The use of pop singers and singers in films has a long and varied career, spanning decades on nearly every continent as the need for boosting sales by tapping into pop culture is fairly obvious. Among the latest to do so is Anson Kong, utilizing his chart-topping success in Cantopop icons Mirror and his solo success to launch a career in the film industry. After several other projects, he now turns to the Horror genre with the grisly debut from director Nate Ki, “Back Home,” having its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival.
Back Home is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
Heung Wing (Anson Kong) left his native Hong Kong for Canada long ago, hoping to escape his ability to see ghosts. When his mother Jan's (Bai Ling) suicide attempt leaves her in a coma he must return to the unstable place he once called home. Back in the shoddy apartment complex where he grew up, disturbing childhood memories start flooding his mind while the tangible apparitions appear more frightening than ever. As Heung Wing witnesses more and more eerie happenings, he starts to question his sanity while also suspecting a macabre conspiracy at work.
For the most part, “Back Home” comes off incredibly well with a lot to like about it. Among the better features on display is a highly effective and engaging main setup from writer/director Ki that allows for a generally fun time getting into the storyline. While much is made of Heung's ability to see ghosts from his youth through the flashbacks with his mother and the interactions amongst his neighbors following his return, there's more at stake here than a general setup featuring a person with paranormal powers encountering something strange. Fueled by this backstory he has with his mother and the attempts at suppressing these abilities for Heung to fit in better with his classmates, the use of this storyline makes for a gradually more hard-hitting feature by making the use of his power and the gradual use of black magic and sorcery feel quite logical.
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However, when “Back Home” does go all in on the spooks and creeps it's usually quite effective. The flashbacks to him as a kid witnessing strange phenomena around the house, from the usual voices playfully calling out in the distance and appearing suddenly behind somebody to hallucinating figures that no one else can see, all serve nicely to set the stage for what's going to be on offer throughout. The later scenes of Heung as an adult feature more overt scares with the ghosts appearing out of darkened hallways, emerging from blacked-out rooms or doorways, and setting out to disrupt his life with their appearances coming out of nowhere are incredibly effective. As the incidents continue not just the ones involving him but the other residents in the apartment complex, it gradually reveals the real purpose behind most of the incidents and encounters that carry on into the final half. As the purpose of the ghosts' interactions gradually becomes clear and it starts driving Heung to insanity, the big reveal about the ritualistic ceremony that's being held offers some chilling resolutions as playing out what their purpose is sets this up nicely to give the film a lot to like about it.
That said, “Back Home” does have a few issues about it. The main issue here is a somewhat convoluted approach that makes for a difficult time figuring out the time period of what's going on. The first half of the film tends to spend a lot of time with Heung as a kid so to then make a child living in the apartment a major character who also encounters ghosts causes a massive amount of confusion. Having different characters around the same age at different points of time experiencing similar actions manages to be quite confusing. This constant slipping back and forth in time also goes for how his mother interacts since the present-day version is unable to speak yet the flashbacks show her completely capable of doing so. It takes a while before it all makes sense so everything that takes place is hard to differentiate how it all goes down. That also causes the film to be somewhat too long for what it should be, lasting a bit longer than necessary getting all these subplots out, lasting a bit longer than it should, coming together to be the issues that hold it back.
An overall fun and chilling if slightly confusing genre effort, “Back Home” strikes far more effective positive aspects than negative ones leaving this a highly effective piece for the most part. Give the film a shot if you're a fan of this overall style of Asian horror efforts or are curious about it due to Anson's involvement.
What about Bai Ling playing different ages and different aspects of a concerned but loving mother?