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Branded to Kill poster

Movies that feel likeBranded to Kill (1967)

After botching his latest assignment, a third-ranked Japanese hit man becomes the target of another assassin.

If you loved Branded to Kill, the closest films we have are Tokyo Drifter (1966), The Street Fighter (1974) and Bullitt (1968). All three share Branded to Kill's tense and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Plagues of Breslau (2018).

πŸ… 100% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Seijun Suzukitensegrittykinetic
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video

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See it on the Mood Map

If Branded to Kill hit the spot, these will too

Tokyo Drifter poster
Tokyo Drifter
1966 Β· dir. Seijun Suzuki
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.1thriller Β· crime Β· action

Seijun Suzuki working the same nerve twice

After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.

The Street Fighter poster
The Street Fighter
1974 Β· dir. Shigehiro Ozawa
β˜… 6.9action Β· crime Β· thriller

Both keep coming back to the same thing: yakuza

The difference: Leans harder into drama than Branded to Kill does

Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress of her millions.

Bullitt poster
Bullitt
1968 Β· dir. Peter Yates
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.4action Β· crime Β· thriller

Common ground: organized crime

Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.

In the Line of Duty 4 poster
In the Line of Duty 4
1989 Β· dir. Yuen Woo-ping
β˜… 7.1action Β· crime Β· thriller

Tense where it counts, gritty underneath

The difference: 22 years apart, and the 1980s show

Two detectives who are up to their necks in trouble and in each other's face, as they try to shut down a drug-trafficking scheme that could be connected with international ties to organized crime. But in the midst of their investigation, innocent immigrant dock worker Luk Wan-Ting gets caught up in the mix when he witnesses the murder of an intelligence operative and is framed for the crime.

Caliber 9 poster
Caliber 9
1972 Β· dir. Fernando Di Leo
β˜… 7.4crime Β· thriller

Both are built on the same subject: organized crime

The difference: Trades the momentum of Branded to Kill for an angle of its own

Just out of prison, ex-con Ugo Piazza meets his former employer, a psychopathic gangster Rocco who enjoys sick violence and torture. Both the gangsters and the police believe Ugo has hidden $300,000 that should have gone to an American drug syndicate boss.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In poster
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
2024 Β· dir. Soi Cheang
πŸ… 90%β˜… 6.9action Β· crime Β· thrillerPrime Video

The same preoccupation in both: absurd

In 1980s Hong Kong, troubled youth Chan Lok-kwun, a mainland refugee, struggles to survive in the Kowloon Walled City by joining underground fights. Betrayed by crime boss Mr. Big while trying to buy a fake ID, he steals drugs from him and seeks refuge in the Walled City, where he encounters Cyclone, a compassionate yet authoritative crime lord.

Gone in 60 Seconds poster
Gone in 60 Seconds
1974 Β· dir. H.B. Halicki
πŸ… 43%β˜… 6.3action Β· crime Β· thriller

Thriller built on momentum, twice over

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

Insurance investigator Maindrian Pace and his team lead double-lives as unstoppable car thieves. When a South American drug lord pays Pace to steal 48 cars for him, all but one, a 1973 Ford Mustang, are in the bag. As Pace prepares to rip-off the fastback, codenamed "Eleanor", in Long Beach, he is unaware that his boss has tipped off the police after a business dispute.

Assault on Precinct 13 poster
Assault on Precinct 13
1976 Β· dir. John Carpenter
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.3thriller Β· action Β· crimePrime Video

Tense crime, and it commits to that

A highway patrol officer, two criminals, and a station secretary form an unlikely alliance to defend a defunct Los Angeles precinct against a siege by a bloodthirsty street gang.

Police Story 2 poster
Police Story 2
1988 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7action Β· crime Β· thrillerMax

Action with a pulse of grit, in both cases

The Hong Kong super-cop must stop a group of blackmailing bombers at the same time that the villains of the first Police Story are out for revenge.

Infernal Affairs II poster
Infernal Affairs II
2003 Β· dir. Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
πŸ… 75%β˜… 7.2action Β· thriller Β· crimeMax

Both lean on momentum more than on thriller

In this prequel to the original, a bloody power struggle among the Triads coincides with the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, setting up the events of the first film.

Cold Eyes poster
Cold Eyes
2013 Β· dir. Kim Byung-seo
β˜… 7.1crime Β· action Β· thriller

Tense crime in both cases

Ha Yoon-ju becomes the newest member of a unit within the Korean Police Forces Special Crime Department that specializes in surveillance activities on high-profile criminals. She teams up with Hwang Sang-jun, the veteran leader of the unit, and tries to track down James who is the cold-hearted leader of an armed criminal organization.

The Plagues of Breslau poster
The Plagues of Breslau
2018 Β· dir. Patryk Vega
πŸ… 83%β˜… 6crime Β· action Β· thrillerNetflix

Gritty action, and it commits to that

Every day at 6 pm a serial killer kills another person. Police officer Helena Rus thinks the killings are done by one man only and decides to reveal the killer's identity by getting back in 18th century history of the city.

In the mood for more tense?

all tense movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Branded to Kill’s defining feeling.