By chance Wong discovers that the loan shark keeps his money in the building where he works and that the office is only guarded by three people. Putting a plan into action he recruits a small group of strangers to help him that includes Anthony Wong as a rather loopy toy salesman, a restaurant delivery boy and a policeman on suspension.

Although the robbery is successful the gang find that they are not allowed to enjoy their money for long as the loan shark calls on the services of two ruthless killers (one of them being Blackie Ko) to track the money down.

The beginning if the film seems fairly jumbled but once it gets going 'Return To Dark' is a gripping thriller. However it takes far too long to gather momentum and it isn't until the second half that things really start happening.

One of the film's strengths though is the realisation of the characters who are extremely well developed and more than a little ambiguous. You really don't know who to trust or even who to root for. Ken Wong puts in another good performance and Anthony Wong is great (if maybe a little type cast) as a rather unhinged character.

At the start I found myself sympathising with the group but this becomes harder as the film progresses. There's no clear definition between hero and villain here. The actions of Ken Wong and his gang are certainly morally suspect and while Blackie Ko may be ruthless he is just doing his job. At the end of the day if you are going to steal from gangsters you have to be prepared for the consequences. The premise is an interesting one and there are more than a few surprises in the unpredictable plot (although one of these is sadly never explored further which was disappointing given its shocking nature).

The best thing about the movie though is the dark tone that is carried throughout and the real sense of atmosphere that is maintained in the second half. One of the things I've always loved about Hong Kong film directors is that they don't feel obliged to deliver an upbeat ending. Upbeat this certainly isn't.