EXECUTIONERS

New 4K restoration by L’Immagine Ritrovata

Quick setup: just after the conclusion of The Heroic Trio, a nuclear war broke out. Fresh water became a precious commodity managed by a corrupt private company, and our three glamorous superheroines were torn apart—each finding their own way to survive in a bleak and violent world. It’s quite a plot twist! One that allows this sequel (made the second the studio realized what a hit The Heroic Trio would be) the freedom to explore a totally different world.

Where The Heroic Trio blends kung fu and action genres, EXECUTIONERS brings in the post-apocalyptic military grit of movies like Terminator 2 and Escape from New York. Meaning: hazmat suits, Jeeps, leather jackets, urban decay, and—yes—Anita Mui flying through the air in high-heeled boots, machine guns firing from both hands. Because for all the darkness, this movie is wildly fun and audacious, with incredible fight scenes staged by choreographer/co-director Ching Siu-tung and co-director Johnnie To.

Is it a spoiler to mention that the mutant villain keeps his enemy’s head in a velvet box, planning to steal his face? That the cold and cynical Maggie Cheung finally finds love? That Michelle Yeoh wears a bad-ass beret? EXECUTIONERS feels like the kind of impossible 90s midnight movie you could only ever find on bootleg—but we have it in a stunning new 4k restoration.

—Lev Kalman

Underwritten by Bayha Group.