Tiger Cage

Tiger Cage

Year: 1988

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: Cantonese

CrimeAction

Corruption runs deep in Hong Kong’s anti‑Drug Trafficking Unit, known only to a handful of honest officers. When they are framed for murder and drug smuggling, they must use unorthodox methods to prove the truth. Dodging bullets from police and gangsters, they race to clear their names, protect their families and bring the guilty to justice.

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Timeline & Setting – Tiger Cage (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Tiger Cage (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Hong Kong

Set in Hong Kong, the story unfolds across crowded streets, dense neighborhoods, and secret drug dens. The Anti-Drug Unit operates in a city known for its sharp contrast between glittering nightlife and gritty underworld activity. The environment emphasizes close-quarters confrontations, raids, and the constant danger of betrayal within the police ranks.

🌆 Urban 🚓 Police Drama 🕵️ Crime

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:31

Main Characters – Tiger Cage (1988)

Meet the key characters of Tiger Cage (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Terry (Donnie Yen)

A loyal and capable officer of the Anti-Drug Unit who becomes torn between loyalty to his partner and his own ethics. He uncovers his partner’s connections to traffickers, triggering a crisis of trust. He is ultimately killed by Michael to silence the cover-up.

💼 Officer 🕵️‍♂️ Detective

Inspector Michael Wong (Simon Yam)

A senior officer who wields power to shield himself from accountability. He manipulates cases, orchestrates killings, and frames Yau to protect his own position. His actions drive the central conflict and expose corruption within the force.

💼 Officer 🧠 Manipulator

Fan Shun-Yu (Jacky Cheung)

A fellow Anti-Drug Unit officer who operates under pressure and becomes entangled in the drug network. He is used by higher-ups and faces the consequences of a corrupted system. His fate underscores how colleagues can be sacrificed in the pursuit of power.

💼 Officer 🕵️‍♂️ Colleague

Amy (Irene Wan)

Yau’s girlfriend who acts as a catalyst for the investigation. She discovers the incriminating tape and attempts to aid Yau, but becomes a target when Michael orders an assassin to silence her. She passes the tape to Michael to expose the truth.

💘 Girlfriend 🕵️‍♀️ Witness

Insp. Shirley Ho Shih-Ling (Carol Cheng)

A central detective who uncovers the truth behind the tape and the internal mole. She collaborates with Yau to pursue justice and faces danger as the conspiracy starts to unravel. Her persistence helps expose the corruption at the heart of the case.

👮 Officer 🧭 Investigator

Swatow Hung (Johnny Wang Lung-Wei)

The drug trafficker who escapes a bust and returns for revenge, challenging the Anti-Drug Unit. He is pursued relentlessly and ultimately killed, marking a violent end to his revenge arc. His presence drives the urgency of the investigation and the desire for revenge.

💰 Crime Boss 🗡️ Violence

Sgt Uncle Te (Richard Ng Man-Tat)

A seasoned sergeant within the Anti-Drug Unit who anchors the team with experience and steadiness. He faces the dangers of the case and supports his colleagues as the investigation spirals into moral complexity.

🎖️ Veteran 👮 Officer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:31

Major Themes – Tiger Cage (1988)

Explore the central themes of Tiger Cage (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔍 Investigation

The Anti-Drug Unit pursues Swatow Hung after a drug bust, exposing a wider web of crime and deception. Clues point to a mole inside the police, complicating the hunt and raising the stakes for every officer. The pursuit blends street raids with undercover maneuvers, highlighting the moral ambiguity of fighting crime from within.

💔 Betrayal

Michael Wong engineers opportunities to protect himself, using colleagues as pawns. Terry’s discovery of traffickers tests loyalty and leads to fatal consequences for him and for Tat. Amy’s revelation and Shirley’s investigation crack open the cover-up, showing how trust within the unit can be weaponized.

⚔️ Revenge

Hung returns to avenge Lung’s undercover death, reigniting the conflict. The team closes in and Hung is killed, but the cost includes shattered trust and the ever-present danger of internal corruption. The pursuit illustrates how vengeance often consumes both the righteous and the compromised.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:31

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Tiger Cage Summary

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Tiger Cage Summary

Tiger Cage Timeline

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Tiger Cage Timeline

More About Tiger Cage

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