Hong Kong Infernal Affairs returned 69.7× its production cost, earning $8.7M against a $125K budget — one of the highest-return Hong Kong films in our catalog.
Synopsis
無間道
“Loyalty. Honor. Betrayal.”
Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.
The 2001–2003 Hong Kong Window
43 Hong Kong films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Infernal Affairs sits at position #2.
Other Titles From Media Asia Films
The 2000s Hong Kong Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 2000s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Infernal Affairs premiered. 146 total titles in this decade from Hong Kong.
Budget & Box Office Efficiency
At a 1h 41m runtime, production spent $1K per minute on screen and earned $86K per minute back.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #19 of 836 Hong Kong films indexed here (98th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +1.5 points above the Hong Kong average of 6.3/10.
Among Hong Kong Drama productions specifically: #12 of 311 (top 4%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Cantonese |
| Spoken Languages | Mandarin, Thai, Cantonese |
| Production Companies | Media Asia Films |
| Runtime | 1h 41m |
| Release Date | December 12, 2002 |
| IMDb | tt0338564 |
External Catalogs
Questions Answered
Was Infernal Affairs profitable?
Yes — Infernal Affairs earned $8.7M against a production budget of $125K, a return of 69.7× its cost.
How highly rated is Infernal Affairs?
Among Hong Kong Asian filmss in this catalog, Infernal Affairs ranks #19 of 836 — in the top 2%.