You know the feeling. It’s 2 AM, the world is quiet, but your brain is loud. You’re craving a movie that feels like a blur of neon lights, expired pineapple cans, and the specific kind of loneliness you only find in a crowded city. Basically, you want more Chungking Express.
Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 masterpiece is a weird beast. It’s not really about the plot. It’s about a vibe. It’s about the way Christopher Doyle’s camera stutters and smears, making Hong Kong look like a fever dream. If you’ve already memorized every line of California Dreaming, you’re likely hunting for something else to scratch that itch.
Finding movies like Chungking Express is harder than it looks. You can’t just search for "romance" or "crime." You have to search for longing. You have to find films that understand that being lonely is sometimes a choice, and sometimes a beautiful, neon-soaked tragedy.
The Absolute Essentials: More Wong Kar-wai
Honestly, if you haven’t exhausted the rest of WKW’s filmography, start there. Don't overthink it.
Fallen Angels (1995) is the most obvious sibling. It was actually originally meant to be the third story in Chungking Express before Wong realized it was its own thing. It’s darker, murkier, and uses extreme wide-angle lenses that make everyone look like they’re living in a fishbowl. It’s got a hitman who’s "lazy," a girl who cleans his apartment while he’s gone, and a mute guy who hijacks ice cream trucks. It’s chaotic and perfect.
Then there’s In the Mood for Love (2000). It’s slower. More refined. It swaps the frenetic energy of 90s Hong Kong for the stifling, elegant restraint of the 1960s. Instead of Faye Wong dancing in a snack bar, you get Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung passing each other on narrow staircases, their shoulders almost touching but never quite. It’s the ultimate movie about what doesn't happen.
👉 See also: Netflix Show About Jail: Why We Can't Stop Watching Gritty Prison Dramas
Beyond Hong Kong: Urban Alienation Everywhere
If you want that "lonely in a big city" feeling but want to leave Hong Kong, Lost in Translation (2003) is the heavy hitter. Sofia Coppola clearly took notes from Wong Kar-wai. You’ve got the neon glow of Tokyo, the isolation of a high-end hotel, and two people who find each other simply because they’re both awake when they shouldn't be. It captures that specific displacement—where the world is moving fast and you’re just... drifting.
For something a bit more underground, look at Rebels of the Neon God (1992) by Tsai Ming-liang. It’s grittier. It’s set in Taipei and follows a bunch of aimless kids hanging out in malls and arcades. There’s no "California Dreaming" here; it’s more about the damp, oppressive reality of urban life. But the DNA is the same. It’s about the silent connections we make with strangers in the dark.
The Modern Descendants
Lately, we’ve seen a resurgence of this "vibe-first" filmmaking.
- Moonlight (2016): Director Barry Jenkins has been very vocal about how much Wong Kar-wai influenced him. You can see it in the colors—those deep blues and vibrant purples—and the way the camera lingers on a face.
- Decision to Leave (2022): Park Chan-wook’s romantic noir is much more complex, but the obsession? The longing? Very much in the same ballpark.
- Millennium Mambo (2001): Hou Hsiao-hsien’s take on the club scene in Taipei. The opening shot alone, with Shu Qi walking through a neon tunnel in slow motion, is peak Chungking energy.
Why We Keep Coming Back
What is it about these movies? Why do we watch people eat chef salads and wait for phone calls that never come?
Maybe because life is kinda like that. We spend most of our time in the "in-between" moments. Waiting for the bus. Staring at a stranger in a convenience store. Most movies skip the boring parts to get to the "action." Movies like Chungking Express make the boring parts the whole point. They find the poetry in a sweaty apartment or a discarded flight ticket.
It’s also the music. The way "Dreams" by Faye Wong (a Cranberries cover, obviously) anchors the second half of the film is legendary. These movies use music not just as a background, but as a character. It’s the internal monologue of people who don't know how to talk to each other.
How to Watch Them Properly
If you’re diving into a marathon of movies like Chungking Express, don’t do it on a bright Sunday afternoon. You need the right setting. Turn off the big lights. Get a cheap snack. Let the atmosphere wash over you.
Don't worry about "getting" the plot immediately. Some of these films, especially the ones by Leos Carax or Hou Hsiao-hsien, don't care about traditional storytelling. They want to make you feel a certain way. If you feel a bit melancholic but also strangely energized by the end, the movie did its job.
Your Next Steps for a Neon Marathon
- Watch Fallen Angels immediately if you haven't. It’s the literal companion piece.
- Track down the Criterion Collection versions. The restorations are gorgeous and really make the colors pop.
- Check out Past Lives (2023) for a modern, quieter take on the "what if" romance theme.
- Listen to the soundtracks. Seriously. Most of the magic in these films happens in the ears.
There’s a whole world of "vibe cinema" out there waiting for you. Just remember: it’s not about the destination, it’s about the 2-centimeter distance between you and a stranger at a fast-food counter.