Running Out of Time

A terminally ill criminal decides to spend his remaining time settling scores with Hong Kong's criminal underworld and drawing the police into a contest of wits. Inspector Ho Sheung-Sang, a skilled hostage negotiator, becomes his opposite number as the two men circle each other over a compressed stretch of days. What begins as a pursuit develops into something closer to a duel, with the inspector uncertain of what his quarry actually wants.

Running Out of Time was released in Hong Kong in September 1999 and runs 93 minutes. Johnnie To directed; it is the ninth of the twenty-three films he has directed in chronological order, arriving after A Hero Never Dies in 1998 and before The Mission in 1999. The screenplay is credited to Julien Carbon, Laurent Courtiaud and Yau Nai-Hoi, with To and Charles Heung producing. Lau Ching-wan plays Inspector Ho and Andy Lau plays Mr. Cheung, alongside Yoyo Mung Ka-Wai, Shiu-Hung Hui, Lam Suet and Waise Lee Chi-Hung, among a credited cast of 33. The production was handled by Win's Entertainment Ltd. and Milkyway Image.

The film took in about 2 million US dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.3 out of 10 from roughly 7,000 votes, and on TMDB it stands at 7.3 out of 10 from 173 votes, an unusually close match between the two audiences.