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L Storm
Official film poster
Traditional ChineseL風暴
Simplified ChineseL风暴
Hanyu PinyinL Fēng Bào
JyutpingL Fung1 Bou6
Directed byDavid Lam
Screenplay byWong Ho-wa
Ho Man-lung
Story byDavid Lam
Produced byRaymond Wong
Starring
CinematographyZhang Ying
Edited byPoon Hung
Music byAnthony Chue
Production
companies
Distributed byPegasus Motion Pictures
Release date
  • 23 August 2018 (2018-08-23)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetUS$5-10 million[1]
Box officeUS$64.52 million

L Storm is a 2018 Hong Kong action thriller film directed by David Lam, and starring Louis Koo and Julian Cheung, alongside Kevin Cheng, Stephy Tang, Patrick Tam, Michael Tse and Adam Pak in his debut film role.

The third installment in a pentalogy, preceded by Z Storm (2014) and S Storm (2016), and succeeded by P Storm (2019) and G Storm (2021), L Storm was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 23 August 2018.

Plot

[edit]

Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong) (ICAC) investigator William Luk and Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) officer Lau Po-keung are respectively investigating a corruption and money laundering case both involving Customs officer Tik Wai-kit, but are unable to find any clues. At this time, Kenny Ching of ICAC's L Team (Internal Disciplinary Investigation Team) receives a report from Eva Ng, claiming Luk has accepted a bribe of HK$12 million. Unable to provide an explanation, Luk was immediately suspended from his duties.

Lau discovers that Luk was framed which is inextricably linked to the money laundering case he has been investigating. At the same time, Lau also suspects bank director Thompson Yau (Adam Pak) assisting the mastermind of a criminal organisation, Wong Hoi-wo, in money laundering. Chinese Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Hong Liang arrives in Hong Kong and to provide important intel for Lau, revealing that mainland Chinese corrupt officials are involved in the money laundering case. Luk risks his safety to collect evidence to prove his innocence, but was imprisoned.

Cast

[edit]
  • Louis Koo as William Luk (陸志廉)
  • Julian Cheung as Lau Po-keung (劉保強)
  • Kevin Cheng as Kenny Ching (程德明)
  • Stephy Tang as Eva Ng (吳頌華)
  • Patrick Tam as Wong Hoi-wo (王海禾)
  • Michael Tse as Tik Wai-kit (狄偉杰)
  • Adam Pak as Thompson Yau (遊子新)
  • Louis Cheung as Ho Tai-sing (何大成)
  • Babyjohn Choi as Cel Chan (陳俊輝)
  • Janelle Sing as Tammy Tam (譚美莉)
  • Liu Kai-chi as Tsui Yau-choi (徐有才)
  • Lo Hoi-pang as Uncle Kwai-hing (貴興叔)
  • Law Lan as Raymond Chan's mother
  • Evergreen Mak as Yeung Ching-fook (楊正福)
  • Ding Haifeng [zh] as Hong Liang (洪亮)
  • Toby Chan as Cindy Lee (李慧雅)
  • Deno Cheung as Leung (細良)
  • Alan Luk as Choi (蔡仔)
  • Feng Lei as Zhang Peng (張鵬)
  • Sienna Li as Zhao Meixin (招美欣)
  • Jessica Hsuan as Dr. Anson Au (區嘉雯)
  • Eddie Kwan as Yu Sir (余Sir)
  • Kam Hing-yin as Lau Po-keung's supervisor
  • Kumer So as Leopard (豹哥)
  • Timothy Cheng as Hanson Lam (林希聖)

Production

[edit]

Principal photography for L Storm began on 21 August 2017 in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.[2][3] Filming wrapped up on 23 October 2017 after filming its final action scene on a yacht involving actors Louis Koo and Kevin Cheng hunting down criminals while the crew also celebrated Koo's 47th birthday, which occurred two days before.[4]

Box office

[edit]

L Storm grossed a total of HK$442 million.[5]

