Movies Like Thaayin Manikodi

If you liked Thaayin Manikodi (1998), a thriller and action movie directed by Arjun Sarja, 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
Frank and Penelope (2022)
★ 7.3/10Also thriller
A tale of love and violence when a man on his emotional last legs finds a savior seductively dancing in a run-down strip club. And a life most certainly headed off a cliff suddenly becomes redirected - as everything is…
2
The Virtuoso (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and action
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
3
One Night in Bangkok (2020)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
A hit man named Kai flies into Bangkok, gets a gun, and orders a cab. He offers a professional female driver big money to be his all-night driver. But when she realizes Kai is committing brutal murders at each stop…
4
The System (2022)
★ 7.3/10Also action and thriller
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.
5
Run (1991)
★ 6/10Also action and thriller
When a law student accidentally kills the son of a mob boss in a fight, he finds himself relentlessly pursued by the mob and the police.
6
Shade (2003)
★ 6.2/10Also action and thriller
Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game…
7
Red Right Hand (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
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
Wardriver (2026)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller
He’s a Wardriver: a hacker who steals from banks, not people—until he’s noticed. Now the money turns violent, and the woman caught in it could save him or kill them both.
9
Take Back (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also action and thriller
Zara and Brian are living the perfect small town life when a mysterious stranger from Zara's secret past kidnaps their daughter and now they must race to save her life.
10
The Killer (2024)
★ 6.3/10Also action and thriller
Zee is a feared contract killer known as "the Queen of the Dead," but when she refuses to murder a young blind woman, she finds herself hunted both by criminal colleagues and a determined police detective.
11
Stolen Girl (2025)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller and action
In 1993, Maureen’s six-year-old daughter Amina is snuck out of the country by her ex-husband, Karim. After years of unsuccessful attempts to find her, Maureen intersects with a professional retriever of internationally…
12
Maharaja (2024)
★ 7.8/10Also action and thriller
A barber seeks vengeance after his home is burglarized, cryptically telling police his "Lakshmi" has been taken, leaving them uncertain if it's a person or object, jeer at his request until they learn what they're…
13
SAS: Red Notice (2021)
★ 5.8/10Also action and thriller
An off-duty SAS soldier, Tom Buckingham, must thwart a terror attack on a train running through the Channel Tunnel. As the action escalates on the train, events transpire in the corridors of power that may make the…
14
Black Site (2022)
★ 6/10Also action and thriller
A group of officers based in a labyrinthine top-secret prison must fight for their lives against Hatchet, a brilliant and infamous high-value detainee. When he escapes, his mysterious and deadly agenda has far reaching…
15
Until Death (2007)
★ 5.9/10Also action and thriller
Anthony Stowe is a dirty cop who is hooked on heroin—and everyone hates him. After a serious accident, he is placed into an induced coma, but emerges from it a better person who wants to put things right.
16
Trap House (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
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…
17
Canary Black (2024)
★ 6.2/10Also action and thriller
Top level CIA agent Avery Graves is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive and help locate the…
18
Maanagaram (2017)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller and action
Upon moving to Chennai, four lives get intertwined as they strive to achieve success in the city. However, when a vicious gangster threatens them, the group must work together to defeat him.
19
Misdirection (2026)
★ 6.2/10Also action and thriller
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…
20
The Good Neighbor (2022)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller
A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and…