MIRROR continues its prolific output across various mediums, with its members consistently contributing to music, cinema, and drama. Anson Lo, a standout member, whose popularity skyrocketed after ViuTV's record-breaking drama "Ossan's Love", takes the lead in the horror film "It Remains" In this review, I will delve into Anson Lo's performance and assess the film as a whole
Directed by Kelvin Shum, "It Remains" is part of the recent wave of Hong Kong horror films, distinguishing itself as a more serious entry amidst the prevalent satirical and comedic trends. The storyline unfolds on an eerie island, a setting common in horror, where four characters grapple with the island's mysterious behavior.
The narrative initially stumbles with confusing jumps from one sequence to another, possibly mirroring protagonist's (Anson Lo) grief over his lost girlfriend or simply aiming for something out of ordinary. This complexity doesn’t help much as it made it difficult for me to concrete on the film. But the good thing is that after around half an hour of its runtime, the film finally decides to sit still and tell us a story.
So the story they finally decide to tell us is not all that interesting. It mostly deals with the characters' grief with their past and their lost loved ones. The attempt to infuse horror into the plot falls flat. There are two or three commendable shots we get to see but barely enough to save the film.
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As for the film, It doesn’t worth any more words. You probably have noticed how much it disappointed me. But the good thing is, because I watched this film solely for Anson Lo, so I still had one thing to look for.
Anson Lo's performance stands out as a notable improvement in his acting career so far. While not groundbreaking or staggering, Anson Lo's progress from past works is evident.
I would easily call him one of the worst actors I have ever seen, even though I wouldn’t mind watching him more and more (that's my MIRROR fanboyism), but after watching him in this film, I think he is finally showing his acting potential. If you have deeply followed some today's great Hong Kong actors, some of them weren’t all that bright when they started. All improved along the way. Anson Lo could be one of them. Improving and serving for the industry with time. He might not have innate talent but with this film, he did show that he is getting there slowly. As much as I know Anson Lo, he is a passionate artist. He does his work with his heart and he is very interested in building his career as a film star so I will be closely keeping an eye on him to see how he flourish as an actor. As of now, at least we got to see the much needed improvement.
In a film marred by negativity, David Chiang's guest appearance shines as a bright spot. The veteran actor delivers the most intense performance, effortlessly overshadowing the rest of the cast. While expected from Chiang's caliber, it remains (no pun intended) a standout aspect of the film.
Conclusion: "It Remains" falls short of expectations, offering little appeal unless you are a devoted MIRROR fan or a completionist of Hong Kong cinema. Not like being a MIRROR devotee or a Hong Kong completionist would make it any better. It's just could be the only reasons to check this boring film.