Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a 2024 Hong Kong neo-noir martial arts crime action film directed by Soi Cheang, and starring Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Philip Ng, Tony Wu and German Cheung. Having been in development since the 2000s, production for the film officially began in November 2021 and wrapped in April 2022. The film was released in Hong Kong and China on 1 May 2024, and was selected to be in the Official Selection (Midnight Screening) of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, as part of screened out of competition. The film received critical acclaim. The film became the second-highest-grossing domestic film of all time in Hong Kong.

Plot:

The film is set in 1980s Hong Kong. It follows the story of Chan Lok-kwun, a troubled youth who accidentally enters the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwun, a refugee from the mainland, is trying to survive by participating in underground fighting rings. He seeks to buy a fake ID to improve his life but is betrayed by Mr. Big, a local crime syndicate boss. In a desperate move, Lok-kwun steals drugs from Mr. Big and flees to the Walled City, where he

encounters Cyclone, the local crime lord who rules the area with a mix of authority and compassion. In the Walled City, Lok-kwun learns about the order and chaos within the community and forms bonds with Cyclone and his gang. On the other hand, Mr. Big and his gang try to take over the Walled City, leading to intense battles. Also Chan Lok-kwun’s father is revealed to be Jim, the notorious ‘King of Killers’ who murdered Chau’s family. Now, Lok-kwun must pay for that.

Release:

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In was theatrically released in Hong Kong and China on 1 May 2024. The film achieved great financial success in Hong Kong, surpassing the record for the most-viewed local film by July 2024 with 1.59 million viewers. It also became the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong that year, earning $105 million HKD. The film was also selected to be in the Official Selection (Midnight Screening) of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened on 16 May 2024. It also released in the UK on 24 May 2024. With Budget HK$300 million (US$38,5 million) Film earning in Worldwide US$95.3 million.

Reception:

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 34 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website’s consensus reads: “An action-packed homage that nails the nitty-gritty choreo-crazed daze of ’80s Hong Kong cinema to masterful effect.” Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.