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A Better Tomorrow poster

Movies that feel likeA Better Tomorrow (1986)

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

If you loved A Better Tomorrow, the closest films we have are Lady Snowblood (1973), A Bittersweet Life (2005) and New Police Story (2004). All three share A Better Tomorrow's kinetic and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Outfit (1973).

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If A Better Tomorrow hit the spot, these will too

Lady Snowblood poster
Lady Snowblood
1973 Β· dir. Toshiya Fujita
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.6action Β· crime Β· dramaMax

One thread runs through both: revenge

A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.

A Bittersweet Life poster
A Bittersweet Life
2005 Β· dir. Kim Jee-woon
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.4action Β· drama Β· crime

Both are built on the same subject: revenge

Kim Sun-woo is an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a cold, calculative crime boss, Kang who assigns Sun-woo to a simple errand while he is away on a business trip; to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo, for fear that she may be cheating on him with a younger man with the mandate that he must kill them both if he discovers their affair.

New Police Story poster
New Police Story
2004 Β· dir. Benny Chan
πŸ… 63%β˜… 6.9action Β· thriller Β· crime

The same city underneath both: Hong Kong

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

Sent into a drunken tailspin when his entire unit is killed by a gang of thrill-seeking punks, disgraced Hong Kong police inspector Wing needs help from his new rookie partner, with a troubled past of his own, to climb out of the bottle and track down the gang and its ruthless leader.

Rolling Thunder poster
Rolling Thunder
1977 Β· dir. John Flynn
πŸ… 82%β˜… 6.9drama Β· thriller Β· action

Kinetic and gritty in the same breath

The difference: Leans harder into thriller than A Better Tomorrow does

A recently-returned Vietnam POW loses his family and his right hand during a violent home invasion, and seeks retribution against those responsible.

Face/Off poster
Face/Off
1997 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.3action Β· crime Β· science fiction

The same hand behind both of them: John Woo

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than A Better Tomorrow does

In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.

The Outfit poster
The Outfit
1973 Β· dir. John Flynn
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7crime Β· drama

Contemplative where it counts, relentless underneath

The difference: Trades the momentum of A Better Tomorrow for an angle of its own

A two-bit criminal takes on the Mafia to avenge his brother's death. Earl Macklin is a small time criminal who is released from prison after an unsuccessful bank robbery only to discover that a pair of gunmen killed his brother.

The Punisher poster
The Punisher
2004 Β· dir. Jonathan Hensleigh
πŸ… 30%β˜… 6.4action Β· crime Β· drama

Action built on momentum, twice over

When undercover FBI agent Frank Castle's wife and son are slaughtered, he becomes 'the Punisher' -- a ruthless vigilante willing to go to any length to avenge his family.

Four Brothers poster
Four Brothers
2005 Β· dir. John Singleton
β˜… 6.8action Β· crimeParamount+

The same preoccupation in both: brothers and sisters

Four adopted brothers return to their Detroit hometown when their mother is murdered and vow to exact revenge on the killers.

In the Fade poster
In the Fade
2017 Β· dir. Fatih Akin
πŸ… 75%β˜… 7.1drama Β· crimePrime Video

Crime with a pulse of grit, in both cases

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

Katja's life collapses after the deaths of her husband and son in a bomb attack. After a time of mourning and injustice, Katja seeks revenge.

The Killer poster
The Killer
1989 Β· dir. John Woo
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.7action Β· crime Β· dramaRent or buy

John Woo directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

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.

To Live and Die in L.A. poster
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985 Β· dir. William Friedkin
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.3crime Β· thriller Β· action

Both keep coming back to the same thing: counterfeit

When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters.

Green Street Hooligans poster
Green Street Hooligans
2005 Β· dir. Lexi Alexander
πŸ… 45%β˜… 7.4crime Β· drama

Contemplative drama in both cases

After being wrongfully expelled from Harvard University, American Matt Buckner flees to his sister's home in England. Once there, he is befriended by her charming and dangerous brother-in-law, Pete Dunham, and introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism. Matt learns to stand his ground through a friendship that develops against the backdrop of this secret and often violent world. 'Green Street Hooligans' is a story of loyalty, trust and the sometimes brutal consequences of living close to the edge.

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The best-reviewed films that share A Better Tomorrow’s defining feeling.