Ranking All Of Director Wong Kar-wai’s Movies
“What are Wong Kar-wai’s Best Movies?” We looked at all of Kar-wai’s directed filmography and ranked them against one another to answer that very question!
We took all of the movies directed by Wong Kar-wai and looked at their Rotten Tomato Critic, Rotten Tomato User, Metacritic, Metacritic User, IMDB, and Letterboxd scores, ranking them against one another to see which movies came out on top. The movies are ranked in our list below based on which movies have the highest overall score between all 6 review sites in comparison with all of the other movies by the same director. The process is all very scientific with no flaws at all.
The full ranking chart is also included below the countdown on the bottom of the page. We will update the article if/when a new movie by Wong Kar-wai is released. Although it probably won’t be immediate so the scores on each site have time to settle and aren’t overly influenced by the early, usually much more opinionated, users.
Happy Viewing!
The Top Film’s Of Wong Kar-wai
10 ) My Blueberry Nights (2007)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 10
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 9
- Metacritc Critic Score: 9
- Metacritic User Score: 9
- IMDB User Review Score: 9
- Letterboxd User Score: 10
Elizabeth has just been through a particularly nasty breakup, and now she’s ready to leave her friends and memories behind as she chases her dreams across the country. In order to support herself on her journey, Elizabeth picks up a series of waitress jobs along the way. As Elizabeth crosses paths with a series of lost souls whose yearnings are even greater than her own, their emotional turmoil ultimately helps her gain a greater understanding of her own problems…
9 ) As Tears Go By (1988)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 6
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 8
- Metacritc Critic Score: 10
- Metacritic User Score: 10
- IMDB User Review Score: 8
- Letterboxd User Score: 8
Two parallel stories of Wah caught in the mist of a love affair with his beloved cousin, Ngor and his relationship with his triad brother, Fly, who seems to never fall out of trouble.
8 ) The Grandmaster (2013)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 8
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 10
- Metacritc Critic Score: 5
- Metacritic User Score: 8
- IMDB User Review Score: 10
- Letterboxd User Score: 8
Ip Man’s peaceful life in Foshan changes after Gong Yutian seeks an heir for his family in Southern China. Ip Man then meets Gong Er who challenges him for the sake of regaining her family’s honor. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ip Man moves to Hong Kong and struggles to provide for his family. In the mean time, Gong Er chooses the path of vengeance after her father was killed by Ma San.
7 ) Ashes of Time (1994)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 7
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 7
- Metacritc Critic Score: 7
- Metacritic User Score: 7
- IMDB User Review Score: 7
- Letterboxd User Score: 7
The film is set in five parts, five seasons that are part of the Chinese almanac. The story takes place in the jianghu, the world of the martial arts. Ouyang Feng has lived in the western desert for some years. He left his home in White Camel Mountain when the woman he loved chose to marry his elder brother rather than him. Instead of seeking glory, he ends up as an agent. When people come to him with a wish to eliminate someone who has wronged them, he puts them in touch with a swordsman who can do the job.
6 ) 2046 (2004)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 5
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 6
- Metacritc Critic Score: 3
- Metacritic User Score: 5
- IMDB User Review Score: 6
- Letterboxd User Score: 5
2046 is the sequel to Wong Kar-Wais’ successful box-office hit In The Mood For Love. A film about affairs, ending relationships, and a shared love for Kung-Fu novels as the main character, Chow, writes his own novel and reflects back on his favorite love Su.
5 ) Happy Together (1997)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 8
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 3
- Metacritc Critic Score: 7
- Metacritic User Score: 2
- IMDB User Review Score: 3
- Letterboxd User Score: 3
Lai and his boyfriend, Ho, arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong, seeking a better life. Their highly contentious relationship turns abusive and results in numerous break-ups and reconciliations. When Lai befriends another man, Chang, he sees the futility of continuing with the promiscuous Ho. Chang, however, is on his own personal journey and, ultimately, both Lai and Ho find themselves far from home and desperately lonely.
3 ) Fallen Angels (1995)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 1
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 5
- Metacritc Critic Score: 6
- Metacritic User Score: 2
- IMDB User Review Score: 4
- Letterboxd User Score: 3
A disillusioned killer embarks on his last hit but first he has to overcome his affections for his cool, detached partner. Thinking it’s dangerous and improper to become involved with a colleague, he sets out to find a surrogate for his affections. Against the sordid and surreal urban nightscape, he crosses path with a strange drifter looking for her mysterious ex-boyfriend and an amusing mute trying to get the world’s attention in his own unconventional ways.
3 ) Days of Being Wild (1990)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 3
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 4
- Metacritc Critic Score: 1
- Metacritic User Score: 4
- IMDB User Review Score: 5
- Letterboxd User Score: 5
The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or ‘York’ in English, is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls’ hearts and breaking them. His first victim is Li Zhen who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy’s wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide.
2 ) In the Mood for Love (2000)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 4
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 1
- Metacritc Critic Score: 2
- Metacritic User Score: 5
- IMDB User Review Score: 1
- Letterboxd User Score: 1
A melancholy story about the love between a woman and a man who live in the same building and one day find out that their husband and wife had an affair with each other. More and more the two meet during their daily lives as they determine that they both don’t want to be lonely in their marriage.
1 ) Chungking Express (1994)
Review Website Ranks:
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic: 2
- Rotten Tomatoes Users: 1
- Metacritc Critic Score: 4
- Metacritic User Score: 1
- IMDB User Review Score: 1
- Letterboxd User Score: 2
Every day, Cop 223 buys a can of pineapple with an expiration date of May 1, symbolizing the day he’ll get over his lost love. He’s also got his eye on a mysterious woman in a blond wig, oblivious of the fact she’s a drug dealer. Cop 663 is distraught with heartbreak over a breakup. But when his ex drops a spare set of his keys at a local cafe, a waitress lets herself into his apartment and spruces up his life.
Wong Kar-wai’s Best Movies
Wong Kar-wai Review Website Filmography Rankings
| Film | RT Critic | RT User | MC Critic | MC User | IMDB | Letterboxd | Overal Rank |
| Chungking Express | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| In the Mood for Love | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Fallen Angels | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Days of Being Wild | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Happy Together | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 2046 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Ashes of Time | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| The Grandmaster | 8 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| As Tears Go By | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| My Blueberry Nights | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
