Yau Nai-hoi is a Hong Kong screenwriter and director best known for his work with the production company Milkyway Image.
Biography from TMDB.
- April 14, 1968 (58)
- Hong Kong, China
- Writer and producer, also director
- 29 on MovieCove · 49 credits in all
Known for
What are Nai-Hoi Yau's films like?
Across their 26 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 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 24
Light 6 · Serious 11 · Dark 9
Grounded 10 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 11 · Intense 12
Steady 11 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 4
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 3
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 3
A split, not a type: Casual 7 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 10
Easy watch 5 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 10
Resolved 18 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet15
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
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 Nai-Hoi Yau's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- Election 2 (2006) · writer · free
- Election (2005) · writer · free
- Cold Eyes (2013) · writer · free
- Drug War (2012) · writer · free
- Life Without Principle (2011) · writer · free
- Believer (2018) · writer · free
- The Bare-Footed Kid (1993) · writer · free
- Three (2016) · writer, producer · free
- Caught in Time (2020) · thanks · free
Subscription and free streaming for Nai-Hoi Yau'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
49 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
COURT! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
What If (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Believer 2(2023)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Mad Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Caught in Time(2020)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Believer(2018)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Three(2016)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Trivisa(2016)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
iPhone Thieves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Land Sickness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Blind Detective(2013)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Cold Eyes(2013)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Drug War(2012)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Romancing in Thin Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Life Without Principle(2011)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Epilepsy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Broken but New (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Triangle(2007)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Eye in the Sky(2007)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Election 2(2006)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Election(2005)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Open Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Throw Down(2004)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Running on Karma(2003)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Turn Left, Turn Right (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
PTU(2003)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Love for All Seasons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts(2002)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Fat Choi Spirit(2002)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Running Out of Time 2(2001)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Love on a Diet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Wu Yen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Help!!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Needing You... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Mission(1999)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Running Out of Time(1999)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Where a Good Man Goes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
A Hero Never Dies(1998)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Expect the Unexpected (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
The Longest Nite(1997)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Lifeline(1997)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
A Moment of Romance III(1996)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Loving You(1995)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Bare-Footed Kid(1993)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Edge of Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Blood Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Career shape
A full career of 49 titles from 1991 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Cold Eyes (2013)
Highest rated
Election 2 (2006)
Most popular right now
Cold Eyes (2013)
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 Nai-Hoi Yau's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 29; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up13
- 50th to 74th11
- 25th to 49th5
Shape of the crowd
20 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser20
- Broadly Agreed5
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 52/100 in their films, across 25 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 Nai-Hoi Yau work with?
People who share at least 2 of Nai-Hoi Yau's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Johnnie To shares the most, 25.
Directors
- Johnnie ToShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Three (2016), Trivisa (2016), Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Life Without Principle (2011), Eye in the Sky (2007), Triangle (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004) and 13 moreSee newest 12 of 25 shared titles with Johnnie To
- Ka-Fai WaiShared titles: Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), A Hero Never Dies (1998), The Longest Nite (1997)See all 8 shared titles with Ka-Fai Wai
- Hark TsuiShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Triangle (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Hark Tsui
- Ringo LamShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Triangle (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Ringo Lam
Writers
- Kin-Yee AuShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Cold Eyes (2013), Life Without Principle (2011), Eye in the Sky (2007), Triangle (2007), Throw Down (2004), PTU (2003), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001)See all 11 shared titles with Kin-Yee Au
- Tin-Shing YipShared titles: Life Without Principle (2011), Triangle (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), Running on Karma (2003)See all 6 shared titles with Tin-Shing Yip
- Ryker ChanShared titles: Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011)See all 3 shared titles with Ryker Chan
- Tin Shu MakShared titles: Three (2016), Trivisa (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Tin Shu Mak
Actors
- Suet LamShared titles: Three (2016), Trivisa (2016), Blind Detective (2013), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Eye in the Sky (2007), Triangle (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), PTU (2003), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001), Running Out of Time (1999) and 3 moreSee newest 12 of 15 shared titles with Suet Lam
- Ching-Wan LauShared titles: Life Without Principle (2011), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001), Running Out of Time (1999), A Hero Never Dies (1998), Lifeline (1997), The Longest Nite (1997), Loving You (1995)See all 9 shared titles with Ching-Wan Lau
- Simon YamShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Eye in the Sky (2007), Triangle (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), PTU (2003), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), The Mission (1999)See all 8 shared titles with Simon Yam
- Eddie CheungShared titles: Three (2016), Life Without Principle (2011), Eye in the Sky (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), Running on Karma (2003), The Bare-Footed Kid (1993)See all 8 shared titles with Eddie Cheung
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Siu-Keung ChengShared titles: Three (2016), Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Life Without Principle (2011), Triangle (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), PTU (2003), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002) and 7 moreSee newest 12 of 19 shared titles with Siu-Keung Cheng
- David M. RichardsonShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Three (2016), Trivisa (2016), Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Life Without Principle (2011), Eye in the Sky (2007), Triangle (2007), Throw Down (2004)See all 10 shared titles with David M. Richardson
- Wing-Cheong LawShared titles: Election 2 (2006), PTU (2003), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001)See all 6 shared titles with Wing-Cheong Law
- Ying-Wah WongShared titles: Running Out of Time 2 (2001), Running Out of Time (1999), A Hero Never Dies (1998), Lifeline (1997), The Longest Nite (1997), A Moment of Romance III (1996)See all 6 shared titles with Ying-Wah Wong
Producers
- Catherine ChanShared titles: Eye in the Sky (2007), Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), PTU (2003), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001), Running Out of Time (1999), The Mission (1999), A Hero Never Dies (1998) and 1 moreSee newest 12 of 13 shared titles with Catherine Chan
- Tiffany ChenShared titles: Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), Running on Karma (2003), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Running Out of Time 2 (2001), Running Out of Time (1999), A Moment of Romance III (1996)See all 9 shared titles with Tiffany Chen
- Elos GalloShared titles: Election 2 (2006), Election (2005), Throw Down (2004), PTU (2003), The Mission (1999)See all 5 shared titles with Elos Gallo
- Elaine ChuShared titles: Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020), Blind Detective (2013), Drug War (2012), Life Without Principle (2011)See all 4 shared titles with Elaine Chu
Mixed roles
- Jevons AuShared titles: Trivisa (2016), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Jevons Au
- Jeff CheungShared titles: Life Without Principle (2011), Election 2 (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Cheung
- Patrick LeungShared titles: A Moment of Romance III (1996), The Bare-Footed Kid (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Patrick Leung
