I remember flying over the Kowloon walled city when I first visited Hong Kong in 1987. I distinctly remember the drab cramped spaces and the washing fluttering like multi coloured flags, hanging from grimy windows. Until then, I had no idea people could and did, live like this.
Twilight of the Warrior: Walled In takes its cue from the graphic novel to re-create the environment inside the walled city. A city which was, in essence, a self governing city, withing Hong Kong city. Unsurprisingly, criminal gangs vie for supremacy in the walled city. This story focuses on internal conflict within the controlling gang, triggered by the arrival of a newcomer with a past shared by the gangs leader. A situation taken advantage of by an external gang, who want control of the city, for their own benefit.
This tale capably mixes fantasy, martial arts and social commentary. It's a detailed story, that you need to pay attention to or it can become a little hard to follow. Not helped by the fact its probably in Cantonese (Hong Kong's primary language), not English. That said, its a decent back story that's worth your time, highlighting the hardships but also the comradeship, of the walled city's residents.
Action sequences which dominate the film, mix martial arts and parkour within the confined city spaces, in a way that's frenetically entertaining, if, at times, a little unbelievable.
There is a profusion of respected, Hong Kong acting talent on display. too, which adds real depth and polish to this production.
In summary, Twilight of the Warriors deep dives into a period of Hong Kong history that's been forgotten, in a way that's nostalgic, at times raw in its social commentary and extravagant in its martial arts set pieces. Perhaps the only downside, the complex story, that can be difficult for non-Chinese speakers to follow.