The 1989 Hong Kong thriller 'The Killer' from filmmaker John Woo remains a cornerstone of action cinema, coining the term 'gun fu' and setting the template for the heroic bloodshed subgenre. Without its impact, Hollywood action films from the last 30 years would be far more dull, influencing everything from 'John Wick' to 'The Matrix' to 'Kill Bill'.
Plot and Characters
In the film, Chow Yun-fat plays Ah Jong (or Jeffrey in the English dub), a contract killer with a conscience who accidentally blinds a young singer, Jennie (Sally Yeh), during an assignment. Stricken with remorse, Ah Jong decides to retire after one last job, pledging to use the proceeds to help her. That last contract is for gangster Wong Hoi (Shing Fui-on), who plans to kill Ah Jong rather than trust his professional etiquette. This leads Ah Jong to cross paths with maverick detective Li (Danny Lee) after a shootout where Ah Jong wears a fake moustache and ferries an injured child to the hospital.
Woo's Signature Style
All of Woo's familiar motifs are present: flapping birds, Mexican standoffs, and thugs getting viscerally pulped by gunfire. Stuntmen crash through glass, fire guns while leaping through the air, and barrel roll out of moving vehicles for no reason other than visual impact. The chain-smoking Chow makes callous murder and smoking seem stylish, demonstrating why he and Woo became one of cinema's greatest partnerships.
Legacy and Availability
According to the article, Woo's classic Hong Kong movies were breakout hits that garnered as many fans abroad as domestically. As recently as 2023, Woo voiced doubts that these films would ever see the light of day again, but 'The Killer' and his other Hong Kong films are now available on streaming services after years in licensing limbo. 'The Killer' is available to stream on Kanopy in Australia and on Tubi in Australia and the US, and to rent or buy on Apple TV in Australia and the UK.
