Kick It: The Best Kung Fu Movies on Prime
You might not know this—I didn’t until a few months ago—but Prime hosts a surprisingly diverse catalogue of kung fu films. Everything from old classics to modern masterpieces. If you want to watch a movie about people kicking each other in the face, you’re rather spoiled for choice. How will you find the ones worth watching? Don’t worry—I’ve got this.
Here’s a list (in no particular order) of some of the best kung fu flicks you can catch on Prime as of August 11, 2025. For the purposes of this list, a “kung fu movie” is any picture that is primarily about martial artists fighting. The style practiced is not relevant for this discussion.
Avengement (2019)
Directed by Jesse V Johnson
This brutal tale of bareknuckle revenge stars Britain’s only gift to martial arts cinema: Scott Adkins. He plays Cain Burgess, who starts the movie as a prisoner using his mother’s death as an opportunity for making a violent escape from police custody. Then he knicks over to the pub for a pint a lager, pulls a shotgun, and holds the whole bleeding crowd hostage, a literally captive audience, as he tells them his villain origin story. Suffice to say, a few decades in the most violent prison in England changed Cain from a simple street thug into a cold-blooded killer.
There’s an extensive montage of flashbacks to different fights throughout his prison “career,” followed by the judges extending his sentence with increasing exasperation. Cain’s learned he has his own brother to thank for all of his miseries, so he waits for him at the pub. When bro finally arrives, words are exchanged, nothing is forgiven, and the audience is treated to one of the most savage bar brawls ever captured on video. Avengement is not a brilliant film by any means, but it is a rowdy good bone-breakin romp.
Sword Master (2016)
Directed by Derek Yee
Yen Shisan is a master swordsman and deadly assassin with a skull tattooed on his face in an ancient wuxia type kingdom where various kung fu schools fight to prove their style the best. Since he is slowly dying of an incurable ailment, Shisan goes to the Supreme Sword Manor school to challenge the legendary Third Master Shao-Feng—the only man who might be skilled enough to kill him. Upon learning that Shao-Feng had already passed away a month before his arrival, Shisan becomes depressed about being robbed of his last chance at an honorable death in battle. Without the Third Master to keep them in check, the aggressive students of the Divine Might school start wiping out all competing schools and terrorizing the citizens trying to live their lives in peace.
Despite his drunken indifference, some prostitutes convince Shisan that this is his chance for a final heroic act, a noble last stand against evil. This film is full of beautiful cinematic swordplay, the kind that almost looks more like a dance than a fight. The wire-fu techniques blend perfectly into the mythic setting, and the script by Tsui Hark even includes quite a bit of humor in between all of the graceful combat. Even if you watched this movie on mute, it would still be utterly enthralling to look at.
Redeemer (2014)
Directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Former hit man Nicky Pardo had a literal “Come to Jesus” moment when he was left for dead in the desert and decided to atone for all the evils he had done in his career. Upon his return, he starts taking down the various drug gangs he used to work for, always giving the perpetrators a chance to beg God’s forgiveness before he kills them. As he fights to protect the innocent and punish the guilty, we get occasional flashbacks showing us just how bad he used to be, until we begin to doubt his hands will ever be cleansed—just like Pardo. But a vicious foe from the past has resurfaced, threatening to undo all the good Pardo had done with his second chance. Even if he wins, can he ever truly be redeemed?
Marko Zaror, a frequent cinematic sparring partner of Scott Adkins, ironically gives one of his most languid and sedate performances ever. He barely ever speaks above a whisper, and usually doesn’t have more than a few fragments of scripture to say. It stands in stark contrast to the flamboyantly crazy villains he portrayed in movies like Savage Dog and Undisputed III. While it’s not necessarily bad, it also isn’t that memorable. That being said, the fights are incredibly well-crafted. The action of Redeemer is much more grounded and technical than most of the other entries on this list. Characters employ lots of practical techniques that real-world fighters use, including lots of grappling and reversing grips. The most skilled combatants in the movie dodge more hits than they block. Of course Zaror can’t resist showing off a few flying spin kicks, but he employs them sparingly, usually saving them for the boss battles. Redeemer is a flick worth watching with your finger on the fast forward between the fights.
