Days of Being Wild

In 1960 Hong Kong, Yuddy uses his smooth-talking charm to win over Li-zhen, a South China AA box office attendant. He shows no interest in a serious relationship, leaving Li-zhen heartbroken when he moves on to others. This brief encounter sets Li-zhen up for a lingering ache and signals the instability of Yuddy's attachments.

After Li-zhen, Yuddy begins a relationship with cabaret dancer Mimi. Zeb is secretly drawn to Mimi as well, but his feelings are not returned. The shifting affections deepen the web of desire and rivalry around Yuddy.

Yuddy's adoptive mother Rebecca maintains a tense, protective presence and refuses to reveal his birth mother's identity for a long time. The unresolved origin becomes a quiet source of strain between them. This secrecy colors Yuddy's sense of belonging throughout the story.

Li-zhen finds solace in Tide, a policeman who runs his rounds near Yuddy's apartment and becomes a confidant. They share conversations about failed romances, family duties, and fragile dreams. Tide's steady presence offers Li-zhen a temporary anchor in a city that keeps moving around them.

Tide's mother dies, prompting him to leave Hong Kong and pursue life at sea as a sailor. He explains his dream and his obligation to his mother, choosing distance over staying in his police role. The departure creates a final separation that shapes Li-zhen's loneliness.

Rebecca relents and tells Yuddy that his birth mother lives in the Philippines. Motivated to seek his roots, Yuddy leaves for the Philippines, handing his car to Zeb without informing Mimi. The decision marks a decisive break from his past and sets his course toward an unknown family history.

Distraught by Yuddy's departure, Mimi resolves to follow him to the Philippines to find him or uncover the truth. Her decision marks a leap toward a future shaped by pursuit rather than stability.

Zeb sells Yuddy's car to finance Mimi's journey and urges her to return if she can't find him. He demonstrates both affection and desperation through this sacrifice. Mimi heads toward the Philippines with renewed resolve.

In the Philippines, Yuddy locates his mother's house, but she refuses to meet him, leaving him with silence where questions once existed. The rejection deepens his sense of isolation and fuels the rest of his risky journey. The moment seals his fate as he moves toward further danger.

Tide comes across a drunk Yuddy on the street and brings him to a hotel room, offering protection even when Yuddy does not recognize him. Their bond begins to form amid the chaos surrounding Yuddy's life in the Philippines. This rescue sets up the subsequent train escape and confession.

A fight over payment for a fake American passport erupts at a railway station, and Yuddy stabs a man. Tide intervenes and saves him, and they escape aboard a train. The incident underscores how quickly violence spirals out of control for Yuddy.

On the train, Tide asks Yuddy to recall what happened on 16 April 1960 at 3 p.m., a moment Yuddy had once asked Li-zhen to remember. Yuddy says he remembers but cautions Tide not to tell Li-zhen, hinting at a painful truth. The moment threads through the characters' memories as the story nears its end.

Tide returns from a conversation with the train conductor to find Yuddy shot to death, ending his search with a sudden, fatal act. The tragedy closes a chapter of the film's fragile interconnected lives and leaves the others to grapple with the consequences. The death marks the story's turning from pursuit to memory.

Mimi arrives in the Philippines, Li-zhen closes up a ticket stall, and a phone at a booth rings. The film ends with a shot of a slick young man smoking in a darkened room, leaving the audience with a haunting, open-ended sense of what comes next for the characters.