Movies Like Thou Shall Not Kill... But Once

If you liked Thou Shall Not Kill... But Once (1975), a action and drama movie directed by Tsai Yang-Ming, 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
Mexicali (2026)
★ 7.7/10Also action and drama
A former special forces contractor is forced out of retirement as an avocado farmer in Mexico when local gangsters try to force him and his family off their farm.
2
Blood Brothers (1973)
★ 6.4/10Also action and drama
Set in the waning years of the Ching Dyansty, this dramatic, tragic, romantic, blood-soaked martial arts tale of betrayal and revenge explores one of the most sensational scandals in Chinese history and marked the true…
3
Eye for an Eye 2 (2024)
★ 6.4/10Also action and drama
The blind swordsman, skilled in martial arts, named Cheng Xiazi (Xie Miao), accidentally saves Zhang Xiaoyu (Yang Enyou), who has suffered from the destruction of his family. Under the persuasion of the orphan Xiaoyu…
4
The Final Master (2015)
★ 7/10Also action and drama
Determined to pass down his art, the Final Master of Wing Chun is caught in a power struggle with malicious local officials and ultimately must choose between personal honor and his master’s dying wish.
5
Invincible Shaolin (1978)
★ 6.5/10Also action and drama
Three North Shaolin teachers are called on by the Manchus to teach their soldiers and are urged to challenge the current South Shaolin teachers. They defeat the South Shaolin teachers and, that night, the head general…
6
Clan of the White Lotus (1980)
★ 6.6/10Also action and drama
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…
7
A World Without Thieves (2004)
★ 7.3/10Also action and drama
A con-team couple head west after taking a city businessman for his BMW. But an encounter with a naive young carpenter traveling home with his life savings challenges their fate as thieves.
8
Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)
★ 6.1/10Also action and drama
Jesse Freeman is a former special forces officer and explosives expert now working a regular job as a security guard in a state-of-the-art basketball arena. Trouble erupts when a tech-savvy cadre of terrorists kidnap…
9
Only the Strong (1993)
★ 6.9/10Also action and drama
Former Green Beret Louis Stevens returns to his hometown of Miami after completing military service in Brazil, only to learn that his old high school has become a haven for gangs and drug dealers. After Stevens uses…
10
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.
11
Beast (2026)
★ 7.5/10Also action and drama
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…
12
Dragon (2011)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and action
A sinful martial arts expert wants to start a new tranquil life, only to be hunted by a determined detective and his former master.
13
44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003)
★ 6.6/10Also action and drama
After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.
14
Ip Man: Kung Fu Master (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also action and drama
Ip Man’s promising career as a Policeman is ruined after he is framed for murder and targeted by a mob boss’s daughter.
15
Eye for an Eye (2022)
★ 7.1/10Also action and drama
A highly trained and exceptionally deadly swordsman looks for revenge after being caught in the middle of a power struggle that results in the assassination of an innocent woman's family.
16
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
★ 6.4/10Also action and drama
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…
17
Dirt (2018)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and action
In search of a lifeline for his struggling off road racing team, a man takes on a young car thief looking for a second chance, but as their worlds collide, they must struggle to forge a successful alliance.
18
White Vengeance (2011)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and action
White Vengeance tells the story of two brothers contending for supremacy during the fall of the Qin Dynasty, which ruled Imperial China from 221 to 206 BC. As rebels rose, the nation fell into chaos. Liu Bang and Xiang…
19
Police Story: Lockdown (2013)
★ 6.2/10Also action and drama
A man looking for the release of a long-time prisoner takes a police officer, his daughter, and a group of strangers hostage.
20
The Enforcer (2022)
★ 7/10Also action and drama
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to…