John Woo
Known for: Directing
Born: September 22, 1946
Place of birth: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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.
Advertisement
Filmography
118 movies · 9 TV shows, newest first
NR
Twist & Shoot: Mister Suzuki
2026
6.3
The Killer
2024
6.2
Silent Night
2023
NR
The King of Wuxia Part 2
2022
8.7
The King of Wuxia Part 1
2022
NR
大侠胡金铨
2022
NR
Life in 24 Frames a Second
2021
5.6
A Better Tomorrow
2018
5.6
Manhunt
2017
7.1
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
2017
6.7
Ken San
2016
5.3
The Crossing II
2015
5.5
The Crossing I
2014
5.0
Breaking the Waves
2014
NR
Voice
2012
7.8
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
2012
8.0
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge
2011
7.3
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag
2011
4.7
Beginning of the Great Revival
2011
5.8
Kurosawa's Way
2011
6.3
Color Me Love
2010
6.0
A Better Tomorrow
2010
6.9
Reign of Assassins
2010NR
Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible
2010
4.8
My Fair Gentleman
2009
5.3
The Founding of a Republic
2009
8.0
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009
7.3
Red Cliff II
2009
7.1
Red Cliff
2008
NR
Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
2008
6.5
Appleseed: Ex Machina
2007NR
The Light and The Dark: The Making of Face/Off
2007
5.3
Blood Brothers
2007
NR
The Making of Hard Boiled
2007
8.0
The Making of Stranglehold
2007
NR
Bokura no Jidai
2007
NR
Be My Guest
2006
7.0
All the Invisible Children
2006
NR
A Century of Light and Shadow
2005
NR
Crossings: John Woo
2004
5.2
The Robinsons: Lost in Space
2004
6.2
Paycheck
2003
NR
Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong
2003
NR
The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
2003
NR
The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian
2003
5.5
Bulletproof Monk
2003
6.0
Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia
2003
7.1
Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu
2003
6.6
Hostage
2002
4.3
Red Skies
2002
6.4
Windtalkers
2002
5.9
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
2002
7.5
Mission: Improbable
2001
7.6
The Hire
2001
6.1
Mission: Impossible II
2000
6.2
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
1999
5.3
Blackjack
1998
5.5
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
1998
6.0
The Big Hit
1998
6.3
The Replacement Killers
1998
7.5
Task Force
1997
7.1
Face/Off
1997
4.9
Once a Thief
1996
6.1
Once a Thief
1996
8.0
Somebody Up There Likes Me
1996
6.1
Broken Arrow
1996
7.8
Don't Cry, Nanking
1995
5.9
Peace Hotel
1995
6.2
Cinema of Vengeance
1994
6.5
Hard Target
1993
7.3
Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino
1993
7.5
Hard Boiled
1992
6.9
Twin Dragons
1992
5.8
The Banquet
1991
6.8
Once a Thief
1991
10.0
Rebel from China
1990
7.6
Bullet in the Head
1990
6.4
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon
1989
6.6
Just Heroes
1989
7.0
Sunset in Paris
1989
7.6
The Killer
1989
9.5
Celebrity Talk Show
1989
6.5
Starry Is the Night
1988
6.4
I Love Maria
1988
7.1
A Better Tomorrow II
1987
7.2
The Thirty Million Dollar Rush
1987
7.4
A Better Tomorrow
1986
NR
Ghost Bustin
1985
8.0
Love, Lone Flower
1985
10.0
Super Citizen
1985
8.6
Run Tiger Run
1985
10.0
Happy Union 2
1985
6.5
Heroes Shed No Tears
1984
9.0
The Time You Need a Friend
1984
10.0
Happy Union
1984
6.3
Plain Jane to the Rescue
1982
5.8
To Hell with the Devil
1982NR
The Idiot Assassin
1981
4.8
Laughing Times
1980
4.9
From Riches to Rags
1980
7.1
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
1979
7.3
Itchy Fingers
1979
8.5
Hello, Late Homecomers
1978
8.0
Follow the Star
1978
6.6
Money Crazy
1977
6.4
The Private Eyes
1976
6.6
Hand of Death
1976
8.5
Princess Chang-Ping
1976
7.0
The Dragon Tamers
1975
6.5
Young Lovers on Flying Wheels
1974
6.8
The Young Dragons
1974
NR
The Devils
1973
6.6
Fist to Fist
1973
7.0
The Mandarin
1973
6.3
Blood Brothers
1973
6.1
Four Riders
1972
6.5
Young People
1972
6.8
The Water Margin
1972
7.0
The Boxer from Shantung
1972
4.0
Begging
1970NR
The Ruthless Heart
1970
6.0
Dead Knot
1969
4.9
Accidentally
1968
9.0
Golden Horse Awards
1962NR
X-Crucior
—
NR
Better Tomorrow
—NR
Gambino
—