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Iron Monkey poster

Movies that feel likeIron Monkey (1993)

In this Hong Kong variation of Robin Hood, corrupt officials of a Chinese village are robbed by a masked bandit known as "Iron Monkey", named after a benevolent deity. When all else fails, the Governor forces a traveling physician into finding the bandit.

If you loved Iron Monkey, the closest films we have are In the Line of Duty 4 (1989), Brother 2 (2000) and Infernal Affairs III (2003). All three share Iron Monkey's kinetic and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973).

🍅 91% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.5 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Yuen Woo-pingkineticgrittycontemplative
10 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

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If Iron Monkey hit the spot, these will too

In the Line of Duty 4 poster
In the Line of Duty 4
1989 · dir. Yuen Woo-ping
★ 7.1action · crime · thriller

Yuen Woo-ping working the same nerve twice

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Iron Monkey

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.

Brother 2 poster
Brother 2
2000 · dir. Aleksei Balabanov
★ 7.6action · crime · drama

Both land momentum and grit at once

Arriving in Moscow, Chechen War veteran Danila meets Konstantin, an old friend who tells him that his twin brother has been forced into signing a crooked contract with a US ice hockey team. Soon after this meeting, Danila discovers Konstantin dead and he sets out to avenge his death; a journey that leads him to Chicago and a whole new experience.

Infernal Affairs III poster
Infernal Affairs III
2003 · dir. Alan Mak Siu-Fai
★ 6.8crime · drama · actionMax

Contemplative action, and it commits to that

Triad gangster turned corrupt cop Lau Kin-ming goes to dangerous lengths to avoid detection.

Battles Without Honor and Humanity poster
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
1973 · dir. Kinji Fukasaku
★ 7.4crime · action · drama

Kinetic crime in both cases

The difference: 20 years apart, and the 1970s show

In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.

The Way of the Dragon poster
The Way of the Dragon
1972 · dir. Bruce Lee
🍅 88%★ 7.1action · crime

Common ground in both: martial arts and kung fu

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than Iron Monkey does

After a Chinese restaurant in Rome is threatened by the mafia, who will stop at nothing to acquire the property, the owner recruits a family friend in Hong Kong, kung fu expert Tang Lung, to help them defend their business.

Chocolate poster
Chocolate
2008 · dir. Prachya Pinkaew
🍅 71%★ 6.9action · crime

Drama built on grit, twice over

Zen, an autistic teenage girl with powerful martial arts skills, gets money to pay for her sick mother Zin's treatment by seeking out all the people who owe Zin money and making them pay.

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy poster
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy
2018 · dir. Yuen Woo-ping
★ 6.5action · crime · dramaPrime VideoHulu

The same hand behind both of them: Yuen Woo-ping

Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it's not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.

Enforcement poster
Enforcement
2020 · dir. Frederik Louis Hviid
🍅 82%★ 6.5action · crimeRent or buy

Action with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

The exact details of what took place while Talib Ben Hassi was in police custody remain unclear. Police officers Jens and Mike are on routine patrol in Svalegården's ghetto when news of Talib's death comes in over the radio, igniting uncontrollable, pent-up rage in the ghetto's youth, who lust for revenge. Suddenly, the two officers find themselves fair game and must fight tooth and claw to find a way out.

Law of Tehran poster
Law of Tehran
2019 · dir. Saeed Roustaee
🍅 95%★ 7.7action · crime · dramaRent or buy

Both lean on stillness more than on crime

Samad is nobody’s fool. The narcotics officer has seen his share of a drug dealer’s lies and games, and his patience has come to run thin. While searching for the infamous drug baron Nasser Khakzad, he and his colleague Hamid scour the streets of Tehran, turning an overcrowded prison on its head. With his rough and dubious approach, Samad finally manages to find the criminal’s whereabouts – but things do not quite go according to plan...

Police Story: Lockdown poster
Police Story: Lockdown
2013 · dir. Ding Sheng
🍅 25%★ 5.9action · crime · dramaPrime Video

Gritty drama in both cases

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

A man looking for the release of a long-time prisoner takes a police officer, his daughter, and a group of strangers hostage.

Furioza poster
Furioza
2021 · dir. Cyprian T. Olencki
★ 6.3action · crime · dramaNetflix

Both lean on stillness more than on action

A policewoman makes her ex-boyfriend an offer he can't refuse: either he infiltrates and informs on a gang of hooligans, or his brother goes to jail.

Bob le Flambeur poster
Bob le Flambeur
1956 · dir. Jean-Pierre Melville
🍅 97%★ 7.5drama · action · crime

The same crime instincts

In Paris, Bob Montagne is practically synonymous with gambling -- and winning. He is kind, classy and well-liked by virtually everyone in town, including police inspector Ledru. However, when Bob's luck turns sour, he begins to lose friends and makes the most desperate gamble of his life: to rob the Deauville casino during Grand Prix weekend, when the vaults are full. Unfortunately, Bob soon learns that the game is rigged and the cops are on to him.

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The best-reviewed films that share Iron Monkey’s defining feeling.