Hong Kong Cat 3 Movie List Online

Not all Cat III films are grindhouse trash. Some earned their rating due to historical honesty or artistic scope.

4. The Killer (1989) Director: John Woo

Yes, that John Woo film. You probably watched this thinking it was a heroic bloodshed classic. Look closely at the UK or original Hong Kong releases: Cat III. Why? The "bullet ballet" violence was deemed too realistic. The scene where a squib explodes on a nun’s habit? That pushed it over the edge. It is proof that a masterpiece can live under the harshest rating. hong kong cat 3 movie list

5. An Amorous Woman of Tang Dynasty (1984) Director: Eddie Fong

One of the few truly erotic art films on this list. Don’t go in expecting Sex and Zen. This is a slow-burn, beautiful, tragic romance set in ancient China. It earned the rating for its non-simulated intimacy, but it is widely considered a legitimate work of art. It’s hard to find, but worth the hunt for those tired of the typical Cat III sleaze. Not all Cat III films are grindhouse trash

Where can you find these films today? It’s not easy.

Starring: Chingmy Yau, Carrie Ng, Simon Yam Why it’s a masterpiece: This is the pinku eiga of Hong Kong. It’s a lesbian assassin noir with pop-art colors, surreal fight sequences, and a bisexual hitwoman who kills men using coat hangers. It is stylish, feminist in a strange way, and utterly bonkers. Quintessential Cat III. Starring: Chingmy Yau, Carrie Ng, Simon Yam Why

Starring: Stephen Chow, Ng Man-tat Why it matters: Yes, the "King of Comedy" Stephen Chow starred in a Cat 3 film. Chow plays an office worker who becomes a vigilante serial killer murdering rude taxi drivers after his pregnant wife dies in an accident caused by a taxi.