Best movies like Too Many Ways to Be No. 1
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
This arty triad flick from Wai Ka-Fai and Johnnie To is as good as genre pictures get in this era. Lau Ching-Wan is Kau, a small potato in the triad world who must make a fateful decision to discover who he is. With that decision, his life can diverge in two paths, each leading to an ultimate fate.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 969
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: neo noir, surprise ending, allegory
Best tv shows and movies like Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (1997):
Similar in 75%
Tiger On the Beat 2 (1990)
Plot Summary:
Lam, a cop approaching 40 but without much accomplishment, always wants to achieve something memorable before his retirement. He is obliged by his sister to find a decent Chinese girl for his nephew, Baffalo, who is an "American Born Chinese". But Baffalo has an eye for a sweetie, Ellen, who has accidentally witnessed a murder. The incident gets Lam, Baffalo and Ellen being involved in a ruthless underground arms smuggling ring, wich sends the killer to eliminate them.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 168
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Gun n' Rose (1992)
Plot Summary:
Mr Lung, the boss of a criminal family, decides that his adopted son Alan should be his successor. However, this decision doesn’t suit Mr Lung’s biological sons Simon and Bowie, so they intend to get rid of their adopted brother. Alan manages to escape death and flee; he is determined to start new peaceful life. But will he be able to escape his past?.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 203
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: heroic, crime drama
Similar in 80%
Mad Detective (2007)
Plot Summary:
A rookie cop teams up with a former detective with a supernatural gift to hunt down a serial killer.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: surreal, psychological, serious, suspenseful, neo noir, detective, bloody, psychological thriller, philosophical, mind bending
Similar in 75%
Loving You (1995)
Plot Summary:
A Hong Kong detective has a change of heart after taking a bullet in the head.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 460
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Nutty Kickbox Cops (1990)
Plot Summary:
King-sized martial arts hero Sammo Hung stars in this wild and wacky blend of action and comedy. Skinny (Karl Maka) and Fatty (Sammo Hung) are a pair of police detectives who soon find themselves on the outs with their boss when they accidentally make a mess of his wedding while chasing Tak, a big league drug trafficker. Skinny and Fatty are forced to leave their jobs, but while on holiday in Singapore, they forget their troubles when they both find love with beautiful women. However, Tak is convinced the former cops are still a threat, and when he abducts their girlfriends, Skinny and Fatty swing into action to rescue them.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 751
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, buddy comedy, detective, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 82%
Turning Point 2 (2011)
Plot Summary:
Laughing is judged guilty of murdering gang lord Michael So and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Locked up behind bars, he meets the seemingly benign inmate Fok Tin Yam, a university professor in criminal psychology who is jailed for drug possession. Highly intelligent and manipulative, Fok reveals the power of his mind games by effortlessly subduing the violent prison bully. He also deduces that Laughing is sent to the prison on an undercover mission to find out the rogue cops within the police force. The clues lead him to inmate Chit, a former sergeant from the Narcotics Bureau who has been suffering from a mental disorder. To unlock the critical information from the deranged man, Laughing must get the help of Fok, but this enigmatic figure has an agenda of his own.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 232
Genere: Action, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 78%
One Last Dance (2006)
Plot Summary:
An assassin is hired to kill the men responsible for kidnapping an important man's son. With every death, the killer gets closer to the last kidnapper's name... his own.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 627
Genere: Action, Comedy, Romance, Crime
Country: Singapore
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 78%
You Shoot, I Shoot (2001)
Plot Summary:
A hired killer pairs up with an amateur filmmaker to provide clients with satisfying footage of enemies getting whacked in this black comedy. Business is down, so hit man Bart is thrilled when Mrs. Ma hires him to kill her enemies -- and film the murders. But Bart's first video killing stinks, so he hires filmmaker Chuen. Although business subsequently picks up, their notoriety creates complications.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: exciting, realistic, semi serious, suspense, dark comedy, cult classic, offbeat, humorous, spoof, parody
Similar in 81%
Island of Greed (1997)
Plot Summary:
A gutsy police detecive and his team of cops probe into the widespread illegal dealings of a criminal mastermind who schemes to redeem himself by running for government office in taiwan.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 840
Genere: Action, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: political, heroic, exciting, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Bullets Over Summer (1999)
