The work aims to analyze the research status of antimicrobial films for food packaging at home and abroad and summarize the future development trends considering the existing problems, thus providing guidance for the research and development of antimicrobial films for food packaging. The antimicrobial mechanisms of antimicrobial agents and their application status in preparing antimicrobial films for food packaging were introduced. The latest researches of antimicrobial films for food packaging at home and abroad were summarized and the gaps between these researches were analyzed. Some progresses have been achieved in researches of antimicrobial films for food packaging and in-depth researches are still required in terms of antimicrobial effects, assessment of food safety risks, and industrialization. With the problems of antimicrobial films in food safety, antimicrobial ability, industrial technology, etc. being solved, antimicrobial films for food packaging will play an important role in the field of food packaging.