In the original incarnation of the anthology format, the idea was for various filmmakers to come together to try new tactics and experimentations in a format that won't impact their normal careers that badly. With more examples than could be mentioned here gathering together several prominent creators into one package for viewers' consumption, the gathering of Fruit Chan, Fung Chi-keung, and Wesley Hoi Ip Sang into the first installment is an intended upcoming franchise that's screening at the Making Waves Film Festival.
Starting with Wesley Hoi Ip Sang's “The Chink,” Yoyi (Cheery Ngan) and her friend Alice (Ng Wing Sze) move into a new apartment and try to use their newfound freedom to their advantage to reconnect and build their relationship following a traumatic incident in their childhood. Once it becomes obvious that they're not completely over those feelings of dread and fear, the two realize that more than ghosts may be after them. In Fruit Chan's “Dead Mail,” online wealth investor Wilson Yeung (Jerry Lamb) working on cultivating his channel begins staging a video to encourage investment in a new mall slated to open soon, by using the managers and a crew of paid actors. When things take a turn for the worse as a figure wearing a gas mask begins stalking him, he tries to use whatever he can to escape the situation. Finally, in Fung Chi-keung's “The Tenement,” struggling writer Ginny (Sofie Ng) living in a worn-down apartment complex becomes convinced that a ghost is moving between the various floors of the building, requiring her and several friends to band together to investigate what's going on. As they try to figure out the cause of the strange sightings, the group eventually discovers something far deadlier may be at plan than they expected.
As for the stories, there's a lot to like in these segments. “The Chink” is a great start to things and is a fine opening segment. The breezy setup and breakneck pace create a fantastic mood here, generating the initial means of the past trauma that affects Yoyi. As an appropriately unnerving and terrifying incident in its own right, the fact that it still haunts and horrifies them comes through not just in the dialogue between Yoyi and her uncle but through the constant flashbacks trying to make sense of the initial moment in their childhood. The frequent flashes from the ghostly figure following her add to the creepy atmosphere, in addition to the concept at play generating some unnerving incidents. There's even some work showing the lengths to which their relationship has impacted their lives since the incident, involving several shocking reveals and twists that come off rather nicely. While the segment might run a bit too long trying to focus on some secondary storylines in a misguided way to boost the running time, they're not that detrimental.
Overall, “Dead Mall” has quite a lot to really like about it. Offering a pointed commentary on modern consumer culture and social media influencers, the setup here is quite topical even without the grim shots of the crowded street-walkers adorned in various protective masks. The shift towards consumerism featured here with the staged antics at the mall opening with actors nearly messing up their marks while Wilson tries to shill the benefits of the grand opening also signals the start of the turn towards a stalker-based genre experience. The gas mask-adorned stranger continually spotted around him while trying to bilk out clueless fans of their money, adds some much-needed tension to the segment. That's aided along nicely with the subplot involving the original tragedy that destroyed the original mall and necessitating its rebuild they're promoting. That there are several other storylines in play during the finale, with a disgruntled follower of Wilson taking revenge, the ghost-hunt Livestream, the actors left behind being terrorized by the ghost, and the stalker hunting down whoever they can, all serve to generate some solid action and suspense in the facility. While there's a bit too much going as it's quite easy to lose track of who's where in the building as well as for what reason, this segment has enough going on to be quite fun and chilling.
“The Tenement” manages to come off rather strongly and makes for a rather strong finish. That the segment grows in seriousness throughout its running time as we get to see more of the ghost adds immensely to the atmosphere. Initially suspecting the ghost to be the figment of their imagination brought about by the convict who moved into the building, the growing realization that it's a genuine supernatural entity becomes far more obvious over time. From the encounter with the spiritualist who suspects something is amiss to the preparational ceremony to battle the ghost, the events that come about leading to the full reveal add a more comedic spin than expected and have a lot to like. A subplot involving the life of Frankie coming back to haunt him adds nothing of value and makes this run on a bit too long for its own good, but otherwise, there's not much to dislike here to close this out rather strongly.
An overall impressive and enjoyable anthology with plenty of positives in each segment and not too many issues, “Tales from the Occult” manages to offer up some likable factors to hold it up. Viewers who appreciate this style or approach, as well as fans of the creative crew, will enjoy this one the most.
