The Killer (1989)

Last updated:
June 1, 2025

John Woo’s The Killer is one of the most iconic action films ever made, defining the style and themes that would influence generations of filmmakers. Blending balletic gunplay with melodrama and emotional complexity, the movie is a masterclass in genre filmmaking, anchored by a magnetic performance from Chow Yun-Fat.

Detailed Summary

Introduction: A Hitman’s Code

Ah Jong (Chow Yun-Fat) is a professional assassin in Hong Kong with a strict moral code. In the very first act, he performs a hit during a nightclub gig and accidentally blinds a singer named Jennie (Sally Yeh) with the muzzle flash from his gun. Wracked with guilt, he begins visiting her in secret, forming a connection and falling in love—though she remains unaware of his role in her injury.

Ah Jong’s Redemption Arc

Haunted by what he did, Ah Jong decides to take one last job to fund Jennie’s eye surgery. The job is high-paying, dangerous, and of course, a setup. His employers betray him, fearing that he’s too much of a liability due to his emotional involvement with Jennie.

This betrayal puts him on the run—not just from the criminals who hired him, but also from the police.

Inspector Li Enters

Inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee) is introduced as the cop assigned to track down Ah Jong. At first, he’s obsessed with bringing the hitman to justice, but as he uncovers more about Ah Jong’s motives and personal code, a grudging respect forms. The film plays with their parallels: both men dedicated, both frustrated by a corrupt system.

Eventually, Li begins to question his own role in a broken justice system, and his pursuit becomes something more complex than just law versus outlaw.

Alliance of Convenience

Ah Jong and Li ultimately team up. The two men, from opposite sides of the law, develop a bond based on mutual respect and a shared goal: protect Jennie and stop the crime boss who betrayed Ah Jong.

Their alliance is tested in a harrowing sequence at a church, where they are ambushed by heavily armed thugs. Doves flutter through stained-glass windows as bullets rip through pews, epitomizing John Woo’s aesthetic of spiritual violence.

Movie Ending

In the climactic church shootout, Ah Jong and Li take on an army of henchmen. The action is stylized and brutal, combining slow-motion and dual-wielded pistols with a melancholic tone. Jennie, now nearly blind, is caught in the middle.

Ah Jong, mortally wounded, tries desperately to reach Jennie before dying. In a heartbreaking moment, he stumbles toward her but dies just before she can recognize him. The symbolism is powerful: redemption is just out of reach.

Inspector Li, filled with rage and sorrow, kills the crime boss, but not before witnessing the cost of the entire ordeal. The final scene shows Li sitting silently, holding his badge, devastated. There’s no triumphant conclusion—only loss and the faint echo of hope that Jennie might still receive help.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, The Killer does not include any post-credits scenes. This was uncommon in 1980s Hong Kong cinema, and the film concludes definitively with its emotionally charged ending. The credits roll over silence and sadness, allowing the impact of the finale to linger.

Type of Movie

The Killer is a crime action drama, with strong elements of melodrama and heroic bloodshed—a subgenre of Hong Kong cinema emphasizing honor, friendship, loyalty, and stylized violence. It combines fast-paced gunplay with emotional depth, making it both thrilling and tragic.

Cast

Chow Yun-Fat as Ah Jong / John
Danny Lee as Inspector Li Ying
Sally Yeh as Jennie
Chu Kong as Fung Sei
Kenneth Tsang as the Triad Boss

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Lowell Lo, who mixes traditional orchestration with electronic tones and melancholic piano themes to reflect the emotional highs and lows. Music plays a critical role, especially Jennie’s singing, which becomes a motif representing innocence and love.

Filming Locations

Filmed entirely in Hong Kong, the movie features iconic local settings, including:

Nightclubs: Representing the glamour and decay of city nightlife.
City streets and apartment blocks: Capturing the dense, gritty urban vibe of late-80s Hong Kong.
The Church: The film’s spiritual and emotional heart; it’s where action and redemption collide. The church shootout became one of the most imitated scenes in action cinema.

Awards and Nominations

The Killer was a critical and cult success rather than a major awards-winner, though it did win and get nominated for:

Best Director (John Woo) – 9th Hong Kong Film Awards (won)
Best Editing – Hong Kong Film Awards (nominated)
Best Actor (Chow Yun-Fat) – Various festival accolades

It also received recognition at international film festivals and helped launch Woo’s Hollywood career.

Behind the Scenes Insights

John Woo had difficulty getting the film funded due to its violent and emotional themes.
Chow Yun-Fat performed many of his own stunts, including the famous dual-wielding gun sequences.
The church scene was filmed in a real abandoned church, using over 100 squibs per take.
Woo originally intended for the two main characters to die at the end, but test audiences pushed for a slightly more hopeful resolution (though it’s still tragic).
The friendship between Woo and Chow Yun-Fat is legendary in Hong Kong cinema and was a key to the film’s chemistry.

Inspirations and References

Inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï (1967), particularly the stoic, code-bound assassin archetype.
Influenced by Sergio Leone’s stylized violence and Akira Kurosawa’s sense of honor and sacrifice.
Also a spiritual cousin to American noir and Westerns, but filtered through Woo’s operatic, Eastern lens.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There were rumors of an alternate ending in which Jennie also dies during the final shootout, but this version was never officially released. Several character-building scenes were reportedly cut to maintain the film’s pace, including longer sequences between Ah Jong and Jennie.

Book Adaptations and Differences

There is no direct book adaptation, though novelizations and manga-inspired comics were published in the years following its release. It is often cited in academic film texts for its exploration of morality and stylized violence.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The nightclub assassination where Jennie is blinded.
Ah Jong’s silent breakdown after realizing what he’s done.
The boat chase in the harbor.
The final church shootout.
The heartbreaking final moments between Ah Jong and Jennie.

Iconic Quotes

Ah Jong: “I always finish the job.”
Inspector Li: “We’re the same—you and I. But we’re on different sides.”
Jennie: “Even if I can’t see, I can still feel.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The white dove motif would become a John Woo signature, first established here.
Ah Jong’s outfit (long coat, sunglasses) influenced countless action heroes, including The Matrix‘s Neo.
A silent photo of a child seen in Ah Jong’s home hints at a backstory never fully explored.

Trivia

Director John Woo described the movie as “a love story between two men who can’t express it.”
It was a major influence on directors like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and the Wachowskis.
Woo reportedly fired real guns (with blanks) during rehearsals to help actors get into character.
The film helped popularize the “gun fu” style of choreographed shootouts.

Why Watch?

The Killer is essential viewing for anyone who loves action cinema with depth. It’s not just about gunfights—it’s about loyalty, redemption, moral codes, and tragic consequences. The blend of beauty and brutality is uniquely poetic, and it represents one of the purest examples of a director expressing emotion through action.

Director’s Other Movies

Hard Boiled (1992)
A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Face/Off (1997)
Red Cliff (2008)
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)