Year: 1994
Runtime: 91 mins
Language: English
Director: Albert Pyun
On the eve of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from Britain to China, corporate assassin Reginald Cameron eliminates key members of the incoming Chinese envoy. Overnight he becomes the quarry of countless mercenaries. With guidance from his mentor, a naïve friend and his ex‑girlfriend, Cameron races to uncover why he’s targeted and escape the city alive.
Warning: spoilers below!
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On June 30, 1997, assassin Reginald ‘Reg’ Cameron [Robert Patrick] enters a club and assassinate a high-ranking People’s Liberation Army officer, General Wu [Nonong Talbo]. Fearing revenge, Reg must flee Hong Kong as midnight approaches and Chinese troops begin to pour into the city just as British rule ends on July 1. He must escape to avoid any further attempts on his life.
After escaping multiple assassination attempts against himself, his colleagues Simon [Brion James] and Jack [Tim Thomerson] drop him off at a safe house, Chun’s Martial Arts School, owned by Reg’s ex-girlfriend Katie [Ming-Na Wen] and her grandfather Master Chun [Meng-bang Li]. Katie reveals that her grandfather defected from Red China during the Cold War and will be hunted once Chinese rule goes into effect. They plan to flee on a flight to Malaysia just before midnight. Master Chun is delighted to see Reg again, but Katie dismisses him when Simon calls with information about his would-be assassins.
On his way to meet Simon and Jack, more would-be assassins close in. He is intercepted by Simon and Jack in a car where they explain that Triad gangs are after him due to the high price on his head for his earlier assassination. Knowing he must finally flee, he agrees to meet Katie and Master Chun for their flight to Malaysia. On the way he explains why he is such a successful assassin: he does not care about collateral damage because he witnessed his parents’ murder in India when he was 11 years old.
At the airport, Reg prepares to part ways from Simon and Jack by handing his guns to Jack, whom Jack had not realized was an assassin at first. However, as Chun, Katie and Reg are about to board the plane, more assassins converge on the airstrip. Jack decides to shoot, killing some, but he is soon shot and killed, a blow Reg witnesses that deeply affects him. While fleeing the airport on a motorboat, Chun is shot in the arm. Reg’s protégé and lover, Li [Selena Chau-yuet You], arrives at the port to help in their escape, but she is killed, and her death weighs on Reg even more than Jack’s.
Needing medical attention, they stop at a Chinese checkpoint as troops roll in from the mainland. Katie is skeptical due to Chun being a defector but accepts help from the guards. Chun receives treatment and tells the others to meet him at Kennedy Port in the morning.
They eventually travel to Reg and Simon’s company to call off the hit on Reg so it will be easier for them to flee the country. Going through a shootout to the main computer, they are able to mark Reg as dead and the bounty collected by Simon. But before they can escape, a colleague of Reg and Simon, Malcolm Goodchild [Andrew Divoff], appears and reveals that it was he who placed the bounty on Reg, knowing that he would be labeled as a national hero for killing an assassin of a Chinese General. Reg and Malcolm fight on an elevator and as Malcolm gains the upper hand, the door opens and Katie shoots Malcolm.
That morning, the four escape Hong Kong via boat from Kennedy Port along with Chun, who meets them there as promised.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:04
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High-stakes chase stories where a protagonist is hunted through a hostile urban landscape.If you enjoyed the frantic, on-the-run tension of Hong Kong 97, you'll find similar thrills here. This list features movies where a lone protagonist is relentlessly hunted, forcing them to navigate a dangerous urban environment against impossible odds. These films share a fast pace, high intensity, and a core theme of desperate survival.
Narratives in this thread typically involve a protagonist who becomes a target through betrayal or a mistaken identity, triggering a non-stop chase. The plot is a linear race against time, structured around a series of narrow escapes, sudden ambushes, and shifting alliances. The emotional journey is one of escalating desperation and paranoia.
Movies are grouped here based on their shared core premise of a fugitive narrative. They create a cohesive experience through fast pacing, high tension, and a consistent mood of urban paranoia. Viewers can expect a similar visceral feeling of being hunted and the constant threat of capture or death.
Stories where individuals are crushed by ruthless political machinations and systemic betrayal.Fans of the bleak political backdrop and cynical tone of Hong Kong 97 will appreciate these films. Discover movies where conspiracies unfold against a backdrop of historical upheaval or urban decay, featuring morally compromised characters and a general feeling of hopelessness against powerful systems.
These stories often begin with a protagonist uncovering a secret that makes them a target. The narrative follows their futile attempt to expose or escape a conspiracy far greater than themselves. The journey typically involves multiple betrayals, the death of allies, and an ending that is bittersweet or bleak, emphasizing the cost of resisting powerful institutions.
These movies are united by their focus on political conspiracies as a central conflict and their consistently grim, tense tone. They share a high emotional weight and often depict violence in a brutal, realistic manner. The setting is frequently a decaying or politically charged urban environment that reinforces the themes of corruption and collapse.
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Track the full timeline of Hong Kong 97 with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
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