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Drug War

Play trailer Poster for Drug War R Released Jul 26, 2013 1h 45m Crime Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After he's taken into custody, a drug lord (Louis Koo) must help the police bust his former associates or else face the death penalty.
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Drug War

Drug War

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Critics Consensus

A taut, solidly constructed action thriller with uncommon intelligence, Drug War delivers exhilarating set pieces without skimping on sophisticated filmmaking.

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Critics Reviews

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Steve Erickson Film Comment Magazine Not only does the film never question the ethics of a war on drugs in which dealers and manufacturers are subject to the death penalty, it appears to enthusiastically endorse it. Nov 4, 2013 Full Review Tom Russo Boston Globe Another inkling of the style limitations perhaps most responsible for To's lower visibility stateside compared with, say, his countrymen John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. Rated: 2/4 Oct 17, 2013 Full Review Ben Sachs Chicago Reader Few other working filmmakers display this degree of visual sophistication and old-school craftsmanship. Aug 15, 2013 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine The action is regularly punctuated by moments of messy, inconvenient realism. Rated: 9/10 Oct 13, 2020 Full Review Ard Vijn ScreenAnarchy Not every last little thing may work in Johnnie To's new crime thriller, but the vast majority of it clicks together as a damn solid piece of action craftsmanship, anchored by two good leads. Jan 13, 2020 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row To is a born storyteller, and his work here is nothing short of astonishing. Drug War is a great film Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 7, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (124) audience reviews
Audience Member The final shoot-out scenes are something to see- As bloody as Peckinpah's Wild Bunch but more realistic....No false sentiment in this film- It's all just kill or be killed... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review dustin d The police state vs. drug traffickers. A stoic and morally ambiguous cop vs. a criminal for whom there is no floor to the depths he will sink to save his own skin. Drug War is gritty and intelligent, realistically and unapologetically portraying the methods of drug trafficking (such as passing pods of cocaine in drug mules' intestines) and police procedures in the absence of human rights (so much warrantless surveillance!). As off-putting as some of the images are, the film respects its viewers. For example, in an early scene, a couple undercover cops are following a pair of drug traffickers. They pass through a toll booth (also staffed by an undercover cop), and have to scrape money together to pay the toll. About an hour later in the film, the two undercover cops are tasked with another assignment, and the policewoman who had been the toll-booth operator spots them some cash. The filmmakers trust their audience to remember the duo didn't have any money, and the policewoman would remember that, without having to explain it. And it all builds up to a shootout in the streets that almost rivals Heat. Must-see movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie which i find on my boxxy software , love love love these type of movie where it keeps me wanting to watch till the end Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Johnnie To remains the master of Chinese and Hong Kong Cinema. All it takes is one action set piece and you will see why. Drug War is about a meth cook who will turn against his people in exchange for not getting the death penalty, because apparently China is not the place to cook or sell meth. The script is solid, and I love the fact it was shot entirely on China, and not the China we see in big Hollywood productions, but a post industrial Chinese state that looks and feels authentic. All the actors , but mainly Louis Koo, are outstanding. Perhaps some day in the near future American audiences will get a remake like the Departed did for the Infernal Affairs Saga. But until then I suggest any fan of the crime genre take a peek at this hidden gem. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member action packed, a classic Johnnie To film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Gritty cop thriller where the action never seemingly lets up. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Drug War

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Cast & Crew

Drug War

Drug War: Official Clip - Fake Uncle Drug War: Official Clip - Fake Uncle 3:16 Drug War: Official Clip - Death Sentence Drug War: Official Clip - Death Sentence 3:16 Drug War: Official Clip - They're All Cops Drug War: Official Clip - They're All Cops 2:46 Drug War: Official Clip - Something's Wrong Drug War: Official Clip - Something's Wrong 2:58 Drug War: Official Clip - The Last Stand Drug War: Official Clip - The Last Stand 3:04 Drug War: Official Clip - Zhang Overdoses Drug War: Official Clip - Zhang Overdoses 1:56 Drug War: Official Clip - Shots Across The Bow Drug War: Official Clip - Shots Across The Bow 4:35 Drug War: Official Clip - It's Bad For Your Brain Drug War: Official Clip - It's Bad For Your Brain 3:23 Drug War: Official Clip - Mute Bros. Melee Drug War: Official Clip - Mute Bros. Melee 2:48 Drug War: Official Clip - Who's Laughing Now? Drug War: Official Clip - Who's Laughing Now? 2:35 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis After he's taken into custody, a drug lord (Louis Koo) must help the police bust his former associates or else face the death penalty.
Director
Johnnie To
Producer
Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai
Screenwriter
Ryker Chan, Ka-Fai Wai, Nai-Hoi Yau, Xi Yu
Distributor
Variance Films
Production Co
CCTV Movie Channel, Milky Way Image, Huaxia Film Distribution Company, Beijing Hairun Pictures Company, Hairun Movies & TV Group
Rating
R (Strong Violence|Language|Drug Content)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 26, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 14, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$127.9K
Runtime
1h 45m
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