2009's Red Nights was Carrie Ng's (famous for her role as the femme fatale in Naked Killer) first starring role in nearly a decade. It's a hybrid -- both by way of a multicountry production via France and Hong Kong, and execution, being a mix of a thriller, gory horror, and kinky erotica. It's not a totally successful cinematic blend, but fans of the heyday of Category III exploitation will probably enjoy themselves here.

The story is a bit muddled and hard to follow, but basically it boils down to an artifact that brings the holder limitless pleasure, at the cost of experiencing unlimited pain. Various groups are after the artifact, and after a series of double-crosses filled with sex, violence, and intrigue, one person wins it back. Or do they actually win anything?

That will be something for you potential viewers to decide. While the answer delivered may be unclear, the journey to get there is certainly an interesting one, almost like Hellraiser via Red Shoe Diaries. That comparison is not a slight. Though this production is flawed, it was still nice to see something that didn't depend on the standard cookie-cutter PG-13 fake CGI scares and limp side boob cold fish non-sexiness that permeates so many of these sorts of releases nowadays.

RATING: 6