This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!
Details
This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Robert Sammelin) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.
Named after Yasujiro Ozu’s custom-made, tatami-level, crab-like tripod, Kani is a new home video label dedicated to leveling the gaze and furthering the understanding of Asian cinema in North America. Focused on genre-defying films, Kani aims to expand the canon, bolster up-and-coming filmmakers and reintroduce repertory classics in context. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!
Impatient with low-level police work, rookie cop Chui (Eddie Chen) recklessly accepts his superior’s offer to go undercover. With few ties and an ambiguous moral compass that soon starts to spin out of control, his life outside the underworld begins to crumble.
Following the success of Cops and Robbers (1979), Alex Cheung’s Man on the Brink further redefined the Hong Kong crime sub-genre. While indebted to New Hollywood staples such as Sidney Lumet’s Serpico (1973), this Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor Golden Horse Award winner unleashed a new appetite for undercover cop mayhem, prefiguring classics such as the Infernal Affairs trilogy (2002-2003) with its jaw-dropping synthesis of urban grit, realistic drama and high stakes, captured with evocative hand-held, on-location camerawork. A missing link – if not a turning point – in Hong Kong action cinema, ready to be rediscovered.
directed by: Alex Cheung starring: Eddie Chen, Ga Lun, Kam Hing Yin, Ada Fung 1981 / 100 min / 1.85:1 / Cantonese DTS-HD MA 2.0
Additional info:
Region A Blu-ray
Interview with director Alex Cheung (2022, 39 minutes)
Commentary with Director Alex Cheung and Assistant Director Teddy Chan (2022, 100 minutes)
Feature commentary by historian Frank Djeng
Q&A Post Screening Talk (2019, 72 minutes)
8mm Shorts:
Man on the Brink Making Of (1981, 14 minutes)
C.I.D. Making Of (1976, 1 minute)
Young Teddy & Alex Cheung (1973, 1 minute)
"Come Together" Music Video (1973, 3 minutes)
Booklet: New writing by John Charles, Archival Photos
English subtitles
Overall rating: 4.6771655 / 5 from 127 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Man on the Brink, a limited edition Blu-ray from Kani, features a beautifully designed slipcover by Robert Sammelin. The film, directed by Alex Cheung, is celebrated for its gripping crime drama, excellent acting, and high-quality camerawork. Additional features include interviews, commentaries, and making-of shorts, enhancing the viewing experience.
"Great film, amazing art work and love the slip covers." — Lee C.
"Great performances, great artwork and packaging, another winner." — Conor T.
"Excellent release, packaging and artwork." — James R.
Reviews
Highly Recommend
"Very, very good restoration. Sound quality is a bit off but I suppose that is to be expected with an older HK movie. Extremely underrated movie. Love the Robert Sammelin artwork."
— Benjamin C. (5/5)
Hong Kong cult
"A nice restoration of this Hong Kong cult classic, a must viewing, if you are a fan of the directors other work."
— Lennard B. (5/5)
Underrated
"Man on the Brink delivers. It definitely had impact as an early entry to the genre, which led to classics like City on Fire, Hard Boiled and, Infernal Affairs. The film has real grit, some choice intense scenes, solid performances, and good overall directing. This release looks and sounds fine. There are some excellent special features here! And I'm stoked to be able to have the sweet slipcover, too. Film 8/20 Release 10/10"
— Ben. Z. (5/5)
great HK noir
"One of my favorite things about the OCN umbrella: stuff shows up that you've never heard of. And it turns out to be really great. Cheung's undercover cop story isn't a mindblower but it's a great, noirish character study with little hope. Really happy to find out about this film."
— Isaac W. (5/5)
Another great Kani release!
"A 40-minute interview, a feature length post-screening discussion, plus numerous other extras, this set is loaded!"
— Noah S. (5/5)
A forgotten classic
"Man on the Brink is a wonderful and overlooked title in Hong Kong's new wave. Gritty and rough, its influence is unmistakable to anyone into HK crime cinema. And this edition looks gorgeous."
— Jeppe M. (5/5)
Good movie and release.
"Another Hong Kong movie to love in a high quality presentation."
— JIANJIANG B. (5/5)
Great Undercover Cop Story
"Such a great undercover cop story. This is proto-heroic bloodshed, with plenty of squibs and chaotic action, but also a slower methodical pace, and lots of focus on character. If you like City on Fire you will like this! Awesome slipcover too! Fantastic Restoration! Can’t wait to check out the extras!"
— Jonah A. (5/5)
Hong Kong Crime Drama
"Man on the Brink is a gritty, emotionally charged Hong Kong crime drama that stands out for its raw portrayal of undercover police work. Directed by Alex Cheung, the film follows a cop whose deep infiltration into the criminal underworld begins to erode his identity, sanity, and sense of loyalty. What makes the film so compelling is its grounded, almost documentary‑like realism. Instead of glamorizing undercover life, it shows the psychological toll—paranoia, isolation, and the constant fear of exposure. Eddie Chan delivers a tense, vulnerable performance that anchors the film’s escalating sense of dread. Stylishly shot and tightly paced, Man on the Brink feels like an early precursor to later undercover classics, offering a bleak, gripping look at a man being slowly crushed between two worlds."
— Tarek E. (3/5)
Alex Cheung forever
"Alex Cheung is a foolishly underloved filmmaker and bless Kani for beginning to set the record straight with this release. Hopefully more to come! Great film, great restoration, and great extras to boot."
— William M. (5/5)
Q&A
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