/10Also drama and action
On Christmas Eve, a fighter pilot on his way home becomes lost while flying over water and needs a miracle to land safely.
6
Time Without Pity (1957)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller and drama
Alec Graham is sentenced to death for the murder of his girlfriend Jennie, with whom he spent a weekend at the English country home of the parents of his friend Brian Stanford. Alec’s father, David Graham, a…
7
Birth of the Dragon (2017)
★ 5.8/10Also action and drama
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.
8
Islands (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also thriller and drama
In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist arrives, Tom is…
9
Seeds of Yesterday (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller and drama
The Sheffield family reveal and go through some home truths as their middle child inherits the Foxworth mansion. The family's ghosts looming over, and more tragedies are in store as the curse lives on.
10
Ballistic (2026)
★ 5.8/10Also thriller and drama
When a soldier's mother discovers the bullet that killed her son in Afghanistan was made at the factory where she works, she sets out on a path of revenge against those responsible.
11
Sleep, My Love (1948)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and drama
A woman wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she can't remember how she got there. Danger and suspense ensue.
12
The Mechanic (1972)
★ 6.7/10Also action and thriller
Arthur Bishop is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks himself an artist. It's made him very rich, but as he hits middle age, he's so depressed and…
13
The Blue Lamp (1950)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and action
P.C. George Dixon is a long-serving traditional copper who is due to retire shortly. He takes a new recruit under his aegis and introduces him to the easy-going night beat. Dixon is a classic ordinary hero but also…
14
Battleground (1949)
★ 6.7/10Also action and drama
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their…
15
The Locket (1946)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and thriller
A dark personal secret drives a young woman to use every man she encounters.
16
They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and thriller
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
17
Each Dawn I Die (1939)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and thriller
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
18
The Karate Kid (2010)
★ 6.6/10Also action and drama
12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such…
19
Undercurrent (1946)
★ 5.9/10Also drama and thriller
After a rapid engagement, a dowdy daughter of a chemist weds an industrialist, knowing little of his family or past. He transforms her into an elegant society wife, but becomes enraged whenever she asks about Michael…
20
Detour (1945)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and thriller
The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.