Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- gritty
- violent
- propulsive
- action movie night
- hong kong cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics generally find a competently mounted but familiar period gangster saga elevated by its stars and energetic action.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ho arrives as a gutsy illegal immigrant and becomes a physically crippled, increasingly atrocious drug lord.
Ho's drug empire operates under the control of British Hong Kong detective Lee Rock before anticorruption reforms threaten the arrangement.
The plot moves from 1963 through the 1974 establishment of the ICAC as Ho and Rock's positions change.
Ho's rise is presented through repeated violent conflicts, rival factions, and the expanding scale of his drug empire.
Films like Chasing the Dragon, and why
Infernal Affairs
Shared hong kong crime saga atmosphere, corrupt law enforcement, gangster power struggles, and period setting.
Election
Shared historical crime drama framework, criminal ambition, police corruption, and morally compromised protagonists.
The Departed
Shared stylized gangster rise-and-fall narrative, ruthless underworld politics, and kinetic action.
A Better Tomorrow
Shared hong kong period-crime setting, antiheroic gangsters, institutional corruption, and operatic violence.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Wong Jing, Jason Kwan
- Release Date
- 2017-09-28
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (142)
Cast
- Donnie Yen
- Andy Lau
- Kent Cheng Jak-Si
- Keung Ho-man
- Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung
- Yu Kang
- Kent Tong Chun-Yip
- Michelle Hu
- Raquel Xu Dongdong
- Felix Wong Yat-Wah
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Chasing the Dragon about?
- A kinetic Hong Kong crime epic charts an immigrant fighter’s brutal ascent into a drug empire while colonial policing and reform close around him.
- What is Chasing the Dragon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chasing the Dragon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Chasing the Dragon violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Chasing the Dragon as graphic.
- What did critics think of Chasing the Dragon?
- Critics generally find a competently mounted but familiar period gangster saga elevated by its stars and energetic action.
- Which films are like Chasing the Dragon?
- Films with a similar feel include Infernal Affairs, Election, The Departed, and A Better Tomorrow.
- How long is Chasing the Dragon?
- Chasing the Dragon runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Chasing the Dragon?
- In United States, Chasing the Dragon streams on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel.
