feelsalike.comSign in
Hooper poster

Movies that feel likeHooper (1978)

Legendary stunt man Sonny Hooper remains one of the top men in his field, but due to too many stressful impacts to the spine and the need to pop painkillers several times a day, he knows he should get out of the industry before he ends up permanently disabled.

If you loved Hooper, the closest films we have are The Prodigal Son (1981), Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) and Project A - Part II (1987). All three share Hooper's kinetic and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is I Went Down (1997).

πŸ… 57% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Hal Needhamkineticwittyplayful
11 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Peacock Premium Β· Criterion Channel

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

See it on the Mood Map

If Hooper hit the spot, these will too

The Prodigal Son poster
The Prodigal Son
1981 Β· dir. Sammo Hung
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.3action Β· comedy

The same mix in both: momentum, then wit

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow poster
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
1978 Β· dir. Yuen Woo-ping
πŸ… 80%β˜… 7.3action Β· comedy

Action with a pulse of play, in both cases

Everyone abuses and humiliates a downtrodden orphan until he befriends an old man, who turns out to be the last master of the snake fist fighting style. Jackie becomes the old man's student and finds himself in battle with the master of the eagle's claw style, who has vowed to destroy the snake fist clan.

Project A - Part II poster
Project A - Part II
1987 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 73%β˜… 7action Β· comedy

Both lean on momentum more than on comedy

Dragon is now transferred to be the police head of Sai Wan district, and has to contend with a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, some runaway pirates, Manchu Loyalists and a corrupt police superintendent.

Drunken Master poster
Drunken Master
1978 Β· dir. Yuen Woo-ping
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.4action Β· comedy

Action built on wit, twice over

After getting into trouble, a mischievous young man is sent to train under a brutal, but slovenly old beggar, who teaches him the secret of the Drunken Fist.

Ride On poster
Ride On
2023 Β· dir. Larry Yang
πŸ… 66%β˜… 6.3action Β· comedy Β· dramaPrime VideoPeacock

The same preoccupation in both: stuntman

The difference: Sits closer to drama than Hooper does

A washed-up stuntman and his stunt horse become an overnight social media sensation when their real-life fight with debt collectors goes viral.

Real Life poster
Real Life
1979 Β· dir. Albert Brooks
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7comedyRent or buy

Playful comedy in both cases

The difference: Trades the momentum of Hooper for an angle of its own

A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS series "An American Family".

My Lucky Stars poster
My Lucky Stars
1985 Β· dir. Sammo Hung
β˜… 6.3action Β· comedy

Kinetic action, and it commits to that

Two Hong Kong cops are sent to Tokyo to catch an ex-cop who stole a large amount of money in diamonds. After one is captured by the Ninja-gang protecting the rogue cop, the other one gets his old Orphanage gang, dubbed the "Five Lucky Stars," to help him. They don't like this much, but they do it.

I Went Down poster
I Went Down
1997 Β· dir. Paddy Breathnach
πŸ… 84%β˜… 6.7action Β· comedy Β· crimePrime Video

Both lean on wit more than on comedy

The difference: Leans harder into crime than Hooper does

Fresh out of prison, Git rescues a former best friend (now living with Git's girlfriend) from a beating at the hands of loan sharks. He's now in trouble with the mob boss, Tom French, who sends Git to Cork with another debtor, Bunny Kelly, to find a guy named Frank Grogan, and take him to a man with a friendly face at a shack across a bog. It's a tougher assignment than it seems: Git's a novice, Bunny's prone to rash acts, Frank doesn't want to be found (and once he's found, he has no money), and maybe Tom's planning to murder Frank, which puts Git in a moral dilemma. Then, there's the long-ago disappearance of Sonny Mulligan. What's a decent and stand-up lad to do?

Clockwise poster
Clockwise
1986 Β· dir. Christopher Morahan
πŸ… 83%β˜… 6.6comedy

Both sit in the same playful register

School headmaster Brian Stimpson is obsessed with timeliness, order, and discipline. Brian misses his train after meticulously preparing a speech for an education conference. With no one else to turn to, he asks young former student Laura Wisely for a ride. Laura, upset over a break-up, agrees to drive him in her parents' car - which alarms her mother and father, who worry that she has run away with a married man and subsequently alert the police.

Used Cars poster
Used Cars
1980 Β· dir. Robert Zemeckis
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.7comedyPrime Video

Comedy of the same temperament

When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.

Dragons Forever poster
Dragons Forever
1988 Β· dir. Sammo Hung
πŸ… 67%β˜… 7.1action Β· comedy Β· romance

Both play action straight

A hot-shot lawyer is hired by a Hong Kong chemical plant to dispose of opposition to their polluting ways. But when he falls for a beautiful woman out to stop the plant, he is torn in a conflict of interest and asks his trusty friends Samo and Biao to help out at least until they discover the true purpose of the plant.

Runner poster
Runner
2026 Β· dir. Scott Waugh
β˜… 6.6action Β· comedyRent or buy

Action approached the same way

The difference: Made in the 2020s, in a different era of the craft

A former soldier is thrown into a brutal race against time when a critical medical delivery makes him and his unlikely partner the targets of a ruthless cartel. As the mission spirals into a deadly manhunt, every detour, delay, and bullet pushes them closer to failure. With betrayal closing in from every side, they must survive the chase and deliver their cargo to save the life of a little girl.

In the mood for more kinetic?

all kinetic movies β†’

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