Movies Like A Better Tomorrow (1986)

A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 action, crime, drama film from John Woo with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with A Better Tomorrow II and A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon.

Action Crime Drama

A Better Tomorrow II

1987

A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.

7.1

MagicScore

A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon

1989

The year is 1974. A young Hong Kong Chinese, Mark, travels to Saigon to make his fortune. There, he encounters a mysterious femme fatale, the lovely Kit. As he becomes more involved in her various underworld deals, a tragic romance develops. On the eve of the outbreak of war, Kit's past returns to endanger her, and Mark must risk everything for the one true love of his life.

6.4

MagicScore

New Police Story

2004

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.

7.2

MagicScore

The Sons of Katie Elder

1965

The four sons of Katie Elder reunite in their hometown of Clearwater, Texas for her funeral and discover that the family ranch is now in the hands of Morgan Hastings, a corrupt businessman who wants to exploit the area around the town.

7.0

MagicScore

Shaft

2000

New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

6.0

MagicScore

The Iron Claw

2023

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

7.5

MagicScore

The Notebook

2013

In a village on the Hungarian border, two young brothers grow up during war time with their cruel grandmother and must learn every trick of evil to survive in the absurd world of adults.

6.5

MagicScore

Too Many Ways to Be No. 1

1997

A small-time triad 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.

6.6

MagicScore

The Mobfathers

2016

The godfather of the triad Jing Hing and his senior bosses need to select a new boss to run the daily operations of the five gangs under their control. Chuck, a lifelong member of the triad, dreams of being the elected one, but his wife wants him to leave the criminal life and spend time with their child. Wulf, a former cop, also wants take over the seat. Both will try to achieve their goal by any means necessary.

6.0

MagicScore

#10

Twenty 20

2008

Advocate Ramesh saves Devan from a murder case. Later, he realize Devan was the actual culprit. Ramesh tries for a payback, unaware of Devan's real intentions and the reason for the murder.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Austin Powers in Goldmember

2002

The world's most shagadelic spy continues his fight against Dr. Evil. This time, the diabolical doctor and his clone, Mini-Me, team up with a new foe—'70s kingpin Goldmember. While pursuing the team of villains to stop them from world domination, Austin gets help from his dad and an old girlfriend.

6.0

MagicScore

#12

May We Chat

2014

Three troubled young girls will do anything to escape their stifling lives - even if it means turning to drugs and prostitution. Set in the generation of smartphones and web 2.0, the technology may have made communication easier than ever, but cautionary tales of misunderstood youths remain as relevant as they were two decades ago.

4.8

MagicScore

#13

Out of the Furnace

2013

Two brothers live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, when a cruel twist of fate lands one in prison. His brother is then lured into one of the most violent crime rings in the Northeast.

6.6

MagicScore

#14

Lonely Hearts

2006

In the late 1940s, a murderous couple known as the 'The Lonely Hearts Killers' kills close to a dozen people. Two detectives try to nab the duo who find their targets via the personals in the paper.

6.0

MagicScore

#15

Creature

2011

An ex-Navy seal, his girlfriend and their friends head out on a road trip to New Orleans. The group decides to stop at a roadside convenience store owned by Chopper, who tells them the tale of Lockjaw, a fabled god-like creature who is half-man, half-alligator.

5.2

MagicScore

#16

South Central

1992

During a 10-year sentence for murdering the leader of a rival South Central Los Angeles gang, Bobby Johnson finds religion and rehabilitation with the help of Muslim inmate Ali. Upon his release, Bobby returns home to find that his young son, Jimmie, has joined the Deuces, his old crew. Tensions rise as Bobby struggles to convince Jimmie to leave the gang that was his only family during the painful years his absent father spent behind bars.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

Nine Queens

2000

Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".

7.8

MagicScore

#18

Snitch

2013

Construction company owner John Matthews learns that his estranged son, Jason, has been arrested for drug trafficking. Facing an unjust prison sentence for a first time offender courtesy of mandatory minimum sentence laws, Jason has nothing to offer for leniency in good conscience. Desperately, John convinces the DEA and the opportunistic DA Joanne Keeghan to let him go undercover to help make arrests big enough to free his son in return. With the unwitting help of an ex-con employee, John enters the narcotics underworld where every move could be his last in an operation that will demand all his resources, wits and courage to survive.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

Money Talks

1997

Sought by police and criminals, a small-time huckster makes a deal with a TV newsman for protection.

6.0

MagicScore

#20

To Live and Die in L.A.

1985

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.

7.1

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like A Better Tomorrow?

The top films similar to A Better Tomorrow by MovieMagicScore are A Better Tomorrow II (7.1), A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (6.4), New Police Story (7.2). Each shares action/crime/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is A Better Tomorrow worth watching?

A Better Tomorrow holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 593 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is A Better Tomorrow?

A Better Tomorrow (1986) is a action, crime, drama film directed by John Woo, starring Ti Lung, Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung.

Where can I find more recommendations like A Better Tomorrow?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like A Better Tomorrow II Movies like A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon Movies like New Police Story Movies like The Sons of Katie Elder Movies like Shaft Movies like The Iron Claw

About movies like A Better Tomorrow

This ranked list pairs A Better Tomorrow (1986), a action and crime and drama film from John Woo, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Ti Lung take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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