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Movies that feel like Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)

If you loved Bodyguards and Assassins, the closest films we have are Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010), The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010) and The Warlords (2007). All three share Bodyguards and Assassins' contemplative and kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Peacock Premium and others, checked against today's data.

In 1905, revolutionist Sun Yat-sen came to Hong Kong to meet revolutionary comrades. The Qing government sent a group of killers to murder him. Ordinary citizens from all walks of life joined together, blocking the streets and fighting off the assassins to keep Sun Yat-sen safe.

πŸ… 50% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Teddy Chan Tak-Samcontemplativekineticepic

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If Bodyguards and Assassins hit the spot, these will too

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen poster
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
2010 Β· dir. Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
πŸ… 47%β˜… 6.2drama Β· action Β· history

Both are working the same pair: martial arts, assassination

The difference: Sits closer to thriller than Bodyguards and Assassins does

The Japanese forces occupy Shanghai and slowly start spreading terror in the city. Chen Zhen, who was presumed dead, returns to fight against the Japanese and put an end to their tyrannical rule.

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The Legend Is Born: Ip Man poster
The Legend Is Born: Ip Man
2010 Β· dir. Herman Yau
β˜… 7drama Β· action Β· history

One thread runs through both: martial arts

The remarkable true story of the early life of Ip Man, the formidable kung fu genius who would become Bruce Lee's mentor; beginning at the start of his journey from his initial training through to the ultimate battle to become supreme master of the art of Wing Chun.

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The Warlords poster
The Warlords
2007 Β· dir. Peter Chan Ho-Sun
πŸ… 62%β˜… 7action Β· drama Β· history

Contemplative where it counts, kinetic underneath

The civil war in China has ruined many lives including General Pang's. A wounded General Pang is saved by a beautiful young woman along with two other men. Together they vow to eradicate the rebels.

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Ip Man 3 poster
Ip Man 3
2015 Β· dir. Wilson Yip
πŸ… 76%β˜… 7action Β· drama Β· history

Both rooted in Hong Kong

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.

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The Grandmaster poster
The Grandmaster
2013 Β· dir. Wong Kar-Wai
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.6action Β· drama Β· history

Epic drama, and it commits to that

The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

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Kung Fu Jungle poster
Kung Fu Jungle
2014 Β· dir. Teddy Chan Tak-Sam
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.4action Β· thriller Β· crime

Teddy Chan Tak-Sam directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Missing the stillness of Bodyguards and Assassins

A martial arts instructor working at a police academy gets imprisoned after killing a man by accident. But when a vicious killer starts targeting martial arts masters, the instructor offers to help the police in return for his freedom.

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Ip Man 2 poster
Ip Man 2
2010 Β· dir. Wilson Yip
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.5action Β· history Β· drama

Contemplative action in both cases

Having defeated the best fighters of the Imperial Japanese army in occupied Shanghai, Ip Man and his family settle in post-war Hong Kong. Struggling to make a living, Master Ip opens a kung fu school to bring his celebrated art of Wing Chun to the troubled youth of Hong Kong. His growing reputation soon brings challenges from powerful enemies, including pre-eminent Hung Gar master, Hung Quan.

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Mulan: Rise of a Warrior poster
Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
2009 Β· dir. Jingle Ma Choh-Sing
β˜… 6.6adventure Β· drama Β· action

Both lean on momentum more than on history

When barbarian hordes threaten her homeland, the brave and cunning Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier to swell the ranks in her aging father's stead. The warrior's remarkable courage drives her through powerful battle scenes and brutal wartime strategy. Mulan loses dear friends to the enemy's blade as she rises to become one of her country's most valuable leaders β€” but can she win the war before her secret is exposed?

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Deep Water poster
Deep Water
2006 Β· dir. Louise Osmond
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.8documentary Β· adventure Β· drama

Drama with a pulse of scale, in both cases

DEEP WATER is the stunning true story of the fateful voyage of Donald Crowhurst, an amateur yachtsman who enters the most daring nautical challenge ever – the very first solo, non-stop, round-the-world boat race.

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Ong Bak 3 poster
Ong Bak 3
2010 Β· dir. Tony Jaa
πŸ… 63%β˜… 4.9action Β· adventure Β· history

Action built on momentum, twice over

Tien is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma, but very soon his arch rival returns challenging Tien for a final duel.

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The Assassin poster
The Assassin
2015 Β· dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.3action Β· adventure Β· history

Both lean on scale more than on history

9th century China. Ten year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings.

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The Promised Land poster
The Promised Land
2023 Β· dir. Nikolaj Arcel
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.7action Β· drama Β· history

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

Denmark, 1755. Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer a Danish heath reputed to be uncultivable, with an impossible goal: to establish a colony in the name of the king, in exchange for a royal title. A single-minded ambition that the ruthless lord of the region will relentlessly seek to put down. Kahlen's fate hangs in the balance: will his endevours bring him wealth and honour, or cost him his life...?

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The best-reviewed films that share Bodyguards and Assassins’ defining feeling.