Firstly, the significance and urgent requirements of studying carbon-based solid lubricating films was analyzed based on the application requirements and cost-effectiveness of carbon-based solid lubricating films. Then, the research status of three common carbon-based solid lubricating films including diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, fullerene-like carbon (FLC) films and graphene films was introduced in detail. the three anti-friction and anti-wear mechanisms of DLC films were expounded emphatically, the influence of doped elements on the hardness, friction coefficient and wear rate of DLC films was discussed, and the important role of external factors (matrix material, transition layer and application environment, etc.) on the performance of DLC films was pointed out. The effects of hydrogen, fluorine, and nitrogen on the structural transformation and tribological properties of FLC films were discussed. In general, fluorine doping caused FLC structure changes and significantly changed film hardness. Nitrogen doping induced an increase in fullerene-like microstructure. Hydrogen-doped FLC film could reach super-lubricated state after heat treatment. The development of the graphene film preparation process, the tribological properties of graphene-based composite films, and the application of graphene films to different substrate materials were summarized. Finally, the key problems to be solved in the field of carbon-based lubricating films were pointed out, and the future research directions were predicted.