Wong Kar-wai (王家衛, born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is internationally celebrated for his atmospheric, highly stylized cinema centered on themes of longing, romance, memory, and temporal transience. His major film and television credits include As Tears Go By (1988), Days of Being Wild (1990), Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000), 2046 (2004), The Grandmaster (2013), and the television series Blossoms Shanghai (2023).
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Biography from TMDB.
- July 17, 1958 (68)
- Shanghai, China
- Writer, producer, director and actor
- 27 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
What are Wong Kar-Wai's films like?
Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 3 · Wry 3 · Earnest 19
A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 3 · Dark 9
Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 17
Gentle 6 · Charged 10 · Intense 9
A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 6
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 3
A split, not a type: Casual 11 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4
A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 11
A split, not a type: Resolved 13 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 8
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet10
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous6
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 Wong Kar-Wai's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (7).
- In the Mood for Love (2000) · director, writer, producer
- Chungking Express (1994) · director, writer
- Happy Together (1997) · director, writer, producer
- Fallen Angels (1995) · director, writer, producer
- The Hand (2020) · director, writer
- Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002) · producer
- The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993) · producer
Subscription and free streaming for Wong Kar-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
63 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Sons of the Neon Night(2025)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
In the Mood for Love 2001 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Hao Jiu Bu Jian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Blossoms Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Ennio(2021)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
One for the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
The Hand(2020)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Jinpa(2018)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Europe Raiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
See You Tomorrow(2016)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Xuan Zang(2016)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Grandmaster(2013)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Road to "The Grandmaster" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Touch of the Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Miao Miao (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Ashes of Time Redux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
My Blueberry Nights(2007)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
To Each His Own Cinema(2007)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Eros(2004)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
2046(2004)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Sound of Colors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Chinese Odyssey 2002(2002)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
@ in the Mood for Love(2001)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Follow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
The Hire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Age of Bloom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
In the Mood for Love(2000)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Motorola (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Happy Together(1997)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
wkw/tk/1996@7'55''hk.net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Fallen Angels(1995)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Ashes of Time(1994)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Chungking Express(1994)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Oh! Yes Sir!!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The King of Ads, Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Saviour of the Soul(1991)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Days of Being Wild(1990)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Return Engagement(1990)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Walk on Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
As Tears Go By(1988)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Chaos By Design (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
The Haunted Cop Shop II(1988)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
The Haunted Cop Shop(1987)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Flaming Brothers(1987)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Final Test (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Final Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Goodbye My Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Rosa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Sweet Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Unforgettable Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Chase a Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Silent Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Intellectual Trio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Just for Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Once Upon a Rainbow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
無雙譜 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Blossoms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Making of 2046 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Moving Pictures: Chungking Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
刻氏兄弟綁架大劫案 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 63 titles, 59 of them dated from 1981 to 2025.
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 Wong Kar-Wai's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up14
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
13 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Crowd Pleaser13
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the dialogue 53/100 and the plot and story 40/100 in their films, across 23 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.
Is Wong Kar-Wai's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, alcohol & drugs runs heavier than most films and profanity and frightening / intense lighter.
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 Wong Kar-Wai work with?
People who share at least 2 of Wong Kar-Wai's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Chang shares the most, 14.
Directors
- Jeffrey LauShared titles: Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002), Fallen Angels (1995), Ashes of Time (1994), Chungking Express (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Saviour of the Soul (1991), Days of Being Wild (1990), As Tears Go By (1988), The Haunted Cop Shop II (1988), Flaming Brothers (1987), The Haunted Cop Shop (1987)See all 11 shared titles with Jeffrey Lau
- Tung Cho 'Joe' CheungShared titles: In the Mood for Love (2000), Return Engagement (1990), Flaming Brothers (1987)See all 3 shared titles with Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
Writers
- Jingzhi ZouShared titles: The Grandmaster (2013), To Each His Own Cinema (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Jingzhi Zou
- Louis ChaShared titles: Ashes of Time (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Louis Cha
Actors
- Tony Leung Chiu-waiShared titles: See You Tomorrow (2016), The Grandmaster (2013), 2046 (2004), Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002), @ in the Mood for Love (2001), In the Mood for Love (2000), Happy Together (1997), Ashes of Time (1994), Chungking Express (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Days of Being Wild (1990)See all 11 shared titles with Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Maggie CheungShared titles: 2046 (2004), @ in the Mood for Love (2001), In the Mood for Love (2000), Ashes of Time (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Days of Being Wild (1990), As Tears Go By (1988)See all 7 shared titles with Maggie Cheung
- Chang ChenShared titles: The Hand (2020), The Grandmaster (2013), 2046 (2004), Eros (2004), Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002), Happy Together (1997)See all 6 shared titles with Chang Chen
- Jacky CheungShared titles: Ashes of Time (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Days of Being Wild (1990), As Tears Go By (1988), The Haunted Cop Shop II (1988), The Haunted Cop Shop (1987)See all 6 shared titles with Jacky Cheung
Cinematographers and editors
- William ChangShared titles: The Hand (2020), Jinpa (2018), My Blueberry Nights (2007), To Each His Own Cinema (2007), 2046 (2004), Eros (2004), @ in the Mood for Love (2001), In the Mood for Love (2000), Happy Together (1997), Fallen Angels (1995), Ashes of Time (1994), Chungking Express (1994) and 2 moreSee newest 12 of 14 shared titles with William Chang
- Christopher DoyleShared titles: The Hand (2020), 2046 (2004), Eros (2004), In the Mood for Love (2000), First Love: Litter on the Breeze (1997), Happy Together (1997), Fallen Angels (1995), Ashes of Time (1994), Chungking Express (1994), Days of Being Wild (1990)See all 10 shared titles with Christopher Doyle
- Kit-Wai KaiShared titles: Ashes of Time (1994), Chungking Express (1994), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Saviour of the Soul (1991), Days of Being Wild (1990), As Tears Go By (1988)See all 6 shared titles with Kit-Wai Kai
- Pun Leung KwanShared titles: My Blueberry Nights (2007), 2046 (2004), In the Mood for Love (2000), Ashes of Time (1994)See all 4 shared titles with Pun Leung Kwan
Producers
- Jacky Yee Wah PangShared titles: The Hand (2020), See You Tomorrow (2016), The Grandmaster (2013), My Blueberry Nights (2007), To Each His Own Cinema (2007), Eros (2004), Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002), @ in the Mood for Love (2001), In the Mood for Love (2000), Happy Together (1997), Fallen Angels (1995), Ashes of Time (1994)See all 12 shared titles with Jacky Yee Wah Pang
- Ye-cheng ChanShared titles: The Hand (2020), The Grandmaster (2013), My Blueberry Nights (2007), 2046 (2004), Eros (2004), @ in the Mood for Love (2001), In the Mood for Love (2000), First Love: Litter on the Breeze (1997), Happy Together (1997), Ashes of Time (1994)See all 10 shared titles with Ye-cheng Chan
- Wai-Chung ChanShared titles: The Hand (2020), The Grandmaster (2013), My Blueberry Nights (2007), 2046 (2004), Eros (2004), Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002)See all 6 shared titles with Wai-Chung Chan
- Johnnie KongShared titles: See You Tomorrow (2016), The Grandmaster (2013), Ashes of Time (1994)See all 3 shared titles with Johnnie Kong
