Charcoal Tan (張炭) is a Hong Kong screenwriter.
Biography from TMDB.
- August 24, 1966 (60)
- Hong Kong, China
- Writer, also producer
- 20 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
What are Tan Cheung's films like?
Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 15
Light 7 · Serious 9 · Dark 2
Grounded 0 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 15
Gentle 1 · Charged 7 · Intense 10
Steady 4 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 2
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 6
Casual 6 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 7 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 4
Resolved 16 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous2
- Other1
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 Tan Cheung's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Tan Cheung'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
35 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Legend of Taotie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

One Boat One World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

Magic Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

Tears of No Regret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

Police Tactical Unit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Fox Fairy Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Aola Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

Badges of Fury(2013)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Ye Wen(2013)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
Romantic Heroes of the Tang Dynasty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
A Chinese Ghost Story(2011)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Shaolin(2011)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Treasure Hunter(2009)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
The Promise(2005)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
100 Flowers Hidden Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

Somebody Up There Likes Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

One and a Half (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

How Deep Is Your Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Wonder Seven(1994)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Iron Monkey(1993)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Blade of Fury(1993)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Guns & Roses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

The Assassin(1993)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Dragon Inn(1992)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Running on Empty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

The Cyprus Tigers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Career shape
A full career of 33 titles from 1990 to 2025.

Biggest box office
Badges of Fury (2013)

Highest rated
Iron Monkey (1993)

Most popular right now
Ye Wen (2013)
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 Tan Cheung's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
12 of their 20 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed12
Reviewers score the dialogue 38/100 and the plot and story 38/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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.
Who does Tan Cheung work with?
People who share at least 2 of Tan Cheung's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Siu-Tung Ching shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Siu-Tung ChingShared titles: The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011), An Empress and the Warriors (2008), Wonder Seven (1994), Swordsman III: The East Is Red (1993), Dragon Inn (1992)See all 5 shared titles with Siu-Tung Ching

- Hark TsuiShared titles: Iron Monkey (1993), Swordsman III: The East Is Red (1993), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 5 shared titles with Hark Tsui

- Raymond LeeShared titles: Swordsman III: The East Is Red (1993), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Raymond Lee

Writers
- Louis ChaShared titles: The Legend of Condor Hero: What is Love (2025), The Maidens of Heavenly Mountains (1994), Swordsman III: The East Is Red (1993)See all 3 shared titles with Louis Cha

- Sha RenShared titles: Guoshì wushuang Huang Feihong (2017), Ye Wen (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Sha Ren
- Elsa TangShared titles: Wonder Seven (1994), Iron Monkey (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Elsa Tang
- Roy SzetoShared titles: Swordsman III: The East Is Red (1993), The Assassin (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Roy Szeto
Actors
- Xiong XinxinShared titles: Shaolin (2011), Wonder Seven (1994), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 5 shared titles with Xiong Xinxin

- Jet LiShared titles: Badges of Fury (2013), The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Jet Li

- Donnie YenShared titles: An Empress and the Warriors (2008), Iron Monkey (1993), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Donnie Yen

- Rosamund KwanShared titles: Blade of Fury (1993), The Assassin (1993), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 4 shared titles with Rosamund Kwan

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Arthur WongShared titles: Legend of the Naga Pearls (2017), A Chinese Ghost Story (2011), Iron Monkey (1993), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)See all 5 shared titles with Arthur Wong

- Angie LamShared titles: Badges of Fury (2013), The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011), Iron Monkey (1993), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 5 shared titles with Angie Lam
- Hung PoonShared titles: An Empress and the Warriors (2008), Wonder Seven (1994), Dragon Inn (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Hung Poon

- Kam-Wing ChowShared titles: Iron Monkey (1993), Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Kam-Wing Chow
Producers
- See-Yuen NgShared titles: Dragon Inn (1992), Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)See all 3 shared titles with See-Yuen Ng

- Bo-Chu ChuiShared titles: Badges of Fury (2013), The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Bo-Chu Chui
- Han San PingShared titles: Shaolin (2011), The Promise (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Han San Ping

Mixed roles
- Eric TsangShared titles: The Treasure Hunter (2009), An Empress and the Warriors (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Tsang


