John Woo is one of cinema’s great directors and despite making numerous amazing films, he has been absent from American cinema for twenty years. In December 2023, John Woo’s Silent Night played across screens nationwide in the United States. Silent Night marked Woo’s first American production since Paycheck, twenty years ago, and is a dialogue-free action thriller about a father, who, unable to speak, enacts revenge on his son’s killers.

During the 1980s, Woo emerged as one of the most prominent filmmakers of the Hong Kong New Wave film movement. Although his filmography consists of movies categorized by different subgenres of action cinema, Woo’s most significant contribution to film history occurred through the heroic bloodshed genre. Woo’s highly stylized gun-fu action, explosive mise-en-scènes, and expert use of slow-motion made him quickly ascend the ranks of cinema’s greatest action directors.

This article was updated on October 19, 2024, by Christopher Raley: John Woo has graced cinema with a range of action thrillers for fifty years. Full of intense action sequences, choreographed fights, and impressive use of slow motion, Woo’s films represent some of the best moments in the action thriller genre. Five more movies were added to this list, and the article was updated to conform to CBR’s current publishing standards.

15 Broken Arrow Is a Reliable Action Film

Woo Puts His Stamp On a Broken Arrow Situation

While not his best action film, Broken Arrow is far from his worst. Having made his Hollywood debut with Jean-Claude Van Damme in Hard Target, Woo kept directing films in the action genre and would eventually land a huge success with Face/Off in 1997. Woo worked with John Travolta on Broken Arrow which was released in 1996, and if this film didn’t rank with the one that would follow, it played a role in building Woo an American audience.

In Broken Arrow, Major Vic Deakins (Travolta) and Captain Riley Hale (Christian Slater) fly a secret training mission in a stealth bomber during which Deakins ejects Hale from the jet, drops two unarmed nuclear missiles, and then ejects himself after radioing that Hale has gone rogue. What follows are the attempts of the military, Deakins and his mercenaries, and Hale to gain control of the warheads. Featuring a gun battle in an abandoned mine and an epic and climactic fight on a train, Broken Arrow, sits just shy of an American breakthrough for Woo, giving it a spot at number 15 on this list.

14 Mission Impossible II Brings Woo Together With Tom Cruise

The Pairing Makes A High-Action MI Movie

Mission Impossible II is the lowest-ranked of the Mission Impossible movies, but that doesn’t make it bad. Woo’s production brings a slick, highly choreographed style of action to the screen, with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt navigating a previously unknown line between spy hero and gun-fu hero. The movie may be unfairly remembered, and any analysis of the film should note that it appeared when the Mission Impossible franchise was still figuring itself out.

As such, Cruise’s more rugged version of Hunt (long hair, rock climbing without ropes), the highly stylized action scenes (hero and protagonist charging each other on motorcycles), and Anthony Hopkins’ MI5 meets MI don’t play well with the franchise’s more established characteristics. But as far as the world of Woo is concerned, Mission Impossible: II is a respectable action film. His trademarks are all there, including intense action and twists and turns. While some critics felt it was a throwaway film, some recognized Woo’s skill at delivering the characters in a solid action film.

13 Hard Target Is Woo’s First American Film

It’s also the First Hollywood Film From a Chinese Director

John Woo made his directorial American debut with Hard Target, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. While Van Damme’s name may have initially been off-putting, Hard Target is a far cry from Bloodsport and enables Van Damme to try out acting for a change. The movie received mixed reviews, though it fared well at the box office. The movie developed into a cult classic which has been better received as it has aged.

Set in New Orleans, Hard Target follows homeless vet Chance Boudreaux (Van Damme) as he helps Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler) search for her missing father, Douglas Binder (Chuck Pfarrer). Soon, they discover that a wealthy businessman, Emil Fouchon (Lance Henrickson) is hunting homeless former soldiers for sport. Once Boudreaux catches the eye of Fouchon, Van Damme becomes the titular hard target in this unpretentious, straight-ahead action thriller.

12 Manhunt Sees Woo Return To His Roots

This Action Film Is a Tribute To Ken Takakura

In 2017, John Woo returned to his roots to release Manhunt, an action movie in the vein of The Killer.Manhunt is an adaptation of a Japanese novel which was previously adapted under the same title in 1976 and starred Ken Takakura. This was the first foreign movie to be released in China following Moa Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. As a result, Takakura became a cultural icon, and Woo made this film as a tribute to the Japanese actor.

