Since it was first announced back in 2013, the nostalgia-fuelled martial arts epic set within the labyrinthine back alleys of Kowloon Walled City has nurtured a mythical status to rival the notorious neighbourhood itself. Development of the project dates back to the early 2000s, with such prestigious names as John Woo, Johnnie To, Chow Yun-fat and Donnie Yen rumoured to be attached at one point or other. Filming finally commenced in November 2021, at the height of the pandemic lockdown, with director Soi Cheang at the helm, and Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Sammo Hung and Philip Ng headlining the cast for Koo’s production company One Cool Films.

Opening under the unwieldy English title Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, the 80s-set gangland throwdown opened in Hong Kong and mainland China on 1st May, ahead of its international premiere as part of the Cannes Film Festival’s midnight section later this month. The results of almost two decades of hard graft has been ravenously received by audiences, with the film taking close to US$60 million on the mainland in its first 10 days. In Hong Kong, Twilight is playing round the clock on almost every available screen, muscling out Hollywood blockbusters Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, The Fall Guy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, much in the spirit of the feuding triads on screen.

Read my full ScreenAnarchy review