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ActionCrimeDramaThriller HKIFF 1989 Editor's Pick

The Killer Review (1989) — 86% Celluloid Score

Directed by John Woo · 1989 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is The Killer worth watching?

The Killer (1989) earns a 86% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for The Killer?

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

86%
Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

96% Critic Score
93% Audience
82 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.1
7.8 IMDb /10
Runtime
1h 50m
Cast
Chow Yun-fat , Danny Lee Sau-Yin , Sally Yip Sin-Man , Paul Chu Kong , Kenneth Tsang , Shing Fui-On , Tommy Wong , James Ha Chim-Si , Ricky Wong Chun-Tong , Barry Wong Ping-Yiu

Where to watch in India

Not yet streaming in India — check local listings.

Why this score?

  • Strong critic approval (96% positive).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (93%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (82/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.1/5).
  • Celluloid Score 86% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded action, crime, drama, thriller pick
  • Short runtime — easy weeknight watch

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Is The Killer worth watching?

    Yes — The Killer earns a 86% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Critics Consensus

    Woo and Chow’s assassin melodrama is a pinnacle of Hong Kong action — balletic gunfights with genuine tragic weight.

    Celluloid Critics Consensus

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is The Killer about?

    Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.

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