Manhunt follows a lawyer, Du Qiu, for the murder of a woman by the corporation he works for. He is arrested but then flees and is pursued by a host of people with competing interests: a police officer named Satoshi Yamura, two assassins named Dawn and Rain, and a woman whose husband was also framed and killed by the same corporation. Full of intense chases, action sequences, and twists and turns, Manhunt is a great return to form.

11 Princess Chang Ping Adapts a Cantonese Opera

It Tells a Story Of Love And Loyalty

John Woo is renowned for his gun-fu-style films, and many fans seek him out for his intense actions and unparalleled use of slow motion. But Woo has carried off many different film styles in many different genres. Released in 1975, Princess Chang Ping is an accurate adaptation of the Cantonese opera of the same name by Tang Ti Shen. That’s right. It’s a musical.

Princess Chang Ping was Woo’s first big success and managed to incorporate elements of what would become known as his Heroic Bloodshed style. The story follows the titular character in the waning days of the Ming Dynasty. She falls in love with a humble scholar, but when the Manchurians invade China, she is ordered to commit suicide but she refuses and escapes to a Buddhist nunnery. After being reunited with the young man, the couple must decide whether their freedom is worth the cost of acknowledging Manchu authority.

10 Once A Thief Is a Rare Action Comedy

Released In 1991, It Features Chow Yun-Fat

While not known for his comedies, Woo’s Once a Thief was one of the director’s few true action comedies. Once a Thief stars Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, and Cherie Chung as a trio of art thieves whose lives become complicated following double-crosses and a budding love triangle. The clever combination of comedy and action earns its place among Woo’s strongest movies.

Once a Thief provided Woo with a much-needed box office success following the financial disaster of Bullet in the Head. The film was Hong Kong’s fourth highest-grossing domestic release of 1991. Critically, Once a Thief received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Film Editing at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Five years later, Woo remade Once a Thief for Canadian television. This version eventually led to a Canadian television series that lasted one season.

9 A Better Tomorrow II Is a Worthy Sequel

Released in 1987, It Follows Woo’s Revolutionary First Installment

The sequel to Woo’s revolutionary action film A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II focuses on a restauranteur who teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend’s daughter. Stars Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung reprise their roles from the original film. Chow Yun-fat also returns, despite his character’s death in A Better Tomorrow. Chow proved so popular after his breakout performance that he returned to the franchise as his original character’s twin brother.

Sadly, the production of A Better Tomorrow II faced constant conflict between Woo and producer Tsui Hark. Woo’s dissatisfaction with the production led him to leave the franchise, with Hark directing A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon. Despite the turmoil, A Better Tomorrow II earned nominations for Best Actor and Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

8 Red Cliff II Continues Woo’s Historical War Epic (2009)

Released In 2009, It Concludes a Legendary Battle

The second part of Woo’s historical war epic Red Cliff, Red Cliff II continues the narrative of the Battle of Red Cliffs and the end of the Han dynasty. According to Woo, the Red Cliff films contain 50 percent historical accuracy and 50 percent creative license. Woo cared more about the audience’s emotional response to the battle rather than historical accuracy.

He succeeds brilliantly at emotional response as he brings the scope of the legendary battle to a close. Red Cliff II went on to be just as successful as Red Cliff, with the sequel finishing top five at both the Hong Kong and mainland China box offices. At the Hong Kong Film Awards, Red Cliff II earned 13 nominations, winning one for Best Sound Design.

7 Released in 2008, Red Cliff Triumphed Over Financial Risk

Woo Returned To Chinese-Language Cinema After 16 Years

After working in Hollywood for 16 years, Woo returned to Chinese-language cinema with the internationally co-produced historical war epic Red Cliff. The film recounts the events of the Battle of Red Cliffs and the demise of the Han dynasty. The film features an all-star cast that includes Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, and Zhao Wei.

Red Cliff was a major financial risk. It was the most expensive Chinese film ever made, and during the production, a fire accident resulted in the death of a stuntman. However, Red Cliff was an unprecedented success, becoming the highest-grossing domestic film in China’s history. Critically, Red Cliff received nearly 60 award nominations worldwide, with fifteen nominations and five wins at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

6 Face/Off Is Woo’s Greatest Hollywood Production

Released in 1997, Cage And Travolta Made a Dynamic Pair

When examining Woo’s Hollywood career, there are some very clear highs mixed with some unfortunate lows. Unquestionably, Woo’s greatest Hollywood triumph is Face/Off. A science fiction action thriller, Face/Off stars John Travolta as FBI agent Sean Archer, who undergoes facial transplant surgery to assume the role of terrorist Castor Troy, played by Nicolas Cage, in an attempt to gather information about a bombing plot.

