Star-studded thriller is a gorgeous mess

Sons Of The Neon Night fails to build a coherent story connected to the world in which it is set

- John Lui Senior Film Correspondent

The story: In a reimagined Hong Kong blanketed by snow, the violent death of the head of a venerable family-run firm triggers a showdown between the police and the corporation, which acts as a front for a drug ring.

Youngest son Moreton (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is the interim leader after his father’s murder, but he hopes to rid his family of its shameful legacy. Wong Chi Tat (Sean Lau) is a cop looking into crimes involving the company. Ti Man Kit (Tony Leung Ka Fai) is a police psychologist assisting investigations, while Ching Man Sing (Louis Koo) is a hitman with a code of honour.

In this sprawling crime drama, the fantasy of the John Wick film franchise (2014 to 2023) collides with the grim aesthetics of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy (2005 to 2012).