# The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell
**The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell** (扫毒3：人在天涯) is a 2023 Hong Kong action crime film directed and written by Herman Yau, in which two undercover police officers infiltrate the drug cartel of a Thai drug lord and form a bond of brotherhood with him that collapses when he learns a spy is in his midst. It is the third film in the White Storm series, which Benny Chan began in 2013, and it brought [Louis Koo](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-koo), Lau Ching-wan, and [Aaron Kwok](https://www.edgepedia.org/aaron-kwok) together on screen for the first time.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell) • [2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmc-pictures-secured-distribution-rights-for-the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-301844714.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 扫毒3：人在天涯 (Sao Du 3: Ren Zai Tian Ya)[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) |
| Director and writer | Herman Yau[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell) |
| Lead cast | Aaron Kwok (Cheung Kin Heng / Billy), Louis Koo (Au Chi Yuen / Mak Chun Wing), Lau Ching-wan (Suchat)[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) |
| Runtime and language | 125 minutes, Cantonese[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) |
| Release | Mainland China 6 July 2023 (limited); Hong Kong 27 July 2023[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) • [4](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/Hong%20Kong%20Film%20Industry%20Data%202023.pdf) |
| Worldwide box office | $41,565,795, of which $41,510,000 from China[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) |
| Hong Kong gross | HK$14,029,537 from 214,471 admissions over 49 days[4](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/Hong%20Kong%20Film%20Industry%20Data%202023.pdf) |
| Production companies | Universe Entertainment, AMTD Digital; distributor CMC Pictures[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Undercover officer Cheung Kin Hang (Aaron Kwok) has infiltrated the inner circle of the Thai-Chinese drug baron Hong So Chai (Lau Ching-wan). When fellow undercover officer Au Chi Yuen (Louis Koo) saves So Chai from harm, he too is brought into the circle of trust, and the three men form a close bond. So Chai is eventually tipped off that a spy is among them, and as trust deteriorates the two officers race to complete their missions before their covers are blown.[5](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell/umc.cmc.6xoi1ookcn3t7uhl7de7o3ska)
The [Rotterdam](https://www.edgepedia.org/rotterdam) festival synopsis gives the setup in more operational detail: the officers set up drug smuggler Suchat, but the operation goes wrong, Wing's cover is blown, and Billy, badly injured, leaves with Suchat while his own cover stays intact. Suchat relocates to Thailand and expands his ambitions, leaving the two officers with the challenge of bringing him down.[6](https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2024/films/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell) The story is set around the Golden Triangle, the border region where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet.[7](https://app2.atmovies.com.tw/film/fwhk26929966/)
## Cast
The three leads are Aaron Kwok as Cheung Kin Heng, also known as Billy; Louis Koo as Au Chi Yuen, also known as Mak Chun Wing; and Lau Ching-wan as Suchat, the drug lord.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) Supporting roles include Alex Fong Chung-Sun as the Police Chief Superintendent, Gallen Lo Ka-Leung as the [Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander), Gardner Tse Kwan-Ho as Mee Noi, Lam Suet as Brother Big, and Yang Caiyu as Noon.[8](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell)
## Production
Herman Yau took over the White Storm series with 2019's *[The White Storm 2: Drug Lords](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-white-storm-2-drug-lords)* and returned for this third installment, which, like its predecessors, tells an unrelated story while keeping the drug-cartel subject matter, a star-studded cast, and heavy use of firearms and explosives.[9](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3228337/white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-movie-review-aaron-kwok-lau-ching-wan-and-louis-koo-herman-yaus-latest) In a 2023 interview with JET Magazine, Yau said he deliberately aimed for a simpler story than his recent large-scale police films, seeking freshness within a familiar subgenre rather than another plot of repeated reversals.[10](https://jetmagazine.com.hk/hermanyauinterview2023/)
**Pandemic filming.** Preparation began at the end of 2020 and shooting took place in 2021 under pandemic conditions, with the crew moving among Thailand, Yunnan, and Hong Kong locations and enduring long quarantine periods; actual filming lasted only about fifty days.[10](https://jetmagazine.com.hk/hermanyauinterview2023/) Because travel restrictions ruled out shooting in Thailand, the main set, a Golden Triangle village, was built at Lau Fau Shan in [Yuen Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuen-long), Hong Kong, covering 500,000 square feet.[10](https://jetmagazine.com.hk/hermanyauinterview2023/) The casting of Lau Ching-wan, Aaron Kwok, and Louis Koo together was a first for all three actors.[10](https://jetmagazine.com.hk/hermanyauinterview2023/)
In June 2023 CMC Pictures announced it had acquired distribution rights for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, describing the White Storm franchise as the highest-grossing Hong Kong crime thriller franchise.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmc-pictures-secured-distribution-rights-for-the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-301844714.html)
