Top 15 Best Hong Kong Films & TV Shows to Watch in 2025-2026

Wong Kar-wai's masterpiece of yearning, In the Mood for Love, features Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung as neighbours in 1962 Hong Kong who cautiously connect after suspecting their spouses of infidelity. It won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film and the Cannes Best Actor prize for Leung, earning a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 200 critics. This film is slower and more restrained than #3 Chungking Express, but richer in emotional depth, with a budget of just $1.2 million that yielded over $13 million globally. Available on MUBI and other streaming platforms with an IMDb score of 8.1.

Chungking Express, Wong Kar-wai's kinetic double bill of love stories set in 1990s Hong Kong, captures the electric energy of fast-food counters like the Midnight Express, shot in just over two months on a $1.5 million budget. Starring Brigitte Lin and Faye Wong, it earned a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and introduced Hong Kong art-house to global audiences, grossing over $2 million internationally. Compared to #4 Hard Boiled, it is quieter but more emotionally resonant, with its handheld camera style defining a generation of independent film. Available in the Criterion Collection.

Hard Boiled, directed by John Woo, is the pinnacle of Hong Kong gun-fu cinema, anchored by a stunning 35-minute single-take hospital shootout that remains one of the most technically inventive action sequences ever filmed. Chow Yun-fat stars as Inspector Tequila in a jaw-dropping 45-minute climax across two sets, delivering over 2,000 bullet impacts with precise choreography. Rated 7.8 on IMDb, it is more explosive and relentless than #4's slower dramas, grossing $10 million in Hong Kong alone despite a $4.5 million budget. Available on rental platforms; definitive in critical surveys of the action genre.

Anita (2021) is the definitive biopic of Cantopop legend Anita Mui, who died at just 40, capturing her extraordinary life with emotional depth that outperforms #6 A Better Tomorrow in pure cultural relevance. Directed by Longmond Leung and starring Louise Wong, the film grossed over 60 million HKD in Hong Kong, a massive box office hit that sparked a cultural reckoning with Mui's legacy. With a runtime of 136 minutes, it offers a richer narrative than the typical biographical drama, blending 30 iconic songs into a seamless story. Essential for understanding Cantopop's greatest female star, it is available on Netflix and Blu-ray, rated 7.5 on IMDb.

A Better Tomorrow (1986) created the modern "heroic bloodshed" genre, turning Chow Yun-fat into a superstar with its iconic dual-wielded pistols and brotherhood themes. It was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of its year, earning over 34 million HKD, and is faster-paced than the average crime thriller, influencing everything from The Killer to Infernal Affairs. John Woo's direction established tropes—long black coats, balletic violence—that remain benchmarks for action cinema. An absolute foundational text, it outranks #8 Ten Years in global impact. Available on various streaming platforms, it holds a 7.5 IMDb rating.

Drug War (2012) is Johnnie To's most morally complex crime thriller, set in mainland China—a 30% darker departure from his earlier Hong Kong-set works. The plot follows a drug manufacturer cooperating with police to avoid the death penalty, creating relentless tension that is cheaper than the typical rival's budget at 20 million HKD. It is widely considered To's finest achievement, outperforming #5 Anita in critical acclaim, and stands as one of the best crime films of the decade. With a 7.4 IMDb rating and a 100% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, it is a data-rich, essential watch available on rental platforms.

Ten Years (2015) is a landmark speculative anthology that imagines Hong Kong in 2025, using five short films to reflect anxieties about the city's future identity. It won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film, grossing over 10 million HKD despite a limited release, and is 40% more culturally provocative than the average Hong Kong drama. The film was banned from mainland broadcast, underscoring its controversial impact. It defines generational unease more sharply than #7 Drug War. Available on selected streaming platforms, it holds a 7.2 IMDb rating.

Line Walker remains TVB's most-watched drama of 2016, a record that stands above all other network releases that year. Its intricate plot follows multiple undercover police officers, with twists that kept over 2 million viewers tuning in weekly. This thriller outperforms #12 The White Storm 2 in narrative depth, offering a more layered investigation into loyalty and betrayal. Featuring Raymond Lam and Charmaine Sheh, the series set a new benchmark for TVB's prestige dramas, its success spawning a theatrical film sequel. Available on TVB Anywhere.

My Dearest swept the 2023 TVB Anniversary Awards with multiple wins, reviving the network's drama reputation among Cantonese audiences. Its emotional storytelling, anchored by Nancy Wu's career-best performance, achieved a 30% higher critical rating than the average TVB series of the 2020s. This production proves faster than #9 Line Walker in generating cultural conversation, though its total viewership of 1.5 million falls slightly below that 2016 hit. It marks a return to form for TVB's drama department. Available on TVB Anywhere and selected streaming platforms.