Overview
In a world where loyalty is fleeting, two hit men must confront their past and their choices in a city on the brink of change.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- gritty
- stylish
- darkly humorous
- action movie night
- hong kong cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's kinetic action choreography, dark humor, stylized western influence, and depiction of criminal brotherhood, while finding its narrative less compelling for some viewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Blaze, Tai, Cat, Fat, and Wo repeatedly risk their lives for one another despite conflicting orders.
The Macau shootouts, standoffs, and final bullet-filled confrontation are explicitly shaped by western imagery and Leone-style spectacle.
The story unfolds in Macau in 1998 as Portuguese colonial rule approaches its end and Chinese rule begins.
The hit men respond to escalating violence with stoic banter, cool professionalism, and darkly comic gestures.
Films like Exiled, and why
The Mission
shared hong kong crime filmmaking, stylized gunplay, male camaraderie, and dark humor
A Better Tomorrow
shared spaghetti western influence, outlaw brotherhood, operatic violence, and morally conflicted hit men
The Killer
shared stylized action, fatalistic crime drama, and loyalty among professional killers
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
shared stoic criminals, western-inflected standoffs, and bleakly comic gun violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Johnnie To
- Release Date
- 2006-10-19
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (267)
Cast
- Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
- Francis Ng Chun-Yu
- Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung
- Lam Suet
- Nick Cheung Ka-Fai
- Josie Ho
- Richie Jen
- Simon Yam
- Gordon Lam Ka-Tung
- Cheung Siu-fai
Common questions
- What is Exiled about?
- Former Hong Kong hit men turn a Macau assignment into a bloody test of brotherhood, loyalty, and escape from the criminal life.
- What is Exiled like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Exiled as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Exiled violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Exiled as graphic.
- What did critics think of Exiled?
- Critics broadly praised the film's kinetic action choreography, dark humor, stylized western influence, and depiction of criminal brotherhood, while finding its narrative less compelling for some viewers.
- Which films are like Exiled?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mission, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.
- How long is Exiled?
- Exiled runs 108 minutes.
