Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Asia is seizing another of our taken-for-granted, creatively neglected staples, the cop movie, and again shows us how relevant and entertaining it can be when given proper respect. Read more
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: Beauty in its consistent, washed-out blues and silvers, grace in its understated, intense male performances and energy in its unyielding commitment to tone and tension. Read more
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Everything you'd want in a police action thriller: powerhouse performances, Grade A production values, a good script and suspenseful direction. Read more
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: What gives Infernal Affairs its heat is the friction of who-am-I psychology and cool Hong Kong-style action. Read more
Jan Stuart, Newsday: It's hard to resist the charismatic teaming of Tony Leung and Andy Lau as a cop and a criminal wearing like hats for cross purposes. Read more
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Smart, snazzy entertainment. Read more
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: The movie's engine is the relationships and the characters' inner lives, all of it boiling with emotional intensity. Read more
Elvis Mitchell, New York Times: This stripped-down noir, about a pair of detectives leading undercover lives, signals a new era for Hong Kong filmmaking. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: What makes it special is the inner turmoil caused by living a lie. If everyone you know and everything you do for 10 years indicates you are one kind of person, and you know you are another, how do you live with that? Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: A beautifully crafted, exciting story that keeps on surprising you to the very end. Read more
Susan Walker, Toronto Star: Skilfully directed by cinematographer Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Infernal Affairs has the feel of a made-for-prime-time U.S. police thriller. Read more
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: It's amazing there haven't been a dozen movies like it. Read more
Derek Elley, Variety: Superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action. Read more
Dennis Lim, Village Voice: Spins in place with aplomb, generating exponentially more vertiginous doublings with each sweaty-palmed set piece. Read more