Bullet-Fu Lovers Unite: What Are The Best Hong Kong Action Movies?

1. Police Story (1985)

• Director: Jackie Chan
• Writer: Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
• Cast: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Chor Yuen

Often cited as Jackie Chan's personal favorite film, Police Story is a masterclass in comedic action and death-defying stunts. It's one of the best martial arts movies ever made, and a must-see for any action fan.

Chan plays Sergeant Kevin Chan Ka-kui, an honest cop framed by a ruthless drug lord. What follows is a relentless barrage of innovative fight sequences, physical comedy, and some of the most dangerous stunts ever committed to film.

2. A Better Tomorrow (1986)

• Director: John Woo
• Writer: John Woo, Chan Hing-ka, Leung Suk-wah
• Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung

John Woo put Hong Kong action movies on the map and made the world take notice. This defined the subgenre of the "heroic bloodshed" genre and made he world notice John Woo.

A Better Tomorrow revitalized Hong Kong cinema and made Chow Yun-fat a superstar. It's a tale of brotherhood, loyalty, and redemption that has incredible gun battles and flying bullets. The image of Chow Yun-fat in a trench coat, dual-wielding pistols, is iconic for a reason. This put that into our cultural lexicon.

3. Hard Boiled (1992)

• Director: John Woo
• Writer: Barry Wong
• Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong

This could be my favorite of all the Hong Kong movies, and the one that had me coming back for more. It's a movie that really just knows how much fun it is to see epic gun battles and bad ass cops and robbers.

Chow Yun-fat returns as Inspector "Tequila" Yuen, a tough-as-nails cop who teams up with an undercover agent (Tony Leung) to take down a ruthless triad.

Hard Boiled pushed what we knew about action movies to the brink and then broke them old. It has some of the most elaborate and explosive action sequences ever filmed, including a legendary, continuous one-take shootout in a hospital with a bunch of babies that has to be seen to be believed.

4. The Killer (1989)

• Director: John Woo
• Writer: John Woo
• Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Kenneth Tsang

I could sit and talk about John Woo movies all day. This was the "bullet ballet" that made audiences and critics fall for him.

Chow Yun-fat plays Ah Jong, a disillusioned assassin who accidentally blinds a singer (Sally Yeh) during a shootout. He takes on one last job to pay for her sight-restoring surgery, only to be double-crossed.

Yes, it's melodramatic, but it is also an exploration of redemption that features an iconic performance by Danny Lee as the cop who hunts our killer down to see what kind of man he might truly be, deep inside.

5. Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

• Director: Tsui Hark
• Writer: Tsui Hark, Yuen Kai-chi, Leung Yiu-ming, Elsa Tang
• Cast: Jet Li, Yuen Biao, Jacky Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, Kent Cheng

This is the film that catapulted Jet Li to being a star and also made the world understand how beautiful fight choreography was in the East.

The movie was directed by the visionary Tsui Hark and combines the historical epic with the fight movie. We follow folk hero Wong Fei-hung over the course of his hero's journey to emotional effect.

6. Drunken Master II (1994)

• Director: Lau Kar-leung, Jackie Chan (uncredited)
• Writer: Edward Tang, Man-Ming Tong, Kai-chi Yuen
• Cast: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Ti Lung, Felix Wong

Easily my favorite Jackie Chan movie, it was released in the U.S. as The Legend of Drunken Master.

We follow Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung, a drunk guy who can fight and wants the approval of his Dad. Meanwhile, this gang is exploiting people in his town, and he has to stand up to them.

Drunken Master II has the best fight choreography I have ever seen. Chan's mastery of the "Drunken Fist" style is on full display, blending humor, athleticism, and incredible skill.

7. Enter the Dragon (1973)

• Director: Robert Clouse
• Writer: Michael Allin
• Cast: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

We had to show some love for this film that made Bruce Lee an international icon and brought Hong Kong martial arts to the world. This was a Hong Kong and American co-production where the studio saw how profitable this market could be and took a chance making an action movie with them that would go on to change the world.

This film is famous for its iconic set pieces (like the hall of mirrors) and Lee's raw charisma and fighting philosophy, which defined martial arts for a generation.

8. Infernal Affairs (2002)

• Director: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
• Writer: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
• Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

You've probably seen The Departed, but did you know it was based on this Hong Kong trilogy? While less about overt martial arts, Infernal Affairs is a brilliant and relentlessly tense action thriller.

It's a cat-and-mouse game between a police mole in the triads (Tony Leung) and a triad mole in the police force (Andy Lau).

The film’s tight plotting is awesome and a really fun exploration into another action genre that makes Hong Kong movies stick out.

9. Project A (1983)

• Director: Jackie Chan
• Writer: Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
• Cast: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Dick Wei

A perfect example of the "Three Dragons" (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao) at their peak, using their star power to further Hong Kong cinema.

Project A is a swashbuckling adventure set in 19th-century Hong Kong, with Chan playing a marine in the Hong Kong police, battling pirates. It features some of Chan's most creative set pieces and jaw-dropping stunts, with the other two guys also showing off their talents.

10. Ip Man (2008)

• Director: Wilson Yip
• Writer: Edmond Wong, Chan Tai-lee
• Cast: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Gordon Lam, Fan Siu-wong

This film sparked a massive resurgence of interest in martial arts cinema, and it was a movie I watched over and over again in college.

Donnie Yen delivers a career-defining performance as Ip Man, the real-life grandmaster of Wing Chun and the future teacher of Bruce Lee.

Set during the Japanese occupation of China, the film is a biographical drama packed with some of the most blistering, fast, and bone-crunching fight scenes of the modern era, with epic choreography by Sammo Hung.

Summing It All Up 

These action movies from Hong Kong are some of my favorites to watch; they have such impeccable sets and are so much fun. They tackle complex themes and showcase some of the best actors in the world.

I picked my ten favorites, but I bet you have other ones I need to see.