Mad Detective

Released Jul 18, 2008

1h 29m

Crime

Drama

List

81%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

85%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

Chan Kwai Bun (Lau Ching Wan) has the power to see people's "inner personalities," making him a very capable, if unorthodox and unstable, police detective. He is invited back to active duty by Ho Ka On (Andy On), a cop investigating the disappearance of a fellow officer whose weapon has been used in multiple robberies. Ho and Ko Chi Wai (Lam Ka Tung), the missing cop's partner, go after an Indian suspect. Bun, however, can see both men's inner selves and suspects something else at play.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

A stylishly funky Hong Kong thriller from cult director Johnnie To and co-writer/codirector Wai Ka Fai.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 8, 2008

Full Review

V.A. Musetto

New York Post

Mad Detective doesn't always make sense, and you cannot always tell what is real and what is imaginary, but viewers will be having too much zonked-out fun to care.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 18, 2008

Full Review

Manohla Dargis

New York Times

If the insanely inventive and entertaining Mad Detective weren't so weird -- and in Cantonese -- hordes of action geeks would be lining the block to see it.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 18, 2008

Full Review

Daniel Kasman

MUBI

After so many stoical, staunchly confident films from Johnnie To, it's always refreshing to see one of his collaborations with fellow Milkyway Image director/producer Wai Ka-fai...

Nov 17, 2017

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An inventive oddball pic that's diverting and borders on the ridiculous but never becomes uninteresting or completely loses its way.

Rated: B

May 9, 2010

Full Review

Stan Hall

Oregonian

Expect an inferior American remake within five years.

Sep 26, 2008

Full Review

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Nawt W

This is one of those scarce movies that might seem erratic until you get to the ending, where everything just clicks and all the pieces form one remarkable narrative. To say that the ending blew me away is an understatement; it retroactively gives so much more meaning to Inspector Ho's role in the movie. This is how you create subversion. Instead of you groaning at his foolishness for doubting Bun, you are shocked by how the ending complements the initial storyline of corrupt cops and their egos, who will do anything to protect themselves. Bun's ability to see personalities is captivating both visually and narratively. There are so many bizarre and impulsive interactions, especially with the seven that Ko Chi-wai has. I wish more of them were highlighted; a couple of them don't even say a word. It really feels like they are supposed to represent the seven deadly sins, but alas, not enough time was given to them.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/23

Full Review

Dante R

You're kind of like, "Oh yeah, it's about this". But then something else happens. And then you're like, "Oh yeah, they're doing this kind of thing". But no, it's deeper than that. I liked it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Dick C

It's a good script, one of writers, Au Kin Yee who later gets the best screenplay by the Limbo from 40th Hong Kong Film Awards, 2021...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/22

Full Review

Audience Member

A psychological detective thriller that doesn't make sense with its supernatural crap and about this psychologically mad detective that has delusions and the ability to see other people's sins and inner personalities, which helped him crack cases. However, the film is relentless in maintaining suspense, with great twists that you couldn't see it coming. A ridiculous yet original and brilliant detective thriller that will have its chills stay in your mind for a long time, and maybe drive you insane, recommended.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I was able to catch up on a more recent Johnny To film via cable and I quite enjoyed Lau Ching Wan as the titular detective, who is able to see the true personalities of criminals, allowing him to solve increasingly strange cases. Well worth a look.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a johnnie to's Psychopath Thriller with a Final Shootout Scene.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Johnnie To

Director

Ka-Fai Wai

Director

Ching Wan Lau

Inspector Bun

Andy On

Ho Ka-on

Ka Tung Lam

Ko Chi-Wai

Kelly Lin Hsi-Lei

May

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Synopsis

Chan Kwai Bun (Lau Ching Wan) has the power to see people's "inner personalities," making him a very capable, if unorthodox and unstable, police detective. He is invited back to active duty by Ho Ka On (Andy On), a cop investigating the disappearance of a fellow officer whose weapon has been used in multiple robberies. Ho and Ko Chi Wai (Lam Ka Tung), the missing cop's partner, go after an Indian suspect. Bun, however, can see both men's inner selves and suspects something else at play.

Director: Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai
Producer: Charles Heung
Screenwriter: Ka-Fai Wai, Kin Yee Au
Distributor: IFC First Take
Production Co: One Hundred Years of Film Co. Ltd., Milky Way Image Company
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.6K
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital