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Hard-Boiled

Play trailer Poster for Hard-Boiled R In Theaters Jan 25, 2026 2h 6m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 71 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
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Hard-Boiled

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Boasting impactful action as well as surprising emotional resonance, Hard Boiled is a powerful thriller that hits hard in more ways than one.

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Cast & Crew

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John Woo

Director

Chow Yun-Fat

Yuen (Tequila)

Bowie Lam

Benny

Philip Chan

Superintendant

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Actor

Kwan Hoi-shan

Mr. Hoi

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Critics Reviews

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Tony Rayns Sight & Sound 07/27/2023
Hard-Boiled is actually Woo's most relaxed and confident film so far, and in many ways a terrific achievement. It offers nothing much new in plot terms... but its details and incidentals are gleefully idiosyncratic. Go to Full Review Mark Salisbury Empire Magazine 07/27/2023
4/5
Woo has elevated the action movie into the realm of art. Infinitely more exciting than a dozen Die Hards, action cinema doesn't come any better than this. Go to Full Review John Anderson Newsday 07/27/2023
3.5/4
Woo sets a pace for himself from the outset that he can't maintain. But his action sequences are so artfully handled and his sense of humor is so outrageous that it's difficult not to be tickled, and thrilled. Go to Full Review Rene Rodriguez Miami Herald 07/27/2023
3.5/4
Hard-Boiled is, above all, cinema for cinema's sake. Film buffs will be able to rattle off a list of influences on Woo here and cheer at Woo's unapologetic extravagances. Go to Full Review John Powers L.A. Weekly 07/27/2023
Director John Woo's fifth collaboration with Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-Fat is so deliriously action-packed that it verges on, and sometimes succumbs to, self-parody. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mike N Nov 28 To me, Hard-Boiled is so much the Hong Kong version of Michael Cimino's Year of the Dragon (1985). In fact John Woo should have long been chosen to direct Year of the Dragon instead of Cimino if given the chance. Year of the Dragon (Cimino, 1985) VS Hard-Boiled (John Woo, 1992): - Chinese triads - Crime and smuggling - First kill at a restaurant - Final standoff between the main cop and the triad boss (Mickey Rourke vs John Lone in 1985, Chow Yun Fat vs Anthony Wong in 1992) See more Norman B @KunNeki Sep 26 Packed with tons of action and the creation of Gun Fu= Old school classic See more SD B. @MalcolmBrass Jul 4 Hard Boiled is prime John Woo, with the expected Woo-isms, although not as many as in The Killer. See more M B Apr 24 Creme da la creme of HK Action movies, best director and lead actors! See more J H Mar 29 I've watched it many times, and it's still jaw-dropping. It puts most action movies to shame. See more Ajaz S Mar 20 Chow yun fat is the deadliest Asian action hero His ability to uses guns is in incredible especially in the replacement killers the corruptor hard boiled the killer 1989 See more Read all reviews
Hard-Boiled

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Hard-Boiled

A scene from the film HARD-BOILED. A scene from the film HARD-BOILED. A scene from the film HARD-BOILED. A scene from the film HARD-BOILED. Hard-Boiled (1992) Poster Art Hard-Boiled (1992) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Director
John Woo
Producer
Terence Chang, Linda Kuk
Screenwriter
Barry Ping-Yiu Wong, John Woo
Production Co
Milestone Pictures, Golden Princess Film Production Limited
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 1, 1992, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jan 25, 2026
Release Date (DVD)
Oct 27, 2003
Runtime
2h 6m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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