6. The Killer
John Woo's ultra-violent action thriller is the finest picture in a filmography that also includes the likes of Hard Boiled, Red Cliff and the aforementioned A Better Tomorrow. The film would have a great influence over western directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Luc Besson and also in Hong Kong with Johnnie To. It's a spectacular film in every way imaginable as the action is explosive even by John Woo's lofty standards. Woo is the master of the Hong Kong action flick, but he slows down the film just enough to give the characters depth and make them interesting, something all the great action directors have to do. The Killer is superbly crafted and immaculately shot, no mean feat considering each frame is so full and explosive. No matter how much Woo throws at you in The Killer you always crave more, and it really is a benchmark for action cinema. The Killer possesses such a swagger with Chow Yun-Fat in the lead that we are left with pure high-octane velocity that's impossibly addictive. You could watch The Killer a thousand times and still never get bored.