Am zin (Running Out of Time)

Gangster Cheung Wah (Andy Lau) receives a fatal cancer diagnosis: he only has four weeks to live. Shortly afterwards, he witnesses how the cunning policeman Ho Sheung-sang (Lau Ching-Wan) brilliantly intervenes in a bank robbery with hostage-taking, whereupon he decides to use him for his last big coup. With a seemingly senseless but daring robbery, he challenges Ho to a game of cat-and-mouse that will last three days: The prelude to a breathless duel full of deceptive feints. With its fast-paced, action-driven, compact thriller plot, Running Out of Time became a breakthrough film for Johnnie To and his production company Milky Way: a demonstration of how Hong Kong thrillers were able to outstrip their Western competitors, and at the same time a pleasurable game with the expectations and sympathies of the audience. (Christoph Huber)

Introduction by Christoph Huber on 7 March 2025

Photo: Austrian Film Museum