Lust, Caution

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Lust, Caution

R

2007

2h 35m

Mystery & Thriller

War

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

149 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

During World War II a secret agent (Tang Wei) must seduce, then assassinate an official (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill.

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Critics Consensus

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a tense, sensual and beautifully-shot espionage film.

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Amy Nicholson

I.E. Weekly

What lingers is the suspicion that women carry a burden of war they can't ever put down, and that even noble idealists can justify turning their girls into whores.

Rated: A-

Feb 22, 2008

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

You leave the theatre a trifle exhausted but rewarded by a resonance few films possess.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 4, 2008

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Sukhdev Sandhu

Independent (UK)

A pleasure to watch a film as visually stylish as it is psychologically demanding. I wish it had been twice as long.

Jan 4, 2008

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

A complex exploration of love and duty, and the endlessly shifting alliances within.

Jul 12, 2025

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

Lee is a filmmaker who understands the power of pure visual storytelling. Lust, Caution is a near perfect film with strong performances and a well-crafted narrative.

Oct 4, 2024

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Ray Pride

Newcity

Well-observed, luxuriously mounted, committedly languorous movie. [The] last shot... holds its breath, and shadow, for the proper, illuminating instant.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 4, 2024

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Liam D

An very unique movie from Ang Lee that combines an espionage spy thriller and an erotic drama that is a bit too long for it’s own good

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Clara Y

Ang Lee's direction brings a nuanced sensitivity to the complex relationships and intense emotional scenes, while the cast delivers powerful performances that draw people into the story. Tang Wei is AMAAAAZINGGGG.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

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Audience Member

I continue to wonder if the explicit sexual content was really necessary but this is ultimately a movie about the clash between private desires and ideologies and it is hard to deny how well Lee sells that conflict.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ang Lee's most controversial (and in my opinion, best) film to date sees Wei Tang's Wang Jiazhi gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee. Wei Tang's performance is monumental, a staggering tour de force that should undoubtedly have won her an Oscar, and the much talked about explicit sex scenes feel essential to the emotion of the high stakes story, and drive the remainder of the film till it's hard hitting conclusion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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Audience Member

A perfectly fine film let down by a weak and unearned conclusion

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/21

Full Review

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Ang Lee

Director

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Mr. Yi

Joan Chen

Mrs. Yi

Wei Tang

Wang Jiazhi

Leehom Wang

Kuang Yu-Min

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Synopsis

During World War II a secret agent (Tang Wei) must seduce, then assassinate an official (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill.

Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Ang Lee, William Kong, James Schamus
Screenwriter: Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Shanghai Film Group, Focus Features, Haishang Films, River Road Entertainment
Rating: R (Strong Sexual Content|A Scene of Brutal Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, War, History, Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.6M
Runtime: 2h 35m

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