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The Sparring Partner

Play trailer 1:51 Poster for The Sparring Partner 2022 2h 15m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Based on actual events: in 2013, Henry Cheung collaborated with a friend to murder and dismember his parents. While the case may have looked simple on the surface, the truth proved to be increasingly difficult to untangle. As the defendants take on the distinct personas of the scheming genius and the naïve, simple-minded victim of circumstances, the nine jury members must wrestle with their own conceptions of right and wrong as two men's lives lay in the balance.
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The Sparring Partner

Critics Reviews

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Simon Abrams RogerEbert.com 12/09/2022
3.5/4
A pulpy and engrossing courtroom thriller. Go to Full Review
Cath Clarke Guardian 11/16/2022
3/5
A clever film that’s at least 30 minutes too long, and gets bogged down by its big themes of guilt and justice. Go to Full Review
Carla Hay Culture Mix 04/01/2023
Even though The Sparring Partner has a total running time that is a little too long, it's still a gripping true crime drama that gives a memorable portrait of a twisted killer's mind. The movie serves as a warning about a sociopath's personality traits. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 12/22/2022
B
Challenging crime story. Go to Full Review
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall 12/13/2022
3.5/5
The level of detail is riveting, even if the film feels both rushed and overlong. Go to Full Review
Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru 12/08/2022
A taut, intense and gritty crime thriller, but overlong and occasionally heavy-handed. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Carol Y 07/29/2023 Like many HK movies, they always make the story indirect, redundant, and then find ways to ruin the story at the ending. Despite it is based on a true story, the characters in the films contradicted themselves. It's funny how one of the juries mentioned a "shaving story" that making things simple means more, ironically, but the director did not understand the assignment by adding unnecessary conflicts and scenes at the end of the movie to dim the story and confuse viewers for an additional 30 mins. You kind of wonder if the movie was trying to sympathize the second offender or try to throw shade at him, even though he is found not guilty in real life. It seems like the director wants viewers to see him as the mastermind and a villain after all these years. It's also annoying and unnecessary to compare the prime killer to Hitler and derailing the story a little. However, the acting for some of the cast was top-notched and feel natural without exaggeration, unlike many HK movies I have watched. See more Dick C 02/28/2023 It's a very good HK movie, The Sparring Partner 正義迴廊, 2022...basing on a Family Tragedy actual case, Murder of Glory Chau and Moon Siu... See more Read all reviews
The Sparring Partner

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Based on actual events: in 2013, Henry Cheung collaborated with a friend to murder and dismember his parents. While the case may have looked simple on the surface, the truth proved to be increasingly difficult to untangle. As the defendants take on the distinct personas of the scheming genius and the naïve, simple-minded victim of circumstances, the nine jury members must wrestle with their own conceptions of right and wrong as two men's lives lay in the balance.
Director
Cheuk Tin Ho
Producer
Philip Yung
Screenwriter
Frankie Tam, Oliver Yip, Thomas Leung
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
Mei Ah Films Production, Film Development Fund of Hong Kong
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 9, 2022, Limited
Runtime
2h 15m
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