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Election
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Election
2005
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 41m
A drama-thriller centered on a democratic election within an organized crime society (imdb)
Election
2005
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 41m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 57.81% from 385 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(387)
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Rated 30 Aug 2012
57
64th
As cruel and vicious as Lok and Big D may be, neither could survive Tracy Flick.
Rated 30 Aug 2012
Rated 15 Mar 2011
78
14th
Who the hell are all those characters ? The first half hour I had the feeling I was watching a sequel where I was supposed to know all those persons. After that I was waiting for some interesting plot lines that didn't came..
Rated 15 Mar 2011
Rated 13 Jul 2022
69
76th
That ending is up there with Spoorloos.
Rated 13 Jul 2022
Rated 08 Oct 2020
62
22nd
Convoluted and confusing crime drama is marked by splashes of effectively bleak, even ghoulish humour, but this too often feels as if we have walked into a crime saga already in progress - aside from the clear cutthroat nature of this "election" process, the motivations (and relationships) between the primary characters are muddy and undefined, making it difficult to become fully engaged with the drama. A bang-on finale at least leaves a mildly favorable impression.
Rated 08 Oct 2020
Rated 31 Jul 2008
55
40th
In the beginning they showed dozens of characters without properly introducing them so I was a bit confused who was who. Soon after that people started switching sides every other minute so I was even more confused. This movie might be better in second viewing so you wouldn't have to spend half of the time guessing who someone is and who's side he is on but that doesn't change the fact that the story wasn't really interesting and some music selections were really bad.
Rated 31 Jul 2008
Rated 03 Jun 2023
77
64th
A very good crime drama with interesting characters leading to a stunning conclusion. It takes a while to get all the characters straight, and even then it is sometimes a bit unclear who is working for who and why, but it works well, Big D is a great character fantastically played, and it works well. The music is a bit of a weak point, as it often seems inappropriate (it almost sounds like easy listening at times, which doesn't fit at all with what's happening.)
Rated 03 Jun 2023
Rated 30 Nov 2021
5
73rd
good god, that ending.
Rated 30 Nov 2021
Rated 06 Sep 2021
74
48th
A sub-par gangster movie, but a quite interesting take on criminal politics. I didn't have a hard time getting into it or understanding it, and honestly it was pretty refreshing to have a movie jump right into large set of complex relationships without any hand holding.
Rated 06 Sep 2021
Rated 08 Apr 2021
90
80th
Viewed April 1, 2021.
Rated 08 Apr 2021
Rated 07 May 2020
60
39th
demokrasi nedir, ne değildir, nasıl kullanılır gibi sorulara triad üzerinden mizahi cevaplar. metin eğlenceli, kurgu ve yönetmenlik fazla dağınık ama nihayetinde sürükleyici bir suç filmi.
Rated 07 May 2020
Rated 20 Apr 2020
77
44th
A disappointment after some of the praise I've seen for the film. It's a breezy thriller that explores some standby themes of the genre including gangster allegiances and power struggles, and it came across stale despite being a relatively recent film.
Rated 20 Apr 2020
Rated 31 Mar 2020
4
70th
Unlike his flashier contemporaries (Woo, Lam, et al), To favors a leaner, more measured approach. Election is occasionally punctuated by brutal bursts of violence, but for the most part it's heated conversations in smoke-filled back rooms between petulant power-brokers attempting to assert their dominion. But when politics fail...
Rated 31 Mar 2020
Rated 29 Mar 2020
73
71st
Has some pacing issues, but overall it's very well done. I really enjoyed how the baton was so crucial to how the society operates - a perfect symbol of how systems can rely on collective myths.
Rated 29 Mar 2020
Rated 20 Sep 2016
50
10th
I mean, it's fine, a decent gangster movie, but i don't understand the hype.
Rated 20 Sep 2016
Rated 18 Mar 2016
50
36th
Nothing spectacular here. Amidst what seems to be mostly chaos, the last few sequences with Simon Yam in the helm stand out.
Rated 18 Mar 2016
Rated 20 Feb 2016
13
70th
Star Rating: ★★★1/2
Rated 20 Feb 2016
Rated 12 Mar 2014
75
69th
Democracy in the Hong Kong triads sure is damn more entertaining than in dreary old Denmark. The plot, in To's typical leisure style with bursts of violence and baroque humour, is all over the place, of course, but it's full of great scenes, especially the disturbing ending and a guy cooly crunching and eating a ceramic spoon like it was a fortune cookies.
Rated 12 Mar 2014
Rated 29 Dec 2013
40
18th
pretty boring
didn't pay full attention
was tired
Rated 29 Dec 2013
Rated 30 Jul 2012
77
62nd
I didn't quite believe in the ending, shouldn't be that easy to just cap some big shot organization leader like that, but the film in general seemed a lot real and accurate, and the characters are very well crafted and played, Lok being the natural born leader and all.
Rated 30 Jul 2012
Rated 27 Jun 2012
76
88th
If you're tired of mafia films, this might be for you, as I think of it as a "reverse" *Goodfellas*--or more specifically, a "Confucian *Godfather". I say this because the values expressed are quite different. For example, the film flips the adage, "There is no honor among thieves" on its head--making honor a significant motivating force for the characters. However, the film also has a whiff of political propaganda in the way it seems to rationalize any behavior done in the interests of societ
Rated 27 Jun 2012
Rated 05 Nov 2011
45
29th
Has style in abundance, but lacks a coherent plot and characters you can identify with. Most of it just feels like a pastiche of American mafia movies like the Godfather or Goodfellas (the guy playing the "Big D" character basically does a Joe Pesci impersonation for the whole film), but none of it really gels together in any meaningful way. The ending feels like a completely separate film altogether.
Rated 05 Nov 2011
Rated 29 Jan 2011
60
33rd
It had an impact with me by the end, but the pacing was a bit slow at times and it's unfortunate considering To normally paces his films well. Watch only if you're a gangster movie junkie.
Rated 29 Jan 2011
Rated 19 Sep 2010
82
89th
Gripping journey into a murky amoral world where honour and brotherhood clash with greed and a lust for power. None of the high-kicks and gun battles of so many Triad films, just great acting and direction. Special mention to the music, which I thought was wonderful. Only gripe is that as with many gangster movies it's hard to find a character one can relate to.
Rated 19 Sep 2010
Rated 23 Jul 2010
90
81st
Election bustles with energy right from first minute to the last, smartly crafted by Johnnie To who gives an otherwise mediocre script a forward momentum that takes your breath away. Dazzlingly set action pieces, shady characters, and crackling tension together make Election the finest Triad film coming out from Hong Kong stable. How is Johnny To ever going to top this??
Rated 23 Jul 2010
Rated 30 Sep 2009
73
59th
A gorgeous film, but I have yet to figure out what it is trying to say (about human nature? brotherhood? allegiance and duty?). Still, it is riveting and very competently made. The ending is not sitting well with me, but thankfully in the good sense.
Rated 30 Sep 2009
Rated 26 Aug 2009
75
50th
Starts out slow, and turns into a Goodfellas, or sorts.
Rated 26 Aug 2009
Rated 01 Aug 2009
68
63rd
Very pretty, but shallow and underdeveloped.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
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