Prison on Fire

Lo Ka Yiu, a young advertising designer living in Hong Kong, is sent to prison after a shoplifter dies in an altercation at the grocery store he runs with his father. Sensitive and unprepared for life behind bars, Yiu becomes an easy target for the Triad factions among the inmates, who beat and mistreat him while he longs only to return to his girlfriend. He is taken under the wing of Chung Tin Ching, a seasoned convict, and as the two face violent fellow prisoners and corrupt guards together, others begin to side with them. Their main adversaries remain a sadistic chief officer and a Triad boss.

The film is directed by Ringo Lam from a screenplay by Nam Yin, with Karl Maka, Lam and Catherine S.K. Chang producing. It stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as Yiu, Chow Yun-fat as Ching, Roy Cheung as Officer Hung, and William Ho Ka-Kui and Tommy Wong Kwong-Leung in supporting roles. It was the first of the features listed for Lam in chronological order, followed the same year by City on Fire, and later by School on Fire and Prison on Fire II.

Released on November 13, 1987, the Hong Kong production runs 98 minutes and belongs to the crime, drama and thriller genres. It took about 4 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.3/10 from roughly 3,800 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7/10 from around 110 votes; a critics' rating of 6.5/10 from five reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores.