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Motif
Howie Lai

Howie Lai

Actor

Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on Motif · 17 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 65 days to Oct 28Down 12% in 30 days

What are Howie Lai's films like?

Across a limited sample of 3 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
29%
Bonds
19%
Morality
19%
Society
19%
Ideas
13%
Survival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 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 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 0 · Intense 2

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Dread
2
Hopeful
2
Absurd
1

How their films linger

Bittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

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 Howie Lai's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 16 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Howie Lai's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

17 credits, 16 with a Motif page.

  • Smoke(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Gilbert Gilchrist

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Earth Abides(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · as Kori

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Death and Other Details(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as Chen

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • The Irrational(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Officer Wiggins

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Curious Caterer: Grilling Season(2023)

    as Kenny Zox

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Debris (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Agent Chin

  • Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story(2019)

    as Ming Sen Shiue

    Motif score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Prescription for Murder(2019)

    as Dr. Tim Chang

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Altered Carbon(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Meditech 1

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Death Note(2017)

    as FBI Assistant

    Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Monster Trucks(2016)

    as Engineer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Travelers(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · as Traveler 2150

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Grave Encounters 2(2012)

    as Jared Lee

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Arrow(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Declan Lin

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Alcatraz(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Asian Guy

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Fringe(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Loyalist Guard in Hummer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Supernatural(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Desk Sergeant

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 72nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 17 titles from 2005 to 2025; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

$1.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Curious Caterer: Grilling Season (2023)

Motif 72nd

Most popular right now

Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

Film career

20052025

Peak 2019 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting17 of 17: 17 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score49th

By decade

2000s2 · acting2010s9 · acting2020s6 · acting

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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Howie Lai's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 34th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Motif score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 16 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Death Note (2017)

64th percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Prescription for Murder (2019)

Motif 75th · 64% liked

Reviewers score the acting 46/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 25. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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 Howie Lai work with?

People who share at least 2 of Howie Lai's Motif titles; Reese Alexander shares the most, 2.