## Box office
The film earned $41,565,795 worldwide on The Numbers' tally, with $41,510,000 of that from China, where it opened in limited release on 6 July 2023 and wide on 30 July 2023; Australia contributed $50,193 and New Zealand $5,602.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29) In Hong Kong it ran from 27 July to 13 September 2023, grossing HK$14,029,537 from 214,471 admissions, ranking 20th among first-run Hong Kong films released that year.[4](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/Hong%20Kong%20Film%20Industry%20Data%202023.pdf) During the July–August 2023 summer holiday period it was the top-grossing film in Hong Kong cinemas, with HK$13,986,372.[11](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00304/2023%E5%B9%B4%E6%9A%91%E5%81%87%E6%AA%94%E6%9C%9F%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E5%B8%82%E6%B3%81.pdf.pdf) The Sing Pao Daily News listed it sixth among the ten highest-grossing Hong Kong films.[12](https://www.singpao.com.hk/index.php?fi=news4&id=131363)
Despite these figures, the Hong Kong film review site Cinespot described the box office as disappointing for what it called the largest-budget and largest-cast Hong Kong production of the 2023 summer season, noting that it failed to sustain the momentum created earlier in the year by *[A Guilty Conscience](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-guilty-conscience)*.[13](https://www.cinespot.com/hkmreviews/%E6%8E%83%E6%AF%923%E4%BA%BA%E5%9C%A8%E5%A4%A9%E6%B6%AF-2)
## Reception
On IMDb the film holds a 5.9/10 rating from about 720 users, with the most ratings from China, Hong Kong, the United States, Malaysia, and Taiwan.[14](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26929966/ratings/) Rotten Tomatoes recorded a Tomatometer of 98% from four critics' reviews and an audience score above 100 ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell) Critics were divided in emphasis: Edmund Lee of the [South China Morning Post](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-china-morning-post) gave it 3/5 and found it more interesting as an epic about the drug trade than as an undercover-police drama; Casey Chong of Fiction Horizon called it a familiar but visceral and entertaining action thriller; and Carla Hay of Culture Mix criticized it as a sloppily edited film that jumps around its non-chronological timeline.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell) Lee also wrote that, as in the second film, Yau's entry makes a mockery of the brotherhood theme central to Benny Chan's original, turning loyalty into a running joke.[9](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3228337/white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-movie-review-aaron-kwok-lau-ching-wan-and-louis-koo-herman-yaus-latest)
The International Film Festival Rotterdam, which screened the film's European premiere at its 2024 edition, praised its breathless pacing and kinetic action sequences combining visual effects and physical stunts, calling it the best installment of the series and noting that it can be watched as a standalone entry.[6](https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2024/films/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell) The festival lists the production year as 2022, while most commercial databases list 2023, the year of general release.[6](https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2024/films/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell) • [3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29)
## Availability
In the United States the film streams on Rakuten Viki with a subscription and is not available on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.[8](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell) • [15](https://whichott.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-2023-1093485)
## References
1. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_white_storm_3_heaven_or_hell)
2. [CMC Pictures Secured Distribution Rights for The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell, PR Newswire (7 June 2023)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmc-pictures-secured-distribution-rights-for-the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-301844714.html)
3. [Sao Du 3 Ren Zai Tian Ya (2023), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sao-Du-3-Ren-Zai-Tian-Ya-%282023-Hong-Kong%29)
4. [Hong Kong Film Industry Data 2023, Hong Kong Film Development Council](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/Hong%20Kong%20Film%20Industry%20Data%202023.pdf)
5. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell/umc.cmc.6xoi1ookcn3t7uhl7de7o3ska)
6. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024](https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2024/films/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell)
7. [掃毒3：人在天涯, @movies 開眼電影網](https://app2.atmovies.com.tw/film/fwhk26929966/)
8. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell)
9. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell movie review, South China Morning Post (20 July 2023)](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3228337/white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-movie-review-aaron-kwok-lau-ching-wan-and-louis-koo-herman-yaus-latest)
10. [邱禮濤專訪：《掃毒3》見證人在天涯, JET Magazine (18 July 2023)](https://jetmagazine.com.hk/hermanyauinterview2023/)
11. [2023年暑假檔期電影市況, Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00304/2023%E5%B9%B4%E6%9A%91%E5%81%87%E6%AA%94%E6%9C%9F%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E5%B8%82%E6%B3%81.pdf.pdf)
12. [最高票房的10部香港電影, Sing Pao Daily News](https://www.singpao.com.hk/index.php?fi=news4&id=131363)
13. [《掃毒3: 人在天涯》影評, Cinespot 動映地帶 (22 August 2023)](https://www.cinespot.com/hkmreviews/%E6%8E%83%E6%AF%923%E4%BA%BA%E5%9C%A8%E5%A4%A9%E6%B6%AF-2)
14. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26929966/ratings/)
15. [The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell streaming FAQ, WhichOTT](https://whichott.com/us/movie/the-white-storm-3-heaven-or-hell-2023-1093485)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released 2020s and later*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license