The Imp

Though his directorial career was short-lived, Dennis Yu created some of the most memorable and controversial cult films of the 1980s. Dubbed among the scariest films ever made in Hong Kong, Yu’s nihilistic horror hit follows a rookie security guard who takes desperate measures to defend his family when a malevolent force murders his hapless co-workers in increasingly morbid fashion. Educated abroad like many of his fellow Hong Kong New Wave filmmakers, Yu blends Western horror cinematic techniques such as expressionistic visuals and elaborate special effects with local superstitions and folklores, creating a pioneering work that influenced the look of the horror genre for the decades that followed. However, the film isn’t only about smoke and mirrors; its chilling conclusion remains one of the bleakest endings in Hong Kong cinema.

22/8 (Sat): Film talk with Bryan Chang