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In a busy month of AAA games, indie-developed Sifu had something of an uphill climb to stand out among the crowd that includes games Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring. Regardless of the challenge, Sloclap's unique take on the roguelike genre has come out swinging Wing Chun-style and stands out as one of the truly unique beat-em-ups available today.
The challenging Kung Fu action game wears its influences proudly, and its minimalist approach to storytelling is still impactful. With its unique aging mechanics, Sloclap's Sifu appears to be a metaphorical tale of wasting what is already a short life in the pursuit of revenge. That said, it's still an empowering experience once the mechanics have been mastered, including countering, parrying, and swaying from an opponent's attacks. After playing a game like Sifu, it's only natural to want to watch some great Kung Fu films that follow similar themes as Sifu.
7 Paper Tigers (2020)
The newest title on this list, Paper Tigers is a martial arts comedy-drama in a similar vein to the Cobra Kai series, but instead of karate, it is Kung Fu that takes center stage. It stars three leads in Alain Uy (Helstrom and True Detective), Ron Yuan (Mulan, Marco Polo, and Prison Break), and Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Undisputed 3 and Kick Ass 2).
The film's story follows three middle-aged martial artists that were Kung Fu prodigies in the 1980s as they investigate the murder of their Sifu by one of his former students. The film has some similarities to the plot of Sifu and the martial arts action is outstanding. Even though Ron Yuan has more credentials when it comes to martial arts movies, it's Alain Yu's character, the film's central antagonist played by Ken Quitugua, that pull off an amazing showdown before the credit roll.
6 Fist Of Fury (1972)
Bruce Lee is a cultural icon who transcended his status as one of the greatest martial arts superstars of all time. His second Kung Fu movie, FIst of Fury, is one of the films that cemented his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.
Lee's intensity and on-screen presence are still yet to be matched, and the pure ferocity at which executes his scenes in Fist of Fury is mesmerizing. One of the most beautifully choreographed scenes in Fist of Fury shows him destroying a dojo full of Karate black belts with ease. Moreover, the plot follows Lee's character Chen Zhen on a mission of revenge after discovering his Sifu was murdered.
5 Fist Of Legend (1994)
Bruce Lee wasn't the only Hong Kong superstar to play Chen Zhen. This time, was the legendary Jet Li took up the mantle in Fist of Legend a remake of Fist of Fury.
The film functioned more like a retelling rather than a straight-up remake, but the plot still follows Chen on a mission of revenge for the murder of his master. The fight choreography is incredible and captures Jet Li's athleticism and quiet intensity, giving the character a presence that Li made his own. The second film is just as influential as the original, as it led to the Wachowskis hiring the film's director, Yuen Woo-ping, to choreograph the fight scenes in The Matrix.
4 Enter The Dragon (1973)
No great Kung Fu movie list would be complete without mentioning one of the influential martial arts movies of all time: Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Hailed as the film that made Bruce Lee a megastar after his untimely death in 1973, it also features early roles for Hong Kong legends Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
One can only imagine how great it would have been if Enter the Dragon had continued as a franchise in the vein of the James Bond series. Even so, Bruce Lee's performance and timeless choreography are flawless. Enter the Dragon is another revenge story, but this time, Lee is out to avenge his sister's death as well as infiltrate a tournament that's a front for human and drug trafficking.
The film's tournament setting has influenced everything from Blood Sport to games like Mortal Kombat. Enter the Dragon shows off Lee's skills and intensity as he takes on multiple opponents at a time in its iconic underground dungeon scene. It's hard not to imagine that this scene was a likely influence on Sifu's mix of hand-to-hand combat and its use of weapons.
3 Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen (2010)
The iconic Chen Zhen is back again, only this time, the character is portrayed by the Hong Kong legend Donnie Yen (Blade 2, Mulan, Ip Man, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). This film is a follow-up to the 1995 Fist of Fury TV series, which also featured Yen in the starring role.
Despite Yen making the role his own, he includes a lot of allusions to Bruce Lee's style. He even wears an outfit that resembles Lee's character from the Green Hornet TV show. The film is a lot more flamboyant and can even be considered a Hong Kong superhero film, but the cinematography and fight choreography are a sight to behold and something that Hollywood has yet to replicate.
2 Kiss Of The Dragon (2001)
Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon might be a Western martial arts film, but it's easily one of his most underrated movies in its genre. Released a year before the Bourne Identity, it similarly nailed that gritty Parisian feel with fight scenes even more expertly crafted and executed than Bourne's.
Li's attack on the police station full of corrupt cops, under the orders of Tchéky Karyo's Inspector Jean-Pierre Richard, will resonate with fans of SIfu. There are many great fight scenes in the film, but standouts are the Dojo full of Karate cops armed with batons and the fight scenes against The Twins, particularly against French martial arts star Cyrill Raffaelli. Li's costar Bridget Fonda also gives an excellent performance in one of her last films before retiring from acting.
1 Kill Zone - AKA SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005)
Cited as one of the influences in developing Sifu, Kill Zone starring Donnie Yen is an easy recommendation for fans of the game. Just like Sifu, the film implements the use of tight spaces and blisteringly fast in-fighting. It's a clear influence on Sloclap's game.
In this film, Donnie Yen's protagonist Inspector Ma Kwun is dying from an inoperable tumor. Just like the protagonist in Sifu, he seems to be fighting toward an inevitable and inescapable end. Therefore, the metaphor for wasting one's life on revenge is very much a factor in Kill Zone's plot.
Sifu is available now for the PC, PS4, and PS5