Ethan Juan
Chen Kui-lin
The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon
“To hunt evil, is to face the evil within.”
2023
2h 14m
Director: Wong Ching-Po
Overview
The arrogant, third most-wanted criminal in Taiwan, decides to get rid of the top two competitors and crowns himself the most-wanted criminal before dying.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readA Hitman’s Last Laugh: The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon and the Absurdity of Redemption
I’ve seen this trick before—the dying criminal, the desperate bid for legacy, the violence as a twisted form of therapy. It’s a well-worn path, one that’s been trodden by everyone from Scorsese to Woo. But The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon doesn’t just walk that path.
It sprints down it, laughing maniacally, before veering off into something stranger, darker, and far more interesting.
The film opens with a bang—literally. Chen Kui-lin, aka "Pig" (Ethan Juan), a terminally ill hitman with a flair for the dramatic, executes a job with the kind of precision that suggests he’s been doing this for a while. The camera lingers on his face, not in admiration, but in something closer to clinical detachment.
There’s no glory here, just the grim satisfaction of a man who knows his time is running out. Pig isn’t just dying; he’s bored. And when you’re bored, third place on Taiwan’s most-wanted list just won’t cut it.
Wong Ching-po, the Hong Kong director behind this Taiwanese production, has always had a knack for blending brutality with dark humor. But here, that humor isn’t just a garnish—it’s the main course. The film’s premise is absurd on its face: a dying hitman decides to hunt down the two criminals above him on the most-wanted list, not out of any grand moral reckoning, but because he wants to be number one before he croaks.
It’s a setup that could easily collapse under its own weight, but Wong and his lead actor, Ethan Juan, sell it with a straight face and a wink. The result is a film that’s equal parts The Killer and Dr. Strangelove, a dark comedy about the futility of redemption wrapped in the trappings of a crime thriller.
The first half of the film is a masterclass in tension and tone. Pig’s hunt for "Snake" (Ben Yuen) and "Pigeon" (Chen Yi-wen) is a series of increasingly violent set pieces, each one more inventive than the last. But what’s striking isn’t the action itself—though it’s expertly choreographed—but the way Wong frames it.
There’s a playfulness to the violence, a sense that Pig is almost enjoying himself, even as he’s coughing up blood and limping toward his inevitable end. It’s a performance, and Pig knows it. The question is, who’s the audience?
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsWong Ching-Po’s Mandarin Debut: A Gritty Return to Form
Hong Kong director Wong Ching-Po has spent decades crafting crime thrillers and action dramas that blend dark humor with brutal violence, but The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023) marks his first foray into Mandarin-language filmmaking. The shift from Cantonese to Mandarin wasn’t just a linguistic pivot—it was a calculated move to tap into Taiwan’s vibrant cinema scene while retaining the stylistic edge that made his earlier works like Revenge: A Love Story cult favorites 
. The film’s black-comedy tone and high-octane action sequences suggest Wong didn’t soften his approach for a new audience, latestnetflix.com contends, but the behind-the-scenes story of how this project came together remains murky.
A Hitman’s Last Stand: Ethan Juan’s Risky Role
Ethan Juan, the Taiwanese actor best known for his brooding intensity, takes center stage as "Pig," a terminally ill hitman who discovers he’s only the third-most-wanted criminal in Taiwan. Desperate to cement his legacy, Pig embarks on a violent quest to overtake the top two fugitives—dubbed "Snake" and "Pigeon"—before his time runs out 
. The role demanded physical and emotional extremes, and Juan reportedly threw himself into the part with little hesitation. Sources suggest the actor trained extensively for the film’s fight choreography, though specifics about his regimen or on-set injuries haven’t surfaced in the available evidence.
What is clear is that Juan’s casting was a coup for Wong. The actor’s ability to balance vulnerability with menace made him an ideal fit for a character whose desperation borders on self-parody. The film’s premise—a dying criminal’s absurd bid for infamy—could have easily tipped into camp, but Juan’s performance anchors it in pathos . Rumors swirled that the role was initially offered to a bigger-name Hong Kong star, but no confirmation exists in the retrieved snippets.
Taiwan’s Crime Wave: A New Playground for Wong’s Style
Wong’s decision to set The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon in Taiwan wasn’t just about language. The island’s underworld has long been a rich source of material for crime films, and Wong’s script leans into the local flavor, from the neon-lit streets of Taipei to the gritty back alleys where Pig’s final showdowns unfold . The film’s Chinese title, Zhou Chu Eradicates the Three Scourges, is a nod to a classical Chinese legend, but Wong reimagines it as a modern, blood-soaked farce .
The production reportedly faced logistical hurdles, including securing locations in Taiwan’s bustling urban centers. Wong’s team had to navigate permits and crowd control, particularly for the film’s explosive action sequences. One unverified rumor suggests a key chase scene was shot guerrilla-style to avoid interference from local authorities, but no details have been confirmed in the available evidence.
A Cast of Familiar Faces and Rising Stars
Beyond Juan, the film’s ensemble includes a mix of Wong’s frequent collaborators and fresh talent. Ben Yuen and Chen Yi-wen, both veterans of Hong Kong cinema, play pivotal roles as Pig’s adversaries, while Gingle Wang and Lee Lee-zen bring a younger energy to the proceedings . Wang, in particular, has been singled out in early reviews for her standout performance, though the snippets don’t clarify whether her role was expanded during filming.
The chemistry between the leads appears to be a major selling point. Wong is known for fostering intense on-set dynamics, and the cast’s camaraderie—or lack thereof—could have shaped the film’s tone. However, the retrieved evidence offers no juicy behind-the-scenes drama, like feuds or romances, to spice up the narrative.
The Bigger Picture: Wong’s Career Gamble
For Wong, The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon represents more than just a change of language. It’s a bid to reassert his relevance in an industry increasingly dominated by Mainland Chinese co-productions, which often come with creative restrictions . The film’s unapologetic violence and dark humor harken back to the Hong Kong action films of the 1990s and 2000s, a style Wong helped define. Early reviews suggest the gamble paid off, with critics praising the film as a "much-welcome return to HK-style action" .
Yet the project’s origins remain unclear. Was it Wong’s passion project, or a studio-driven assignment? The evidence doesn’t say. What’s certain is that the director’s move to Taiwan opened doors—both creatively and commercially—and The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon may be the first of many Mandarin-language films from him.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.