Rent The Killer (1989)
3.7 of 5 from 137 ratings
1h 47min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Ah Chong (Chow Yun-Fat) is a hitman whose latest job takes a wrong turn when, during a shootout at a lavish nightclub, he accidentally blinds singer Jennie (Sally Yeh) by firing his gun too close to her eyes. Racked with remorse, Ah Chong decides to retire from his life of crime and help Jennie get a cornea transplant. But when Ah Chong's rancorous former boss betrays him, Ah Chong receives an unexpected helping hand from hot-headed police detective Lee Ying (Danny Lee).
- Actors:
- Yun-Fat Chow, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Kong Chu, Kenneth Tsang, Fui-On Shing, Wing-Cho Yip, Fan Wei Yee, Barry Wong, Parkman Wong, Siu-Hung Ng, Yamson Domingo, Siu Hung Ngan, Kwong Leung Wong, Dion Lam, Chung Lin, Hung Lu, Hsiang Lin Yin
- Directors:
- John Woo
- Producers:
- Hark Tsui
- Writers:
- John Woo
- Aka:
- Dip huet seung hung / Bloodshed of Two Heroes / Blast Killer
- Studio:
- Hong Kong Legends
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama, Thrillers
- Countries:
- Hong Kong
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 20/04/2026
- Run Time:
- 130 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese Dolby Atmos, Cantonese LPCM Mono, English LPCM Mono, Mandarin LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Brand new commentary by director John Woo and film journalist Drew Taylor
- Brand new commentary by critic David West
- Two archival commentaries by John Woo, one with producer Terence Chang
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
- The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed, a brand new feature-length documentary on John Woo's career
- Brand new interviews with John Woo, producer Terence Chang and editor David Wu
- Hong Kong Confidential, a new appreciation by author Grady Hendrix
- Archival interviews with cinematographer Peter Pau and actors Sally Yeh and Kenneth Tsang
- Four archival featurettes from 2001 with Woo and producerTsui Hark
- American Cinematheque 2025 introduction with Woo
- Option to view the Extended Cut with additional scenes from the Taiwan VHS release
- Unrestored print of the Extended Cut (standard-definition with burnt-in subtitles only)
- Disc 1:
- This disc includes the main feature
- Special Features - Disc 2:
- This disc includes special features
- Disc 3:
- This disc includes the following:
- Taiwan Extended Cut (130-Minute)
- Special Features
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 20/04/2026
- Run Time:
- 130 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese Dolby Atmos, Cantonese LPCM Mono, English Dolby Atmos, English LPCM Mono, Mandarin Dolby Atmos
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Brand new commentary by director John Woo and film journalist Drew Taylor
- Brand new commentary by critic David West
- Two archival commentaries by John Woo, one with producer Terence Chang
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
- The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed, a brand new feature-length documentary on John Woo's career
- Brand new interviews with John Woo, producer Terence Chang and editor David Wu
- Hong Kong Confidential, a new appreciation by author Grady Hendrix
- Archtival interviews with cinematographer Peter Pau and actors Sally Yeh and Kenneth Tsang
- Four archival featurettes from 2001 with Woo and producer Tsui Hark
- American Cinematheque 2025 introduction with Woo
- Option to view the Extended Cut with additional scenes from the Taiwan VHS release
- Unrestored print of the Extended Cut (standard-definition with burnt-in subtitles only)
- Disc 1:
- This disc includes the main feature
- Special Features - Disc 2:
- This disc includes special features (Blu-Ray)
- Disc 3:
- This disc includes the following (Blu-Ray):
- Taiwan Extended Cut (130-Minute)
- Special Features
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Reviews (1) of The Killer
Balletic, Operatic, Bleeding - The Killer review by griggs
The 4K restoration toured UK cinemas in March. It skipped my local, and I failed to chase it down — and within minutes of pressing play at home, I knew exactly what I'd let slip.
Woo's 1989 international breakthrough is the film that put him firmly on the map. The action choreography is extraordinary: balletic, operatic, and shot through with wilful excess. Bodies fly in slow motion, doves hover like unionised symbolism, and violence is pushed so far into style it becomes almost dance. But what makes it stick is the feeling underneath. Woo bleeds his heart all over the action, and somehow the melodrama makes the mayhem hit harder.
Not every plot thread survives close scrutiny, and it sometimes mistakes sentiment for depth — more than ideal, less than the parody version of Woo would suggest. Still, as a curtain-raiser for a month of cinematic mayhem, it earns top billing. Nobody stages beautiful carnage quite like Woo.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.