Drug War

Friday, July 26 - Saturday, August 17, 2013

In China, manufacturing 50 grams of methamphetamine will earn you a death sentence. Timmy Choi (Louis Koo) has manufactured tons… and after an accident at one of his labs, he’s in the custody of Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei)’s undercover team. Choi has only one shot at avoiding the death penalty: turn informant for Zhang to take down the powerful cartel he works for. With a major delivery already underway, there’s only one chance to make the bust, which means clock is ticking… and fast. As Zhang’s increasingly desperate, and sleep-deprived, team is stretched well past their limits and forced to rely on an informant they can’t fully trust, the operation spins wildly out of control, and the line between dedication and recklessness becomes increasingly blurred. Eschewing the “two guns at once” Hong Kong-style mayhem in favor of atmosphere and a tightly-wound plot punctuated with impeccably choreographed bursts of violence, genre master Johnnie To delivers an intricate puzzle-box of a thriller that ignited a firestorm of controversy in its homeland.

“Has the concrete feel of a masterpiece… jaw-socking choreography… [a] riveting crime flick and subversive critique of the system.” – Indiewire

“Genre master To gives a superlative lesson on how to give an updated, thoroughly engrossing twist to the classic cops-and-robbers chase. A sweet slice of genre cake… hits all the right buttons.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“A nail-biter… so well-scripted and shot, it’s edge-of-your-seat material.” – Variety

  • Country Hong Kong
  • Rating NR
  • Running Time 105 minutes
  • Director Johnnie To

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.