MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Once a Thief

Once a Thief

1991 · 108 min

A breezy, stylish heist romp with sudden bursts of gunplay and playful romantic banter.

Tagline
They only stop to reload.
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.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Free in the UK
  • Plex
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • lightstrength 2 of 3
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • campystrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • betrayal
  • family
  • love
  • loyalty
  • crime
Places
  • big city
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action8
Horror1
Humour6
Realism5
Romance5
Tension6
Darkness4
Complexity4
Emotional weight5

More like this

Titles like Once a Thief

Movie

Masterplan

2026

A breezy, playful caper that mixes slick heist thrills with the warm chaos of an instant family.

Light, tense, brisk · about betrayal and family · twist ending

Via
  • light
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • family
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
110 min
Details In your watch list
MasterplanHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Killer

1989

A stylish, emotionally charged action drama with balletic gunfights and a surprisingly tender core.

Same director: John Woo · Romantic, tense, brisk · about loyalty · twist ending

Also
Same director: John Woo
Via
  • romantic
  • tense
  • loyalty
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details In your watch list
The KillerHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Once a Thief

1996–1998

A breezy, tongue-in-cheek caper with slick action, playful banter, and a tangled love triangle that keeps things light.

Same creator: John Woo · Light, romantic, brisk · about betrayal and love

Also
Same creator: John Woo
Via
  • light
  • romantic
  • betrayal
  • love
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Seasons
1
Details In your watch list
Once a ThiefHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Shadow's Edge

2025

A tense, twisty cat-and-mouse thriller with slick surveillance and hard-hitting fights, anchored by a veteran mentor and a rookie partner.

Tense, brisk · about betrayal and family

Via
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • family
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
142 min
Details In your watch list
The Shadow's EdgeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Better Tomorrow

1986

A stylish, emotionally charged crime saga with balletic gunfights and a strong undercurrent of brotherhood and betrayal.

Same director: John Woo · Tense, brisk · about betrayal and family · twist ending

Also
Same director: John Woo
Via
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • family
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
95 min
Details In your watch list
A Better TomorrowHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Mission: Impossible 2

2000

Slick, swoony action spectacle with slow-motion gunplay, motorcycle chases and a brooding romantic streak that keeps it watchable even when the plot gets silly.

Same director: John Woo · Romantic, tense, brisk · about betrayal and love · twist ending

Also
Same director: John Woo
Via
  • romantic
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • love
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
123 min
Details In your watch list
Mission: Impossible 2Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Ocean's Eleven

2001

A slick, breezy caper that glides on charm and wit, making the heist feel like a stylish game.

Light, romantic, brisk · about love and loyalty · twist ending

Via
  • light
  • romantic
  • love
  • loyalty
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
116 min
Details In your watch list
Ocean's ElevenHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Berlin

2023

A slick, stylish heist thriller that blends tension and charm with a doomed romance, keeping you engaged with its twists and charismatic antiheroes.

Romantic, tense, brisk · about betrayal and love

Via
  • romantic
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • love
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details In your watch list
BerlinHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Face/Off

1997

A wildly operatic action spectacle that keeps you gripped with its absurd premise, stylish shootouts and gleefully over-the-top performances.

Same director: John Woo · Tense, brisk · about betrayal and family · twist ending

Also
Same director: John Woo
Via
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • family
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
139 min
Details In your watch list
Face/OffHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Thieves

2012

A slick, fast-paced heist thriller that keeps you guessing with double-crosses and sudden bursts of violence, but leavened by playful humour and unexpected romance.

Light, tense, brisk · about betrayal and love · twist ending

Via
  • light
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • love
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Details In your watch list
The ThievesHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Police Story

1985

A giddy, bruising thrill ride where slapstick comedy and jaw-dropping stunts collide, leaving you laughing and wincing in equal measure.

Light, tense, brisk · about loyalty and crime

Via
  • light
  • tense
  • loyalty
  • crime
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
99 min
Details In your watch list
Police StoryHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hard Boiled

1992

A blistering, operatic shoot-'em-up that sweeps you into relentless gunfights and unlikely brotherhood, leaving you exhilarated and bruised.

Same director: John Woo · Tense · about betrayal and loyalty

Also
Same director: John Woo
Via
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
126 min
Details In your watch list
Hard BoiledHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Free
  • Plex
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
action, comedy, thriller, crime
Directed by
John Woo
Written by
Clifton Ko Chi-Sum, John Woo, Janet Chun Siu-Chun
Starring
Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Cherie Chung Cho-Hung, Paul Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, Woo Fung, Pierre Yves Burton, John Tang Yat-kwan
Music
Violet Lam
Cinematography
William Yim Wai-Lun, Poon Hang-Sang
Runtime
108 min
Country
Hong Kong
Languages
Cantonese, English, French, Japanese

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata