Movies Like American Yakuza (1993)

American Yakuza is a 1993 action, crime, thriller film from Frank A. Cappello with a MovieMagicScore of 5.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with American Yakuza II and Out for Justice.

Action Crime Thriller

American Yakuza II

1996

An ex-cop finds himself caught up in a battle between Japanese mobsters and local gangland thugs and discovers that he was framed for wrong-doings by a corrupt cop.

5.4

MagicScore

Out for Justice

1991

Gino Felino is an NYPD detective from Brooklyn who knows everyone and everything in his neighborhood. Killing his partner was someone's big mistake... because he's now out for justice.

6.1

MagicScore

Hard to Kill

1990

Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too. Mason is secretly taken to a hospital where he spends several years in a coma. His son meanwhile is growing up thinking his father is dead. When Mason wakes up, everyone is in danger - himself, his son, his best friend, his nurse - but most of all those who arranged for his death

6.0

MagicScore

Black Rain

1989

Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They arrest one of their killers and are ordered to escort him back to Japan. However, in Japan he manages to escape, and as they try to track him down, they get deeper and deeper into the Japanese Mafia scene and they have to learn that they can only win by playing the game—the Japanese way.

6.6

MagicScore

The Hitman

1991

After surviving an attempt on his life by his former partner, officer Cliff Garrett (Norris) exacts revenge on those who wronged him by going undercover as a hit man. He works to gain the reputation and trust needed in order to be accepted by the burgeoning Seattle-area criminal underworld, but it is all done in order to take it down from within.

5.4

MagicScore

Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection

1990

When DEA agents are taken captive by a ruthless South American kingpin, the Delta Force is reunited to rescue them in this sequel to the 1986 film.

5.5

MagicScore

Johan Falk: Kodnamn: Lisa

2013

Five men break into Frank Wagner's apartment. Frank is able to escape and seeks out the help of Johan Falk. Has someone leaked that Frank is working with the police? Frank and John don't know who knows what and whom to trust.

7.1

MagicScore

The Punisher

1989

The avenging angel of Marvel Comics fame comes brilliantly to life in this searing action-adventure thriller! Dolph Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, a veteran cop who loses his entire family to a mafia car bomb. His ex-partner believes Castle survived the blast and became the Punisher, living in the sewers and exacting vigilante violence against mob bosses throughout the city. When the populace is caught in the midst of a gang war that he caused, Castle must again emerge from the shadows and save the innocent.

5.8

MagicScore

Blues Harp

1998

Ambitious yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for advancement, as well as by his bodyguards growing jealousy of Chuji.

6.6

MagicScore

#10

Avenging Angelo

2002

A woman who has recently discovered that she is the daughter of Angelo, a major mafia boss, decides to wreak vengeance when he is killed by a hitman. She's aided by his faithful bodyguard, with whom she soon falls in love.

5.4

MagicScore

#11

Knock Off

1998

A fashion designer and his CIA agent business partner must join forces to stop a group of terrorists from smuggling explosives in counterfeit jeans during the handover of Hong Kong.

5.3

MagicScore

#12

The Street Fighter

1974

Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress of her millions.

6.8

MagicScore

#13

Rumble in the Bronx

1995

Keong comes from Hong Kong to visit New York for his uncle's wedding. His uncle runs a market in the Bronx and Keong offers to help out while Uncle is on his honeymoon. During his stay in the Bronx, Keong befriends a neighbor kid and beats up some neighborhood thugs who cause problems at the market. One of those petty thugs in the local gang stumbles into a criminal situation way over his head.

6.8

MagicScore

#14

Hard Target

1993

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.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

The Replacement Killers

1998

Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

Double Impact

1991

Jean Claude Van Damme plays a dual role as Alex and Chad, twins separated at the death of their parents. Chad is raised by a family retainer in Paris, Alex becomes a petty crook in Hong Kong. Seeing a picture of Alex, Chad rejoins him and convinces him that his rival in Hong Kong is also the man who killed their parents. Alex is suspicious of Chad, especially when it comes to his girlfriend.

6.2

MagicScore

#17

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

2003

The Angels are charged with finding a pair of missing rings that are encoded with the personal information of members of the Witness Protection Program. As informants are killed, the ladies target a rogue agent who might be responsible.

5.5

MagicScore

#18

Code of Silence

1985

A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

Into the Sun

2005

After the assassination of Tokyo's Governor by Yakuza members, the CIA bureau chief (William Atherton) for Tokyo puts out a call to an agent (Steven Seagal) that had been raised in Japan and trained by ex-Yakuza. Using his former ties, he quickly determines that a war is brewing between old-guard Yakuza members and a young, crazed leader (Takao Osawa) with ties to the Chinese Tong.

4.6

MagicScore

#20

Black Eagle

1988

One of the US Air Force's most modern tactical aircrafts, an F-100 with a new laser guidance system, crashes into the sea near Malta - a region where the Soviet forces are highly present, too. The CIA immediately sends out their best secret agent, Ken Tani, to salvage the system before it falls into enemy hands. To ensure his loyalty, they bring his two young sons to a nearby hotel on the island.

4.9

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like American Yakuza?

The top films similar to American Yakuza by MovieMagicScore are American Yakuza II (5.4), Out for Justice (6.1), Hard to Kill (6.0). Each shares action/crime/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is American Yakuza worth watching?

American Yakuza holds a MovieMagicScore of 5.6/10 from 68 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is American Yakuza?

American Yakuza (1993) is a action, crime, thriller film directed by Frank A. Cappello, starring Viggo Mortensen, Ryo Ishibashi, Michael Nouri.

Where can I find more recommendations like American Yakuza?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like American Yakuza II Movies like Out for Justice Movies like Hard to Kill Movies like Black Rain Movies like The Hitman Movies like Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection

About movies like American Yakuza

This ranked list pairs American Yakuza (1993), a action and crime and thriller film from Frank A. Cappello, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Viggo Mortensen take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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