''Old Fox'' () is a 2023

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan. The film follows a young boy who befriends his landlord, nicknamed Old Fox, and tells the story of Taiwan's rapidly changing society of the late 1980s. The cast includes Bai Run-yin,

Liu Kuan-ting Liu Kuan-ting (; born November 11, 1988) is a Taiwanese actor. He received the Golden Bell Award for Best Supporting Actor for the hit drama series ''A Boy Named Flora A'' (2017). In 2019, he won Best Supporting Actor at the 56th Golden Horse ...

Akio Chen Akio Chen (; born 29 September 1956) is a Taiwanese actor. He won the Golden Bell Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film in 2006. He played the role of Lih in the 2004 film ''Come the Black Dog'' directed by Stan Yin. In 2009, C ...

Mugi Kadowaki is a Japanese actress. Biography In 2011, Kadowaki debuted in the television drama ''Misaki Number One!!''. At the time of her debut she was signed to Blooming Agency. In 2013, Kadowaki became a hot topic because of a commercial for "Chocola B ...

, and Eugenie Liu. The film is dedicated to the director's mother. The film premiered on 27 October 2023 at the

36th Tokyo International Film Festival The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival is film festival that took place from October 23 to November 1, 2023. German filmmaker Wim Wenders served as jury president. The official poster for the festival was created by fashion designer Koshin ...

. It was released in Taiwan on 24 November 2023. At the

60th Golden Horse Awards The 60th Golden Horse Awards () took place on November 25, 2023, at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. Organized by the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, the awards honoured t ...

, the film received seven nominations and won a leading four awards:

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...

, Best Original Film Score, Best Makeup & Costume Design and Best Supporting Actor (for Akio Chen). The film was chosen as the Taiwanese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the

97th Academy Awards The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the gala, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly r ...

, but was not nominated.

Plot

In 1989, a time in which Taiwanese society is experiencing rapid change, Liao Tai-Lai is a single father who works in a restaurant. He and his 11-year-old son Liao Jie, the film's protagonist, live together in a rental house. They work hard to save money in the hope of buying a house of their own. Although socially disadvantaged, his father is a considerate man who is dedicated to his duties and strives to earn an honest living. Although buying a home is his father's goal, this hope creates a stronger driving force in his son Liao Jie. One day by chance, the boy meets his landlord, Boss Xie, also known as the "Old Fox". A clever and cunning shopping mall tycoon, Boss Xie sees the reflection of his own past in the boy. He teaches the boy how to become a strong man and how to leverage inequality to succeed. A ruthless realist, Boss Xie's approach to life begins to influence the boy's mindset. How will Liao Jie, who suffers from frustration and bullying, let Old Fox's insightful comments affect his state of mind and behavior? For the boy, he was forced to grow up much more quickly than most of his peers. The figure he looked up to was always his hardworking father. Unexpectedly, the appearance of Boss Xie challenges his father. The boy faces a choice between poverty and wealth, between the values of honesty and deceit. How will a boy who yearns to become stronger and long for wealth choose? Will they choose to be loyal to their conscience or bow to reality? This question divides the father and son into a conflict between the harsh realities of the world and the simplicity of its traditions. The film presents a child's transformation from following the rules to gradually crossing the moral boundaries. As time unfolds, the audience sees Liao Jie's fear when he first met Boss Xie, to his later acceptance, and finally to his self-doubt and return to the values of his father.

Cast

* Bai Run-yin as Liao Jie *

as Liao Tai-Lai *

as Boss Xie (Old Fox) * Eugenie Liu as Lin Chen-Chen *

as Yang Jun-Mei *

Jag Huang Jag Huang (; born 13 May 1981) is a Taiwanese actor, screenwriter and acting coach An acting coach or drama coach is a teacher who trains performers – typically film, television, theatre, and musical theatre actors – and gives them advice ...

* James Wen

Production

''Old Fox'' was produced by BIT Production Co., Ltd. with Tomorrow Together Capital; Bossdom Digiinnovation Co., Ltd.; Toei Video Co., Ltd. (Japan); Angelic-Founder Co., Ltd.; Dream Mall Showtime Cinema Co., Ltd.; Sky Films Entertainment Co., Ltd.; Backer-Founder Co., Ltd. It was executive produced by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Osaka Fumiko, and Elisa Y.H. Lin.

Release

''Old Fox'' was selected to be screened in the World Focus (Taiwan Cinema Renaissance) section at the

, where the film had its world premiere on 27 October 2023. It was theatrically released in Taiwan on 24 November 2023.

Accolades

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Taiwan, Film, 2020s 2023 films 2023 drama films 2020s Mandarin-language films 2020s Taiwanese films 2020s coming-of-age drama films 2020s Japanese films Taiwanese drama films Films set in Taiwan Films shot in Taiwan Films set in 1989 Taiwanese-language films Japanese drama films Toei Company films Films about landlords Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Horse Award