What is the Metascore for A Better Tomorrow?

A Better Tomorrow has a Metascore of 78 out of 100 on Celluloid.

Where can I watch A Better Tomorrow?

A Better Tomorrow is available on fuboTV, The Criterion Channel. Availability varies by region — check your local streaming guide.

What countries is A Better Tomorrow streaming in?

A Better Tomorrow streams on Netflix in Indonesia; Hulu, U-NEXT in Japan; Netflix in Malaysia; Netflix in the Philippines; Wavve, TVING in South Korea; Netflix in Thailand; fuboTV, The Criterion Channel in the United States. Subscription availability only; rental and purchase options may differ.

A Better Tomorrow Review (1986) — 82% Celluloid Score

Directed by John Woo · 1986 · Last reviewed August 31, 2026

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary

A Better Tomorrow (1986) earns a 82% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict

Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.

82%

Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

93% Editorial Rating

94% Audience snapshot · excluded

78 Metascore

★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4

7.5 IMDb /10

Watch Trailer

Runtime: 1h 35m
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
Streaming: fuboTV, The Criterion Channel
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Official theatrical poster for A Better Tomorrow (1986)

Theatrical release

Where to watch

fuboTV
The Criterion Channel

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Where to watch A Better Tomorrow by country

Country	Streaming on
Indonesia	Netflix
Japan	Hulu, U-NEXT
Malaysia	Netflix
Philippines	Netflix
South Korea	Wavve, TVING
Thailand	Netflix
United States	fuboTV, The Criterion Channel

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (93/100).
Audiences widely enjoyed it (94%).
Metascore is generally favorable (78/100).
Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4/5).
Celluloid Score 82% combines 4 verified rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately.

Best for

Viewers who want a well-regarded action, crime, drama pick
Short runtime — easy weeknight watch

Not ideal for

Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Is A Better Tomorrow worth watching?

Yes — A Better Tomorrow earns a 82% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

Celluloid Verdict

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

Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

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.

Watch the Trailer

A Better Tomorrow stills

Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

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