In Hong Kong, the filmography of Johnnie To represents the evolution of the gangster genre. His Milkyway Image production house produced a string of popular videos and films that deconstructed the romanticized triad lifestyle. Films like Election and The Mission are staples in cinema studies.
Because many of these films are visually stunning but have slow pacing (think Tarkovsky or Ozu), fans treat the "long popular video" as auditory wallpaper. A 2-hour video essay on the cinematography of Zhang Yimou is played while people work from home. It is intellectual comfort food.
These works share common traits: ambitious storytelling, sprawling historical or mythic settings, and a willingness to invest audience time in complex character arcs.