Plot Summary:
Plainclothes policemen Brian and Mike use an elderly woman's apartment for surveillance, hoping to catch a fugitive gangster. They develop a warm relationship with their hostess, whom they call "granny." Meanwhile, each man develops a romantic relationship: Brian with a strange wandering teenage girl, and Mike with a pregnant woman at the dry cleaning shop. When the gangster returns to his flat, Brian and Mike are forced into an explosive confrontation.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 806
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 88%
In the Line of Duty 4 (1989)
Plot Summary:
Two detectives who are up to their necks in trouble and in each other's face, as they try to shut down a drug-trafficking scheme that could be connected with international ties to organized crime. But in the midst of their investigation, innocent immigrant dock worker Luk Wan-Ting gets caught up in the mix when he witnesses the murder of an intelligence operative and is framed for the crime.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: perverse, cult classic, detective, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, fast
Similar in 89%
Santiago Violenta (2014)
Plot Summary:
Mauro, Noel and Broco have been an inseparable group of friends since grade school. All grown up, their lives are not what they hoped they would be. Life has become so routine that they do nothing more than wait for the weekends to drink themselves into oblivion. One night, a chance encounter leads the group on a wild and deadly chase from Santiago's most dangerous crime boss... Forced to make increasingly risky decisions, their frantic, adrenaline fueled desperation brings them closer to a violent, life-changing end where the friendship will be changed forever.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 124
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Chile
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, suspense, contemplative, retro, neo noir, black comedy, freeze frame, dark comedy, poliziottesco
Similar in 90%
Two Thumbs Up (2015)
Plot Summary:
A criminal fresh out of prison who seeks out his former partners in crime for another heist. And they make a very elaborate plan to carry out the criminal intent, but things turn awry when another gang of criminals hit the same target.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 647
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining, satirical, crime drama
Similar in 80%
Gangster Payday (2014)
Plot Summary:
Wong Kam-Kwei, a gang boss on the decline, overseeing bathhouses and karaoke bars, falls for a small restaurant owner, Mei. He begins to help her business, and learns that Mei is already in love with Leung, a member of his gang. He’s also like a brother to Kam-Kwei. When a rival gang hoping to steal his territory kills Leung, the only thing left for Kam-Kwei to do now is to protect Mei and avenge Leung.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 238
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining, semi serious
Similar in 88%
You Move You Die (2007)
Plot Summary:
Mike has the girl, the time and the place.The problem is he doesn't have the ring, Before Mike has an opportunity to propose his engagement ring is stolen.Mike is desperate to recover it. He and his friends have one hour to get the ring back and make the date with his "beloved" Emma before all is lost. It is not long before it is revealed that Mike and his friends are not all that they seem.You move you die is a dark comedy filmed with a real time story. Get ready for a film with a unique dose of reality.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 555
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: exciting, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, rough, realistic, dark comedy
Similar in 88%
Far Out (2015)
Plot Summary:
A long time artist and recent criminal, the man known as "The Filmmaker", is forced to go undercover in order to regain his freedom. His goal is to take down a ruthless mob boss named Goldberg. In order to take Goldberg in, he has to go on a heist. When Goldberg asks him to go on three trials in order to gain a place on the heist, the Filmmaker has to go... Far Out.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 17
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Canada
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 77%
Winners & Sinners (1983)
Plot Summary:
Five friends are released from prison and do their best to stay out trouble. While trying to mind their own business (and run their 5-Star Cleaning Service), they are caught up in a war between rival Triad gangs fighting for control of the counterfeit currency market.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: action comedy, cult classic, exciting, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 83%
A Hero Never Dies (1998)
Plot Summary:
Jack and Martin are members of rival Chinese triads in the middle of a gang war. Both of their gang leaders like to get advice from a fortune teller living in Thailand. On one such trip, Martin's gang ambushes Jack's at a Thai hotel. There is a spectacular shootout, in which both Martin and Jack are severely wounded. The leader of Jack's gang was at the hotel, unlike Martin's, and escapes. Afterwards, both gang leaders, Mr. Fong of Martin's and Mr. Yam of Jack's, go to a general and make peace. Meanwhile, both Jack and Martin are hospitalized. Martin's legs are amputated, and his girlfriend whores herself in order to get them back into Hong Kong.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: heroic, neo noir, crime drama, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, fairy tale
