Monday Morning Maybe

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Poster for A Better Tomorrow

A Better Tomorrow

Seen it?

1986 | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans and action fans. If you loved Before the Devil Knows You're Dead or Scarface, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 35 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: meant for adults.
  • It's in Cantonese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

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

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.3 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $4 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 233K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by John Woo

  • Ti LungSung Chi Ho
  • Chow Yun-FatMark Lee
  • Leslie Cheung Kwok-wingSung Chi Kit
  • Emily Chu Bo-yeeJackie
  • Waise Lee Chi-HungShing
  • Tien FengMr. Sung
  • John WooInspector Wu
  • Sek Yin-TsiMr. Yiu
  • Kenneth TsangKin
  • Wang HsiehBoss Wang