Year: 2009
Runtime: 100 mins
Language: Cantonese
Directors: Felix Chong Man-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai
Three members of a police surveillance unit are tasked with probing an investment firm linked to criminal fraud. As the investigation unfolds, the narrative shifts to focus on the officers themselves, who discover they can exploit the privileged information they've collected for personal gain, navigating the web of deception surrounding the operation.
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Hong Kong’s mighty stock market serves as both magnet and stage for those who would bend it to their will. In the city’s Commercial Crime Bureau, an undercover operation closes in on Feng Hua International, a trading company linked to a man nicknamed “Boss.” The surveillance team is led by Inspector Leung, joined by Gene Yeung Louis Koo and Max Lam Daniel Wu, who plant listening devices to monitor the company’s communications. Gene Yeung Louis Koo is a devoted family man—his wife Yeung Ling, a daughter, and a son in fragile health demand his attention—while Max Lam Daniel Wu is a bright, ambitious newcomer who is about to marry the daughter of a wealthy man. Leung is a calm, seasoned officer involved with Mandy Yam Zhang Jingchu, who happens to be the wife of his friend Lee Alex Fong-Chung-Sun.
One night, the trio overhears a plan: the stock price will surge at market opening the next day. Seizing the opportunity, Gene Yeung Louis Koo asks Max Lam Daniel Wu to erase the incriminating portion so they can profit, and Lam opens a stock account. Leung discovers the deception, but Lam has already invested on a heavy loan. The stock climbs, but trading is halted due to unusual activity.
Back at the operation center, they overhear a scheme to murder the manager with a covertly planted device. Reporting it would expose them, so Lam pleads with Leung not to intervene. After weighing the risk, Leung opts to stop the murder themselves. They ambush the would-be killer as he administers pills to fake a death scene. The manager’s girlfriend glimpses Leung’s face, and later her call to the Boss’s men sets off a deadly chain. With their shares worth about $15 million liquidated, the trio becomes a target. The Boss’s henchmen close in, orchestrating the deaths of Leung, Lam, and Yeung, along with their families. In a final, brutal moment, Wah, the Boss’s subordinate, appears to execute Leung in an unmarked grave.
A year passes, and at a charity function, the Boss’s shadowy dealings flash across a video screen. Surrounded by police and ICAC officials, the Boss is halted as the feed reveals his crimes. It turns out Leung had bribed Wah, offering the entire $15 million in exchange for not killing him before his “execution.” Wah becomes Leung’s covert asset, aiding in bringing down the Boss. Under police escort, a van carrying the Boss veers off course, and the driver is revealed to be Gene Yeung Louis Koo, the sole survivor of the earlier ambush. Yeung drives the Boss into the harbor on a murder‑suicide, while Inspector Leung calmly watches, remembering the times he shared with his two loyal subordinates, Max Lam Daniel Wu and Gene Yeung Louis Koo. The film closes on a somber note, with the toll of ambition and loyalty etched in memory.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:32
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Stories where the watchers become corrupted by the power of their secrets.If you liked the tense atmosphere and ethical dilemmas in Overheard, explore more movies like it. This section features similar thrillers about surveillance operations where the watchers succumb to greed and paranoia, leading to high-stakes consequences and morally complex narratives.
Stories in this thread typically follow a team or individual with access to sensitive information (audio, video, data) who initially operates within bounds. A catalyst, often a piece of lucrative or dangerous information, tempts them to act for personal benefit. This single act triggers a domino effect of cover-ups, escalating danger, and shattered trust, often culminating in violent retribution and a profound sense of loss.
These movies are grouped together because they share a core premise of 'overhearing' leading to moral collapse. They evoke a specific, tense, and claustrophobic mood where trust is the first casualty. The pacing is often fast, driven by the immediate consequences of the characters' secret actions, and the intensity is high due to the constant threat of exposure.
Crime stories where ambition turns colleagues into lethal adversaries.For viewers who enjoyed the heavy emotional weight and theme of betrayal among colleagues in Overheard. These movies are similar gritty crime dramas exploring how greed dismantles loyalty, leading to bittersweet or bleak endings where the pursuit of gain results in profound personal loss.
The narrative pattern involves a group bound by profession or circumstance, operating with a degree of trust. The discovery of a significant financial opportunity or a path to power creates fissures. Alliances shift, secrets are kept, and the characters engage in a destructive dance of double-crosses. The arc is a downward spiral, often ending with most protagonists dead or broken, achieving their goal at a terrible price or failing entirely.
These films are united by their focus on the internal corruption of a professional or criminal unit. The primary antagonist is often a former ally. They share a grim, melancholic tone and heavy emotional weight, driven by the tragedy of fractured relationships. The pacing is fast, propelled by escalating acts of betrayal, and the endings are rarely happy, instead leaving a bittersweet or bleak aftertaste.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Overheard in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Overheard is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Overheard with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Overheard. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Overheard that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Overheard: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Overheard that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
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