Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994) movie poster

Plot Summary

A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1994 · 93 mins · Cantonese
Directed by
Veronica Chan
Starring
Andy Lau, Anita Yuen Wing-Yee, Joe Junior, Chi-Shan Lai, Christine Ng Wing-Mei, Jack Wong Wai-Leung

A veteran hitman, weary of his violent trade, considers retirement after meeting the organization’s newest recruit. He quickly falls for the female assassin, who donates her earnings to a local church. Their forbidden romance draws the attention of police and the secretive society that employs them, forcing a desperate flight.

On this page (4)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in A Taste of Killing and Romance: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Ko Shao, played by Andy Lau, is a highly skilled hitman who has just finished a contract in Shanghai and is heading back to Hong Kong. Upon his return, his boss, Ice, offers him a new assignment: eliminate Kwok Chung, a tainted witness involved in a drug smuggling case. Ice generously presents Ko with a car as a gift and offers a lucrative reward of US$300,000 for carrying out the deadly task.

Meanwhile, a newcomer hitwoman named Yu-fung, portrayed by Anita Yuen Wing-Yee, completes her first mission—killing a loan shark. During her escape, she unexpectedly bumps into Ko while fleeing from the scene. Unaware of each other's identities, Yu-fung points her gun at Ko, demanding a getaway. After escaping, she warns him that if she sees him again, she will kill him. Despite her hostile warning, Ice welcomes Yu-fung into her organization after her successful assignment.

The story intensifies with the involvement of police inspector Tung Fai, who is tasked with protecting Kwok. Tung and his team, including Dino and Wai Ma, attempt to escort Kwok to court, but are ambushed by a hitman. Tung spots the attacker and kills him, narrowly avoiding disaster. As the court session begins, Ko disguises himself as a judge, executing Kwok with precise efficiency before fleeing the scene with police in hot pursuit. Ko manages a narrow escape from Tung, who is determined to catch him.

Shortly before leaving Hong Kong, Ko encounters Yu-fung again when she gives him a ride to the airport. She warns him that she will kill him if they meet a third time, but Ko unexpectedly steps in front of her car as she drives away, claiming he will stay because she won't actually follow through with her threat. This interaction marks the beginning of a complicated relationship between the two.

Back at Ice's organization, tragedy strikes as a hitman named Yue Tung, who had failed an assignment, is mercilessly killed by Ice, who distracts him with her naked body. Ice's ruthless actions extend further when she orders her assistant, Wong Cheung, to eliminate Tung’s elderly mother. Wong kills her, along with her dog and a visiting child, revealing Ice’s cold-blooded nature.

Ko’s path crosses with Yu-fung again in a wedding, where they are drawn into a casual dinner and mahjong game hosted by a guest marriage couple. That night, they spend the night together at Ko’s home, deepening their connection. Meanwhile, Tung contacts his informant, Ma Chi-chuen, seeking intel on local hitmen. Their investigation leads them to Ko at a previously visited arcade, although Ko manages to evade their grasp. Tung later spots Ko at a disco, tries to interrogate him, but both escape their pursuers in a tense chase across a pedestrian bridge, with Ko hanging onto its side while Tung follows.

The following day, Yu-fung arrives at Ice’s art gallery to receive her next assignment. Coincidentally, she observes Ko there too, unaware they are both being watched by Ice. As they each tail their respective targets that day, their paths cross once more, and they spend a day together in secret. During this time, Yu-fung executes her own assignment at a restaurant, while Ko targets Tsui Ka Sing, a wealthy businessman played by Henry Fong Ping. Ko tries to carry out the hit during a lion dance performance at a monastery, but Tsui notices him. Both end up in a scuffle, and Ko narrowly escapes when the platform collapses, forcing him to flee in a speedboat.

Refusing to be caught, Ko offers his money back to Ice, asserting his refusal to continue as a hitman, and daring her to set a date and time for his death if she wants him dead. Ice, however, secretly tasks Yu-fung with killing Ko. In a deadly confrontation in a parking lot, Ko lures Tsui away and shoots him, but a firefight ensues when Tung and his team arrive, resulting in Ko’s escape.

