Overview
A gripping tale of power struggles within a criminal empire as loyalties are tested and ambitions clash.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- austere
- politically charged
- late night crime marathon
- hong kong cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply controlled, politically resonant Hong Kong crime thriller with strong direction and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lok faces competition from his godsons as the Triad chairmanship comes up for election.
The Triad election and its codes shape the characters’ attempts to control factions and preserve authority.
Johnnie To’s crime-world staging contrasts measured political maneuvering with sharply concentrated violence.
Jimmy seeks to expand his business relationships with mainland China while navigating Triad power structures.
Films like Triad Election, and why
Election
Hong Kong crime thriller centered on organized crime, political maneuvering, and shifting power within a criminal hierarchy
Infernal Affairs
Stylized Hong Kong crime drama combining gangland loyalty, ruthless pragmatism, and morally compromised leadership
The Departed
International gangster drama focused on institutional power, betrayal, and the corrupting logic of criminal organizations
Exiled
Johnnie To crime thriller with controlled suspense, criminal codes, and escalating factional conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Johnnie To
- Release Date
- 2006-04-27
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (211)
Cast
- Simon Yam
- Louis Koo
- Wong Tin-Lam
- Gordon Lam Ka-Tung
- Nick Cheung Ka-Fai
- Lam Suet
- Andy On Chi-Kit
- Mark Cheng Ho-Nam
- Cheung Siu-fai
- Tam Bing-Man
Common questions
- What is Triad Election about?
- A ruthless Hong Kong Triad succession struggle collides with an ambitious bid to expand criminal business across the mainland border.
- What is Triad Election like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Triad Election as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Triad Election violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Triad Election as brutal.
- What did critics think of Triad Election?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply controlled, politically resonant Hong Kong crime thriller with strong direction and performances.
- Which films are like Triad Election?
- Films with a similar feel include Election, Infernal Affairs, The Departed, and Exiled.
- How long is Triad Election?
- Triad Election runs 92 minutes.
