Are you craving a martial arts film that contains epic fight scenes that defy the laws of physics, bone-crunching violence, and whacky characters all set against the neon-soaked backdrop of Hong Kong in the ’80s? Then you’re going to want to see Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.
In 1980s Hong Kong, in the densely packed Kowloon Walled City (one of the most dangerously dense urban areas on Earth before it was demolished in 1993), gangs and triads thrived. Mainland immigrant Chan Lok-kwun earns his living through bare-knuckle fights. When he is double-crossed by the head of one of those triads, Mr. Big, he makes a run for the walled city, grabbing a satchel of cocaine. In the walled city, he is clear of Mr. Big and his cronies—they won’t enter territory that isn’t theirs—but now Lok-kwun must face the powers that lurk within the myriad alleys and buildings around him.
The action-packed trailer gives audiences a taste of what to expect, and that appears to be violence from beginning to end. And it looks amazing.
Twilight of the Warriors release date
Based on the graphic comic City of Darkness by Yuyi, the film has been stuck in production limbo since the early 2000s. Much like its protagonist, it’s had to fight its way to our screens, and now, after over two decades, it’s here.
The film has already been released in Hong Kong and China on May 1, 2024, and was also selected to be in the Official Selection (Midnight Screening) of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on May 16. Having had its Canadian release on August 1, the film is finally making its way to U.S. theaters, courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment, on August 9.
Who’s in it?
Starring Raymond Lam, Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Philip Ng, Tony Wu and German Cheung, the film has already gone on to become the second-highest-grossing domestic film in Hong Kong.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is directed by Hong Kong action film veteran, Soi Cheang. He is well known for his action crime films such as Motorway (2012), Limbo (2021) and Mad Fate (2023) which have all earned him a Best Director nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning the the case of Mad Fate. Thanks to the critical and audience reception, the film has already been greenlit to return for both a prequel and a sequel, turning it into a trilogy. Soi will return to direct both.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In will be available to watch in select theatres from August 9.
Published: Aug 6, 2024 11:35 am