Movies Like Messenger of Death

If you liked Messenger of Death (1988), a action and crime movie directed by J. Lee Thompson, 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
War (2007)
★ 6.4/10Also action and crime
FBI agent Jack Crawford is out for revenge when his partner is killed and all clues point to the mysterious assassin Rogue. But when Rogue turns up years later to take care of some unfinished business, he triggers a…
2
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown (2015)
★ 6/10Also action and thriller
Detective Shaw returns to active duty after the death of his partner. When he uncovers evidence linking his fellow officers to a murder, they frame him for a homicide he didn't commit. Trapped in his own precinct, Shaw…
3
180 (2026)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and crime
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
4
Misdirection (2026)
★ 6.2/10Also action and crime
A desperate couple have pulled off a string of high-end break-ins to pay off a mob debt. When they attempt to rob their latest victim, they find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The tables are…
5
Run All Night (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also action and crime
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…
6
The Whisper Man (2026)
★ 6.8/10Also crime and thriller
When his young son vanishes, a widower enlists help from his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the serial killer now linked to the case.
7
Red Right Hand (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also crime and action
Cash is trying to live a quiet, honest life in a small Appalachian town. When a vicious crime boss forces him back into her services, he soon learns he's capable of anything -- even killing -- to protect his family and…
8
The Island (2023)
★ 6.3/10Also action and crime
When his brother is killed, LAPD officer Mark leaves the city to return to the island he grew up on. Seeking answers and ultimately vengeance, he soon finds himself in a bloody battle with the corrupt tycoon who's…
9
Trap House (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also action and crime
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…
10
Crooked House (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also crime and thriller
A private investigator helps a former flame solve the murder of her wealthy grandfather, who lived in a sprawling estate surrounded by his idiosyncratic family.
11
All the Devils Are Here (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and thriller
After a heist, four criminals lay low in a remote safehouse, waiting for orders. As paranoia builds, one thing becomes clear — the real threat may not be outside, but among them.
12
Violent Ends (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and crime
A man raised in a violent crime family struggles to build an honest life with his fiancée but is dragged back into the criminal world after his cousin’s armed robbery leaves an innocent person caught in the crossfire.
13
Death Sentence (2007)
★ 6.8/10Also action and crime
Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no…
14
The System (2022)
★ 7.3/10Also action and crime
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.
15
The Devil All the Time (2020)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and thriller
In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters converge around young Arvin Russell as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.
16
The Black Book (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also action and thriller
After his son is wrongly accused of kidnapping, a deacon who has just lost his wife takes matters into his own hands and fights a crooked police gang to clear him.
17
Gunslingers (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also action and thriller
When the most wanted man in America surfaces in a small Kentucky town, his violent history -- and a blood-thirsty mob seeking vengeance and a king’s ransom -- soon follow. As brothers face off against one another and…
18
Blitz (2011)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and action
A tough cop is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers.
19
Silent Night (2023)
★ 6.1/10Also action and thriller
A tormented father witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang's crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life's mission and embarks on a…
20
The Last Days of American Crime (2020)
★ 6.4/10Also action and crime
In the not-too-distant future, as a final response to crime and terrorism, the U.S. government plans to broadcast a signal that will make it impossible for anyone to knowingly break the law.