The Viral Factor (2012, MA15+)

(逆战 / Jik zin) Dir: Dante Lam, Hong Kong, 122mins, 35mm

A crack Hong Kong police flying squad hunts a rogue scientist who’s armed himself with a hyper-lethal strain of smallpox. But one cop has money trouble and mixed motives, hoping to steal the virus so he can profit from the mass panic its release will cause. The police operation falls apart; team members are either killed in the shootout or – like senior officer Jon Man – mortally infected with the virus. In the few weeks he has left to live, Man seeks revenge and an end to the bio-weapon’s global menace – but also discovers a personal stake on both sides. Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse star in the latest from Dante Lam – Hong Kong cinema’s one true filmmaking successor to John Woo.