In Hong Kong, the film grossed s total of HK$17,412,266 during its theatrical run from 23 August to 21 October 2018, making it the four highest-grossing domestic film in the territory of 2018.[6]

In China, the film grossed a total of ¥442,986,000.[7]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

L Storm

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is a 2018 Hong Kong action directed by , starring as Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigator William Luk and as Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) Lau Po-keung. The narrative follows their parallel investigations into a scheme and a operation, both of which stall amid evidence of internal misconduct within anti-corruption agencies. Released on August 23, 2018, with a runtime of 96 minutes, it serves as the third installment in the , succeeding and , and focusing on Group L of the ICAC, tasked with probing its own personnel for graft. The film received mixed critical reception, earning a 5.6/10 rating on from over 670 users and a 14% Tomatometer score on based on limited reviews, with praise for its pacing but criticism for narrative complexity and forgettability.

Background

Development and scripting

The screenplay for L Storm was written by Wong Ho-wa and Ho Man-lung, drawing from a story conceived by director . Development centered on constructing a narrative grounded in the operational protocols of Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for bribery probes and the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) for inquiries, emphasizing procedural fidelity to mirror actual enforcement challenges. Scripting decisions incorporated dual, intersecting investigations led by ICAC and JFIU officers to authentically depict inter-agency coordination, a critical mechanism in real-world efforts to unravel entrenched involving public officials and financial . This approach avoided hyperbolic tropes, instead prioritizing causal linkages between corrupt acts—like rigged tenders and offshore fund flows—and the evidentiary hurdles investigators face, informed by the structural realities of Hong Kong's regulatory bodies. Produced primarily by Motion Pictures with co-financing from mainland entities such as Huace Pictures and Pictures, the phase sought to balance commercial viability with unvarnished portrayals of institutional vulnerabilities, eschewing over-dramatized confrontations in favor of methodical unraveling of systemic graft.

Position in the Storm series

L Storm constitutes the third installment in the Storm pentalogy of action thrillers depicting Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigations into institutional graft, succeeding (released June 19, 2014), which exposed judicial and financial schemes targeting funds, and (September 16, 2016), centered on police involvement in illegal gambling at the . The series methodically advances its critique of entrenched corruption by shifting focus across public sectors, with L Storm (August 23, 2018) extending the probe to bribery within the legal profession and associated networks, illustrating a pattern of escalating exposures in interconnected power structures. Central to the pentalogy's cohesion is Louis Koo's portrayal of ICAC Principal Investigator William Luk, whose character evolves without narrative discontinuity, accumulating insights from prior cases to inform subsequent graft-busting operations in S Storm, L Storm, P Storm (2019), and G Storm (2021). This serialized progression underscores a causal continuity in combating normalized corruption, portraying ICAC persistence against resilient institutional failings rather than isolated incidents. The Storm series has garnered substantial returns, with L Storm alone earning approximately $30 million in its opening weekend across and , contributing to the franchise's overall commercial viability and cultural influence in heightening vigilance against sector-specific corrupt practices amid Hong Kong's real-world ICAC legacy.

Plot

L Storm depicts parallel investigations into corruption within Hong Kong's public institutions. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) pursues a scandal involving judicial figures, while the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) traces a linked scheme through suspicious financial transactions. Both probes initially stall amid evasive leads and procedural hurdles, prompting investigators to question potential leaks from within their own ranks. As dead ends accumulate, cross-agency collaboration reveals interconnections between the cases, implicating senior officials in a broader pattern of graft. Internal suspicions escalate into direct challenges, including and interrogations that expose conflicting loyalties and cover-ups. The sequences these developments causally, from isolated inquiries to converging evidence of systemic vulnerabilities, culminating in high-stakes resolutions that prioritize evidentiary protocols and institutional reforms over isolated acts of valor.

