Hard Boiled [1992] by John Woo

Hard Boiled is a 1992 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo from a screenplay by Gordon Chan and Barry Wong, based on a story by Woo. The film stars Chow Yun-fat as Inspector "Tequila" Yuen, alongside Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Teresa Mo. It follows a hard-boiled police inspector whose pursuit of a violent Triad syndicate draws him into a dangerous operation involving an undercover officer working deep within the criminal organization. The film was Woo's final Hong Kong film before his transition to Hollywood. Conceived in response to criticism that his earlier works romanticized criminals, Woo aimed to create a police-centered action film inspired by the Dirty Harry series. Production was marked by extensive improvisation and ongoing script revisions, particularly following the death of co-writer Barry Wong. Several characters and narrative elements were introduced or reworked during filming, while earlier story concepts—including a subplot involving a child-targeting criminal—were abandoned.