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Hard-Boiled

Play trailer Poster for Hard-Boiled R 1992 2h 6m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 78 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

Hard-Boiled

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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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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Mar 9, 2026
4/5
It is all so bizarre that you have to enjoy it and it makes those of us of a certain generation nostalgic for watching VHS rental tapes on a Friday night. Go to Full Review Tony Rayns Sight & Sound Jul 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 Jul 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 Ferguson Radio Times Aug 18, 2026
4/5
Superb. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Jul 28, 2026
[John Woo] delivers a portrait of violence spinning out of control while keeping the narrative in focus through the chaos. Check out of the narrative and the screen becomes an abstract motion painting, a thing of terrible beauty in its own right. Go to Full Review Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture Jan 29, 2026
You find yourself laughing aloud — not derisively, but in gratitude and appreciation because you can’t believe what you’re seeing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dave V @liveevil 19 hrs ago Only a madman could possibly make an action film like this, and that madman's name is John Woo. Chow Yun-Fat is clearly having a blast here and his director is throwing every thing that can be fired out of a gun or blown up on the screen. This is pure madness and I love every second of it. See more Thomas V @TomVee Aug 24, 2026 Exquisite action sequences galore, with choreography, practical effects, stunts and just overall carnage and unprecedented levels. The tea house sequence alone is a master class. However it gets exhausting, and by the end, as great as the spectacle is, it's a bit too much of a good thing and I found myself more than ready for it to end by the time the hospital shootout wasn't even half over. See more Landon J @Minxsykitty Jul 29, 2026 Top of the line HK stuff. I don't know what I can add. If you've had an peripheral experience with this genre, this must be at the top of your watch list. This HAS to be one of the best action movie of all time. See more Romas M @Romas Jun 2, 2026 Greetings from Lithuania. I've enjoyed revisiting "Hard Boiled" on 4K release by Arrow Video in 2026. I've purchased the "chunky box" and it is packed with great stuff. The movie itself is a great action cinema. Picture quality is top notch. Very detailed, great color due to HDR, Dolby Vision. It looks outstanding. Sound while in Dolby Atmos isn't best - with by 7.1.4 system by high channels were pretty much asleep. But surround is great. The film itself is John Woo's masterpiece - no doubt. Overall, "Hard Boiled" is a action extravaganza at its best, most bloodies and entertaining. See more Bucky R @Bucky3085 May 16, 2026 This is a less an action movie and more just a lot of people shooting each other. If you're into John Wick-type stuff, this might be for you. Otherwise it's very dull and needlessly violent. See more Ben W @Username618 Apr 26, 2026 Sort of ok ish? "Baby, your piss put out the fire" probably won't sell many T-shirts, but... OK. See more Read all reviews
Hard-Boiled

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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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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) 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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