Unidentified Murder
Hong Kong | Cantonese, English subtitles
2025 | 101 Minutes
Director: Kwok Ka-Hei, Jack Lee Chun-Kit
Cast: Ling Man Lung, Renci Yeung, Peter Chan,
Kenny Wong
One of the great things about film festivals, is that you generally go into a film screening blind, and that was the case with Unidentified Murder. Whereas with something like The Odyssey, lets say, there has been months and months of tire pumping and press, controversy and whatever else, and that’s before we even mention a director as high profile as Christopher Nolan is attached to it.
So, with Unidentified Murder, all I knew was the minimal amount of information that was supplied on the Fantasia festival website. What I was hoping for, was a Hong Kong version of The X-Files, but that is far from what this movie ended up being. Far, far from it.
See Also: Tunnels : Sun In The Dark at Fantasia Festival
Twenty-five years ago, a child named Tang Chi-Ho went missing at Tung Tau Hill. There was glimpse of a mysterious beam from the sky, and then suddenly he vanished! There were a few theories, including the one in which he’s been abducted by aliens. Police officers tried their best to find him, but no luck.
Years later, an influencer couple goes to the same location where this unfortunate event took place in order to film a prank video. What could go wrong? Except that their situation is rapidly getting worse and worse, while they’re also being blackmailed. One prank turns into an unmitigated and deadly disaster. It all goes back to that missing kid from decades ago.
Now, normally, I try my best to write without giving away any spoilers. This time, I’m not sure I can do that. What does that mean? Well, you have a choice. Stay ignorant about the film or read on, and learn too much about it. Blue pill, or red pill? You pick!
Oh, so you chose the red pill. Then let’s get into it.
I mentioned hoping to see something along the lines of The X-Files, and would have happily settled for an episode of The Outer Limits or something like that. Hell, in hindsight, even an episode of Dark Skies would have been something. Turns out, that was all wishful thinking. Serious, serious wishful thinking. Anybody remember Dark Skies? Exactly!
Unidentified Murder doesn’t offer any form of science-fiction. At all. I think it was supposed to have been a comedy. Only, it wasn’t remotely funny. At all. Instead, what we get all a whole cast of unlikeable characters, each more terrible than the last, and this wasn’t an intentionally decision from the director, either. Already, I think influencers are the lowest form of human on the planet. So, perhaps there is a bias on my part here. Perhaps.
What this is, is a terrible person, pranking two other terrible people, who are also getting pranked by other people, and on and on we go. That’s basically it. That sums on the whole package. That is as deep as this film every gets and I am trying very hard to be nice here.
Read More:
>> After School at Fantasia Festival
>> Nyaight Of The Living Cat at Fantasia Festival
>> Satan Wants You at Fantasia Festival
Everything about this film felt rushed and the twists were as predictable as could be. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of movies. Maybe even an unhealthy about of films. But there are still films that surprise me and this really wasn’t one of them. I knew what was coming at each and every turn and found myself rolling my eyes several times through.
In all seriousness though, I wouldn’t recommend this film to anyone. Not even a so-called social media influencer.