Cast and characters

Louis Koo stars as William Luk, the principled investigator for Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), depicted through rigorous adherence to investigative protocols amid institutional pressures. Koo reprises the role from (2014) and (2016), establishing continuity in portraying an enforcer whose empirical focus on evidence contrasts with bureaucratic obfuscation. Julian Cheung portrays Lau Po-keung, chief inspector of the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU), whose data-driven methods expose financial irregularities, also reprising the character from . This recurring casting underscores the specialized, procedure-oriented traits of financial watchdogs versus generalist officials prone to self-preservation.
ActorRoleAffiliation and Traits
Kenny ChingICAC Internal Investigation Group L officer, representing self-interested internal scrutiny that prioritizes institutional loyalty over objective inquiry.
Eva NgLegal professional aiding in the dissection of judicial and financial improprieties, embodying analytical support roles in corruption probes.
Patrick TamN/ASenior official entangled in malfeasance, highlighting entrenched elite interests.
N/AAssociate in laundering schemes, exemplifying opportunistic financial actors.
The selection of these actors, many with prior experience in Hong Kong crime dramas, reinforces realism by juxtaposing disciplined investigators against characters driven by personal or systemic gain, drawing on established portrayals to depict causal tensions in enforcement.

Production

Filming and locations

for L Storm commenced on 21 2017 in , . Shooting wrapped on 23 October 2017 after completing the final action sequence. The film was primarily shot on location in to capture authentic urban and commercial environments reflective of agency operations. Specific scenes, including a money laundering deal stakeout, were filmed in , , a district known for its industrial and activities that align with the narrative's focus on financial crimes investigated by the ICAC and JFIU.

Post-production

The post-production phase of L Storm featured by veteran Hong Kong editor Hung Poon, whose work intercut the film's dual investigative threads—the Independent Commission Against Corruption's (ICAC) bribery probe and the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit's (JFIU) inquiry—to preserve chronological sequence and underscore the interconnected causal chains of institutional graft without disorienting cuts. Poon's approach, informed by his prior collaborations on realist action dramas like The Grandmaster (2013), emphasized procedural fidelity over stylistic flourishes, ensuring the parallel timelines reflected empirical investigative pacing rather than contrived suspense. Sound design was supervised by Tam Tak-Wing, incorporating foley and mixing to amplify understated tension in bribery disclosures through ambient realism—such as muted dialogues in interrogation rooms and subtle evidentiary audio cues—avoiding hyperbolic effects that could undermine the film's grounding in verifiable corrupt practices. The original score, composed by Anthony Chue, employed restrained orchestration with percussive builds during key revelations, reinforcing causal realism in the consequences of malfeasance without orchestral bombast typical of sensationalized thrillers. Visual effects remained sparse, limited primarily to CG enhancements by Siu Kiu San for select evidence-handling sequences, such as digital recreations of financial documents and feeds, to evoke documentary-style veracity in depicting forensic processes over extravagant simulations. This minimalism aligned with the production's commitment to unvarnished portrayals, as the single VFX credit indicates prioritization of practical sets and location footage to mirror real-world anti-corruption operations, eschewing heavy digital intervention that might distort institutional accountability's stark outcomes.

Themes and analysis

Portrayal of corruption and institutional integrity

In L Storm, is portrayed as a networked infiltration of Hong Kong's by officials, who deploy laundered funds to bribe judges and lawyers for favorable rulings in and asset recovery cases. The film traces these graft mechanics via empirical chains of financial transactions, including offshore accounts and shell companies, which ICAC investigators methodically unravel despite jurisdictional hurdles. This depiction aligns with documented ICAC patterns of cross-border , where bribes totaling millions in Hong Kong dollars have been linked to influence peddling in legal proceedings. The narrative underscores institutional integrity through the protagonists' adherence to evidentiary protocols and inter-agency collaboration, such as intelligence-sharing with mainland bodies, contrasting sharply with antagonists' self-preservation strategies like tampering and internal cover-ups. William Luk, the lead ICAC investigator, faces suspension after being framed in a probe, highlighting how procedural lapses by corrupt insiders enable breakdowns, yet resolute restores systemic checks. This reflects causal realities in real-world busts, where ICAC's has exposed similar judicial-adjacent scandals, including facilitation of illicit payments exceeding HK$10 million in documented cases. Anti-corruption efficacy is emphasized without idealization, showing villains' evasion via institutional silos—such as delayed warrants and leaked intel—as vulnerabilities that procedural rigor alone mitigates, rather than heroic . The film avoids broader ideological framing, centering individual accountability and evidentiary chains over systemic excuses, paralleling ICAC's prosecution of over 2,000 complaints annually, many involving graft with tangible recovery of assets. Such portrayals self-interested failures in high-stakes institutions like courts, where unchecked networks erode , as evidenced by real convictions for influencing legal outcomes.

