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Roy Szeto

Writer, also actor and director · Born January 1, 1954 (72)

Born
January 1, 1954 (72)
Works as
Writer, also actor and director
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 47 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are Roy Szeto's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Bonds
32%
Self
23%
Morality
18%
Society
13%
Power
6%
Survival
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 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 3 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 7

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 4

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

A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 3

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
6
Absurd
5
Tense
4
Melancholic
5
Romantic
4
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Roy Szeto's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Roy Szeto'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

47 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

  • Septet: The Story of Hong Kong(2020)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Shed Skin Papa(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Sorcerer and the White Snake(2011)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Twins Effect II(2004)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Cop Shop Babes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Writer

  • Electrical Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Writer

  • Old Master Q 2001(2001)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Bio-Cops (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Screenplay

  • Another Meltdown(1998)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Time in China and America(1997)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dr. Wai in the Scripture with No Words(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Spider Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Writer

  • Don't Give a Damn(1995)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Phantom Lover(1995)

    Writer · as Zhao Jum

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Sweet Smell of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Screenplay

  • Doug's Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Screenplay

  • Blade of Fury(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • No. 1, 3rd Ave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Screenplay

  • Swordsman III: The East Is Red(1993)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Assassin(1993)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Wicked City(1992)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Slickers vs. Killers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Screenplay

  • A Chinese Ghost Story III(1991)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Pantyhose Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Screenplay

  • To Spy with Love!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Writer

  • Little Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

  • Spooky, Spooky(1988)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Three Against the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Screenplay

  • Dragons Forever(1988)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Vampire Part 3(1987)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Scared Stiff(1987)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • My Cousin, the Ghost(1987)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Righting Wrongs(1986)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Armour of God(1986)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Vampire(1985)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars(1985)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Those Merry Souls(1985)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • My Lucky Stars(1985)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Lifeline Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Screenplay

  • Cherie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Story

  • Shanghai Blues(1984)

    Dialogue Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Obsessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Screenplay

  • Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain(1983)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Head Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Screenplay

  • All the Wrong Clues for the Right Solution(1981)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind(1980)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • We're Going to Eat You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 1980 to 2011.

Biggest box office

The Twins Effect II (2004)

$2.5M worldwide

Highest rated

A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)

Midcredits 70th

Most popular right now

The Phantom Lover (1995)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing37 of 37: 36 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdOther crew1 of 37: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s22 · crew1990s11 · crew2000s3 · crew2010s1 · 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 Roy Szeto's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 30; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor, writer

The Phantom Lover (1995)

65th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Mr. Vampire (1985)

Midcredits 89th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 38/100 and the plot and story 37/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Roy Szeto work with?

People who share at least 2 of Roy Szeto's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hark Tsui shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles