Once a Thief backdrop
ACTION . 1996 . 1h 36m . 4.8/10

Once a Thief_

Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Hong Kong underworld crime lord who raised and trained them. After being imprisoned in Hong Kong, Mac is forcefully recruited into a clandestine international crime-fighting unit by a hard-nosed, menacing Director. He is teamed in Vancouver with Li Ann, who thought Mac was dead, and her new fiancé Victor Mansfield, an ex-cop who is attracted to the unorthodox methods of the agency. Conflict flares between Mac and Victor as the trio take on their assignment. They soon learn that their principal target is their foster brother Michael Tang, who had been given Li Ann as his future wife and who has vowed to hunt down the pair for their disloyalty to the "family".

Starring Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea
4.8/10
Rating
1h 36m
Runtime
1996
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Once a Thief poster

Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Hong Kong underworld crime lord who raised and trained them. After being imprisoned in Hong Kong, Mac is forcefully recruited into a clandestine international crime-fighting unit by a hard-nosed, menacing Director. He is teamed in Vancouver with Li Ann, who thought Mac was dead, and her new fiancé Victor Mansfield, an ex-cop who is attracted to the unorthodox methods of the agency. Conflict flares between Mac and Victor as the trio take on their assignment. They soon learn that their principal target is their foster brother Michael Tang, who had been given Li Ann as his future wife and who has vowed to hunt down the pair for their disloyalty to the "family".

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Cast
Sandrine Holt stars as Li Ann Tsei in Once a Thief.
Sandrine Holt →
Year context
Once a Thief was released 30 years ago in 1996.
Overview
Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Ho...
Once a Thief is a Action, Crime, Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 36m.

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
96 min (1h 36m)
Country
Rating
4.8/10 (22 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Once a Thief about?
Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Hong Kong underworld crime lord who raised and trained them. After being imprisoned in Hong Kong, Mac is forcefully recruited into a clandestine international crime-fighting unit by a hard-nosed, menacing Director. He is teamed in Vancouver with Li Ann, who thought Mac was dead, and her new fiancé Victor Mansfield, an ex-cop who is attracted to the unorthodox methods of the agency. Conflict flares between Mac and Victor as the trio take on their assignment. They soon learn that their principal target is their foster brother Michael Tang, who had been given Li Ann as his future wife and who has vowed to hunt down the pair for their disloyalty to the "family".
How long is Once a Thief?
Once a Thief has a runtime of 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Who stars in Once a Thief?
The cast of Once a Thief includes Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea, Robert Ito, Michael Wong.
What is the rating of Once a Thief?
Once a Thief has a rating of 4.8 out of 10 based on 22 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Action Crime Comedy
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