96 Minutes (2025) Review: A Ticking Clock On Rails

This 96 Minutes review starts with the pitch: a bomb on a high-speed train, and a countdown that gives the film its title. Directed by Hung Tzu-hsuan, this Taiwanese action thriller sets a small crowd of strangers on one train and lets the pressure build. It does not reinvent the genre, but it has enough heart and momentum to hold attention.

If you like contained thrillers where the setting does half the work, read on. Below you will find the setup, the cast, what clicks and what doesn't, all without spoilers.

96 Minutes Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The 96 Minutes plot begins with Song Kang Ren, a former bomb disposal expert, and his fiancée Huang Xin. The couple board a high-speed train, and for a moment they are just two people on a journey. That calm does not last, because a bomb is hidden on the train.

Also on board is Li Jie, a well-known physics teacher whose career has been rocked by an affair scandal. He has taken the same train to win back his wife. So the story juggles a public emergency with a very private, very awkward personal crisis.

That pairing is the film's main idea. A bomb expert understands the danger, a humiliated teacher is distracted by his own failures, and everyone else is trapped in a moving metal tube. The title promises a fixed time window, and the film uses it to keep the stakes clear.

The film is released in Taiwan as 96分鐘 and is in Mandarin. The 96 Minutes release date is 5 September 2025, and the film runs 117 minutes. Co-writers Hung Tzu-hsuan, Yang Wan-ju and Chen Yi-fang share the script credit.

What Works in 96 Minutes

A strong, simple hook

A train is a smart place for an action crime thriller. There is nowhere to run, passengers are packed close together, and every carriage is a potential obstacle. The premise needs almost no explanation, so the film gets going quickly.

Personal stakes alongside the big ones

The film does not rely on the bomb alone. The engaged couple and the teacher chasing a second chance give the action an emotional edge. When a thriller asks you to care about relationships as well as defusal wires, the tension feels less mechanical.

A clear ticking-clock structure

A title that doubles as a countdown is a bold promise, and it helps the pacing. You always know the clock is running, which gives scenes a sense of purpose. For fans of the genre, that structure is comforting and effective.

If you enjoy this style of film, our action movie reviews cover more titles with a similar drive. For a very different take on big-scale action, see our Dhurandhar review.

96 Minutes Cast and Performances

The 96 Minutes cast is led by Austin Lin as Song Kang Ren, the former bomb disposal expert at the center of the crisis. Lin is a good fit for a man who has to stay composed while everyone else panics. Vivian Sung Yun-hua plays his fiancée, Huang Xin, and gives the couple a believable bond.

Lee Lee-zen plays Li Jie, the physics teacher whose reputation has collapsed. This is the most human role in the film, a man whose private shame meets a public disaster. Edison Wang appears as Liu Kai.

The supporting players include:

• Eleven Yao as Yang Ting Juan

• Kent Tsai as Yang Li Hui

The ensemble format suits the film. With so many people trapped together, the cast has to sketch a character quickly, and the actors generally manage that.

Where 96 Minutes Stumbles

The biggest risk with this kind of film is familiarity. Train thrillers and bomb plots have been done many times, and audiences who know the formula may see some beats coming. Familiar tension is still tension, but it rarely feels fresh.

The two-track structure can also pull in different directions. The romantic and scandal-driven material gives the story heart, yet it sometimes slows the countdown the title promises. At 117 minutes, the film is also longer than the 96 in its name, so the pace can loosen when it should be tightening.

The audience response suggests a mixed but friendly reception. TMDB viewers give it 6.2 out of 10 from 93 votes, which is a small sample but points to a solid, uneven crowd-pleaser rather than a standout. That matches my own view of the film.

Is 96 Minutes Worth Watching?

Yes, 96 Minutes is worth watching if you want a straightforward, character-driven action thriller and you do not mind a familiar setup. It is not a game changer, but it is competent, focused and easy to follow.

The strengths are the premise, the ticking-clock framing and the way the story mixes danger with personal drama. The weaknesses are predictability and some pacing issues. Weighed together, they land the film in solid, mildly recommended territory.

If you are curious about the wider genre, our crime movie reviews are a good next stop. You can also check the film's IMDb page for full credits and user ratings.

Who Will Enjoy 96 Minutes

• Fans of contained thrillers set on trains, planes or other trapped spaces.

• Viewers who like Taiwanese and wider Asian action cinema with some emotional drama mixed in.

• Anyone who wants a tense, accessible night in without a heavy time commitment on lore or backstory.

This 96 Minutes review comes down to a simple verdict: a reliable, human-scaled thriller that does not blow you away but keeps you on board until the end.