Despite their differences, Ko and Yu-fung’s relationship deepens as they share intimate moments, including dinner and resting on a yacht. Ko confesses his desire to quit and escape the violent life of contract killing, fearing the repercussions Ice might unleash if he refuses. Their fragile peace is shattered when Wong Cheung kills Ice during a private moment, and later discovers Ko’s tracker embedded in his gift car. Wong and his henchmen attack the yacht, with Wong stabbing Yu-fung in the thigh and cutting off her fingers when she refuses to reveal Ko’s location.

In the chaos, Ko realizes Wong’s presence when he notices his mobile phone on Yu-fung. In a desperate act, Ko guns down Wong’s men and saves Yu-fung from her attacker, promising to leave his career behind. However, Wong doesn’t surrender; instead, a final intense gunfight erupts on the beach, ending with Wong and his men being subdued or killed, and Wong surrendering to the police. Tragically, Yu-fung, wielding Wong’s pistol, points it at Wong and the police during the confrontation. The police open fire, and both Wong and Yu-fung are killed, closing this perilous chapter in their lives.

Throughout the story, themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the struggle for redemption emerge amidst the chaos of Hong Kong’s underworld. Both Ko and Yu-fung are drawn into a web of violence they cannot easily escape, and their fates are intertwined in a tragic, action-packed saga filled with tension, sacrifice, and unresolved conflicts.

Last updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:13

Was this helpful?

Plot questions answered

A Taste of Killing and Romance Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Ko stay in Hong Kong after meeting Yu-fung at the airport?

Ko decides to stay because Yu-fung warns him that she will kill him if they meet a third time. Instead of leaving, he deliberately steps in front of her car as she drives away, calling her bluff. This act signals his interest in pursuing a relationship with her, and he correctly assumes she won't actually follow through with her threat.

  • ko shao
  • yu-fung
  • romance
  • airport scene
  • stays in hong kong
Q2

Why does Ice kill Yue Tung?

Ice kills Yue Tung as punishment for failing an assignment. When Yue Tung pleads for mercy, Ice distracts him with her naked body and then murders him without hesitation. This demonstrates Ice's ruthless nature and establishes that failure in her organization is met with death.

  • ice
  • yue tung
  • killed
  • failed assignment
  • ruthless
Q3

Why does Ice order Tung's mother killed?

Ice orders the killing of Inspector Tung Fai's elderly mother as retaliation for Tung's persistent pursuit of the hitmen. This act demonstrates Ice's brutal tactics and willingness to target innocent family members to send a message. She also kills the mother's dog and a visiting child, showcasing her cold-blooded nature.

  • ice
  • tung fai
  • mother killed
  • retaliation
  • police pursuit
Q4

Why does Ko refuse to continue working for Ice?

Ko decides to quit after developing feelings for Yu-fung and wanting to escape the violent life of contract killing. When Ice pressures him to continue, he returns his payment and dares her to set a date for his death if she wants him dead. His primary motivation is to build a future with Yu-fung away from the criminal underworld.

  • ko shao
  • quits
  • ice organization
  • romance
  • escape violent life
Q5

Why does Ice secretly task Yu-fung with killing Ko?

After Ko refuses to continue working for her, Ice secretly orders Yu-fung to kill him. This demonstrates Ice's manipulative and distrustful nature, she is willing to use one assassin against another, even though Ko and Yu-fung have developed a romantic relationship. Ice treats betrayal with lethal force.

  • ice
  • yu-fung
  • ordered to kill ko
  • betrayal
  • secret assignment
Q6

Why does Wong Cheung kill Ice?

Wong Cheung kills Ice during a private moment, presumably to seize control of the organization or eliminate her as a rival. After Ice's death, Wong discovers the tracker in Ko's gifted car and leads an attack on the yacht where Ko and Yu-fung are staying, attempting to eliminate both of them.

  • wong cheung
  • kills ice
  • power struggle
  • organization control
Q7

Why does Yu-fung point a gun at both Wong and the police at the end?

At the climax, Yu-fung is severely traumatized after being stabbed in the thigh and having her fingers cut off by Wong when she refused to reveal Ko's location. During the final confrontation on the beach, she grabs Wong's pistol and points it at both Wong and the approaching police. The police interpret this as a threat and open fire, killing both Yu-fung and Wong.

