The work aims to prepare favorable CrCN coatings by magnetic filtered cathodic arc deposition and study the effects of acetylene/nitrogen gas flow rate and substrate bias on structure and composition of the films. CrCN composite films were deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition technique at different C2H2/N2 mixed gas flow rates ranging from 20 mL/min to 100 mL/min. Phase structure and morphology of the films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electronic microscope, transmission electron microscope, scanning probe microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope. The amorphous degree of the films increased gradually as the gas flow rate increased; TEM showed that a large number of nanocrystallines immersed in amorphous composition of the CrCN composite films; SPM showed that the surface roughness of CrCN thin films increased from 0.345 nm to 4.38 nm as the substrate bias from increased –200 V to –150 V; XPS, TEM and XRD data showed that the Cr element in the films mainly existed as pure Cr, CrN and Cr3C2. The CrCN composite films prepared by virtue of the magnetic filtered vacuum cathodic arc deposition technology have amorphous-nanocrystalline mosaic structure. The surface roughness of CrCN films is related to the negative bias of the substrate. The increase of gas flow rate of mixed gas has little effect on the change of film composition.