Double Tap - A John Woo Double-Bill
Please note : this season finished in March 2026
When it comes to action movies, few directors can claim to have had such an everlasting impact and legacy. Whether its stylistic choices like overly dramatic slow-mo to two-handed gun play, effortlessly cool leading men or redefining the visual language of an action scene, one man stands astride the genre like a colossus: John Woo.
The Hong Kong film-maker, who originally wanted to be a priest(!), popularised the ‘heroic bloodshed’ action with the first two A Better Tomorrow films, but it was the double tap of The Killer and Hard Boiled that would forever cement his legacy as one of the greatest living action directors and inspire countless imitators around the world.
For years, these two films have been unable to be screened theatrically due to rights issues, but finally, thanks to Arrow Video, they have been restored in 4K and back on the big screen.
If you’ve only seen Woo’s Hollywood output, such as Face/Off, M.I.2. and Windtalkers, this is the perfect way to enjoy the Maestro of Mayhem’s two most iconic films to witness a master of the craft unfettered by the American studio system.
Expect plenty of Catholic iconography, doves, shotguns and unparalleled levels of brotherhood and bloodshed.