If a piece will be written for and about Wong Kar-Wai, the grandmaster and defining auteurs of contemporary cinema, it has to start with him being recognized as the wild visionary director that paved the way for aesthetic Asian films.
Wong Kar-Wai introduced himself to the dreamy art film scene in 1988 through his directorial debut for “As Tears Go By.” His unconventional approach to filmmaking further helped him become popular in the industry—an oversimplification, to say the least, of his impact and contributions in the Asian cinematic ouvre.
So, if by any chance you haven’t seen any of his films, we are listing down five of his best films in no particular order because quite honestly, it would be hard to identify which one is the best amongst these films. So, get ready for some emotional rollercoaster ride where the view offers thematic and eye-popping visuals.
2046 (2005)
A story about passage of time is perhaps the best description for this highly intoxicating sequel to the much-loved and, arguably, one of Wong’s most notable films, In the Mood for Love. If you would look at it, 2046 is not just a date; it’s a state of mind, and if films that embrace romance as a theme with a blend of sci-fi is your thing, then this one is cut right out for you.
FALLEN ANGELS (1995)
Set in the moody pre-handover Hong Kong in 1995, Fallen Angels is a movie about random encounters as characters explore their melancholy, hopes, and aspirations while chasing meaningful connections in a city filled with rawness and complexities. If you hang around social media often, you will see from time-to-time excerpts, photos, and clips from this beloved movie.
CHUNGKING EXPRESS (1994)
A crime but also a romcom film? Who wouldn’t be curious? But biases aside, Chungking Express is perhaps Wong’s film that resonated with the current generation. Using the expiry date of a pineapple can as the shelf life of a relationship truly captures the sentiments of many people in this day and age. You see, it’s not just your typical romance film. In fact, it’s a story about being heartbroken and finding the silver lining in it. A reminder that everything has an expiry date. When someone goes off, there is nothing left for you to do but move forward and be open to future possibilities. After all, what’s the pain of letting go, for nothing stays forever.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000)
Ah, the talk-of-the-town film. If you will ask any millennial, or maybe, even Gen Zs, what Wong Kar-Wai film they love, seven out of ten would probably answer In the Mood for Love. By now, we are already used to slow-burn romance or drama films, and perhaps we’d say something along the lines of, “I’ve seen this before.” In the Mood for Love is a slow-burn drama, but for the right reasons. Though it isn’t necessarily, or chronologically the prequel of 2046, you would understand why we say they are essentially related when you see both films. In fact, Days of Being Wild is informally a part of a trilogy alongside the two earlier films.
HAPPY TOGETHER (1997)
Now, hold your horses. If you have already seen some clips or photos of this film, you would likely think it’s a queer film, but in reality, it isn’t. Or at least it is not the main focal point of the movie. Happy Together is one of those movies you have to watch without paying too much attention to the characters’ gender; the film is about the realities of relationships and intimacy.
The struggles we experience know no gender, and that is what the movie is trying to teach us—the value of finding balance in our relationships. In a tiny four-cornered husk, Happy Together creates a different view of relationships—that the world where we fence in our intimacy is small. Despite knowing the minuscule space our relationships occupy, we get to decide, day-by-day, whether what we have with our special someone is more important than anything the outside world has, whether we see it big or small.
