One word to describe Chinese films in 2013 may be "nostalgia." Be it an art house production or a full-fledged Hollywood-style blockbuster, they all fit the meaning. China.org.cn here reviews the 10 best Chinese films from last year.

 "Drug War" (毒戰)

Drug War [File photo]

Hong Kong's reigning king of the gangster genre Johnnie To resisted entering the mainland market for a long time. When he finally did, he did not make too many concessions. As a result, this film, set and made on the Chinese mainland and financed by mainland money with the support of the mainland police department, served to push the boundaries of what a crime drama can be on mainland screens.

The story tells about a drug cartel boss who is arrested in a raid and subsequently coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation.

Not only are the drug scenes realistically shot, but the heroic cop is more 3-dimensional than most characters in this genre. Yet the weakness of the movie lies in the villain of the Hong Kong drug-producer. The director maintains his typical fast pace, with his signature violence and the grand finale scene superbly done. Nevertheless, the storyline leaves something more to be desired.