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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin poster

Movies that feel likeThe 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

During the Qing Dynasty, a fishmonger is killed by the reigning Manchu government for supporting the anti-government movement; his son manages to escape to Shaolin Temple, where he plans to learn its secretive brand of martial arts to seek revenge.

If you loved The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the closest films we have are Come Drink with Me (1966), The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010) and Ong Bak 3 (2010). All three share The 36th Chamber of Shaolin's kinetic and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Man from Hong Kong (1975).

πŸ… 83% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.6 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Lau Kar-leungkineticepic
8 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Peacock Premium Β· Criterion Channel

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If The 36th Chamber of Shaolin hit the spot, these will too

Come Drink with Me poster
Come Drink with Me
1966 Β· dir. King Hu
πŸ… 100%β˜… 6.9action Β· adventure

Both keep coming back to the same thing: kung fu

Golden Sparrow is a fighter-for-hire who has been contracted by the local government to retrieve the governor's kidnapped son. Holding him is a group of rebels who are demanding that their leader be released from prison in return for the captured son. After a brief encounter with the gang at a local restaurant, Golden Sparrow is joined by an inebriated wanderer Drunken Cat who aids her in her mission.

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

Both are built on the same subject: martial arts

The difference: Played as drama first

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.

Ong Bak 3 poster
Ong Bak 3
2010 Β· dir. Tony Jaa
πŸ… 63%β˜… 4.9action Β· adventure Β· historyPrime Video

The same preoccupation in both: martial arts

The difference: 32 years apart, and the 2010s show

Tien is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma, but very soon his arch rival returns challenging Tien for a final duel.

The Assassin poster
The Assassin
2015 Β· dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.3action Β· adventure Β· historyPrime Video

Both land momentum and scale at once

9th century China. Ten year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings.

A Touch of Zen poster
A Touch of Zen
1970 Β· dir. King Hu
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.5action Β· adventure Β· fantasy

Action built on momentum, twice over

Yang Hui-zhen, a mysterious princess on the run from corrupt government officials, is joined in her endeavors by skilled Buddhist monks and an unambitious painter named Gu Sheng-zhai.

Fist of Legend poster
Fist of Legend
1994 Β· dir. Gordon Chan
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5actionPrime VideoPeacock

One thread runs through both: kung fu

The difference: Less epic, more its own thing

Chen returns to his school when he finds out that his martial arts teacher has died. When he learns that his school students are harassed by some hooligans, he gears himself up to save them.

Major Grom: Plague Doctor poster
Major Grom: Plague Doctor
2021 Β· dir. Oleg Trofim
β˜… 6.3action Β· adventureRent or buy

Epic adventure, and it commits to that

In present day St. Petersburg, police major Igor Grom, an honest and skilled cop with unconventional methods, pursues a vigilante murderer in the mask of a plague doctor.

Chinese Zodiac poster
Chinese Zodiac
2012 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 25%β˜… 6action Β· adventure

Kinetic action in both cases

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

Asian Hawk leads a mercenary team to recover several lost artifacts from the Old Summer Palace, the bronze heads of the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals which were sacked by the French and British armies from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860. Assisted by a Chinese student and a Parisian woman, Hawk stops at nothing to accomplish the mission.

The Man from Hong Kong poster
The Man from Hong Kong
1975 Β· dir. Brian Trenchard-Smith
πŸ… 100%β˜… 6.5action Β· crime Β· adventurePrime Video

Adventure with a pulse of scale, in both cases

Australian authorities arrest a man believed to be connected to the Sydney criminal underworld and send for Inspector Fang Sing Leng from Hong Kong to question him. After the alleged criminal is assassinated, Inspector Leng and the Sydney police try to hunt down those responsible and hope to solve their case along the way.

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

Common ground: government

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.

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

Action in the same key

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.

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

Both working the same adventure territory

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?

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The best-reviewed films that share The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’s defining feeling.