Dog Bite Dog

A brutal, disturbing film about a dehumanized Cambodian hitman that crosses paths with a bitter, unbalanced young cop in Hong Kong. Dog Bite Dog is visually stark but grimly stylish, with a look that definitely suits the mood. The film is extremely violent, but the violence isn't glamorous and there's more going on in the story than just a body count.

The leads in Dog Bite Dog are extremely well cast, and Edison Chen turns in a surprisingly strong performance as the hitman. Unlike many CAT III films both characters are given reasons for the things they do, however horrible. Both Chen and Sam Lee (who plays Inspector Ti Wai) do some terrible things before the film is over—there aren't any good guys here.

The story isn't incredibly deep, but features a surprising amount of character development. Both cop and hitman go through changes during the film—one evolving, while the other see his world fall completely apart. They share some similiarities, but have taken opposite journeys through life. And you as you watch their story play out, they leave a trail of bodies and wreckage in their wake.

This is not a martial arts movie. While there are many fights, they tend to be vicious, dirty streetfights (or knife fights or gun fights). Don't go into this expecting a kung fu flick. It's not really about the fights and definitely not for everyone. If you are in the mood for a gritty, no-holds-barred film, you might really enjoy this one.