Movies Like In the Claws of the CIA

If you liked In the Claws of the CIA (1981), a action movie directed by John Liu, 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
Birth of the Dragon (2017)
★ 5.8/10Also action
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.
2
Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
★ 6.1/10Also action
Chan is asked by a young, wealthy lady to take her sick brother to a particular doctor in order to be cured. To reach this doctor, Chan and a handful of travelling companions must pass through bandit-infested wild…
3
Lion Fist (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also action
Martial arts fighter Joe goes to prison for four years and takes his wife's blame for a drug bust. After his release, he learns that his son needs expensive surgery because of a life-threatening tumor. Joe's only…
4
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
★ 6.4/10Also action
Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families…
5
Fatal Contact (2006)
★ 6.7/10Also action
A young man learns the fighting techniques of Sanda from a coach. The two become best friends as the young man prepares to enter an underground tournament, competing against some of the top fighters of the world.
6
New Fist of Fury (1976)
★ 6/10Also action
A brother and sister escape from Japanese-occupied Shanghai to Japanese-occupied Taiwan, to stay with their grandfather who runs a Kung-Fu school there. However, the master of a Japanese Kung- Fu school in Taiwan has…
7
Never Back Down: Revolt (2021)
★ 6.3/10Also action
An amateur fighter is lured by a trafficking syndicate specializing in elite underground fighting where her brutal captor forces her to fight or face certain death.
8
Hand of Death (1976)
★ 6.6/10Also action
A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.
9
Five Fingers of Death (1972)
★ 6.7/10Also action
A young boxer joins a martial arts school to increase his skill so he can enter a martial arts competition. He leaves the school when he hears that a local gangster is terrorizing the town. He comes to the aid of a…
10
Fist of Legend (1994)
★ 7.5/10Also action
Chen returns to his school when he finds out that his martial arts teacher has died. When he learns that his school students are harassed by some hooligans, he gears himself up to save them.
11
Showdown (1993)
★ 6.2/10Also action
Ken has just moved from Kansas with his mother. He talks to a girl named Julie, not knowing that her boyfriend Tom is very possessive of her. Tom is learning karate from Lee, a sensei whose brother was killed by a…
12
S.W.A.T. (2019)
★ 7.3/10Also action
The story centers on the Chinese Special Police Unit, from their hard training to their first mission.
13
The Bodyguard (2016)
★ 5.8/10Also action
A retired bodyguard who has settled into a corner of the world where China, Russia and North Korea meet as he suffers from early dementia finds a new friend in a young girl. When her life is threatened by her father's…
14
Beast (2026)
★ 7.5/10Also action
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal…
15
Clan of the White Lotus (1980)
★ 6.6/10Also action
The Qing emperor releases all detained Shaolin disciples, but the vindictive White Lotus clan decides to exterminate all the disciples. One martial artist survives the onslaught, and constantly trains while in hiding…
16
Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)
★ 6.6/10Also action
Nick and Ruben are hoodwinked into a "shootfighter" (no-holds-barred, to the death) martial arts match by the evil Mr. Lee, who has a grudge against world shootfighter champ(and teacher of Nick and Ruben) Shingo.
17
Dragon Fist (1979)
★ 6.3/10Also action
After the death of his master, martial arts student Tong Huo-wan travels with his adoptive family to seek redress from the man responsible but finds himself torn between righteousness and filial piety after becoming…
18
Tai Chi Zero (2012)
★ 6/10Also action
In legendary Chen Village, everyone is a martial arts master, using their powerful Chen Style Tai Chi in all aspects of their lives. Lu Chan has arrived to train, but the villagers are forbidden to teach Chen Style to…
19
American Shaolin (1991)
★ 6.9/10Also action
After facing brutal humiliation in the ring, a young karateka travels to China in order to study the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu, becoming the first American Shaolin.
20
Never Say Never (2023)
★ 7.1/10Also action
A disgraced MMA fighter finds redemption by training underprivileged kids, risking everything to give them a chance at a better life through boxing.