| Director | Calvin Poon |
| Starring | Sammi Cheng, Charlene Choi, Tong Dawei |
| Alternative Names | 圣荷西谋杀案 |
Welcome to our short review of the Hong Kong mystery thriller Fatal Visit
What’s this movie about?
Ling and Tang are living the dream. Their big house has a lake side view, Ling has a steady office job and a baby on the way, and Tang is about to sign on an investor for his new bathroom-ware venture.
Ling invites her friend Yanny to stay with them for a few days. Unbeknownst to Ling, Yanny has just broken up with her lover after a terrible situation, and facing ostracization from her dance troupe, she needs some time to herself to reset her life.
But there are cracks in the relationship. Ling seems to be a control freak and Tang appears stressed out. Things begin to take a turn when the wife of Tang’s business investor gets hospitalised after an incident at a dinner party.
Yanny then discovers she’s stuck in the middle of a very dangerous situation between Ling and Tang as a wardrobe full of dark secrets are revealed.
Is it Worth Watching?
If you like slow but methodical building up of a storyline for your mystery thrillers, then the first half of the movie has you covered.
The opening scene starts the movies mystery off with Ling walking into a bar and leaving not long after, trying to get away from the advancements of Tang, who is the bartender.
We are then shown glimpses of her life. There’s an older man and a sick mother. There’s Tang’s sordid history with debt collectors. All these flashbacks are mixed in with the present time. It makes for gripping viewing as the pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed around us.
The movie plays into the trepidations, and even fears, of those who have left their homeland to start a new life in a foreign country. There’s the isolation and loneliness, or being taken advantage of and used by others. It’s all shown in this movie as it helps to build up the stories of our three main characters.
But, it kind of all falls apart at the end.
And because of the ending, I give this a thumbs down. (watch the review video above for more explanations of this rating)
Author
The Arty Dans