Skip to content
MovieCove
Ka-Fai Wai

Ka-Fai Wai

Writer, producer and director · Born September 21, 1962 (64) · Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]

Wai Ka-fai is a Hong Kong writer, filmmaker, producer and former TV director and producer. Wai is best known for his frequent collaborations with Johnnie To, another former TV turned film director and producer. In 1996, they formed Milkyway Image, which is now one of the most successful independent film studios in Hong Kong. The films that the two have made together as directors and producers include Needing You..., Fat Choi Spirit, Love on a Diet, Help!!!, Love for All Seasons, Fulltime Killer, Turn Left, Turn Right and Running on Karma. Two of his films were released in the US theatrically: Fulltime Killer and Mad Detective.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 21, 1962 (64)
From
Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]
Works as
Writer, producer and director
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 49 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 37 days to Oct 26Up 26% in 30 days

What are Ka-Fai Wai's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Romance2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Romance 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
Morality
44%
Bonds
29%
Self
11%
Survival
8%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Society
1%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 8

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 3

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 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 2

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 6 · Full focus 4

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Dread
4
Joyful
4
Melancholic
4
Warm
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Ka-Fai Wai's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ka-Fai Wai'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

49 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Believer 2(2023)

    Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Detective vs. Sleuths(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Chasing Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer · Writer

  • Believer(2018)

    Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Office (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer

  • Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2(2014)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Blind Detective(2013)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Drug War(2012)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Romancing in Thin Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer · Screenplay

  • Don't Go Breaking My Heart(2011)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Written By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Vengeance(2009)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Mad Detective(2007)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Shopaholics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Himalaya Singh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Writer

  • Fantasia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Running on Karma(2003)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Turn Left, Turn Right (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • 1:99 Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Love for All Seasons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • My Left Eye Sees Ghosts(2002)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Fat Choi Spirit(2002)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Fulltime Killer(2001)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Love on a Diet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Wu Yen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Divine Retribution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show Creator

  • Help!!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Needing You... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Where a Good Man Goes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer · Story

  • A Hero Never Dies(1998)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Expect the Unexpected (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Producer

  • The Longest Nite(1997)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer

  • The Odd One Dies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer · Writer

  • Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Writer

  • Peace Hotel(1995)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Racing Peak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 40 episodes · Director

  • Justice Is Blind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Producer

  • The Greed of Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 40 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Producer

  • Gun n' Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Writer

  • 暴雨燃燒 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show Creator

  • The Story of My Son(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Looking Back in Anger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show Creator

  • It's No Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Writer

  • Easy Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Writer

  • Young Cops (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Writer

  • Police Cadet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 80 episodes · Writer · Writers' Production

  • The Return of the Condor Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 50 episodes · Writer

  • You Only Live Twice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show Creator

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles from 1982 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Blind Detective (2013)

$35M worldwide

Highest rated

The Longest Nite (1997)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

Vengeance (2009)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing21 of 49: 2 only directing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdWriting37 of 49: 10 only writing, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thProducing30 of 49: 5 only producing, 25 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdOther crew5 of 49: 4 only other crew, 1 with another role

49 titles, 28 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 24 of them.

By decade

1980s7 · crew1990s14 · crew2000s18 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s2 · 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 Ka-Fai Wai's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 17; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

None of their 17 titles divides audiences: 11 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most loved · producer

The Longest Nite (1997)

Midcredits 86th · 76% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 14 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 Ka-Fai Wai work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ka-Fai Wai's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Johnnie To shares the most, 13.

Directors

  • Johnnie To13 titles    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with Johnnie To

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers