That Demon Within | Telescope Film
That Demon Within

That Demon Within (魔警)

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Dutiful Hong Kong policeman Dan saves the life of the leader of a violent gang of armed robbers. When they commit another crime, Dan is determined to stop them. However, it becomes increasingly obvious to his colleagues that Dan is suffering from a severe mental disorder. Soon, Dan finds that instead of upholding the law, he has now switched to the other side.

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What are critics saying?

70

The New York Times by Nicolas Rapold

Pulp done with passion can be its own reward, as the veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Dante Lam shows with his feverish cop thriller That Demon Within.

70

Variety by Maggie Lee

Lam’s darkest work to date, one where violence is not just graphic but ugly, and Hong Kong symbolically comes to resemble a charnel house.

70

The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young

Lam’s filmmaking team deliver thrills on schedule with solid effects, crisp shooting and fast cutting.

63

Washington Post by Mark Jenkins

Its cinematic flair nearly overcomes the awkward story.

40

Los Angeles Times by Martin Tsai

Not unlike most of its Hollywood counterparts, though, this Hong Kong import can't resist the urge to dumb down a fascinating premise for the sake of mass consumption.

40

Village Voice by Simon Abrams

Rock-dumb Hong Kong thriller That Demon Within is exhausting, and only sometimes batshit enough to be engaging.

38

Boston Globe

There’s a half-realized, half-haunting Hitchcockian psychodrama buried somewhere within That Demon Within. What’s on the surface plays more like Wong and Lam simply forgot to take their meds.

38

Slant Magazine by Rob Humanick

It rarely feels like anything more than an effort to pander to the kind of audiences that enjoy Quentin Tarantino's films for all the wrong reasons.

38

Boston Globe by Ethan Gilsdorf

There’s a half-realized, half-haunting Hitchcockian psychodrama buried somewhere within That Demon Within. What’s on the surface plays more like Wong and Lam simply forgot to take their meds.