Movies Like Paayum Puli

If you liked Paayum Puli (2015), a action and drama movie directed by Suseenthiran, 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
Kabali (2016)
★ 6/10Also action and drama
A gangster in Malaysia goes in search of his family after 25 years of imprisonment.
2
Yennai Arindhaal (2015)
★ 6.9/10Also thriller and action
Sathyadev, who is on a career break, is forced to put on his cop shoes ones again to save Thenmozhi, a young woman who is the target of a criminal organ harvesting group, led by a ghost from his past.
3
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.
4
Darbar (2020)
★ 5.9/10Also action and drama
Aaditya, the commissioner of Mumbai Police, sets out to catch Ajay, a drug peddler. However, he uncovers a deeper controversy linked to an international drug lord and must mete out justice.
5
Padayappa (1999)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and action
Padayappa, a mechanical engineer whose father gives up his property to his foster brother, and then dies of shock soon after. Neelambari initially loves Padayappa, but plans to humiliate him after his family humiliates…
6
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…
7
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…
8
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.
9
Vikram Vedha (2017)
★ 7.3/10Also action and thriller
A notorious gangster Vedha surrenders himself to encounter specialist Vikram whom he challenges every step of the way by narrating his life events in the form of riddles that needs to be solved in order to capture him.
10
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.
11
Theri (2016)
★ 6.9/10Also action and thriller
When an honest cop, Vijay Kumar's family is ruthlessly slaughtered by a politician and his aides, he decides to change his identity and commits his life to bring his daughter up in a serene atmosphere. But some freak…
12
Ride in the Whirlwind (1966)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and drama
Three cowboys, mistaken for members of an outlaw gang, are relentlessly pursued by a posse.
13
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.
14
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…
15
Extortion (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also action and drama
A doctor desperately tries to save his wife and their 5 year old son after their vacation in the Bahamas takes an unexpected turn.
16
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.
17
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and thriller
After World War I, Armistice Lloyd Hart goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George Hally turns to bootlegging, and out-of-work Eddie Bartlett becomes a cab driver. Eddie builds a fleet of cabs through…
18
Kodi (2016)
★ 6.1/10Also action and drama
A young politician finds himself in a position where he has to contest against his girlfriend, who is ambitious. Circumstances force his look-alike twin to also get involved in this political battle.
19
Thani Oruvan (2015)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller and action
An idealistic cop and an ambitious scientist-businessman indulge in a high-stake battle of wits.
20
Nancy (2018)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and thriller
Nancy becomes increasingly convinced she was kidnapped as a child. When she meets a couple whose daughter went missing thirty years ago, reasonable doubts give way to willful belief.