Revenge of the Green Dragons
Revenge of the Green Dragons is a 2014 crime drama directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo. It’s based on a New Yorker article by Fredric Dannen and tells the true story of Chinese‑American gang life in New York City’s Chinatown during the 1980s and 1990s. The movie stars Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., Eugenia Yuan, Geoff Pierson and Ray Liotta. The central character, Sonny, joins the Chinatown gang The Green Dragons as a kid and climbs the ranks, but his rise brings big trouble for him and his family. The villain Snake Head Mama is based on real gangster Sister Ping.
The film is a Hong Kong–American co-production with a budget of about $5 million. It was shot in New York City in 2013, including Chinatown, Queens and parts of Brooklyn. The score was composed by Mark Kilian, and Varèse Sarabande released the soundtrack in October 2014.
Revenge of the Green Dragons premiered on September 10, 2014 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on October 24, 2014, alongside a limited theatrical run and VOD. It earned about $107,000 at the box office.
Critical response was mostly negative. Rotten Tomatoes shows a low rating (about 16% positive from 25 reviews) and Metacritic gives it 36 out of 100. Co‑director Andrew Loo said the film resonated with audiences even if critics weren’t kind, describing it as a genre film with an art‑house feel because of Marty Scorsese’s involvement. In December 2014, Andrew Lau stated the film had made a profit.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:05 (CET).