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More_Badass3.0

East-meets-West folk horror Se7en marrying detective procedural and Taiwanese supernatural eeriness. Tony Leung and David Morse imbue their stock characters with personality while their investigation into unnatural deaths crashes headlong into Taoist rites and cult secrets. The process-focused CSI’ing and cross-cultural friction are entertaining albeit dry and slight, but then the final act lets loose with occultism-in-the-city weirdness, bonkers bloodshed, and cruel eldritch doom. Thought I would enjoy it more, but the finale sure made the watch worthwhile.

DonnieDarko6663.5

Rewatched on Blu-ray (Unrated).A suprisingly good mix of a serial killer movie and a Taiwanese folk horror tale.The mixed cast and production (Taiwan/USA) is making this a refreshing take on the genre.Be aware that this is a very dark and bloody film.

VIV 6.73.5

Oh you know, just your average gore-filled Taiwanese occult-Buddhist FBI procedural film.I loved the constant switching between languages and international contexts, and the way the American procedural format blends into the conventions of Taiwanese folk horror was fantastic. It had everything I loved about the films like Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac but with an element of occult (corrupted) Buddhism - this really transformed the procedural context for me as the film depicts Buddhism as a central part of the national identity of the place it is set. Lots of dialogue between themes such as old/new, native/foreign, immaterial/tangible and spiritual/scientific, etc... you really get a sense of a place caught in transition.As dramatic as I’m being it’s really not a heavy film, I just find it full of consideration and craft which I really appreciate in something that could be enjoyed as simply a fun ride as well. The villain is sort of shoehorned in but don’t worry about that. Best quote: “He inhaled too much mold bacteria. His heart couldn’t take it.”