The Enigmatic Case (1980): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1980, The Enigmatic Case is an action film directed by Johnnie To, running about 88 minutes.

What it’s about. Johnnie To's directorial debut. This period martial arts mystery stars Damian Lau Chung-yan as Lu Tien-chun, an imprisoned swordsman, accused of killing three men. Lu probably would have already been executed for his crimes but is kept alive because he knows the whereabouts of some hidden gold, a secret the ruthless, one-eyed warden Hsiung Chien repeatedly tries to torture out of him. Escaping with the help of a fellow inmate (Lau Kong), Lu encounters maiden Yu Pei-pei (played by a very young Cherie Chung Chor-hung) who is travelling to pick up her father's ashes in Stone Town. When she sees a wanted poster featuring Lu, Pei-pei realizes that he was the man responsible for her father's murder. Lu gives the girl a chance to take revenge and, when she hesitates, he relates his recollections of what really happened on the night of the man's death. The true location of the gold remains a mystery to Lu and one of the three actual thieves appears to still be alive.

Who’s in it. The Enigmatic Case stars Damian Lau as Lo Tien-Kwan, Cherie Chung as Yao Puipui, Lau Kong and Hon Kong as Yao Yik-Yu, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, The Enigmatic Case sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Enigmatic Case page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Enigmatic Case tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.