Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

Year: 1991

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: Cantonese

Director: Lam Nai-Choi

ComedyCrimeActionThrillerEpic heroes

In 2001, when all correctional facilities have been privatized, martial artist Ricky is caught in a corrupt justice system. He is unjustly declared guilty of the manslaughter of a notorious crime boss, forcing him to confront the brutal, ruthless prison regime.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991)

Trace every key event in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Ricky Ho arrives at the privatized prison

In 2001, Ricky Ho is sent to a privatized prison for manslaughter after killing a crime boss responsible for his girlfriend's death. He is placed in the North Wing, one of the prison's four directional zones run by the Gang of Four. The winged hierarchy immediately sets a brutal tone for daily life and power struggles inside the facility.

2001 Prison, North Wing
2

Samuel's brutality and a plot against Ricky

Ricky witnesses Samuel disfigure an elderly inmate in the North Wing, a stark display of the power plays within the prison. He retaliates by partially blinding Samuel in a confrontation. Samuel then hires the obese Mad Dragon to kill Ricky, while the disfigured inmate commits suicide after Samuel blocks his probation from clearing.

North Wing
3

Mad Dragon's ambush and Ricky's retaliation

Mad Dragon ambushes Ricky in the shower, signaling the brutal reach of the Wing's gangs. Ricky fights back and kills both Mad Dragon and Samuel, removing two immediate threats in a single violent confrontation. The revenge fuels a wider cycle of violence among the prisoners.

North Wing Shower
4

Hai's public order and self-inflicted shame

Cyclops orders Hai to publicly execute Ricky, but Hai disembowels himself in shame after Ricky defeats him. In the chaos, Hai's attempt to strangle Ricky with his own intestines fails as Ricky kills Hai. The humiliation deepens the fracture within the Gang of Four.

North Wing Public Square
5

The Gang's escalation and opium farm burned

The rest of the Gang murders Hai's godson when he refuses to seek revenge on Ricky, and Ricky retaliates by burning their opium farm. The blow targets both the Gang's power and their supply lines, escalating the already volatile situation.

Prison grounds / Opium farm
6

Cyclops reasserts control and Ricky is cemented in place

Cyclops learns the warden will return and orders everyone back to their cells to prevent further disorder. He then floods Ricky's cell with cement, freezing him in place as a calculated move to neutralize him. The siege-like standoff tightens the prison's grip on Ricky.

Ricky's cell
7

Warden and Tarzan clash; Tarzan dies

The warden and his spoiled son return to interrogate Ricky. Tarzan, the East Wing leader, bursts through a wall to confront Ricky. Ricky brutalizes Tarzan, and the warden tries to crush them both with the hydraulic ceiling, but Tarzan holds it long enough for Ricky to escape before dying. The warden delivers a taser strike that momentarily halts Ricky before Tarzan's sacrifice allows escape.

Cell block
8

Ricky is buried alive but survives

The warden orders Ricky buried alive for a full week, promising freedom if he can survive. Ricky endures the claustrophobic punishment and time, managing to endure the ordeal. However, the warden refuses to grant him freedom and leaves him chained in his cell afterward.

Burial chamber to cell
9

Freddy's betrayal and Ricky's awakening

Freddy secretly brings Ricky food, signaling a possible ally in a brutal environment. A snitch named Yeh Ming informs Cyclops, who then kills Freddy and taunts Ricky with his body. Enraged, Ricky breaks free, kills Yeh Ming, and blinds Cyclops's other eye, escalating the inmates' revolt.

Cell block / corridors
10

Riots erupt as leaders fall

Rioting inmates mutilate Cyclops, and the warden kills Cyclops as he tries to quell the uprising. Ricky defeats the West Wing leader by twisting his limbs, and the South Wing leader is killed by the warden when he flees in fear. The prison descends into a chaotic power vacuum with the inmates and guards clashing openly.

Prison riot area
11

The warden mutates and is defeated

Having gone too long without his medication, the warden transforms into a hulking creature. Ricky barely defeats him by shoving the warden feet-first into a meat grinder, ending the warden's reign of terror. The threat is finally neutralized, but the prison remains in turmoil.

Warden's lair / meat processing area
12

Freedom and a broken wall

With the warden dead, Ricky steps outside as guards and inmates continue to fight. He presents the warden's severed head to stop the violence, then punches the prison wall, collapsing part of it. He walks through the opening to freedom, declaring a new beginning for himself and the others outside.

Outside the prison walls

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:53

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

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