Apart from its inventive depiction of the weaknesses that tough guys try to hide, Mad Detective is a slight work from the wildly prolific To.
Mad Detective(神探)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Hong Kong · 2007
1h 31m
Director Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai
Starring Lau Ching-wan, Andy On, Gordon Lam, Kelly Lin
Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
Detective Chan Kwai Bun has the supernatural power to see people's "inner personalities.” He is invited back to active duty to investigate the disappearance of a fellow officer whose weapon has been used in multiple robberies. However, when Bun and the missing cop's partner go after a suspect, he suspects something else at play.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
A neat idea that doesn't quite hit the bull's-eye.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
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.
Fleeting confusion and bizarre literalization aside, though, Mad Detective is an effective mystery story, with an oddball hero--like TV's Monk, but far crazier--and some moments of visceral violence that raise the stakes.
Mad Detective is equal parts gonzo inspiration and overwrought indecision. It could be called "The Lunatic From Kowloon."
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.
Users who liked this film also liked
Running Out of Time
(暗戰)
Let the games begin.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1999
- Director Johnnie To
- Cast Lau Ching-wan, Andy Lau, Yoyo Mung, Waise Lee, Hui Siu-Hung, Lam Suet
- Genre Drama, Action, Thriller, Crime
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Band's Visit
(ביקור התזמורת)
A traveling band comprised of members of the Egyptian Police Force travel to the wrong Israeli town prior to a performance.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Israel, United States, France • 2007
- Director Eran Kolirin
- Cast Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Khalifa Natour, Saleh Bakri, Shlomi Avraham, Rubi Moskovitz
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Spectrum On Demand
Jodhaa Akbar
(जोधा अकबर)
A sixteenth-century love story about a marriage of alliance that becomes true love.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2008
- Director Ashutosh Gowariker
- Cast Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Raza Murad
- Genre Adventure, History, Romance
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Young Victoria
The only legitimate heir to the throne, Victoria finds herself caught up in the political machinations of her family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2009
- Director Jean-Marc Vallée
- Cast Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann
- Genre Drama, History, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Election
(黑社會)
Rival gang leaders come to a head during the election for a new chairman of Hong Kong’s triad society.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2005
- Director Johnnie To
- Cast Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Louis Koo, Nick Cheung, Eddie Cheung, Lam Suet
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Tubi TV, Kanopy
Vengeance
(復仇)
A violent action-thriller featuring a French former assassin desperate for revenge.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, France • 2009
- Director Johnnie To
- Cast Johnny Hallyday, Anthony Wong, Gordon Lam, Lam Suet, Simon Yam, Sylvie Testud
- Genre Action, Thriller
- Available on Plex, Plex Channel
Secret
(不能說的秘密)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, Taiwan • 2007
- Director Jay Chou
- Cast Jay Chou, Gwei Lun-mei, Anthony Wong, Alice Tzeng, So Ming-Ming, Huang Jun-Lang
- Genre Fantasy, Drama, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
A Tale of Springtime
(Conte de printemps)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1990
- Director Éric Rohmer
- Cast Anne Teyssèdre, Hugues Quester, Florence Darel, Eloïse Bennett, Sophie Robin, Marc Lelou
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Mission
(鎗火)
A Triad boss who narrowly escapes an assassination attempt hires five assassins of his own to be his bodyguards.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1999
- Director Johnnie To
- Cast Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Jackie Lui Chung-Yin, Roy Cheung, Lam Suet, Simon Yam
- Genre Action, Crime, Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Kanopy
On the Path
(Na putu)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Germany • 2010
- Director Jasmila Žbanić
- Cast Zrinka Cvitešić, Leon Lučev, Ermin Bravo, Luna Mijović, Mirjana Karanović, Nina Violić
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Lost in Time
(忘不了)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2003
- Director Derek Yee Tung-Sing
- Cast Cecilia Cheung, Daichi Harashima, Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo, Paul Chun, Pau Hei-Ching
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Courier
(Курьер)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Soviet Union • 1986
- Director Karen Shakhnazarov
- Cast Fyodor Dunayevsky, Anastasiya Nemolyaeva, Oleg Basilashvili, Inna Churikova, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy, Vladimir Menshov
- Genre Drama, Romance, Comedy
- Available on Amazon Video