New Blood

Starts out fine with the first half managing to be pretty atmospheric and scary, then falls into Hong Kong-style incomprehensive events, and then pulls a neat twist to the story in the end. I rate it a 6 out of 10, which means: Don't go out of your way to watch this.

I stumbled across this one not realizing it was directed by Soi Chang (Motorway, SPL 2), who the previous year, made "HORROR HOTLINE... BIG HEAD MONSTER" (2001), which blatant influences aside, I found to be a solid HK supernatural ghost film even after a repeat viewing last year. While the stories (for Chang's two horror films) are nothing groundbreaking by following more of a trend, it's the enduring visual arrangement and camera verve of his work that gives it another dimension suiting these somber, harrowing ghost tales.

"NEW BLOOD" sees a young couple attempt to commit suicide together, but only the girl dies. Her boyfriend is saved by a blood transfusion from three blood donors that same night. In doing so, each one of the donors is haunted by the vengeful spirit of the dead girl for separating her from her lover. Creepy, nonchalant storytelling purposely shot in dark, shadowy areas filtered with lurid blue streams of lighting, greenish tints, oddly projected camera angles and a melancholy ambiance of HK that saps the life right out of you.

Performances are low-key, kind of solemn but fitting with a strong lead in Niki Chow. What seems at first simple and conventional, changes, as the plot delves into the psych of its core three characters with one of them living through a traumatic past incident, which the dead girl manipulates. Dreams become distorted nightmares, as the wraith manifests, even possesses causing reality to blur into hallucinations leading to fragility and madness.

During the early stages of the story its slow rhythm cooks up suspense and concern, but come the third act it goes off the rails becoming a screwy muddle before leading to a bizarre, tepid twist. While the plastered scares throughout are clichéd fast edited jumps, I can forgive, as the atmospheric buildup of its decorated style and creative disposition gets under your skin. Darkness of the night, under-lit buildings, sterile surfaces, subtle glimpses of the piercing eyes from a bald, pale skin ghost dressed in white, stalking her targets, unsettling sounds magnified, flowing bright red blood drips and a real sense of hopelessness smothers hope. Definitely one to watch late at night.

One night, while investigating a routine break in downtown, two police officers find a couple with their wrists slit in a parked car. They're rushed to the local hospital where, despite the donation of blood from three samaritans, the man falls into a coma and the woman dies. Shortly after, the three blood donors begin to suffer strange hallucinations of an apparition following their every move. Could the woman's spirit be wreaking revenge against the donors for separating her from her lover, or is there a more rational explanation for the apparitions?

I feel somewhat like a soccer journalist writing this review. Why? Well, with ten minutes to go at a soccer match, a good journalist will have all but finished his story - leaving spaces for any minor last minute incidents near the bottom - but if there's a major turnaround such as one team overturning a deficit to win, he has a problem! Similarly, seventy minutes into NEW BLOOD, I had my review and probable star rating all planned out - only for a typically Hong Kong-style confusing turn of events to send me back to the drawing board. And that's the best way of reviewing this... as a film of two halves.

The opening half is rather excellent and, despite a low budget, manages to exude style along with wit, suspense and blood (gallons of the stuff). The characters are well developed, acting is parable with top quality Korean and Japanese cinema and the storyline moves along in a fluid manner. Then, just when you think you've got a grip of events and understand what's happening, the director goes all "Twin Peaks" on us and gives us the most bizarre twenty minute finale I've seen since "Rasen: The Spiral". Shame, too, 'cos this one really had potential - ** / *****

NEW BLOOD was obviously made to cash in on the current horror fad running wild through Hong Kong cinema at the moment. It employs all the same conventions of the genre, including garish green tint, somber acting, and one of those spirits that shows up in quick spurts ala Shock Flashes that horror filmmakers seem required to do nowadays. The movie offers up a Big Twist at the end, but it seems somewhat perfunctory and not very well thought out.

Even so, NEW BLOOD has a good actress as its lead, and the movie, although it's quite conventional, nevertheless benefits from the director's visual flairs. No CGI or elaborate special effects here, only a ton of fake blood and a lot of creativity with the camera. The editing and use of sound is also quite well done.

6 out of 10

(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of the movie)