Lady Bloodfight (2016)
Directed by Chris Nahon
Ok, so hear me out here. Despite the title, this is the fifth entry in the Bloodsport movie franchise. Now I can hear all you readers collectively asking “Wait, there was more than one Bloodsport movie? FOUR more? You can’t be serious!”
Oh, but I am. The original was followed by three Van Damme-less sequels that went straight to video, with diminishing returns on each successive release—not what you want from a franchise. After Bloodsport IV: The Dark Kumite failed to set the rental counter on fire in 1999, the franchise lay so dormant you could be forgiven for considering it dead. But 17 years later, some studio exec finally had the brilliant idea to make a movie about the women’s Kumite. The main character, Jane Jones, is a young American backpacking through Hong Kong on her own. She is played by Amy Johnston, who probably looks oddly familiar in a way you can’t quite place because she was Black Widow’s stunt double in The Winter Soldier. Anytime Natasha was kicking ass and you couldn’t see her face—you were watching Johnston in action. So when Jane is assaulted by a group of assholes that won’t take no for an answer, she deftly polishes the pavement with all four of their faces. A mysterious woman with the kind of kung fu skill that borders on magic takes notice of Jane’s potential and recruits her to fight as her champion in the all female Kumite. After a brutal training montage, Jane is ready to face the competition, a variety of fighters of many different sizes and styles. There’s a charismatic Australian brawler that cracks jokes and makes friends with everyone, as well as an evil Eastern European giant who’s just there to pile up bodies. Johnston gives a great performance even when the punches aren’t flying, but of course this movie shines the most when they are. Jane Jones’ journey to the final ring is every bit as brutal and bloody as Frank Dux’s was in the original movie, if not more so. These ladies shed buckets of the red stuff before someone gets the trophy. The violence is graphically realistic, mystic kung fu masters aside, but this movie also has an unusual attention to detail with the damage the fighters take. Characters who take a real beating will limp, or favor an hurt arm, and their ability to fight is noticeably affected by their injuries. They move slower, take longer to react, or even making sloppy mistakes that lead to more damage.
I don’t know why the title had to be Lady Bloodfight instead of Bloodsport, but that was a serious mistake by their marketing department because this is easily the best movie the series has produced since the original. They should be praying that people associate this movie with their comatose franchise.
God of War (2017)
Directed by Gordon Chan
In this period war film based on real historical events, a force of Imperial Ming soldiers fights a war on multiple fronts to repel the Japanese pirates at their borders. After another failed assault on the pirate fortress by General Yu Dayou, played by kung fu film legend Sammy Hung, command is given to General Qi Jiguang (Vincent Zhao). He is also given permission to start recruiting and training soldiers fora new army. The movie does get off to a slow start, front-loading a lot of complicated political machinations and other staples of costume drama, but it all leads up to a massive double-siege battle that lasts for forty absolutely riveting minutes. Not only is General Qi protecting the walls of the provincial capital, his wife leads the women in defense of their hometown while the husbands are away. It’s an impressive set piece, able to quickly give the audience an overview of both battles and keep them grounded in space so they are always aware of how close each army is to victory. It is a thrilling ride from the first arrow loosed until the final crossing of swords. Also, the only movie on this list that is “based on a true story.”
Life After Fighting (2024)
Directed by Bren Foster
Multi-talented Australian performer Bren Foster does it all on this impressive personal passion project. He wrote, directed, and starred. The former World Champion of both Tae Kwon Do and Karate is also the executive producer and lead fight choreographer. In this movie he plays Alex Faulkner, a former competitive fighter who has “retired” to teach students of all ages at his karate school. Unfortunately, one of those students has an abusive absentee father who is not-so-secretly abducting students from his son’s class to sell into sex slavery overseas. Angry that his ex-wife would prefer the handsome and respectful martial arts coach who’s great with kids over his snide child-hating arrogance, Mr. Human Trafficker kidnaps his own son and threatens to kill him in order to lure a karate teacher into an ambush.
