Lust, Caution

8/13/2026

**Summary:** **8/10:** A sensuously tense espionage thriller anchored by extraordinary performances from Tang Wei and Tony Leung; Ang Lee crafts a meticulously paced, beautifully shot meditation on desire, deception, and the dangerous space where ideology meets genuine feeling. This is a classic spy thriller, like a John le Carré novel, except instead of England and Russia, it's between Japan and occupied China during WWII. Set in Hong Kong in 1938 and Shanghai in 1942, when it was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and ruled by the puppet government led by Wang Jingwei, the film follows a circle of young Chinese revolutionaries who attempt to assassinate a high-ranking collaborator. And more like a Bond film, this one is hot, sexy, and steamy, earning its NC-17 rating honestly.