A Better Tomorrow
1986 · Movie · R · 95 min · ★ 7.4 · 86% critics
A former gangster tries to leave crime behind and rebuild trust with his estranged brother, now a police officer. But old loyalties, betrayal, and pressure from the underworld keep pulling him back, forcing hard choices about family, honor, and what redemption really costs.
Also known as Gangland Boss
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Details
- Original title
- 英雄本色
- Years
- 1986
- Release date
- 1986-08-02
- Language
- CN
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 86/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (613 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a mix of intense crime drama and stylized gunfights built around loyalty, family, and redemption, similar to The Killer or Hard Boiled; Not for you if you dislike melodrama, slower stretches, or repeated music.
Pros: emotional brotherhood drama; memorable action set pieces; strong performances | Cons: slow pacing at times; repetitive music; can feel dated
Themes
- prison
- sibling relationship
- snake
- observer
- brotherhood
- conciliation
- arrest
- revenge
- counterfeit
- hong kong
- police officer
- triad
- +2 more
Awards & recognition
- Hong Kong Film Award — Best Film · 1987
Cast & crew
Ti Lung
as Sung Chi Ho
Chow Yun-Fat
as Mark Lee
Leslie Cheung
as Sung Chi Kit
Emily Chu Bo-Yee
as Jackie
Waise Lee Chi-Hung
as Shing
Tien Feng
as Mr. Sung
John Woo
as Inspector Wu
Sek Yin-Tsi
as Mr. Yiu
Kenneth Tsang
as Kin
Wang Hsieh
as Boss Wang
Directed by John Woo