Infernal Affairs

San Francisco Chronicle G. Allen Johnson

Unfolds as a masterful chess match of wit and ingenuity, a cat-and-mouse chase of the highest order.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Dazzling psychological cat-and-mouse drama.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Throbs with action, suspense and a seductive rhythm all its own.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

The plot is intricate and tight. The preamble is a bit challenging to sort out. But the movie's engine is the relationships and the characters' inner lives, all of it boiling with emotional intensity.

Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt

It's hard to breathe in Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Infernal Affairs, a relentlessly taut Hong Kong cop thriller that, unlike many of its cinematic peers, doesn't burn off tension in choreographed action sequences.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

One of the truest American gangster films of all time.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

A runaway hit in Hong Kong, this 2002 crime thriller reinvigorated the genre with its airtight script, taut editing, and sleek cinematography.

Variety Derek Elley

Pic is superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action.

Village Voice Dennis Lim

Spins in place with aplomb, generating exponentially more vertiginous doublings with each sweaty-palmed set piece.

The Hollywood Reporter Andrew Sun

Driven by two great performances surrounded by solid supporting acts, Infernal Affairs is the rare testosterone movie that is also mature and thoughtful.

Premiere Glenn Kenny

This is a real grabber.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The movie pays off in a kind of emotional complexity rarely seen in crime movies.

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Overflows with psychological intrigue, something often missing from such offerings.

USA Today Mike Clark

Viewers who like clean storytelling may not be happy. Those who savor ironic wrap-ups will be.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Here is a psychological twister with an implausible and hard-to-follow plot. All of this is more than compensated for by terrific performances, a seductive colour palette that is greenish and glassy, and a minimalist style reminiscent of Michael Mann.

Newsweek David Ansen

Expect to be confused for 10 minutes. Then sit back and enjoy the ride.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

The sophistication of the stylized minimalism here in Infernal Affairs is dazzling.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

It should come as no surprise that there's an American remake in the works, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon and directed by Martin Scorsese.

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

The directors, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, manage to convince us that we have witnessed an action movie, although in fact the quantity of violence is so minimal that, under Hong Kong law, Infernal Affairs barely qualifies as a motion picture.