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Ip Man poster

Movies that feel likeIp Man (2008)

A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung.

If you loved Ip Man, the closest films we have are The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010), The Grandmaster (2013) and Bodyguards and Assassins (2009). All three share Ip Man's contemplative and kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Deep Water (2006).

πŸ… 86% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Wilson Yipcontemplativekineticepic
9 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Hulu

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If Ip Man hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Ip Man 2 (2010) Β· Ip Man 3 (2015) Β· Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

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

The same two preoccupations: martial arts, and kung fu

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.

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

One thread runs through both: martial arts

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.

Bodyguards and Assassins poster
Bodyguards and Assassins
2009 Β· dir. Teddy Chan Tak-Sam
πŸ… 50%β˜… 6.8drama Β· action Β· history

Contemplative and kinetic in the same breath

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

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.

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

Drama built on scale, twice over

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.

A Taxi Driver poster
A Taxi Driver
2017 Β· dir. Jang Hoon
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.9action Β· drama Β· historyPrime Video

Both lean on stillness more than on action

May, 1980. Man-seob is a taxi driver in Seoul who lives from hand to mouth, raising his young daughter alone. One day, he hears that there is a foreigner who will pay big money for a drive down to Gwangju city. Not knowing that he’s a German journalist with a hidden agenda, Man-seob takes the job.

House of Flying Daggers poster
House of Flying Daggers
2004 Β· dir. Zhang Yimou
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.5adventure Β· drama Β· actionPrime Video

Kinetic history, and it commits to that

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than Ip Man does

In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.

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

Drama with a pulse of scale, in both cases

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...?

Robin Hood poster
Robin Hood
2010 Β· dir. Ridley Scott
πŸ… 43%β˜… 6.6action Β· adventure Β· historyMax

Contemplative action in both cases

When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man's sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert's identity; romances his widow, Marion; and draws the ire of the town's sheriff and King John's henchman, Godfrey.

The Uprising poster
The Uprising
2026 Β· dir. Paul Greengrass
β˜… 7.9history Β· drama Β· actionRent or buy

History with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

As war and plague devastate 14th-century England, a humble peasant ignites a rebellion, uniting an army of commoners to defy the King’s might in a desperate fight for justice and survival.

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

Both lean on scale more than on drama

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.

Ford v Ferrari poster
Ford v Ferrari
2019 Β· dir. James Mangold
πŸ… 92%β˜… 8.1drama Β· history Β· actionRent or buy

The same preoccupation in both: sports

American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

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

Action of the same temperament

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?

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Ip Man’s defining feeling.