Switching between streaming services like Paramount and Peacock in search of a movie to watch, I stumbled upon Rigor Mortis on Peacock TV. Despite its less-than-stellar rating, I was intrigued and decided to give it a chance. While not quite what I was expecting, the film turned out to be an engaging way to spend the evening before gearing up for classes the next day.

Plot

Image from here

The movie plot revolves around actor Chin Siu-ho, who becomes suicidal after his family leaves him. He moves into a rundown apartment building and encounters twin girl ghosts who possess his body. A neighbor named Yau helps to drive the spirits out and reveals that his family are vampire-hunters. Meanwhile, a series of events unfold involving an elderly man named Tung, a single mother named Yang Feng, and her son Pak. The ghosts haunting Chin’s apartment are revealed to be former students of Yang’s husband, who met tragic ends. Chin resolves to banish the ghosts, leading to a series of confrontations and revelations about the true nature of the supernatural forces at play. Ultimately, the movie ends with a twist revealing that the events were created by Chin’s dying mind, and the characters are actually people he encountered on his way to his apartment.

Rating: 3.5 Twin Ghosts

I’ll be honest and admit that the initial 20-30 minutes of the film left me incredibly puzzled. The sequences where the protagonist seems to be possessed or experiencing supernatural phenomena were a bit disorienting, and it took some time to grasp the narrative direction. However, as the story progressed and the plot threads began to interweave, the movie started to find its footing.

One aspect that caught my attention, albeit in a weird way, was the scene where the protagonist, Chin, is conversing with Meiyi at the restaurant. I couldn’t help but notice the exaggerated manner in which Chin “ate” food, only to spit it back into the bowl before speaking. I get that this might be normal when acting in a scene involving food, the comedic effect seemed a bit overdone, especially considering the practicalities of how much food could realistically fit in the bowl.

Chin’s motivation to exorcise the ghosts in order to accommodate Yang and her son moving in with him struck me as a odd. While it was a kind gesture on the surface, the idea of someone agreeing to live with a stranger so readily felt somewhat unrealistic. I get that moving back into her old apartment, which is now Chin’s, is better than where Yang and her son are currently living in, but this was readily accepted by both sides rather quickly. Yet again, this is a weird apartment complex with just as weird tenants.

My favorite aspect of the film was definitely the portrayal of the twin ghosts. Despite their tragic backstory and the circumstances surrounding their deaths, the way their spirits twitched and moved every time they appeared on screen was impressively executed. One memorable scene that showcases this is when Yang unknowingly releases the twins from a dresser, mistaking it for her son Pak’s hiding place. As Yang exits the room in search of her son, the twins follow closely behind, their ghostly figures twitching with every step, adding an eerie and captivating element to the scene.

I appreciated the supernatural elements in the film, but the ending, which reveals that the entire story was a product of Chin’s dying mind, felt like a narrative misstep to me. I was hoping for a more whimsical conclusion that delved into the dynamics of life in a supernatural apartment complex with fascinating neighbors, rather than relying on a metafictional twist. However, I suppose such a universe might be more fitting for an anime. Nonetheless, this English-dubbed film could serve as a decent choice for passing time or providing ambient background noise.