As Tears Go By

Thursday, September 8 - Wednesday, October 19, 2022

4K restoration!

Wong Kar Wai’s scintillating debut feature is a kinetic, hyper-cool crime thriller graced with flashes of the impressionistic, daydream visual style for which he would become renowned. Set amidst Hong Kong’s ruthless, neon-lit gangland underworld, this operatic saga of ambition, honor, and revenge stars Andy Lau as a small-time mob enforcer who finds himself torn between a burgeoning romance with his ailing cousin (Maggie Cheung, in the first of her iconic collaborations with the director) and his loyalty to his loose cannon partner in crime (Jacky Cheung) whose reckless attempts to make a name for himself unleash a spiral of violence. Marrying the pulp pleasures of the gritty Hong Kong action drama with hints of the head-rush romanticism Wong would push to intoxicating heights throughout the 1990s, As Tears Go By was a box office smash that heralded the arrival of one of contemporary cinema’s most electrifying talents. A Janus Films release.

Screening as part of our retrospective The World of Wong Kar Wai, from August 26 – September 15, 2022. Discounted ticket packs available in 3-packs ($42 for general, $30 for IFC Center Members) and 5-packs ($60 for general, $45 for IFC Center Members) here.

• Language In Cantonese with English subtitles
• Year 1988
• Running Time 99 minutes
• Distributor Janus
• Director Wong Kar Wai
• Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.