Drama,Action,Crime,Thriller,Mystery
Hong Kong
Infernal Affairs is a crime thriller film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, released in 2002. The movie is a remake of a 1997 Hong Kong TV drama and tells the story of two men on opposite sides of the law who are both working undercover, trying to expose the other.
Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) is a gifted young police officer who is tasked with infiltrating the Triads, a powerful organized crime syndicate in Hong Kong. His mission is to gather intelligence on the Triads' operations and bring down their top leaders. To do so, he must maintain a deep cover for years, living a life of crime and deception.
Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau) is a rising star in the Triads who is sent to join the police force as a spy. His job is to identify and eliminate any informants working against his bosses in the underworld.
As the two men become more deeply involved in their respective roles, they begin to lose sight of their true identities. Chan starts to identify more with the gangsters he's embedded with, while Lau begins to see the police as his true allies.
Years later, both men have risen through the ranks and become respected members of their respective organizations. But as they work to bring each other down, they begin to realize the true cost of their lives of deceit and violence.
The movie's tense plot, powerful performances, and stylish cinematography have made it a classic of modern Hong Kong cinema. It also inspired the 2006 American remake, The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson.
