Dream Home

As a child in Hong Kong, Lai-sheung's family is uprooted from affordable housing to make way for developers. The memory seeds a lifelong vow to secure a home with a view of Victoria Harbour. This early event frames her adult fixation on a harbor-side future for her family.

Growing up under the promise, Lai-sheung navigates life in a city of constant change, balancing two jobs to chase the dream. The harbor remains a symbolic anchor for her sense of duty to her parents. The personal mission drives her choices and relationships.

Years later, Lai-sheung's father is diagnosed with mesothelioma, intensifying the urgency of obtaining a stable home. The bank approves only 70% of the mortgage, with monthly payments that stretch her finances thin. The dream becomes a lifeline tethered to her father's health.

A mishandled declaration of her father's medical history triggers an insurance lapse, forcing Lai-sheung to juggle a second job just to cover costs. The growing medical bills push the timeline of the dream closer to collapse. She fights to keep the plan alive despite the setback.

With a down payment within reach, the ballooning medical bills push her to seek a loan from a married lover, hoping for a final push toward Victoria Bay No. 1. He refuses, removing a crucial financial safety net. The failure deepens the sense that the dream may be unattainable.

One night, as her father struggles to breathe, she makes the devastating choice not to give him oxygen, and he dies. The insurance payout then swells her savings, intensifying her push toward the dream home. The event crystallizes how far she is willing to go for security.

With the father's death, the insurance payout boosts her savings, bringing Victoria Bay No. 1 within sight. She stands on the verge of the dream, convinced the harbor will finally be theirs. Yet the path forward remains volatile, tied to market forces.

A stock-market surge unexpectedly persuades the flats' owners to raise the price, threatening to derail everything she has worked toward. The calculation between desire and finance tightens, fueling desperation. The sale becomes a high-stakes confrontation.

Consumed by fear and anger, she uses ordinary household items as improvised weapons to lash out at the flats and their occupants. A brutal spree leads to a tense standoff with the police. The violence marks a brutal turning point in her pursuit and life.

In the ensuing chaos, both officers are killed, transforming Lai-sheung's standing and the city's perception of the case. The incident reverberates through her life and the real-estate drama that follows. It signposts a new, darker chapter in the pursuit of security.

Back at work, a call from her agent reveals the owners are now willing to sell, potentially at a lower price. He hints that eleven murders the night before have shaped the deal, trying to influence her emotions and decisions. The personal and professional worlds collide in a dangerous way.

The lovers' bargain dissolves as he arrives to take her away, but she turns away, choosing to continue alone toward the harbor. The break emphasizes her solitary pursuit of security and duty. The film ends with her gazing over the harbor while global tremors begin to ripple through the city.