It Remains

This movie was triiiiiiipy. I went into this movie totally blind--I didn't know what it was about besides knowing who the lead actor was, not everyone else, or even the genre I had no idea. I don't want to say I was confused, but I did have questions about where the movie was going in the beginning.

For the first hour of the movie all you know is that something is not right with the family. In that first hour a few key things occur--important and shocking enough to keep you in-tuned but still not informational enough to let you know what's coming next. Then, in the last hour is when I was at the edge of my seat, then gripping the armrests, then mentally preparing myself to be spooked. The last hour was a rollercoaster. This little sleeper of a movie was terrific, a great addition to the horror/thriller genre.

An impressive HK movie from a new generation director. Different from the traditional HK movie which is full of action scene, this is more to the artistic side with stunning visual arts effect in competitively slow pace. The background music is also any key to this movie which creates the horror and mysterious atmosphere. At the last stage the pace becomes faster and is most interesting. All the actor performs well and did their job, particularly Anson Lo is a newbie but it doesn't shown like he is green. After all, this is a good movie, if someone like horror movie this is worth to watch. The story line is quite easy to understand.

In this age of horror being very much reliant on the gimmicks and unique right hooks to the audience to get them into the seats, it's not entirely common that one sees a good old fashioned spook-house horror film.

No gimmicks. No twists. Just a film that does its absolute best to get your skin crawling, nerves tightened, and heart pounding.

'It Remains', as you may imagine, is one of those films.

'It Remains' is about as simple as a horror movie nowadays can come; terrible circumstances befall a seemingly ordinary friend group, these weird circumstances lead to discoveries of something terrible in each of the characters, and soon enough things come apart rather quickly.

What this film excels at is all in the technical. The performances are all beyond convincing and do the job selling the understated terror this film has to offer. Specifically, David Chiang, Tommy Chu delivers in a manner that had even my skin crawling.

What is also noticeable when it comes to this film's strengths is the excellent cinematography, this film accomplishes a more suitable sense of suspense and nerve-wracking tension through it. Whether in-motion or standing completely still, the camera makes itself apparent in this film and works beyond effectively.

The only thing of it is, this film is not for you if you prefer a straightforward and conventional horror film. The first act is very much a slow burn, while the rest of the film builds its horror and tension in ways that I do not believe a general audience would appreciate quite as much. It's not abstract, but considering it lacks the conventions of jumpscares and instead relies on atmosphere, mood, and its performances to scare...that perhaps explains a bit why the film is striking the general audience as so polarizing.

But, if you can appreciate a slow, creepy, atmospheric film that aims directly to make your skin crawl and make you shuffle in your seat, I think you'll truly enjoy the ride this film takes you on.

Unconventional, scary as hell, but perhaps not perfect in what it aspires to do, 'It Remains' is still a scary time for all the right reasons! Bravo to this new director coming out from Hong Kong!

It Remains is an atmospheric horror thriller with tremendous acting from a diverse cast featuring both veteran and rookie actors. David Chiang (aka John Gor) shows his powerhouse acting prowess, tackling action scenes with ease despite his advanced age. The main lead Anson Lo surprises with the depth and range of his emotional expressions in key scenes in this film, and is particularly impressive in the final sequences when he has to portray two characters at once through body language, voice, facial expressions, and even his fingers. Completely agree with the @scmpnews film reviewer that Anson Lo made a dramatic acting breakthrough in It Remains. I sincerely believe he deserves a nomination at the HK film awards. The visual production and the sound editing are also highlights of this movie, with nightmarish but sleek imageries and eerie sound effects that haunt the mind. Yet this film is more touching than scary, in its deft depiction of relationships between father and daughter (David Chiang and Summer Chan) and between friends (Anson Lo and Tree Kok). The heart-to-heart talks between these pairs are heartbreaking but sweet. People have commented on the script being a weakness in this film, yet the story is very coherent to me and well-told.

The story is well paced after it's first 10-15 minute of slow burn, suffering from some disturbing incidents of varying quality, packing nice as well as mental scary moments . There are some really creepy scenes with soul reaching chills, ghastly surprises and outstanding the pleasantly visual look too. Beautiful Art Direction, especially the details on Chinese wedding scene which was just stunning.

There's a demon likes to get inside your mind, if he enters he can be a bit unkind, takes you down a winding path, a quite determined sociopath, doesn't care what trauma that he leaves behind. It's the kind of shade that's often passed along, the recipient may feel they don't belong, an imposter in their world, wearing a mask fully unfurled, all life's treasures we take for granted, simply gone.

Some stellar performances in a film that will get you thinking about the effects life's challenges present and how you deal with them, albeit through the eyes of those possessed by demonic urges they can't control.