Re-Cycle
(aka Recycle)
2006; directed by Danny Pang and Oxide Pang

The Pang Brothers re-team with the star of their breakout film The Eye, Angelica Lee, in Re-Cycle, a release that at first seems to tread the whole familiar "I see dead people" route that has been beaten to death over the last few years, at times with productions from the Pangs themselves, like their flawed American debut The Messengers. But rest easy, dear readers, as Re-Cycle is one of the more unique takes on the supernatural genre that you're going to see from Hong Kong (or, for that matter, anywhere else) and shows why the Pangs, despite some mis-steps, continue to be some of the more exciting Asian film-makers out there.

Angelica plays Ting Yin, a writer who has been contracted to write a novel with supernatural elements. Facing writer's block, she begins experiencing a series of mysterious events, which she begins to include in her novel. Eventually, the line between reality and fantasy is blurred as Ting is seemingly brought into another dimension where discarded thoughts, items, and even people wander about until they are finally "recycled" and reincarnated into something else. With only an old man and young girl to help her, Ting must try and escape before she herself becomes recycled.

The first third or so of Re-Cycle goes through familiar territory for Asian ghost movies, including the mandatory creepy pale little girl with long black hair and sunken eyes wandering around. But once the story really starts rolling, it quickly becomes clear that this is not your usual supernatural fare. Re-Cycle has much more in common with movies like Dark City and Pan's Labyrinth than The Sixth Sense or The Ring, and it's all that much more successful because of that. The inventive story is buoyed by some tremendous set design and special effects, which belie this production's (relatively) small budget. Re-Cycle not only looks great compared to other Asian releases, but holds its' own among similar fare from the west, and in fact, at times surpasses them.

All the fancy special effects would be for naught if the acting wasn't up to snuff, but Angelica Lee -- who, perhaps not coincidentally, is married to Oxide Pang -- is more than up to the task. In a role where she is alone much of the time, Angelica thankfully doesn't resort to the histrionics espoused by far too many actors placed in these sorts of parts, instead creating a well-rounded and believable character that creates sympathy from the audience, to the point that even this jaded reviewer almost had to reach for the Kleenex during the surprisingly touching climax. Even though no tears were actually generated, and the "shocking" twist presented at the end felt tacked-on and totally unnecessary, Re-Cycle still comes whole-heartedly recommended.

RATING: 7.25