# A Better Tomorrow (1986) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/a-better-tomorrow-1986/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 82% |
| Editorial Rating | 93/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 94% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 78/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4/5 |
| IMDb | 7.5/10 |
| Director | John Woo |
| Genres | Action, Crime, Drama |
| Runtime | 95 min |
| Festival premiere | HKIFF 1987 |

## Quick answer

A Better Tomorrow (1986) earns a 82% Celluloid Score — Recommended. John Woo’s heroic-bloodshed landmark made Chow Yun-fat an icon — stylish, operatic, and endlessly imitated across action Metascore 78/100. Directed by John Woo.

## Celluloid verdict

John Woo’s heroic-bloodshed landmark made Chow Yun-fat an icon — stylish, operatic, and endlessly imitated across action cinema.

## Synopsis

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

## Cast

Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, Emily Chu Bo-Yee, Waise Lee Chi-Hung, Tien Feng, John Woo, Sek Yin-Tsi, Kenneth Tsang, Wang Hsieh

## Accolades

Premiered at HKIFF 1987.

## Where to watch

Global: fuboTV, The Criterion Channel
the United States: fuboTV, The Criterion Channel
Indonesia: Netflix
South Korea: Wavve, TVING
Japan: Hulu, U-NEXT
the Philippines: Netflix
Malaysia: Netflix
Thailand: Netflix

## Common questions

**Is A Better Tomorrow worth watching?**
A Better Tomorrow holds a 82% Celluloid Score. John Woo’s heroic-bloodshed landmark made Chow Yun-fat an icon — stylish, operatic, and endlessly imitated across action cinema.

**What is A Better Tomorrow about?**
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

**Who directed A Better Tomorrow?**
A Better Tomorrow (1986) was directed by John Woo.

**What is the Celluloid Score of A Better Tomorrow?**
82% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (93/100), Metascore (78/100), Letterboxd (4/5), and IMDb (7.5/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**Where can I watch A Better Tomorrow?**
A Better Tomorrow is streaming on fuboTV, The Criterion Channel; on fuboTV, The Criterion Channel in the United States; on Netflix in Indonesia; on Wavve, TVING in South Korea; on Hulu, U-NEXT in Japan; on Netflix in the Philippines; on Netflix in Malaysia; on Netflix in Thailand. Availability varies by region.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

Markdown mirror: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/a-better-tomorrow-1986.md