In the Mood for Love

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In the Mood for Love

PG

Released Mar 9, 2001

1h 37m

Romance

Drama

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92%

Tomatometer

191 Reviews

94%

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50,000+ Ratings

In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business. Before long, the lonely Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk), whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two friends realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of the unfaithful spouses.

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Critics Consensus

An exquisitely shot showcase for Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung that marks a somber evolution of Wong Kar-wai's chic style, In the Mood for Love is a tantric tease that's liable to break your heart.

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Elvis Mitchell

New York Times

In the Mood for Love is probably the most breathtakingly gorgeous film of the year, dizzy with a nose-against-the-glass romantic spirit that has been missing from the cinema forever.

Jul 17, 2023

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

In the Mood for Love excites us with words not spoken, passions not played out. A mood story more than a love story, it's all about sustaining a state of exquisite melancholy in the face of desire.

Jul 15, 2023

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

If it is possible to find the erotic register of despair, or the romantic dimension of ennui, then Wong Kar-wai certainly achieves it in his new film.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 15, 2023

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Beth Accomando

Vanguard Culture

Revisiting In the Mood for Love 25 years later makes for an even richer experience. We can see how it plays into that one long film Wong said he was making and can feel its particular rhythms and how it adds a few new riffs.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 22, 2025

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Jared Mobarak

Hey, Have You Seen ...?

There’s a difference between being duty-bound to another and being bewitched by them. There’s also a difference between preserving the potential of love at its height and acting on it to discover its decline. There’s magic in the uncertainty of maybe.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 11, 2025

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Laney Gibbons

Loud and Clear Reviews

This cinematic achievement, which leaves a lasting effect on the spirit, reminds us of the tremendous depths of the human heart and the persistent appeal of what might have been.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 3, 2024

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George B

Aggressively beautiful, not just visually.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Osmin B

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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Michael

Deservedly called a masterpiece. Read the New Yorker review from 2023 which says it all.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

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T W

Rapturous, beautiful, haunting, and heart breaking. I could watch this a thousand times

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

Full Review

Spencer Nielsen

My favorite movie. A film whose aesthetic qualities are so intoxicating, it is the purpose of the narrative.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

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fily2 L.

good movie!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

Full Review

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Kar-Wai Wong

Director

Maggie Cheung

Su Li-zhen

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Chow Mo-wan

Kelly Lai Chen

Mr. Ho

Rebecca Pan

Mrs. Suen

Ping Lam Siu

Ah Ping

2022 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month TV & Streaming Calendar

Know Your Critic: Angelica Jade Bastién, Critic at Vulture/New York Magazine

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Synopsis

In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business. Before long, the lonely Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk), whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two friends realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of the unfaithful spouses.

Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Producer: William Chang
Screenwriter: Kar-Wai Wong
Distributor: USA Films
Production Co: Paradis Film, Jet Tone Productions, Block 2 Pictures
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Brief Language)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $814.3K
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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