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Ngai Choi Lam

Ngai Choi Lam

Cinematographer and director, also writer · Born September 18, 1951 (75) · Hong Kong, British Crown Colony

Lam Ngai-choi (also called Lam Ngai Kai) is a Hong Kong film director and cinematographer. In the West he is mainly known for his overtly violent movie Story of Ricky.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 18, 1951 (75)
From
Hong Kong, British Crown Colony
Works as
Cinematographer and director, also writer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Ngai Choi Lam's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

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

share of theme weight
Morality
41%
Survival
20%
Bonds
13%
Power
10%
Self
9%
Society
8%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 9

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 5

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
11
Tense
8
Absurd
5
Melancholic
2
Joyful
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1

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 Ngai Choi Lam's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ngai Choi Lam'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

26 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Cat(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky(1991)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Erotic Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Saga of the Phoenix(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Tokyo: The Last War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Assistant Director

  • Peacock King(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Her Vengeance(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Killer's Nocturne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • The Seventh Curse(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Ghost Snatchers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Three Stooges Go Undercover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Prince Charming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Men from the Gutter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Brothers from the Walled City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Xiao zi you zhong(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • One Way Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Co-Director

  • Rendezvous with Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Claws of the Eagle(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Deadly Breaking Sword(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • To Kill a Mastermind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • The Kung Fu Instructor(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Avenging Eagle(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Proud Youth(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Judgement of an Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Assault: The Criminals, Part IV(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A-Sir du hou lao hu qiang(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1977 to 1992.

Highest rated

The Avenging Eagle (1978)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing13 of 23: 8 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stWriting1 of 23: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography13 of 23: 9 only cinematography, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thOther crew1 of 23: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

23 titles, 5 with more than one role — cinematography and directing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1970s7 · crew1980s13 · crew1990s3 · crew

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.

How do Ngai Choi Lam's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

Assault: The Criminals, Part IV (1977)

61st percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Avenging Eagle (1978)

Midcredits 90th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 66/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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.

Who does Ngai Choi Lam work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ngai Choi Lam's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hsing-Lung Chiang shares the most, 9.

Directors

  • Chung Sun8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Chung Sun

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers