Film

New Police Story

Name: New Police Story
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime, Drama
Released: 2004
Cast: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse Ting-Fung, Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei, Charlene Choi Chuek-Yin, Daniel Wu

A Hong Kong action thriller about a disgraced cop spiralling after his unit is slaughtered by young thrill-killers. Jackie Chan delivers surprisingly raw vulnerability alongside the spectacular stunts, grounding this in genuine pain and redemption rather than just spectacle. It's for people who want their action cinema to mean something.

TMDb rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like Hong Kong crime films where the fight scenes carry real physical cost and a washed-up cop's melancholy matters as much as the stunts.

Skip it if you want a tidy, breezy popcorn action picture, because the first act is heavy with drinking and self-pity before the set pieces arrive.

What it asks of you: Two hours and change, with patience for a slow, sour opening that only gradually builds into its brawling action.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

SPL: Kill Zone2005

A Hong Kong crime thriller with real weight: corrupt cops, moral decay, and a detective pushed to breaking point. The action sequences feel earned rather than gratuitous, and Sammo Hung gives a performance that cuts deep.

But It's considerably darker and more violent than typical action fare. If you want escapism rather than something that lingers, this will feel heavy.

Infernal Affairs2002

The definitive Hong Kong crime thriller. A mole in the police, a mole in the triads, and a moral collapse that unfolds with perfect precision. The cat-and-mouse is tense and the characters feel genuinely trapped.

But The pacing is deliberate. It's interested in psychology over spectacle, so if you came for action sequences, you'll be disappointed.

Hard Boiled1992

John Woo's masterpiece of balletic violence. A cop and a triad assassin in a hospital shootout that redefined action cinema. It's exhilarating, absurd, and genuinely moving about friendship and sacrifice.

But The plot is thin and the heroics strain credibility. If you need a story that makes logical sense, the spectacle might feel like showing off.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from New Police Story

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Naked Lunch1991

Both explore descent into unreliable consciousness—trauma and addiction warping reality for protagonists pursuing vengeance.

David Cronenberg's hallucinogenic adaptation of William S. Burroughs—surreal, grotesque, utterly committed to its own logic. The connection: both films centre on men descending into altered realities while chasing enemies that may not exist, exploring whether addiction and obsession destroy perception or reveal truth.

But This is deliberately incoherent and features Cronenberg's characteristic body horror. If you need plot clarity or conventional narrative, this will feel incomprehensible.

The Fugitive1993

A man falsely accused hunted by both law and criminals, forced to prove his innocence while dismantling the conspiracy that framed him. Relentlessly gripping with genuine stakes.

But It's fundamentally a plot machine. The emotional life is secondary to the pursuit, so character depth takes a backseat.

Rogue2020

A disgraced cop seeks redemption by protecting a rookie partner. Hong Kong action with real heart, exploring grief and the cost of violence. Less famous than it deserves.

But The English-language setting feels less natural than pure Hong Kong productions. Some may find it dilutes the specificity that makes HK crime cinema special.

Motorway2012

A veteran cop pursues a mysterious driver across Hong Kong's expressways. Sleek, propulsive, and surprisingly philosophical about duty and obsession. Great stunt work.

But The talkiness can feel overwrought. Some will find the dialogue undermines the thrills rather than deepening them.

The Hunt2012

Both examine how systems designed to protect can become engines of destruction when they turn on the wrong person.

A Danish teacher falsely accused of a crime watches his entire life disintegrate as a small town turns against him. Mads Mikkelsen is extraordinary. It's a masterclass in how institutions and fear corrupt everyone they touch.

But It's brutally pessimistic and offers no comfort. The cruelty feels arbitrary and the ending is earned but bleak. Not cathartic.

The Double Life of Véronique1991

Both feature men fractured by trauma seeking another version of themselves—a partner, a reflection, a way to be whole again.

Krzysztof Kieślowski's lyrical puzzle about parallel selves separated by the Iron Curtain, connected by music and fate. Gorgeous, mysterious, and genuinely moving. It suggests hidden architecture beneath coincidence.

But It's deliberately oblique and anti-plot. The narrative resists explanation, and if you need resolution or clarity, the ambiguity will frustrate you.