Tsai Ming-liang’s feature debut follows Hsiao-kang, a disillusioned Taipei student who abandons his studies after becoming obsessed with Ah Tze, a charismatic petty thief. As the lives of these lonely young people intersect through chance encounters, petty crime, and unspoken desire, the film paints a hypnotic portrait of urban alienation, restless youth, and the search for human connection under the glow of Taipei’s neon-lit streets. Widely regarded as one of the defining works of the Taiwanese New Wave.

“A breathtaking, disturbing look at urban angst and the emptiness of youth culture.” — Philadelphia Inquirer

“Like Godard’s Breathless and Wong’s As Tears Go By, Rebels cunningly synthesizes both B-movie and art film.” — The Washington Post

“Tsai Ming-liang’s debut makes one yearn for an alternative reality where it, not Pulp Fiction, became the beacon of ’90s independent filmmaking.” — Slant Magazine