Director Derek Yee shifted gear into gripping thriller territory with One Nite in Mongkok, a gangland tale set in motion when a triad war escalates in Hong Kong’s most crowded and colourful district. An assassin from the mainland is hired by a gang boss to kill a rival leader but plans start to go awry when the killer, Lai Fu (Daniel Wu), crosses paths with Chinese prostitute Dan Dan (Cecilia Cheung) and protects her from a rough customer. As they go into hiding from Dan Dan’s assailant, Lai Fu finds out a police team led by Officer Milo (Alex Fong) is on his trail with assistance from the underworld figure who brought him to Hong Kong in the first place.
As the Christmas Eve-set events unfold, Mongkok district’s signature crowds gradually thin out to leave behind a landscape of empty streets and alleyways, seedy clubs and hourly hotels - an often bleak stage for one of 2004’s most accomplished movies. One Nite in Mongkok tracks its plot from street scuffle origins and steers the drama past a series of dead ends and chance encounters into a breathtaking conclusion. The script affords its protagonists ample room to develop, with the killer in Hong Kong for more than just the paid job, the prostitute shown in a sympathetic light, and a new recruit thrown in with more cool-headed and wise cops. Daniel Wu and Cecilia Cheung successfully tackle difficult material playing the mainland visitors while Alex Fong contributes another strong performance as the lead cop. Supports are distinctive too, not least Lam Suet as the slimy middleman who shares a hometown with the killer. One Nite in Mongkok won the Best Director and Best Screenplay trophies at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards in March 2005.