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The Karate Kid poster

Movies that feel likeThe Karate Kid (1984)

New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

If you loved The Karate Kid, the closest films we have are Rocky IV (1985), In a Better World (2010) and Bloodsport (1988). All three share The Karate Kid's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Wendy and Lucy (2008).

πŸ… 81% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. John G. Avildsenkineticcontemplativewarm
10 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· HBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video

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If The Karate Kid hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: The Karate Kid Part II (1986) Β· The Karate Kid (2010)

Rocky IV poster
Rocky IV
1985 Β· dir. Sylvester Stallone
πŸ… 38%β˜… 6.9drama Β· actionPrime VideoParamount+

Both are built on the same subject: friendship

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!

In a Better World poster
In a Better World
2010 Β· dir. Susanne Bier
πŸ… 77%β˜… 7.6drama

Two things both keep coming back to: bullying and bully

The difference: Easier on the momentum than The Karate Kid

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

Bloodsport poster
Bloodsport
1988 Β· dir. Newt Arnold
πŸ… 48%β˜… 6.8action Β· drama

Both are working the same pair: martial arts, sensei

An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite.

Remember the Titans poster
Remember the Titans
2000 Β· dir. Boaz Yakin
πŸ… 72%β˜… 7.8dramaHuluDisney+

Common ground: high school

After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.

Once Upon a Time in China poster
Once Upon a Time in China
1991 Β· dir. Tsui Hark
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.2action Β· dramaMax

Both keep coming back to the same thing: martial arts

In late 19th-century Canton, legendary hero Wong Fei-Hung battles foreign forces' (English, French and American) plundering of China. When Aunt Yee returns from America totally westernised, Wong assumes the role of protector. This proves difficult when his martial arts school and local militia become involved in fierce battles with foreign and local governments. As violence escalates, even Aunt Yee has to question her new western ideals, but is it possible to fight guns with Kung Fu?

La Haine poster
La Haine
1995 Β· dir. Mathieu Kassovitz
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8.1drama

The same mix in both: stillness, then warmth

After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and SaΓ―d, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.

The Hidden Fortress poster
The Hidden Fortress
1958 Β· dir. Akira Kurosawa
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8drama Β· action Β· adventureMax

Action built on momentum, twice over

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than The Karate Kid does

In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.

Wendy and Lucy poster
Wendy and Lucy
2008 Β· dir. Kelly Reichardt
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.1drama

The same preoccupation in both: friendship

The difference: Made in the 2000s, in a different era of the craft

A near-penniless drifter's journey to Alaska in search of work is interrupted when she loses her dog while attempting to shoplift food for it.

Dead Presidents poster
Dead Presidents
1995 Β· dir. Albert Hughes
πŸ… 47%β˜… 6.9crime Β· drama Β· actionStarz

Kinetic drama, and it commits to that

The difference: Leans harder into crime than The Karate Kid does

On the streets they call cash dead presidents. And that's just what a Vietnam veteran is after when he returns home from the war only to find himself drawn into a life of crime. With the aid of his fellow vets he plans the ultimate heist -- a daring robbery of an armored car filled with unmarked U.S. currency!

Shaolin poster
Shaolin
2011 Β· dir. Benny Chan
πŸ… 73%β˜… 6.8action Β· dramaPrime Video

One thread runs through both: martial arts master

China is plunged into strife as feuding warlords try to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin's masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But the pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest poster
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1975 Β· dir. MiloΕ‘ Forman
πŸ… 92%β˜… 8.6drama

Contemplative family in both cases

A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patientsβ€”and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.

Another Round poster
Another Round
2020 Β· dir. Thomas Vinterberg
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.7dramaNetflix

Drama with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

Four stagnant high school teachers decide to test out a theory that maintaining a constant level of intoxication will improve their overall lives.

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The best-reviewed films that share The Karate Kid’s defining feeling.