  • yu-fung
  • police
  • wong cheung
  • killed
  • tragic ending
  • beach confrontation
Q8

How does Ko successfully assassinate Kwok Chung in court?

Ko disguises himself as a judge and enters the courtroom during the session. He executes Kwok Chung with precise efficiency before anyone can react. Despite Inspector Tung Fai's pursuit, Ko manages to escape the police trap through careful planning and quick thinking, demonstrating his expertise as a hitman.

  • ko shao
  • court assassination
  • disguise
  • judge
  • kwok chung
  • escapes police
Q9

Why does Yu-fung donate her earnings to a church?

Yu-fung donates her assassination earnings to a local church, revealing her complex moral character. Despite being a paid killer, she maintains a sense of guilt or spiritual conscience, using her ill-gotten money for what she perceives as righteous purposes. This detail humanizes her and adds depth to her character.

  • yu-fung
  • church donation
  • earnings
  • guilt
  • moral conflict
Q10

Why does Wong Cheung cut off Yu-fung's fingers?

During the yacht attack, Wong Cheung tortures Yu-fung by cutting off her fingers when she refuses to reveal Ko's location. This brutal act demonstrates Wong's ruthless torture methods and his determination to get information. The injury also symbolizes the destruction of her ability to kill, her primary skill as an assassin.

  • wong cheung
  • yu-fung
  • fingers cut
  • torture
  • refuses to reveal ko
Q11

Why does Ko return his payment to Ice?

Ko returns the US$300,000 payment to Ice along with his refusal to continue as a hitman. This act represents his definitive break from the criminal organization and his commitment to starting a new life with Yu-fung. By returning the money, he signals that he is done with the violent lifestyle and refuses to be controlled by Ice any longer.

  • ko shao
  • returns money
  • ice
  • quits
  • payment
  • 300000
Q12

Why does Ko's assassination attempt at the monastery fail?

Ko attempts to kill Tsui Ka-sing during a lion dance performance at a monastery but Tsui notices him before he can complete the hit. During the struggle, the platform collapses due to the chaos, forcing Ko to flee in a speedboat. This marks his first failed assignment in the organization.

  • ko shao
  • monastery
  • lion dance
  • tsui ka-sing
  • failed assassination
  • escape

Movie threads

More Movies Like A Taste of Killing and Romance, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes A Taste of Killing and Romance tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about criminal lovers on the run like A Taste of Killing and Romance

Forbidden romances where love is the only escape from a life of crime. If you liked the desperate romance and high-stakes flight in A Taste of Killing and Romance, you'll find similar thrillers here. These movies feature couples bound by crime, pursued by former allies and the law, in stories where love and survival are inextricably linked.

  • tense
  • romantic
  • desperate
  • tragic
  • thrilling
  • fatalistic
  • Tone: tense, tragic, desperate
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow two criminals who find solace in each other, sparking a romance that necessitates a desperate escape plan. Their journey is a relentless flight, marked by betrayals, narrow escapes, and the looming threat of being pulled back into the world they are trying to leave, often with tragic consequences.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by the powerful combination of a high-intensity crime plot with a heavy, doomed romance. The shared experience is one of tense fatalism, where the characters' love is both their motivation and their greatest vulnerability against a cynical, violent world.

Tense and fatalistic crime thrillers like A Taste of Killing and Romance

Gritty stories where the criminal world offers no clean escapes. Fans of the desperate, high-intensity atmosphere in A Taste of Killing and Romance will appreciate these selections. These movies share a fast pace, a tense and cynical tone, and explore the moral conflicts of characters trapped in organized crime, often ending in tragedy.

  • tense
  • fatalistic
  • violent
  • cynical
  • thrilling
  • desperate
  • Tone: tense, cynical, bleak
  • Pacing: fast, thrilling
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a professional criminal, often a hitman or enforcer, who reaches a breaking point. Their attempt to change their fate—through retirement, redemption, or love—unleashes a chain of violent events orchestrated by their unforgiving employers, demonstrating the inescapable nature of their world.

Why they belong together: They are united by a specific mood cocktail: high tension, a fast pace, violent action, and a overarching sense of doom. The viewing experience is consistently thrilling yet bleak, focusing on the moral and physical costs of a life of crime.

Every angle

A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about A Taste of Killing and Romance in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app