John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.
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Biography from TMDB.
- September 22, 1946 (80)
- Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Director, producer, actor and writer, also editor
- 51 on MovieCove · 106 credits in all
What are John Woo's films like?
Across their 44 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 3 · Earnest 39
A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 13 · Dark 20
A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 25
Gentle 1 · Charged 17 · Intense 26
Steady 8 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 9
Straight-faced 30 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 4
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 18
Casual 11 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 8
A split, not a type: Easy watch 16 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 15
Resolved 40 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
- Threshold guardianas Inspector Wu in A Better Tomorrow (1986)
- Allyas Lin Sen in Beginning of the Great Revival (2011)
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet22
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous6
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch John Woo's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (8).
- Hard Boiled (1992) · actor, director, writer, editor
- The Killer (1989) · director, writer
- Bullet in the Head (1990) · actor, director, writer, producer, editor
- A Better Tomorrow (1986) · actor, director, writer, producer
- A Better Tomorrow II (1987) · director, writer
- Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979) · director, writer
- Once a Thief (1991) · actor, director, writer
- A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989) · producer
- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale II (2011) · producer · free
- Reign of Assassins (2010) · director, producer · free
- Twin Dragons (1992) · actor · free
- Heroes Shed No Tears (1984) · director, writer, producer · free
- Windtalkers (2002) · director, producer · free
- The Big Hit (1998) · producer · free
- Bulletproof Monk (2003) · producer · free
Subscription and free streaming for John Woo's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
106 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Killer(2024)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Silent Night(2023)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
A Better Tomorrow 2018(2018)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Manhunt(2017)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
The Crossing 2(2015)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Crossing(2014)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Breaking the Waves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Voice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Color Me Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
A Better Tomorrow(2010)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Reign of Assassins(2010)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
My Fair Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Red Cliff II(2009)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Red Cliff(2008)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Appleseed: Ex Machina(2007)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Blood Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
The Making of Hard Boiled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
The Making of Stranglehold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Bokura no Jidai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Be My Guest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Paycheck(2003)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Bulletproof Monk(2003)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Hostage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Red Skies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Windtalkers(2002)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Mission: Improbable (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
The Hire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Mission: Impossible II(2000)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Blackjack(1998)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Big Hit(1998)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
The Replacement Killers(1998)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Task Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Face/Off(1997)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Once a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Once a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Somebody Up There Likes Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Broken Arrow(1996)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Don't Cry, Nanking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Peace Hotel(1995)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Hard Target(1993)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Hard Boiled(1992)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Twin Dragons(1992)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Banquet(1991)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Once a Thief(1991)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Rebel from China (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Bullet in the Head(1990)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Just Heroes(1989)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Sunset in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Killer(1989)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Celebrity Talk Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Starry Is the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
I Love Maria(1988)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
A Better Tomorrow II(1987)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
A Better Tomorrow(1986)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Ghost Bustin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Love, Lone Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Super Citizen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Run Tiger Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Happy Union 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Heroes Shed No Tears(1984)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Time You Need a Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Happy Union (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Plain Jane to the Rescue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
To Hell with the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Idiot Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Laughing Times(1981)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
From Riches to Rags (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Last Hurrah for Chivalry(1979)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Itchy Fingers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Hello, Late Homecomers(1978)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Follow the Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Money Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Private Eyes(1976)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Hand of Death(1976)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Princess Chang-Ping (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Dragon Tamers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Young Lovers on Flying Wheels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
The Young Dragons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
The Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Fist to Fist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Mandarin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Dynasty of Blood(1973)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Four Riders(1972)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Young People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
The Water Margin(1972)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Boxer from Shantung(1972)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Begging (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Ruthless Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Dead Knot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Accidentally (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Better Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Gambino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
X-Crucior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 105 titles, 102 of them dated from 1968 to 2024.
Biggest box office
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Highest rated
Hard Boiled (1992)
Most popular right now
Broken Arrow (1996)
Film career
- 1976Screen debut· Hand of Death
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
Awards
1 major award from 2 major nominations, 2010–2025.
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures
- Venice award, won
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do John Woo's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 51; across their 44 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th20
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
19 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved5
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser19
- Broadly Agreed11
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the atmosphere 61/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is John Woo's work okay for kids?
Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does John Woo work with?
People who share at least 2 of John Woo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Terence Chang shares the most, 25.
Directors
- Hark TsuiShared titles: A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), Just Heroes (1989), The Killer (1989), I Love Maria (1988), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 6 shared titles with Hark Tsui
- Karl MakaShared titles: The Thirty Million Dollar Rush (1987), Laughing Times (1981), Hello, Late Homecomers (1978)See all 3 shared titles with Karl Maka
- Te-Sheng WeiShared titles: Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I (2011), Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale II (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Te-Sheng Wei
Writers
- Chao-Bin SuShared titles: The Crossing 2 (2015), The Crossing (2014), Reign of Assassins (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Chao-Bin Su
- Hing-Ka ChanShared titles: A Better Tomorrow (2010), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Hing-Ka Chan
- Suk-Wah LeungShared titles: A Better Tomorrow (2010), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Suk-Wah Leung
- Ching-hui ChenShared titles: The Crossing 2 (2015), The Crossing (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Ching-hui Chen
Actors
- Chow Yun-FatShared titles: Beginning of the Great Revival (2011), Bulletproof Monk (2003), The Replacement Killers (1998), Peace Hotel (1995), Hard Boiled (1992), Once a Thief (1991), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), The Killer (1989), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 10 shared titles with Chow Yun-Fat
- Tony Leung Chiu-waiShared titles: Red Cliff II (2009), Red Cliff (2008), Hard Boiled (1992), Bullet in the Head (1990), I Love Maria (1988)See all 5 shared titles with Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Kenneth TsangShared titles: The Replacement Killers (1998), Once a Thief (1991), The Killer (1989), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 5 shared titles with Kenneth Tsang
- Angeles WooShared titles: The Killer (2024), Silent Night (2023), Manhunt (2017), The Crossing 2 (2015)See all 4 shared titles with Angeles Woo
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- David WuShared titles: The Crossing (2014), Red Cliff II (2009), Blackjack (1998), Once a Thief: Family Business (1998), Hard Boiled (1992), Once a Thief (1991), Bullet in the Head (1990), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), I Love Maria (1988), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 11 shared titles with David Wu
- Wing-Hang WongShared titles: Reign of Assassins (2010), Peace Hotel (1995), Hard Boiled (1992), Bullet in the Head (1990), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), The Killer (1989), A Better Tomorrow II (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986)See all 8 shared titles with Wing-Hang Wong
- Tarô IwashiroShared titles: Manhunt (2017), The Crossing 2 (2015), The Crossing (2014), Red Cliff II (2009), Red Cliff (2008)See all 5 shared titles with Tarô Iwashiro
- Tony Kwok-Chung ChowShared titles: Peace Hotel (1995), The Thirty Million Dollar Rush (1987), Laughing Times (1981)See all 3 shared titles with Tony Kwok-Chung Chow
Producers
- Terence ChangShared titles: The Killer (2024), The Crossing 2 (2015), The Crossing (2014), Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I (2011), Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale II (2011), A Better Tomorrow (2010), Reign of Assassins (2010), Red Cliff II (2009), Red Cliff (2008), Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007), All the Invisible Children (2005), The Robinsons: Lost in Space (2004) and 13 moreSee newest 12 of 25 shared titles with Terence Chang
- Lori TilkinShared titles: The Killer (2024), Silent Night (2023), Red Cliff (2008), Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007)See all 4 shared titles with Lori Tilkin
- Tsai-Yang TangShared titles: Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I (2011), Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale II (2011), Red Cliff II (2009), Red Cliff (2008)See all 4 shared titles with Tsai-Yang Tang
- Christopher GodsickShared titles: Blackjack (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), Face/Off (1997), Broken Arrow (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Christopher Godsick
Mixed roles
- Gordon ChanShared titles: Manhunt (2017), Hard Boiled (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Gordon Chan
- Todd WeingerShared titles: Red Cliff (2008), Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Todd Weinger
- Kirk WongShared titles: The Big Hit (1998), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Kirk Wong
- Barry WongShared titles: Hard Boiled (1992), The Killer (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Wong
