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Lethal Weapon poster

Movies that feel likeLethal Weapon (1987)

A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.

If you loved Lethal Weapon, the closest films we have are Police Story 2 (1988), Point Break (1991) and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976). All three share Lethal Weapon's kinetic and tense feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Infernal Affairs II (2003).

πŸ… 82% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.6 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Richard Donnerkinetictensegritty
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video

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See it on the Mood Map

If Lethal Weapon hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Β· Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Β· Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Police Story 2 poster
Police Story 2
1988 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7.1action Β· crime Β· thrillerMax

Both are working the same pair: showdown, police

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.

Point Break poster
Point Break
1991 Β· dir. Kathryn Bigelow
πŸ… 68%β˜… 7.3action Β· thriller Β· crimeNetflixPeacock

Common ground: self-destruction

In Los Angeles, a gang of bank robbers who call themselves The Ex-Presidents commit their crimes while wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, Nixon and Johnson. Believing that the members of the gang could be surfers, the F.B.I. sends young agent Johnny Utah to the beach undercover to mix with the surfers and gather information.

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

One thread runs through both: police

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.

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

Both land momentum and tension at once

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.

Hard Boiled poster
Hard Boiled
1992 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.7action Β· thriller Β· crimeRent or buy

Action with a pulse of grit, in both cases

A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.

Hard Target poster
Hard Target
1993 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 63%β˜… 6.2action Β· thriller Β· crimePrime Video

Both are built on the same subject: showdown

When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.

Kickboxer poster
Kickboxer
1989 Β· dir. David Worth
πŸ… 36%β˜… 6.4action Β· thriller

Thriller built on momentum, twice over

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

If your enemy refuses to be humbled... Destroy him. Accompanied by his brother Kurt, American kickboxing champion Eric Sloane, arrives in Thailand to defeat the Eastern warriors at their own sport. His opponent: ruthless fighter and Thai champion, Tong Po. Tong not only defeats Eric, he paralyzes him for life. Crazed with anger, Kurt vows revenge.

Infernal Affairs II poster
Infernal Affairs II
2003 Β· dir. Alan Mak Siu-Fai
πŸ… 75%β˜… 7.2action Β· thriller Β· crimeMax

Tense crime in both cases

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.

Dirty Harry poster
Dirty Harry
1971 Β· dir. Don Siegel
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.7action Β· crime Β· thriller

Gritty action, and it commits to that

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

The Boondock Saints poster
The Boondock Saints
1999 Β· dir. Troy Duffy
πŸ… 26%β˜… 7.6action Β· thriller Β· crimePrime VideoHulu

Both lean on momentum more than on thriller

Tired of the crime overrunning the streets of Boston, Irish Catholic twin brothers Conner and Murphy are inspired by their faith to cleanse their hometown of evil with their own brand of zealous vigilante justice. As they hunt down and kill one notorious gangster after another, they become controversial folk heroes in the community. But Paul Smecker, an eccentric FBI agent, is fast closing in on their blood-soaked trail.

The Killer poster
The Killer
1989 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.7action Β· crime Β· dramaRent or buy

Crime with a pulse of tension, in both cases

The difference: Leans harder into drama than Lethal Weapon does

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.

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

Gritty action in both cases

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 mood for more kinetic?

all kinetic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Lethal Weapon’s defining feeling.