Released to great acclaim in 1990, Days of Being Wild is where Wong Kar Wai begins. The Hong Kong auteur's second film after the more conventionally narrated As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild gave world cinema its first glimpse of what would become Wong Kar Wai's signature: elliptical storytelling, existential brooding, breathtaking cinematography and art direction, haunting score, all-star cast, and that heartbreaking air of lingering and longing. Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the film stars Wong's two muses, Maggie Cheung and the late Leslie Cheung, in the career-defining role of the dashingly charismatic self-destructive playboy York for which he won Best Male Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Days of Being Wild also co-stars Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Rebecca Pan, and Tony Leung Chiu Wai.

Raised by a foster mother who used to make her living as a courtesan, York (Leslie Cheung) has only one wish: to find out who his real mother is. Stubborn and careless, York gets acquainted with a lonely submissive bar girl (Maggie Cheung) and a beautiful club hostess/dancer (Carina Lau) before leaving his whole life behind in search of the truth which may ultimately destroy him.