Movies Like El Polaquito

If you liked El Polaquito (2003), a drama and action movie directed by Juan Carlos Desanzo, 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
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…
2
Straight from the Barrio (2008)
★ 8.1/10Also drama and action
A young drug dealer falls in love while facing disruption among the men in his gang, and being offered a career as a Reggaetón singer.
3
7 Boxes (2012)
★ 6.8/10Also action
It’s Friday night in Asunción and the temperature is 40ºC. Víctor, a 17-year-old wheelbarrow-boy, dreams of becoming famous and covets a cell phone in Mercado 4. He is offered the chance to deliver seven boxes with…
4
Facing El Chapo (2026)
★ 8.8/10Also action
Two Mexican officers must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss.
5
Sky High (2020)
★ 6.1/10Also action and drama
A commentary on Spanish society dressed as a thriller about the misadventures of a gang of young petty criminals after the real estate crash.
6
Run (1991)
★ 6/10Also action and drama
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.
7
Redeemer (2014)
★ 6.2/10Also action
A former hit-man for a drug cartel becomes a vigilante to pay for his sins and find redemption.
8
The Killer (2024)
★ 6.3/10Also action
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.
9
Hunting Season (2025)
★ 7.4/10Also action and drama
When a reclusive survivalist and his daughter rescue a mysterious, wounded woman from a river, they become entangled in a deadly web of violence and revenge, forcing them to confront a brutal criminal to survive.
10
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.
11
Fast Charlie (2023)
★ 6.3/10Also action and drama
When his aging mob boss is whacked, Charlie Swift, a loyal friend and hired gun, will stop at nothing to destroy the upcoming crew that took him out.
12
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.
13
El padrino: The Latin Godfather (2004)
★ 7.2/10Also action and drama
In the streets of East Los Angeles, Manny is a formidable drug dealer. Impressed by his extravagant lifestyle and prowess, his young son, Kilo, yearns to follow in his footsteps. Kilo resolves to learn how to prosper…
14
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…
15
The System (2022)
★ 7.3/10Also action
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.
16
Sin tetas no hay paraíso (2010)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Catalina is a young, beautiful girl living in extreme poverty with her brother Bayron and her mother Hilda. She becomes obsessed with getting breast implants to get social status and money. She leaves her boyfriend…
17
Black Site (2022)
★ 6/10Also action and drama
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…
18
SAS: Red Notice (2021)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and action
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…
19
Best of the Best 2 (1993)
★ 6/10Also action and drama
In an underground fight club, blackbelt Travis Brickley is killed after losing to the evil martial arts master Brakus. Travis' death is witnessed by Walter Grady, the son of his best friend Alex Grady. Alex and his…
20
Until Death (2007)
★ 5.9/10Also action
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.