Peace Hotel

Peace Hotel

Year: 1995

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: Cantonese

Director: Wai Ka-Fai

CrimeWesternAction

After his wife is murdered, Ping builds the Peace Hotel as a refuge for anyone seeking protection, believing solitude is not peace and that a killer can become a protector. When a mysterious woman arrives, fleeing a gang that hunts her, Ping—who vowed never to turn anyone away—must decide whether to shelter her and risk confronting the gang.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Peace Hotel (1995)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Peace Hotel (1995). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 13th century, Southern Song Dynasty

The story unfolds in a tumultuous historical era marked by warlord violence and upheaval. The narrative centers on a former gang leader who builds a sanctuary after devastating losses, while banditry and personal vendettas rage beyond the hotel doors.

Location

Peace Hotel, Grand Hall

The Peace Hotel is a sanctuary founded by Wong A-ping to shelter those in danger. It enforces a rule that no one inside may be harmed, creating a fragile refuge amid banditry. The Grand Hall functions as the bandits' fortress outside the hotel walls, posing a constant threat to its inhabitants.

🏨 Sanctuary ⚔️ Violence 🕰️ Historical

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:41

Main Characters – Peace Hotel (1995)

Meet the key characters of Peace Hotel (1995), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Wong Ah Ping (Chow Yun-Fat)

A former gang leader known as The Killer, Wong built the Peace Hotel to shelter those in danger after a personal tragedy. His code of refuge creates a fragile line between protection inside and danger outside. He embodies a stoic, war-weary resolve that drives the hotel’s destiny.

🎭 Protagonist 🗡️ Warrior 🧭 Morally complex

Shau Shiu-man / Lam Ling (Cecilia Yip Tung)

A debt-ridden clubgirl who sails into Wong’s world under false pretenses, seeking protection and money. Her deception evolves into vulnerability and genuine affection, and her true identity as Lam Ling becomes central to the plot’s revelations.

🎭 Complex 💃 Manipulative 💖 Romantic

Ting Moon (Chin Ho)

Leader of the Grand Hall Bandits who schemes to massacre the hotel. He was once spared by Wong as a teenager, adding a personal vendetta to their confrontation. His plan culminates in a climactic duel inside the hotel.

🎭 Antagonist ⚔️ Rival 🗡️ Revenge

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:41

Major Themes – Peace Hotel (1995)

Explore the central themes of Peace Hotel (1995), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏨 Sanctuary

The Peace Hotel operates as a protective refuge where no one inside can be harmed, but its protection ends at the door. This paradox drives character choices and tests loyalties as danger spills from outside.

⚔️ Violence

Wong A-ping’s violent past informs his present rules and actions, showing how a killer’s reputation shapes a fragile sanctuary. The looming threat of the Grand Hall challenges the hotel’s code and forces a confrontation between safety and vengeance.

❤️ Love

Shau Shiu-man’s arrival sparks a complicated bond with Wong, offering a route toward redemption. Their growing relationship provides tenderness amid brutality, while trauma and deception push them toward a fateful choice.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:41

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about sanctuaries under siege like Peace Hotel

A lone protector's isolated refuge is threatened by violent forces from the past.If you liked the tense premise of Peace Hotel, these movies feature similar stories of isolated refuges and their besieged protectors. Discover other action-packed and dramatic films where a safe place becomes a battleground, testing the moral code and survival instincts of a lone guardian.

tenseatmosphericviolentlonelyredemptivebrutalclaustrophobic

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically centers on a closed setting that represents peace or redemption, which is violently challenged. This external threat forces the protagonist out of isolation and into a climactic confrontation, often serving as a crucible for their unresolved past trauma and a test of their newfound purpose.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on a symbolic location, high-stakes siege scenarios, and protagonists grappling with a dark past. They deliver a consistent mix of tense, atmospheric build-up and explosive, often brutal, action, all underpinned by themes of protection and redemption.

Movies about bleak redemption like Peace Hotel

A violent past is confronted in a grim, costly bid for a shred of redemption.Fans of the heavy emotional weight and bittersweet ending of Peace Hotel will appreciate these similar films. Explore stories of violent anti-heroes seeking redemption through confrontation, where salvation is hard-won and comes at a great personal cost in grim, atmospheric settings.

melancholicredemptivegrimviolentbittersweetheavybrutal

Narrative Summary

The journey follows a character burdened by guilt or loss who is given a chance at redemption through protecting someone else or facing a symbolic enemy. This path invariably requires a return to the violence they know, leading to a climax that is both cathartic and devastating, ultimately offering a ambiguous form of peace.

Why These Movies?

This thread connects films with a dark, melancholic tone where redemption is a central, yet grim, theme. They share a high emotional weight, a steady pacing that builds towards violent confrontations, and endings that are bittersweet or bleak, focusing on the heavy cost of change.

Unlock the Full Story of Peace Hotel

Don't stop at just watching — explore Peace Hotel in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Peace Hotel is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Peace Hotel Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Peace Hotel, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Peace Hotel Summary

Peace Hotel Timeline

Track the full timeline of Peace Hotel with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Peace Hotel Timeline

Peace Hotel Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Peace Hotel that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Peace Hotel Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Peace Hotel

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Peace Hotel: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Peace Hotel

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Discover movies like Peace Hotel that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.