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King of New York poster

Movies that feel likeKing of New York (1990)

A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.

If you loved King of New York, the closest films we have are Hope (2013), Red Rock West (1993) and Heart of the Beast (2026). Most of the picks below share King of New York's gritty and hopeful feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Hit (1984).

πŸ… 72% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.9 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Abel Ferraratensegrittyhopeful
6 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Criterion Channel

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If King of New York hit the spot, these will too

Hope poster
Hope
2013 Β· dir. Lee Joon-ik
β˜… 8.2drama

One thread runs through both: hope

The difference: Trades the tension of King of New York for an angle of its own

After 8-year-old So-won narrowly survives a brutal sexual assault, her family labors to help her heal while coping with their own rage and grief.

Red Rock West poster
Red Rock West
1993 Β· dir. John Dahl
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7crime Β· thriller

Both keep coming back to the same thing: murder

The difference: Easier on the hope than King of New York

When a promised job for Texan Michael fails to materialize in Wyoming, Mike is mistaken by Wayne to be the hitman he hired to kill his unfaithful wife, Suzanne. Mike takes full advantage of the situation, collects the money, and runs. During his getaway, things go wrong, and soon get worse when he runs into the real hitman, Lyle.

Heart of the Beast poster
Heart of the Beast
2026 Β· dir. David Ayer
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.5adventure Β· thrillerRent or buy

Tense where it counts, hopeful underneath

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than King of New York does

After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements.

In America poster
In America
2003 Β· dir. Jim Sheridan
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.7drama

The same city underneath both: New York City

A family of Irish immigrants adjusts to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.

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

Common ground: gangster

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.

Awakenings poster
Awakenings
1990 Β· dir. Penny Marshall
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.8drama

Both are built on the same subject: hope

Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.

Blood and Bone poster
Blood and Bone
2009 Β· dir. Ben Ramsey
β˜… 6.7action Β· crime Β· thrillerStarz

Gritty thriller, and it commits to that

In Los Angeles, an ex-con takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfill a promise to a dead friend.

The Wild Bunch poster
The Wild Bunch
1969 Β· dir. Sam Peckinpah
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.9western

Gritty crime in both cases

The difference: Made in the 1960s, in a different era of the craft

An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.

Swades poster
Swades
2004 Β· dir. Ashutosh Gowariker
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.2dramaNetflix

Both lean on hope more than on thriller

A successful Indian scientist returns home to his village to take his nanny back to America with him, and in the process rediscovers his roots.

Astral City: A Spiritual Journey poster
Astral City: A Spiritual Journey
2010 Β· dir. Wagner de Assis
β˜… 6.5drama

Crime built on hope, twice over

The selfish Dr. AndrΓ© Luiz dies and awakes in the limbo called "Umbral". After a painful period in the gruesome swamp, he is rescued and brought in a white light to "Nosso Lar" (meaning "Our Home"). He finds a place of harmony, where people live in peace awaiting

The Hit poster
The Hit
1984 Β· dir. Stephen Frears
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7drama Β· thriller Β· crimePrime Video

The same preoccupation in both: gangster

Ten years after ratting on his old mobster friends in exchange for personal immunity, two hit men drive a hardened criminal to Paris for his execution. However, while on the way, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.

We Own the Night poster
We Own the Night
2007 Β· dir. James Gray
πŸ… 57%β˜… 6.8drama Β· crime Β· thriller

The same preoccupation in both: cocaine

A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hitmen.

In the mood for more tense?

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The best-reviewed films that share King of New York’s defining feeling.