Narrative structure and realism

L Storm employs a multi-threaded structure, tracking parallel investigations by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU), and internal police affairs into interconnected cases of and graft involving customs and officials. This approach reflects the causal interconnections in real-world probes, where disparate leads from financial trails, tips, and institutional rivalries converge to uncover systemic , building suspense through incremental revelations rather than isolated heroics. The pacing sustains tension via a sequence of investigative hurdles and partial setbacks, akin to actual case progressions marked by evasive suspects and jurisdictional conflicts, with action sequences—such as pursuits and confrontations—integrated approximately every 15 minutes to propel logical deductions over contrived resolutions. While some critics note exaggerated elements like abrupt alliances, the core progression prioritizes procedural realism, drawing from ICAC's documented methodologies of accumulation and cross-agency coordination to avoid overt plot conveniences. Within the Storm series, L Storm escalates the scope of corruption from prior entries—Z Storm's (2014) charity fraud and S Storm's (2016) sports —by embedding police institutional graft into a broader of cross-border laundering, maintaining continuity through recurring ICAC investigator William Luk and evolving threats that span public sectors. This progression underscores a persistent graft network, mirroring Hong Kong's real anti-corruption history where isolated scandals reveal entrenched patterns, without resetting the investigative landscape for narrative ease.

Release

Premiere and distribution

L Storm had its world premiere through a theatrical in on August 23, 2018, coinciding with the late summer period to capitalize on local viewership during a seasonal window of heightened cinema attendance. The rollout occurred primarily via major cinema chains such as Shaw Theatres, emphasizing accessibility for audiences familiar with the film's predecessors in the Storm series. Distribution centered on theatrical exhibition in and select Asian markets, with Motion Pictures handling production and local rollout without reported alterations for international screenings. Home media followed, including Blu-ray and DVD editions released in by late 2018, targeted at regional consumers. Streaming availability emerged later in limited platforms across select regions, though primary access remained physical and theatrical formats. No significant censorship or regional adaptations were documented, preserving the film's unedited portrayal of institutional probes and ethical dilemmas in its core markets. This approach aligned with Hong Kong's film classification under the IIB rating, allowing the narrative's focus on corruption investigations to proceed without mandated cuts.

Box office performance

_L Storm grossed HK$17.55 million at the Hong Kong box office following its release on 23 August 2018. This figure marked a modest performance relative to the franchise's earlier entry _Z Storm (2014), which achieved stronger local earnings amid higher initial audience turnout for ICAC-themed narratives. Despite the underperformance in its home market—partly due to competition from imported blockbusters and seasonal audience preferences—the film sustained series momentum by capitalizing on regional interest in anti-corruption plots. In , where it premiered on 14 September 2018, _L Storm generated significantly higher returns, accumulating approximately $64 million in worldwide earnings, predominantly from the Chinese market. Its opening weekend there topped charts with $29.4 million, reflecting robust demand for Hong Kong-produced content exploring institutional graft and enforcement realism. This disparity underscores the commercial viability of such themes beyond Hong Kong, where local saturation and competing releases limited uptake, yet cross-border appeal propelled franchise longevity.

