Gwai wik [Re-cycle] (2006)

(In French, On Cable TV, October 2012) It’s not unusual to find films turning into horror midway through (especially when the first half was merely camouflage), but it’s much rarer to find a horror movie turning into something else midway through. But that’s what happens in Re-cycle, as a romance novelist in search of inspiration suddenly experiences unsettling events… and is then transported in a fantastic realm. From spooky horror, the film shifts into a personal journey set against an otherworldly environment. It’s all directed with some skill by The Pang Brothers, especially when it comes time to integrate visual effects at the forefront of the film. The result isn’t some kind of unimpeachable masterpiece—the tone shift could have been more graceful, the lead character is often annoying and the pacing (especially in the first section) is far too leisurely. But things pick up once we get in the protagonist’s mind, as Re-Cycle also becomes something more ambitious than just another ghost story.