Prison on Fire

Prison on Fire (1987) is a Hong Kong prison drama you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Ringo Lam. A young man lands behind bars on a manslaughter conviction that barely holds up. Inside, a streetwise lifer nicknamed Ching decides to look out for him.

Chow Yun-fat plays Ching in one of his finest non-action roles — quick, funny, and built to survive a world run by triad gangs and corrupt guards. Tony Leung Ka-fai is the newcomer who has to toughen up fast. Their friendship becomes the only thing holding either man together amid the extortion, the knife fights, and the daily humiliation. Lam shoots it close and unflinching: the cramped cells and small moral compromises feel almost documentary. The film became an '80s Hong Kong classic and won Chow the Best Actor prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Heavy going, but worth it. Stream Prison on Fire online on iFILM.