Backdrop fallback

Once a Thief

Once a Thief

Share

Once a Thief

"They only stop to reload."

1991

1h 48m

6.9(189 votes)

Action

Comedy

Thriller

Crime

Overview

Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.

Where to Watch

Links & Resources

Social & External

Production Companies

The people behind it

Cast & crew

10 featured cast members

Starring

Chow Yun-Fat

Chow Yun-Fat

Red Bean Puddin / Joe

Leslie Cheung

Leslie Cheung

James / Jim

Cherie Chung Cho-Hung

Cherie Chung Cho-Hung

Red Bean / Cherie

Paul Chu Kong

Paul Chu Kong

Chu / Godfather

Kenneth Tsang

Kenneth Tsang

Chow / Dad

Woo Fung

Woo Fung

Mr. Cheung

Pierre Yves Burton

Mr. Burton

John Tang Yat-Kwan

John Tang Yat-Kwan

Young Red Bean Pudding / Young Joe

Tong Ka-Fai

Tong Ka-Fai

Young James / Young Jim

Leila Tong

Leila Tong

Young Red Bean / Young Cherie

Creative team

Directed by: John Woo
Written by: Janet Chun Siu-Chun
John Woo
Produced by: Linda Kuk Mei-Lai
Terence Chang

Recommended Movies

High Risk

High Risk

After failing to save his wife from 'The Doctor', Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel, and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal them, Kit is the only thing standing in their way. Will Frankie regain his courage? Will romance blossom between Kit and the nosy reporter? Who has the best Kung-Fu?

Accident Man

Accident Man

Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.

Trap House

Trap House

An undercover DEA agent and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious, and surprising group of thieves – their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing from a dangerous cartel, using their parents' tactics and top-secret intel to do it.

Misdirection

Misdirection

A desperate couple have pulled off a string of high-end break-ins to pay off a mob debt. When they attempt to rob their latest victim, they find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The tables are turned and the hunters become the hunted.

Hostile Takeover

Hostile Takeover

Follows Pete, a professional hitman, as he faces a group of assassins after the boss of a crime syndicate suspects disloyalty due to his attendance at Workaholics Anonymous meetings.

Desert Dawn

Desert Dawn

A newly appointed small-town sheriff and his begrudging deputy get tangled up in a web of lies and corruption involving shady businessmen and the cartel while investigating the murder of a mysterious woman.

Shock Wave

Shock Wave

When a terrorist who specializes in explosives takes hold of an underground tunnel, he threatens to kill hostages if his demands are not met.

Absolution

Absolution

An aging ex-boxer gangster working as muscle for a Boston crime boss receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and reconnect with his estranged children. He is determined to leave a positive legacy for his grandson, but the criminal underworld isn’t done with him and won’t loosen their grip willingly.

The System

The System

When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.

Rob N Roll

Rob N Roll

A fierce robber has plotted a major heist. But unfortunately, his plan was unintentionally foiled by two dispirited middle-aged best friends, and the stolen cash disappears.

Breathless

Breathless

Lorna is a strong-willed Texas woman who’s had enough of her untrustworthy husband Dale’s criminal acts and lack of husbandry. Fed up, she enlists the help of her old friend, Tiny, to help her figure out what to do with Dale after his latest double-cross involving the theft of $100,000 from a bank.

Sheroes

Sheroes

When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand, they quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fighting to stay alive, they employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a heart-pumping battle for survival.

Bulletproof 2

Bulletproof 2

Special Agent Jack Carter reluctantly assumes the identity of criminal Archie Moses to take down a powerful South African crime family. But when the real Moses is put in danger, he and Carter must work together to foil the scheme for good.

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell

An undercover cop who invade a drug cartel led by a notorious Thai drug lord. In classic heroic bloodshed fashion, the two develop a bond of brotherhood.

The Virtuoso

The Virtuoso

Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.

City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts

A con man who is on the run from law enforcement in the U.S. travels to Cambodia to collect his share in an insurance scam but discovers more than he bargained for.

Cotton Comes to Harlem

Cotton Comes to Harlem

Harlem's African-American population is being ripped off by the Rev. Deke O'Malley, who dishonestly claims that small donations will secure parcels of land in Africa. When New York City police officers Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson look into O'Malley's scam, they learn that the cash is being smuggled inside a bale of cotton. However, the police, O'Malley, and lots of others find themselves scrambling when the money goes missing.

Bodies at Rest

Bodies at Rest

Working in the morgue, a hardworking forensics expert and his assistant are suddenly accosted by masked intruders who demand access to a body involved in a recent crime.

Chasing the Dragon

Chasing the Dragon

An illegal immigrant from Mainland China sneaks into the corrupt British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963, transforming himself into a ruthless drug lord.

The Longest Nite

The Longest Nite

A corrupt cop named Sam handles negotiations between two Triad leaders who plan to join forces. However, he meets a suspicious bald man named Tony, who keeps following him around and disrupting his personal business.