Reception

Critical response

Critics offered a mixed reception to L Storm, praising its action-oriented intensity and procedural elements while critiquing its reliance on familiar tropes and lack of narrative innovation. Edmund Lee of the described the film as "sometimes exciting" in its depiction of high-stakes investigations but ultimately "ludicrous" and "forgettable," assigning it 2.5 out of 5 stars for failing to generate suspense despite the dual probes into and internal betrayal. Similarly, reviews highlighted the portrayal of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) as heroic and procedurally informed, drawing from real anti-graft operations, yet noted its idealized framing that glosses over institutional complexities for dramatic effect. Negative assessments focused on formulaic storytelling and underdeveloped subplots, with the parallel investigations into corruption rings feeling contrived and lacking causal depth in linking personal motives to systemic graft. A Straits Times review pointed out that protagonist William Luk's predicament "lacks suspense" and fails to evoke sympathy, attributing this to repetitive franchise elements that prioritize spectacle over logical progression. Critics also observed underdeveloped female characters and plot conveniences, such as abrupt resolutions to investigative dead ends, which undermined the film's claim to realism in depicting ICAC's rigorous evidence-gathering processes. Overall, the consensus positioned L Storm as competent within the anti-corruption thriller genre—elevating it above predecessors through tighter pacing—but not groundbreaking, with some analyses suggesting an inherent bias toward institutional heroism that aligns with broader pro-establishment narratives in the series, potentially at the expense of nuanced critiques of bureaucratic vulnerabilities. This portrayal, while empirically rooted in ICAC's mandate under Hong Kong's Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, has been seen as selectively emphasizing triumphs over documented challenges like jurisdictional overlaps with police, contributing to a simplified causal view of eradication.

Audience and commercial legacy

L Storm achieved significant commercial success, particularly in , where it opened to $29.4 million over its debut weekend on September 14, 2018, capturing nearly 60% and topping the . The film held the top spot for a second week, adding $23.6 million for a 10-day cumulative total of $52.8 million, and ultimately grossed $63.9 million in . In , its domestic market, it earned approximately HK$17.55 million (about $2.25 million USD), reflecting moderate local performance amid a challenging year for Hong Kong cinema. Audience reception highlighted appreciation for the film's action sequences and pacing, though many critiqued its narrative complexity and multiple plot strands. On , it holds a 5.6/10 rating from 672 user votes, with viewers noting its suitability for fans of crime thrillers featuring corruption investigations and frenetic style. users rated it 3.0/5 based on 322 reviews, echoing praise for high-energy elements alongside complaints of convoluted storytelling. The film's legacy reinforced the Storm series' role in Hong Kong's popular discourse on corruption, portraying Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigators as resolute enforcers dismantling graft networks, which aligned with broader anti-corruption narratives in Greater China media. This contributed to the franchise's continuation, directly influencing subsequent entries like P Storm (2019), where lead actor Louis Koo reprised his ICAC role in a prison-undercover plot building on prior installments' themes of institutional vigilance against white-collar crime. Public debates frame the series, including L Storm, variably: some interpret its emphasis on official integrity as promotional for establishment institutions like the ICAC, potentially downplaying systemic risks, while others regard it as a vital cultural reminder against ethical complacency in governance.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8031554/
  2. https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/L_Storm?id=EDBEEA4316735493MV&hl=en_SG
  3. https://tv.apple.com/my/movie/l-storm/umc.cmc.7bluffjnl1bujvesxzu00wy53
  4. https://mydramalist.com/22973-l-storm
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  6. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/l_storm
  7. https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2161064/l-storm-film-review-louis-koo-julian-cheung-reunite-perfectly
  8. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8031554/plotsummary/
  9. https://asianfilmstrike.com/2018/11/27/l-storm-2018-review/
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  11. https://www.themoviedb.org/collection/470522?language=en-US
  12. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3469440/
  13. https://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/s_storm.html
  14. https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2019718/film-review-s-storm-julian-cheung-louis-koo-frivolous-graft-buster
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  32. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKsep1bLh4Q
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