Similar in 86%
Expect the Unexpected (1998)
Plot Summary:
In this "cops and robbers" film, a raid on a jewelry store staged by a band of amateur hold-up artists goes horribly wrong, leading to a shoot-out. The elite Organized Crime Bureau team, headed by Captain Ching King Gen, is poised to go into action at a moment's notice. Working as a unit, they bring law and order to Hong Kong streets, where they must rely on their courage and skills to survive.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: heroic, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, surprise ending
Similar in 75%
Full Alert (1997)
Plot Summary:
Police Inspector Pao is trying to catch Mak Kwan, a gang member who is first arrested, but then escapes from the prison. By chance, Pao realizes that the target of Kwan's gang is the H.K. Jockey Club.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: neo noir, heroic, crime drama, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Big Bullet (1996)
Plot Summary:
Hotheaded cop Bill Zhu (Lau Ching-wan) gets relegated to the Emergency Unit after a dustup with his inept boss. When the mob kills Zhu's pal and ex-colleague (Francis Ng) during a turf-war hit, he rounds up his motley department cohorts and embarks on a mission of revenge against the gangsters. The pursuit of the baddies culminates in a hair-raising showdown atop a hijacked transport plane in this action thriller.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 998
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: neo noir, bloody, heroic, crime drama, exciting, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 79%
Return to a Better Tomorrow (1994)
Plot Summary:
An adventure that delves into the dark caverns of the underworld and tells the tale of three chivalrous gangsters who attempt to escape the powerful clutch of their gang leader.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 331
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: heroic, crime drama, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 89%
City Hunter (1993)
Plot Summary:
Extremely silly comedy about a self-indulgent private investigator who winds up on a cruise ship full of rich patrons, gorgeous women, murderous terrorists, and scarce food.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong, Japan
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, manga, spoof, freeze frame, cult classic, action adventure, parody, exciting, offbeat
Similar in 82%
The Mission (1999)
Plot Summary:
Triad boss Lung (Eddy Ko), who has just escaped being killed in an assassination attempt hires the killers Curtis (Anthony Wong), James (Lam Suet), Mike (Roy Cheung), Roy (Francis Ng) and Shin (Jackie Lui) for his protection.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: heroic, neo noir, bloody, art house, crime drama, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 81%
In China They Eat Dogs (1999)
Plot Summary:
An intent fast paced Danish dark comedy film about two separately motivated brothers who with their slightly psychopathic tendencies end up in a touchy situation. One brother gets in serious trouble after a bank robbery and begs the other brother for help.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Denmark
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, humorous, ironic, black comedy, melancholic, not serious, surreal, fast paced, cult classic, art house
Similar in 78%
Vengeance (2009)
Plot Summary:
A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong, France
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: neo noir, realistic, stylized, serious, heroic, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, bloody
Similar in 75%
The Longest Nite (1998)
Plot Summary:
Two triad leaders vie for the right to manage a string of casinos in Macau which sparks an exhausting battle. A twist of fate brings the two gangster bosses together in collaboration, but rumors have it otherwise. A murderous plot unfolds.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: heroic, neo noir, crime drama, exciting, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 85%
Exiled (2006)
Plot Summary:
A friendship is formed between an ex-gangster, and two groups of hitmen - those who want to protect him and those who were sent to kill him.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, heroic, neo noir, bloody, contemplative, stylized, hood
Similar in 83%
Gen-X Cops (1999)
Plot Summary:
Four young officers of the Hong Kong Police are joined together to fight against organised crime using all possible means, even if this would lead them to break the law… Their first assignment is to eliminate a gang of criminals who have stolen a shipload of explosives.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, serious, suspenseful, suspense, cult classic, fast, surprise ending, neo noir, independent film
Similar in 75%
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Plot Summary:
A card shark and his unwillingly-enlisted friends need to make a lot of cash quick after losing a sketchy poker match. To do this they decide to pull a heist on a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 607000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: UK
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: humorous, dark comedy, clever, witty, cynical, black comedy, entertaining, funny, exciting, neo noir