Overview
In the gritty underbelly of Kowloon, a brotherly bond faces the ultimate test of loyalty and love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- melancholic
- volatile
- stylish
- late night viewing
- hong kong cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics generally view the film as an emotionally powerful early Wong Kar-Wai crime romance whose distinctive vision is compelling even when not fully developed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wah considers abandoning triad life after falling in love with his cousin Ngor, making emotional escape central to the story.
Fly’s repeated trouble and Wah’s efforts to bail him out drive the central bond and its escalating consequences.
The film places triad conflict and gun violence alongside Wong Kar-Wai’s romantic, emotionally saturated treatment of Wah and Ngor.
The plot explicitly links its triad milieu to Kowloon and Hong Kong street life through Wah, Ngor, and Fly.
Films like As Tears Go By, and why
Fallen Angels
hong kong crime melodrama combining triad violence, doomed romance, and heightened visual style
Chungking Express
romantic crime drama centered on gangster loyalty, emotional alienation, and violent underworld pressure
A Better Tomorrow
stylized hong kong gangster drama balancing brotherhood, betrayal, action, and tragic romance
The Killer
crime romance with fatalistic emotion, volatile male relationships, and kinetic urban action
Movie Details
- Director
- Wong Kar-Wai
- Release Date
- 1988-06-09
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (390)
Cast
- Andy Lau
- Maggie Cheung
- Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau
- Alex Man Chi-Leung
- Wong Aau
- Ronald Wong
- Chan Chi-Fai
- William Chang Suk-Ping
- Benz Kong To-Hoi
- Wong Kim-Fung
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is As Tears Go By about?
- A cool-headed Hong Kong triad enforcer finds love offering a fragile exit from the violent loyalty binding him to his reckless younger brother.
- What is As Tears Go By like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of As Tears Go By as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is As Tears Go By violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in As Tears Go By as brutal.
- What did critics think of As Tears Go By?
- Critics generally view the film as an emotionally powerful early Wong Kar-Wai crime romance whose distinctive vision is compelling even when not fully developed.
- Which films are like As Tears Go By?
- Films with a similar feel include Fallen Angels, Chungking Express, A Better Tomorrow, and The Killer.
- How long is As Tears Go By?
- As Tears Go By runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch As Tears Go By?
- In United States, As Tears Go By streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