Then the movie basically becomes Die Hard in a dojo, with Alex capitalizing on his awesome martial arts skills and familiarity with the building to divide and conquer a ludicrously large army of goons before any children can get hurt. Bren Foster is a much more pragmatic fighter than you usually get in movies—lots of elbows and armbars being used, with fewer of the high-flying kicks that would get you trounced in a real fight. As an audition tape for a future kung fu movie star, Life After Fighting makes a compelling argument in favor of Bren Foster.
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping
This movie is a spinoff of Donnie Yen’s immensely popular Ip Man series. Following his defeat at the end of Ip Man 3, Cheung Tin-chi (played by Max Zhang), decides to leave martial arts behind and open a small grocery store to support his wife and child. Unable to ignore the plight of a woman fleeing a drug lord, Tin-chi defends her and puts a target on his back. It’s not long before the drug lord burns down Tin-chi’s house, and although he escapes unharmed, his son is seriously injured. Furious that the police turned the culprits loose with no consequences, Tin-chi and burns down an opium den belonging to Tso Sai Kit. The drug lord retaliates by killing the woman Tin-chi had protected. Tin-chi and Fu, older brother to the deceased, fight their way to the syndicate’s head office and expose the location of Kit’s drug cache to the media.
This flick is loaded with many famous martial artists of the silver screen, like Tony Jaa and Michelle Yeoh. Dave Bautista shows up to play the evil white man that’s really behind it all, a reveal so glaringly obvious that it’s not even a spoiler. But he does give a surprisingly small and subdued performance before the final boss fight, quietly monologuing about the best way to cook a steak to restaurant full of extras nodding politely. While Max Zhang is inarguably a talented martial artist, his serviceable performance is simply outshone by the raw charisma of his co-stars. But that in no way diminishes my enjoyment of a great show.
Blade of the Immortal (2017)
Directed by Takashi Miike
The 100th film by visionary splatterpunk director Takashi Miike is nothing short of a masterpiece. In a fictionalized version of feudal Japan, Manji the samurai (played by Takuya Kimura) slays his corrupt lord and is forced to flee in disgrace, pursued by his former fellow warriors. Manji tried to protect and care for his mentally unstable sister while on the run, but she is eventually taken hostage by a group of ronin after the bounty on his head. Although the samurai surrendered and lay down his weapons, the leader of the ronin still killed his little sister. Powered by a vengeful rage, Manji single-handedly slaughters all 100 ronin. He receives several mortal wounds in the process, and accepts his rapidly approaching death. But, he doesn’t die. Before he can expire, a mysterious old lady feeds him some magic bloodworms and his wounds miraculously heal—even his severed hand reattaches. To his dismay, Manji has been cursed with immortality. The only way to lift the curse and end his life is to kill 1000 evil men.
Fifty-two years later, Manji hasn’t hit the target yet. A young girl named Rin Asano (Hana Sugisaki) hires the former samurai as a bodyguard to help her avenge her father. Her old man was slain by the leader of the Itto-ryu, an aggressive sword-fighting school that seeks to conquer all the others. Manji will have to carve his way through an army of henchmen and several anime-level assassins before he finally gets to cross blades with the principal of this murder school. Just like most Miike’s movies, armies of faceless henchmen will paint the dirt with their guts as they race to their doom at sword-point. It’s a film so ridiculously over the top and excessive that you have no choice but to suspend your disbelief before the next wave of insanity hits. Miike can still grab an audience’s attention and hold it hostage for a breathless 120 minutes, which is becoming a rare commodity in contemporary film.