The Killer

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The Killer

R

1991

1h 51m

Action

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

49 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Mob assassin Jeffrey (Chow Yun-Fat) is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie (Sally Yeh) is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman (Danny Lee) to make things right.

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Critics Consensus

The Killer is another hard-boiled action flick from John Woo featuring eye-popping balletic violence and philosophical underpinnings.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Mar 19, 2026

4/5

John Woo’s 1989 thriller is a reminder of the director’s habit of hitching the craziest of mayhem to a mile-wide streak of earnest emotionalism and sentimentality; a strong and under-acknowledged part of why his films are so addictive.

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Hugo Davenport

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jul 27, 2023

While there is no doubting the technical sophistication of Woo's hyper-kinetic massacres... the most notable aspect of [the film] is the award mix of tongue-in-cheek kitsch and lumbering, macho, male-bonding earnestness in between.

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Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

Sep 8, 2017

The work of a filmmaker operating at the highest level of his abilities.

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Tom Hutchinson

Radio Times

Aug 18, 2026

4/5

Of its amoral kind it's great bullet-dodging fun, but it's definitely not for the faint-hearted.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Mar 7, 2026

The execution... is pure Woo bullet ballet with high melodrama, operatic buddy-movie bonding, and blood-soaked excess.

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

Feb 24, 2026

5/5

This 1980s Hong Kong gun fu movie has spectacular action and bloody violence, but the action is really backdrop to what is essentially a character study along the lines of a Greek tragedy.

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Mr Hollywood

Apr 16, 2026

Classic John Woo film. If you love Face/Off you have to watch this. Action movie done right

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Matt

Apr 15, 2026

If you don't like this movie, you're an asshole.

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Rob

Apr 9, 2026

What a classic!! Epic!

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Dane K

Apr 9, 2026

Fantastic action film!

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Grace

Apr 9, 2026

A touching masterpiece and a true classic. With its iconic photography and legendary music, The Killer stands as the best movie of the Woo and Chow partnership.

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Abraham

Apr 9, 2026

Amazing film and a Hong Kong classic.

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John Woo

Director

Chow Yun-Fat

Ah Jong

Danny Lee

Insp. Li

Sally Yeh

Jennie

Kenneth Tsang

Sgt. Randy Chang

Kong Chu

Fung Sei

Colors

76%

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Synopsis

Mob assassin Jeffrey (Chow Yun-Fat) is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie (Sally Yeh) is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman (Danny Lee) to make things right.

Director: John Woo
Producer: Hark Tsui
Distributor: Circle Films
Production Co: Magnum, Golden Princess Film Production Limited, Film Workshop Ltd.
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 1991, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2026
Release Date (DVD): Mar 30, 2010
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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