There’s no better way to describe this film than by saying it’s exactly what you would get if you were to take the Yakuza video game franchise, set it in Hong Kong, and focus it on the Triad instead. If you ever wanted a film that’s just like that franchise, then Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is your next best thing.
Twilight of the Warrior: Walled in is set in 1980’s Hong Kong and follows Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), who accidentally enters the walled city after some trouble with Triad members. In the Walled City, he learns about the order amidst its chaos and befriends Shin (Terrance Lau), Twelfth Master (Tony Wu), and AV (Man Kit Cheung). Under the leadership of Cyclone (Louis Koo), they resist the invasion of the big villain, Mr. Big (Sammo Hung), in a series of fierce battles. Together, they vow to protect the safe haven that is Kowloon Walled City.
As a kid, I used to watch various Hong Kong action films with my mother, and Soi Cheang has been able to bring back that love for these films. The issue with a lot of action films in today’s age, specifically western action films, is that they lack a captivating story to keep you hooked and always just rely on the flashy action. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In doesn’t suffer from this issue; though the story might seem very one-directional at first, it splits into ways that are unexpected, keeping the story following and being able to stick around the theme of family. There are plot twists that unfortunately become very predictable as they force feed you all the hints, but with how the rest of the film plays off and with how Soi Cheang showcases the world and action, it becomes forgivable.
It goes without saying that Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In excels when it comes to its action. It’s a film that has phenomenal cinematography, art direction, and action design. From the first few moments of the film, you can tell it’s going to be creative with its fights when a character punches shards of glass to then attack someone with them. That’s only the bare minimum the film ever does with its action; it’s over the top and insanely stylized beyond belief, with people being flung across rooms with punches to the chest.
Each fight sequence is extensive, intense with the possibility that any character could die within them and they all feel fluid and never out of place, making sure to never interrupt the flow of the story being told. The action design in the film is beyond anything I’ve ever been able to witness in a western action film; it’s the type of action you would expect from comic book movies, with how every hit feels like it’s coming from a superhuman. The moves and martial arts used feel unique, and thanks to the over-the-top action, it feels like they can almost get away with anything, with some scenes feeling like they’re crossing the line, but it never diminishes from the film because of how entertaining it is overall.
Kowloon Walled City can be considered a character in this film with how integral it is to the plot, how it brings family together, helps build this bond of brotherhood, and showcases how poverty affects the people living within the city itself. It also holds a large part when it comes to the action, as the characters use a lot of the environment around them when fighting, allowing for more variety during the fights.
This film features one of the best antagonists to appear in a film this year. It’s not because he’s this well-thought-out, fully fleshed-out character; it’s actually the complete opposite. Wong Gau (Phillip Ng) is this man who only has violence running through his head and insanity running through his veins. His character adds something of value and interest to the film in the form of “Spirit Power,” something that only his character seems to have in the film, and explains why his body is indestructible, making him a formidable foe for our heroes, who struggle to even put a dent in him. It has you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they’re ever actually going to beat him, and it makes the entire final battle so worth it.
It’s the performances in this film that allow it to be as good as it is, with Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu, and Man Kit Cheung having unimaginable chemistry with each other, making the brotherhood that they’ve formed have real emotion and depth to it. The standout performances come from both Phillip Ng, for his outstanding performance as the villain, bringing real consequences to the story and just perfecting that unhinged personality that Wong Gau has, and Louis Koo, who, while also kicking insane ass, brings the warmth and emotion of being a father figure to these boys and to the entire community of the Kowloon Walled City.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a phenomenal action crime film that breaks boundaries in what you can do with an action film and how far you can go with the ridiculousness of it all. It takes what is a manhua, where characters possess unimaginable superhuman strength and stamina, and manages to keep the story grounded while still keeping that important element. The actors deliver performances that are unhinged, emotional, and just overall fitting for this film.
This is the first film in a trilogy, and it’s safe to say that I can’t wait for the sequels to see how they further improve on a foundation they’ve already seemed to have excelled in.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled in releases in theaters in the UK on May 24. (No US date has been confirmed)
