One Nite In Mongkok review

Shot in black and white and with a handheld style reminiscent of TV dramas such as 24, this fast-paced chase film constantly delivers, dodging some familiar cinematic traps along the way.

Set in a seedy underworld area of Hong Kong, the smells and sights are vivid to anyone who has spent time in an Asian city. But the opening scenes jerk you out of the real world, and the characters take their time to show their full potential as they battle the sheer darkness of their plight.

In simple terms this is a straightforward drama in which a group of cops must track down an assassin in a triad-run landscape. However, under the veneer of these stereotypes, there are strong performances from the police posse, the assassin, and a variety of larger-than-life criminal characters.

The vicious nature of the climax brutally ends a journey comparable to a big night of drinking. It begins slightly nervously; then turns humorous and belligerent as the characters find their feet; giddiness follows as shots are fired, and the emotional fallout of the various relationships is measured; finally hitting the wall as the hero gets it and the carnage is complete.