HYN HUET CHING NIN

With Horror Hotline... Big Head Monster Soi Cheang set out to return a serious approach to the Hong Kong horror genre. His follow-up New Blood builds on the potential seen in his previous film to provide fresh chills that never let up for a minute. A young couple attempt a double suicide in a car one night and are rushed to hospital, where cop Ah Lok, architect Eric and mentally disturbed Joy give blood to save their lives. Their blood aids the boyfriend, who slips into a coma, but the girl’s life is lost. Immediately after, the dead girl’s spirit is enraged – the do-gooders have destroyed her hopes of bliss in the afterlife – and sets about manipulating the donors to complete the death pact. Released amid a minor resurgence of somber supernatural flicks spared of the comic diversions typical in many Hong Kong horror entries, New Blood is a uniquely intense affair. Set in a continually grim atmosphere, the film’s unsettling scenes drift in and out of focus in dark, saturated color. Art direction and location choices make for foreboding sets, from deserted apartment blocks and a tunnel construction site to claustrophobic homes and sterile institutions. Distinctly local touches including a funeral and an exorcism to punctuate proceedings, and much is complemented with high- contrast lighting and a skillful soundtrack. (Tim Youngs)