Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, known for their outstanding hardness, high elastic modulus, low frictioncoefficient, and excellent wear resistance, are ideal solid lubricants for achieving engineering superlubricity in aerospaceand automotive applications. However, their poor thermal stability and insufficient adhesion strength between the film andthe substrate severely hinder their widespread industrial application. Herein, the structural characteristics and typicaldeposition methods of DLC films are reviewed, and an in-depth analysis of how elemental doping and multilayer structuredesign modulate the film structure and tribological performance is provided. Moreover, it elucidates how theoreticalsimulation methods such as molecular dynamics reveal the microscopic regulatory mechanisms of these experimentalmodification strategies as well as the superlubricity mechanisms of DLC films at the atomic scale. Finally, the currentchallenges in DLC tribology research and future research directions are discussed.