Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- tense
- morally conflicted
- action movie night
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a mixed and derivative transplant of Hong Kong action conventions into a New York police drama, despite capable performances and energetic set pieces.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chinese-born veteran Nick Chen partners with inexperienced officer Danny Wallace while managing Chinatown's competing criminal factions.
The Tongs attempt to bribe Wallace, forcing Chen to confront the limits and costs of his faithfulness.
The film transplants martial-arts-inflected action conventions and stylized cuts into New York's Chinatown.
The central conflict unfolds amid a turf war between Triads and the Fukienese Dragons in New York City Chinatown.
Films like The Corruptor, and why
Rush Hour
urban buddy-cop crime thriller centered on cultural tension, police corruption, and stylized martial-arts action
Narc
gritty New York police drama combining gang conflict, undercover pressure, and morally compromised law enforcement
Infernal Affairs
Hong Kong-influenced police action with criminal underworld intrigue and a conflicted law-enforcement protagonist
Internal Affairs
violent crime thriller about divided loyalties, gang warfare, and police infiltration in an urban setting
Movie Details
- Director
- James Foley
- Release Date
- 1999-03-12
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (328)
Cast
- Mark Wahlberg
- Chow Yun-Fat
- Byron Mann
- Kim Chan
- Ric Young
- Paul Ben-Victor
- Jon Kit Lee
- Andrew Pang
- Elizabeth Lindsey
- Brian Cox
Where to watch in United States
- 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 The Corruptor about?
- A veteran Chinatown cop and his unprepared partner navigate gang warfare, bribery, and divided loyalties in a volatile New York underworld.
- What is The Corruptor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Corruptor as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Corruptor violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Corruptor as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Corruptor?
- Critics broadly found the film a mixed and derivative transplant of Hong Kong action conventions into a New York police drama, despite capable performances and energetic set pieces.
- Which films are like The Corruptor?
- Films with a similar feel include Rush Hour, Narc, Infernal Affairs, and Internal Affairs.
- How long is The Corruptor?
- The Corruptor runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Corruptor?
- In United States, The Corruptor is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
