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Ringo Lam

Ringo Lam

Director, producer and writer · Died December 29, 2018, aged 63 · Hong Kong, China

Ringo Lam Ling-tung (1955-2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer and scriptwriter. He was known for gritty, dark and realistic action thrillers. He was born in Hong Kong and studied film at York University film school in Toronto. Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) was reworked from Lam's City on Fire (1987), and critics have indicated that there are shot-by-shot copies of certain action sequences. His most recent films include a collaboration with Jean-Claude Van Damme: Maximum Risk (1996), Replicant (2001), and The Savage (2003) (better known as In Hell).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 8, 1955
Died
December 29, 2018 (aged 63)
From
Hong Kong, China
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 135% in 30 days

What are Ringo Lam's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
29%
Survival
16%
Power
11%
Society
5%
Self
4%
Ideas
3%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 15

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 6

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Thrilling
10
Dread
4
Melancholic
5
Warm
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ringo Lam's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ringo Lam's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Septet: The Story of Hong Kong(2020)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sky on Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Wild City(2015)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Tarantino, le disciple de Hong-Kong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Triangle(2007)

    Director · Executive Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • In Hell(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Looking for Mr. Perfect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Story

  • Replicant(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Victim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Simon Sez(1999)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Suspect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Full Alert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • Maximum Risk(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Adventurers(1995)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Burning Paradise(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Full Contact(1992)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Twin Dragons(1992)

    Director · as Card Player

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Prison on Fire II(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Touch and Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Actor

  • Rebel from China (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Story

  • Undeclared War(1990)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • A Moment of Romance(1990)

    Associate Producer · Production Consultant · Story

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Wild Search(1989)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • School on Fire(1988)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Eighth Happiness(1988)

    as Audience member (cameo)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Prison on Fire(1987)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Thirty Million Dollar Rush(1987)

    Assistant Director · Stunt Coordinator

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • City on Fire(1987)

    Director · Producer · Story · as Chow's Contact

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Happy Ghost III(1986)

    Stunt Coordinator

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Mad Mission 4: You Never Die Twice(1986)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Cupid One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · Writer

  • The Other Side of Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Esprit D'amour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • ICAC: Section Nine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Actor

  • Luk Siu Fung (Series II) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 8 episodes · Actor

  • A House is Not a Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 110 episodes · Actor

  • You Are Wonderful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • The Fatal Irony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 25 episodes · Actor

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles from 1974 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Wild City (2015)

$25M worldwide

Highest rated

School on Fire (1988)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Maximum Risk (1996)

Film career

  • 1987Screen debut· City on Fire

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting10 of 38: 7 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting26 of 38: 8 only directing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thWriting12 of 38: 1 only writing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thProducing12 of 38: 1 only producing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thOther crew3 of 38: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

38 titles, 19 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1970s5 · acting1980s11 · 2 acting · 10 crew1990s14 · 2 acting · 14 crew2000s4 · crew2010s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Ringo Lam's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

Simon Sez (1999)

67th percentile spread · 78% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

School on Fire (1988)

Midcredits 91st · 77% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 68/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ringo Lam's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 89 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles37–61 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 76 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Ringo Lam work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ringo Lam's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yin Nam shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers