Hong Kong Cinema Classics: A Better Tomorrow (1986)

"Brothers by blood. Enemies by chance. Killers by nature."

This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around their split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal, and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs.

After kicking around the Hong Kong film industry for years without any copious success, John Woo hit the mainline with this story of brothers on opposite sides of the law, setting the tone for the next couple of decades of Hong Kong (and international) action cinema. It made Chow Yun-fat and teen idol Leslie Cheung major box office stars and positioned Woo as the director to emulate.

The Hong Kong Cinema Classics program is presented by Shout! Factory and GKIDS.

Directed by John Woo

1986 | Hong Kong | Cantonese language with English subtitles | DCP