'96 Minutes' rolls 'trolley problem' dilemma to mainland screens

"96 Minutes," the highest-grossing local film of 2025 in Taiwan, is set to open across the Chinese mainland on Jan. 10. The high-octane thriller from director Hung Tzu-hsuan blends explosive suspense with deep ethical questions, drawing inspiration from the classic "trolley problem" to explore how far humans will go when love and survival collide. 

Director Hung Tzu-hsuan (center) speaks as he joins producer Jeff Tsou (right) and Wu Guanping, vice president of the China Taiwan Hong Kong Film Research Association, in a panel to explore moral dilemmas in genre film narratives at a special screening event in Beijing, Jan. 5, 2026. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Starring Lin Po-hung, Vivian Sung, and Wang Bo-chieh, the film follows bomb disposal expert Song Kang-ren (Lin), who boards a southbound high-speed train with his police officer wife (Sung). Their journey turns into a desperate fight for survival when they discover a bomb onboard, one tied to a tragedy three years earlier. 

Song soon realizes that defusing one explosive could trigger another explosive onboard another train, and that even slowing the train may accelerate disaster. With 96 minutes before their destination, he must locate the device and confront a haunting secret from his past. What we witness is two trains going head to head, with Song being forced to make a high risk transfer between the two, and only then attempt bomb defusal.

The story examines variations of the "trolley problem," a series of thought experiments that weigh the sacrifice of one life against many. It also explores how both inaction and intervention carries moral consequences. "96 Minutes" presents an unsolvable question that strikes at the soul: When a loved one's life is weighed against a hundred strangers, what is the right choice? 

"The film upgrades and brings the classic 'trolley problem' to life. It is not just a simple choice between the few and the many," director Hung noted at a special screening in Beijing on Jan. 5. "When the 'few' to be sacrificed are your loved ones, the dilemma becomes even more piercing. The 'trolley problem' has no standard answer. Through the film, we hope to remind audiences to cherish the present and the people around them."

"96 Minutes" is Taiwan's first high-speed rail disaster thriller, delivering relentless suspense and cinematic intensity from start to finish. Sun Xianghui, president of the China Taiwan Hong Kong Film Research Association, praised the film in her speech, saying it injects fresh energy into filmmaking in the Taiwan region, with its tight narrative pacing, deep exploration of human nature, and mature genre style. 

She added that the film also serves as an excellent model for studying the artistic evolution and cultural expression of Taiwan and Hong Kong cinema. "This approach, combining the commercial appeal of genre storytelling with humanistic concern, not only continues the fine tradition of Taiwan-Hong Kong genre films but also highlights the creative team's thoughtful engagement with social realities," she said.

Producer Jeff Tsou revealed that the film took nine years to complete, this includes the construction of a full-scale 1:1 train set. It is also the first production in Taiwan to introduce Hollywood previs visual effects technology and build a large-scale LED studio. "About 80% of the train scenes were shot in the virtual studio, combined with over 800 visual effects shots, all to deliver an immersive audio-visual experience for the audience," Tsou emphasized.

Director Hung pointed out that the film does not offer a 'perfect protagonist.' He shared that "Song Kang-ren is just an ordinary man trapped by guilt. His struggles, hesitation, and even selfishness reveal the truest aspects of human nature." He added that the train carriage functions as a "microcosm of human society," where passengers, villains, and police each face their own positions and dilemmas. There is no absolute good or evil, only unavoidable choices shaped by circumstances.

Audience members have given positive feedback after screenings that kept them on the edge of their seats, with some calling it the best film from Taiwan since "The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon."

A poster for "96 Minutes." [Image courtesy of Damai Entertainment]

As Taiwan cinema has long been known for art-house auteur Hou Hsiao-hsien and teen romcoms, Taiwan's genre films have made mature breakthroughs in industrialized production and genre storytelling in recent years. "96 Minutes" boldly stakes its claim in the blockbuster disaster epic arena — and it worked. 

"96 Minutes" has surpassed NT$200 million at the Taiwan box office, becoming last year's top-grossing island-made Chinese-language film in the region.

Producer Tsou said he recognized that the market is constantly changing, and creation has always centered on evoking deep emotions in the audience. "The themes of protection, responsibility, and sacrifice conveyed in the film are precisely the common emotional language shared between Chinese-language cinema and the world," he noted.