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Golden Horse Awards frontrunner Stephen Chow and Ko Chen-tung: Bon voyage

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Last updated 2026-09-25 — "Godspeed" is a rare road movie from Taiwan. Through a journey from Taipei to the south, it portrays the perils of life and the various crises caused by distrust among people. Under Tsai Ming-liang’s unique cinematography...

"Godspeed" is a rare road movie from Taiwan. Through a journey from Taipei to the south, it portrays the perils of life and the various crises caused by distrust among people. Under Tsai Ming-liang’s unique cinematography, the beautiful scenery and unique charm of southern Taiwan are showcased everywhere.

"Godspeed" stars Stephen Chow and Ko Chen-tung. (Photo provided by Garage Play)

The film has no female lead, yet is filled with surprisingly brilliant performances. These include Hong Kong comedy legend Stephen Chow, who hasn’t appeared on the big screen for a long time. This marks his first cross-strait film project, as he dedicated his Taiwanese cinematic debut to Tsai Ming-liang and starred alongside rising Taiwanese comedy star Ko Chen-tung. Their first-time collaboration evolves from initial bickering due to unfamiliarity to gradually forming a bond—offering both laugh-out-loud moments and deeply touching displays of mutual respect.
 
Aside from Stephen Chow, Wu Chung-tien, director Chen Yi-wen, and Thai actor Vithaya Pansringarm—who starred in "Hangover Part II"—are also working with Tsai Ming-liang for the first time. The three deliver outstanding performances with precise character portrayals, truly deserving applause. As for Tsai’s regular collaborators—Dai Li-ren, Ko Chen-tung, Liang He-qun, and Tuo Zong-hua—they also deliver performances unlike their previous roles. The eight male actors each shine brilliantly while competing with one another. With a plot structured around who will betray and who will stay loyal till the end, the film is packed with dramatic tension and sheer entertainment.
 

Movie still from "Godspeed." (Photo provided by Garage Play)

They head southward, yet life keeps knocking them down


Ko Chen-tung (playing Ko Chen-tung) is a petty crook who doesn’t do an honest day’s work. One day, he resolves to find stable employment but ends up becoming a low-level drug mule. During a drug run, he hitches a ride in a taxi driven by Old Hsu (played by Stephen Chow), a Hong Kong native married to a Taiwanese woman. Having failed in business, his only means of livelihood is this old, undesirable taxi. These two men, with vastly different backgrounds and personalities, embark on a journey south together.
 
What initially seems like a simple delivery trip soon turns chaotic when they’re caught up in a shakedown scam and then entangled in a violent gunfight between criminals. The scenery along the journey—and in life—keeps shifting, testing their trust and fragile friendship. Just as both men’s lives hang by a thread, it seems fate has already made its move...
 
 
"Godspeed" is Tsai Ming-liang’s fourth film as writer-director. The work presents a cross-section of Taiwanese society through diverse professions, hometowns, and human nature, and uses Taiwan’s unique cultural landscapes and a perilous road trip to convey his concern for the land. Tsai Ming-liang said: “The idea for ‘Godspeed’ came from a story I read about a taxi driver who drove a passenger for 25 hours—only for the passenger to flee without paying. That was the starting point for this film. Then I thought of using a long-time Hong Kong resident driving a taxi in Taiwan, and the interactions that might occur between him and a local. I hoped to reflect how people from different places can understand and tolerate each other in Taiwan, which is something I’ve always wanted to explore.”
 

Movie poster for "Godspeed." (Photo provided by Garage Play)

Highlights of the film

★ Biggest winner at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards with 8 nominations!

★ Tsai Ming-liang, Golden Horse-winning director of "The Fourth Portrait," presents his fourth film—competing at the Golden Horse for the second time!

★ Stephen Chow returns to the Golden Horse after 38 years, competing fiercely for Best Actor!

★ Comedy star Ko Chen-tung delivers a breakthrough performance, earning his first nomination for Best Supporting Actor!

★ Legendary Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow films in Taiwan for the first time, starring alongside rising comedy star Ko Chen-tung!

★ Breathtaking beauty of Taiwan’s west coast captured in full—this year’s most thrilling road movie!

★ Opening film of the 53rd Golden Horse International Film Festival!

★ Selected for the “World Focus” section of the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival!

★ Official selection at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival!

 

Godspeed

Genre: Drama, Action, Thriller

Director: Tsai Ming-liang ("The Fourth Portrait")

Producer: Ye Ru-fen ("Our Times")

Cast: Stephen Chow ("The Private Eyes"), Dai Li-ren ("Orphan of Asia"), Ko Chen-tung ("The Fourth Portrait"), Tuo Zong-hua ("The Soul"), Chen Yi-wen ("Wanting to Die"), Wu Chung-tien ("Sweet Alibis"), Liang He-qun ("Complicity"), Vithaya Pansringarm ("Mechanic: Resurrection")

"Godspeed" opens November 18, 2016

 

 

Must-visit hidden photo spots in Taiwan for IG influencers

》http://www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=14127

 

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