TSPDT

Key Production Countries: Hong Kong, China
Key Genres: Action, Crime Thriller, Crime, Action Thriller, Crime Drama, Drama, Thriller, Romantic Comedy, Martial Arts, Gangster Film, Action Comedy, Comedy
Key Collaborators: Cheng Siu-Keung (Cinematographer), Lam Suet (Leading Character Actor), Yau Nai-Hoi (Screenwriter), David M. Richardson (Editor), Cheung Siu-fai (Leading Character Actor), Wai Ka-Fai (Producer/Screenwriter/Director), Louis Koo (Leading Actor), Simon Yam (Leading Character Actor), Lo Hoi-Pang (Character Actor), Yip Tin-Shing (Screenwriter), Lam Ka Tung (Leading Character Actor), Au Kin-Yee (Screenwriter)

"No contemporary Hong Kong director is as consistent and distinguished as Johnnie To. While he may not have the same international cachet as Wong Kar-wai, To is far more prolific and, unlike Wong, he has lost none of his edge, despite working in the film industry for nearly 40 years. From goofy Chinese New Year comedies to bleak triad flicks, To has a long and varied filmography that’s the envy of his peers." - Douglas Parkes (Time Out, 2018)

"Johnnie To is the tortoise to John Woo's hare. While Woo brought a new wave of Hong Kong cinema to the eyes of the outside world and blazed brilliantly in Hollywood, his contemporary To remained loyal to the local film industry, and is only now getting recognition in the West. Part of the reason is that while Woo has mostly stuck to his guns with action movies and 'heroic bloodshed', To has mixed and matched his genres throughout his career." - Lloyd Hughes (The Rough Guide to Film, 2007)

"Hong Kong film director and producer Johnnie To is a master of the contemporary crime film, fusing elements of minimalist French noir (especially the films of Jean-Pierre Melville), the complex narrative structure of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, and the B-movie panache of Seijun Suzuki. Restless and prolific, he has made more than seventy films and has applied his signature style to other genres, including a musical (Johnnie To’s Office). He has shown six films at the Cannes Film Festival and received countless other nominations and awards. His films embody the sociopolitical life, criminal codes, and law enforcement conduct of Hong Kong (and now mainland China), while simultaneously resonating with the greatest films in the genre." - San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2017

"What makes To’s work fascinating is its diversity, including aspects often overlooked in favour of his formalist bravado. One of which is his iconic use of actors (which, ironically, has much to do with the elegance of his mise en scène), such as the Lorre-like doggedness of Lam Suet, be it as one of the stoic hitmen in The Mission (1999), silently kicking a ball of paper to kill time, or as the battered carrier in Election (2005), tirelessly repeating the triad vows while being bludgeoned with a piece of wood or—in a rare leading part—his even unluckier, sweaty, bandaged cop in search of his gun in PTU (2003)." - Christoph Huber (Cinema Scope, 2007)

"To may be one of the most important Hong Kong filmmakers, but he's also one of the last people upholding the tradition of classical Hollywood filmmaking. In 1996 he cofounded the production company Milkyway Image; the studio has developed a stable of talented writers, actors, and technicians committed to ensuring a high level of quality across a variety of output. The pleasures of a Milkyway production are comparable to those of an MGM film of the 1940s or '50s—even when the story isn't great, one can still get lost in the richness of the craftsmanship and creative collaborations. The work of To and company is a testament to the joys of moviegoing." - Ben Sachs (Chicago Reader, 2018)

"Johnnie To, a maestro of Hong Kong cinema, stands as one of the few remaining giants in the realm of genre filmmaking. His film career, spanning over four decades and some 70 films, encapsulates a versatility and professionalism almost unheard of in our era of microscopic specialization, overflowing the confines of crime thrillers to embrace a full range of genres, including romantic comedies, melodramas, and musicals… To thrives under financial and time constraints by relying on his creative instincts and spontaneous problem-solving. Often working without a complete screenplay and adapting throughout the production process, he created a series of highly original works, most notably by imbuing the crime genre with his signature blend of meticulous choreography, tension-filled narratives, and an innate sense of spatial dynamics." - The Museum of Modern Art, 2024

"To, like any Hong Kong director worth his salt, can execute an all-out gun battle with élan, but neither Woo nor Tsui could have conceived the disturbingly offhand climax of Expect the Unexpected (1998), the ominous stasis of The Mission (1999), the virtuoso wineglass duel in A Hero Never Dies (1998), or the surreal menace of the prison interrogation in The Longest Nite (1998)… Johnnie To can tell a story crisply, sustain a mood, stage galvanizing displays of violence, and evoke a critical distance on his characters while still endowing them with heroic stature. Add to this a pictorial intelligence without peer in today’s popular filmmaking, and you have a director who could lead Hong Kong cinema to a new international esteem—if only the world noticed." - David Bordwell (Film Comment, 2003)

"Interest! That’s the only thing that will determine whether I can tell a story properly, if I have the ability or will to tell it correctly. As far as tackling a script, the first thing to do is absorb the story, then see who can help me tell it – actors, staff and such. They are the most important." - Johnnie To (Hong Kong Time Out, 2016)