The Trilogy Ends in Confusion and Psychological Collapse
With the first Infernal Affairs film done as a very successful stand-alone film, the idea of a trilogy seemed like overkill. The second film gave us more backstory, but more about supporting characters in the first film than our original main characters. With the third film, it feels a bit as if they had an idea they wanted to pursue, but then still wanted to cram in an entire investigation involving other moles as well. So how does it work? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we discuss the third and final film in our Infernal Affairs trilogy – and our April 2023 member bonus episode. It’s Andrew Lau’s and Alan Mak’s 2003 film Infernal Affairs III.
Here’s a hint at what we talk about.
This film feels like a muddle. Jumping back and forth in time seems like a clever way to deliver the story, but it never quite works because we lose focus on what story they wanted us to follow. It ends up feeling like they wanted to find a way to continue the story with some of our favorite characters from the first film who had been killed.
What excites us more is the psychological drama following our mole in the police department as he works to come to terms with being a good guy, all while struggling to track down any other moles in the department who may know his identity. His struggles to be good, particularly as he starts having visions of the cop he killed, is an interesting story that’s just not delivered well.
It’s an interesting albeit flawed film that ends this trilogy. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!
Film Sundries
Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.
- Find places to watch this at JustWatch
- Theatrical trailer
- Poster artwork
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
This is a member bonus episode. We’d love it if you became a member to support our show, but you’d love it because of everything you get. We have monthly member bonus episodes that only members can access. You also get other bonus episodes, access to members-only Discord channels, and early releases for every episode. Plus, no ads! And you get to vote on the movies we discuss in our members only episodes! What can we say? It pays to be a member. Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.