However, Troy undergoes the same surgery to look like Archer, complicating the plot immensely. Face/Off remains the best example of Woo implementing his unique action aesthetic into a Hollywood production. The combination of its high-concept narrative and mesmerizing action choreography makes Face/Off a thoroughly entertaining action spectacle. Time Out declared Face/Off the 12th greatest action film of all time.

5 Last Hurrah For Chivalry Was Woo’s First Prominent Film

Released In 1979, It Put Woo On the Map

A precursor to his heroic bloodshed films, Last Hurrah for Chivalry was Woo’s first film of prominence and number five on this list of best John Woo films. Despite directing films since the 1960s, Last Hurrah for Chivalry marks the first Woo film that began to reflect the director’s signature style. A martial arts action film, it tells the story of a son who hires two assassins to help avenge his father’s death.

Woo made Last Hurrah for Chivalry as an homage to his mentor, the legendary Hong Kong auteur Chang Cheh. The film contains many themes that would become trademark components of Woo’s oeuvre, such as honor, brotherhood, and loyalty. Last Hurrah for Chivalry also demonstrates Woo’s growing directorial command of action choreography. As a lover of musicals, Woo directs his action scenes as if his characters are dancers, not killers

4 Bullet In The Head Finds Woo Getting Political

This 1990 Film Addresses Political Concerns With China

In 1989, the Tiananmen Square massacre took place. Estimations believe possibly thousands of people died protesting the Chinese government and the rapid economic changes in the country. Woo, through his action war film Bullet in the Head, used the setting of the Vietnam War as a metaphor to address the political issues in China. Bullet in the Head follows three criminal friends who become unintentionally involved in the horrors of the Vietnam War.

At the time of its release, Bullet in the Head set the record for the largest production budget in Hong Kong film history. Unfortunately for Woo, the film was a box office flop. With time, Bullet in the Head’s critical standing has greatly increased. The film is now frequently cited as one of Woo’s best. Time Out included Bullet in the Head on its list of the greatest action films.

3 A Better Tomorrow Revolutionized Hong Kong Cinema

This 1986 Film Is Almost The Height Of Woo’s Style

Seven years after Last Hurrah for Chivalry, Woo revolutionized the Hong Kong film industry with A Better Tomorrow. An action-crime thriller, A Better Tomorrow centers on a reforming ex-gangster who tries to reconcile his relationship with his estranged policeman brother. However, the ties to his former gang become increasingly difficult to break. The movie set the template for the heroic bloodshed genre while also establishing Woo’s wholly unique gun-fu action aesthetic.

A Better Tomorrow‘s aesthetic had a profound influence on action cinema around the world, as seen in franchises such as The Matrix and John Wick. Chow Yun-fat was the film’s breakout star. His portrayal as Mark became a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong, significantly influencing the clothing style of Hong Kong’s youth. Chow won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards while the film itself won Best Picture. In total, A Better Tomorrow earned 11 nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2005, the Hong Kong Film Awards named A Better Tomorrow the second greatest Chinese-language film of all time.

2 Hard Boiled Was Woo’s Last Hong Kong Film

After 1992, He Moved To Hollywood

Woo cemented his international reputation with action films revolving around gangsters. With Hard Boiled, Woo desired to make an action film based around police officers, which manifested due to his admiration of Clint Eastwood and Steven McQueen’s cop movies. Hard Boiled stars Chow Yun-fat as a police sergeant who teams up with an undercover officer, played by Tony Leung, to take down a triad boss.

Among Hard Boiled’s most memorable sequences are its opening tea house shootout and its single-take hospital shootout. Both of these sequences exemplify Woo’s balletic gun violence mixed with chaotic mise-en-scènes full of smoke, exploding debris, and destruction. Empire named Hard Boiled to its list of the greatest films of world cinema, while Time Out voted the film the eighth best action film of all time.

1 The Killer Is Woo’s Magnum Opus (1989)

Heroic Bloodshed Doesn’t Get Better Than This

Of all Woo’s superb action films, The Killer stands out as his magnum opus. In The Killer, Chow Yun-fat stars as a hitman who accidentally damages the eyes of a singer in a shootout. He decides to perform one last hit to help pay for her treatment before leaving the criminal life for good. However, double-crosses complicate his plans.

With The Killer, Woo combined his style with influences from Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï and Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. The Killer contains themes of honor and brotherhood mixed with Christian imagery related to themes of morality and guilt. Woo also introduced the use of white doves in The Killer, a visual motif he would continue to use throughout his career. In 2010, Time Out New York listed The Killer among the 50 greatest foreign films of all time.