Looking for local horror movies to watch this Halloween? Hong Kong’s film industry has churned out its fair share of horror movies, combining genres together, and creating successful franchises. See our top picks of the best horror movies to watch during Halloween or any day of the year.
When it comes to horror movies, Hong Kong is often ignored with movies from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea taking centre-stage. But given the city’s prolific film industry, it’s not surprising that we have our fair share of great horror movies. For instance, Mr. Vampire spanned a franchise that lasted until 1992. Then, there’s the great The Eye and Dumplings, both embedded in the Hall of Fame of Hong Kong horror movies.
In addition, Hong Kong horror movies are known for merging horror and comedic elements, often slapstick humour. This is perfect for those who want to watch horror movies without the spooky elements. But that said, there are other choices that are more for true horror fans. Below, we shortlisted the best Hong Kong horror movies to watch this Halloween and beyond.
The best Hong Kong horror movies to put on your watch list
1. Mr. Vampire (1985)
Let’s start this list with an oldie but a goodie (or spooky if you will). Mr. Vampire earned its place as one of the “must-watch” Hong Kong horror movies despite it not exactly being 100 per cent horror. Instead, it’s the classic horror-comedy combination. And yet, it’s one of the highest-rated in the genre. So, no list of Hong Kong horror movies is complete without a mention of this. The movie was well-received in Hong Kong and in Asia, leading to the inception of a Mr. Vampire franchise.
Synopsis: Lam Ching-ying, Chiu Siu-ho, Billy Lau, Moon Lee, Pauline Wong
Cast: Master Kau and his students band together to stop Jiangshi (a mix of zombie and vampires) corpses from threatening mankind.
Director: Ricky Lau
2. Troublesome Night (1997)
While not particularly terrifying, Troublesome Night deserves inclusion in the list of Hong Kong horror movies. Why? It’s probably the most popular and longest horror film series in Hong Kong. It spun a whopping 19 sequels from 1997 to 2003! The series taps into ghost occurrences that take place in the haunted streets of Hong Kong. So, if you can’t stomach gory horror, the movie is right for you.
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Synopsis: The movie has four loosely interconnected stories starting with a group of youngsters who go on a camping trip in the countryside. One of them encounters a mysterious woman and his life changes afterward. Another story follows a woman who gets lost while trying to call her husband. Next is a romantic story between a ghost and a young girl. The last one is about a group of friends who visit a haunted movie theatre.
Cast: Simon Lui, Louis Koo, Allen Ting, Jason Chu, Ada Choi, Teresa Mak, Law Lan, Lee Lik-chi, Frankie Ng, Kingdom Yuen, Christy Chung, Sunny Chan, Christine Ng, Ivy Leung, Kenix Kwon, Lui Tat
Director: Steve Cheng, Victor Tam, Herman Yau
3. The Eye (2002)
If you happen to know the Hollywood movie The Eye starring Jessica Alba and Parker Posey, then you have to know that it was a remake of a Hong Kong horror movie of the same name. The original also spun two other remakes: Adhu (2004) and Naina (2005). If I were to name the best of the best when it comes to Hong Kong horror movies, The Eye undeniably tops the list. The movie was successful at the box office and received two sequels.
Synopsis: Classical violinist Wong Kar-mun has been blind since childhood. Immediately, she grabs the chance to be able to see and undergoes surgery, receiving a pair of eyes from a donor. However, she starts seeing visions of gruesome deaths and experiencing ghostly encounters. To get to the bottom of it, she travels to Thailand with her psychotherapist to find her eye donor.
Cast: Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Chacha Rujianon, So Yat-lai
Director: Pang Brothers
4. Three (2002)
Three is an anthology horror film consisting of three stories helmed by three different Asian directors namely Kim Jee-won (South Korea), Nonzee Niminutr (Thailand), and Peter Chan (Hong Kong). The Hong Kong segment is titled Going Home, backed by famed cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Again, the movie is perfect for those who aren’t looking for gore. Instead, the focus is on creepy Asian folktales and the supernatural. As each segment also boasts a renowned cinematographer (Parasite’s Hong Kyung-po for instance), expect the visuals to be vivid and detailed for an extra level of creepiness.
Synopsis: The Hong Kong story, Going Home, follows a widowed cop who moves to a decaying apartment with his son. He discovers that his neighbour Yu, has been keeping his dead wife in their apartment, hoping to resurrect her one day.
Cast: Leon Yu, Eric Tsang, Eugenia Yuan, Li Ying-fung, Lau Tsz-wing
Director: Peter Chan
5. Dumpings (2004)
The collaboration between three Asian directors was successful and a sequel anthology film soon followed a year later. Three… Extremes features three stories: Dumplings by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, Cut by South Korea’s Park Chan-wook, and Box by Japanese director Takashi Miike. Later on, Dumplings was released as a theatrical feature film. It’s considered one of the most successful horror movies in Hong Kong, even premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2004.
Synopsis: Aunt Mei, a former gynaecologist who has performed abortions, makes special dumplings. It has youth-restoring abilities! Mrs. Li, a former actress, wants to make her husband pay attention to her again and offers to pay Mei for more. However, things become complicated when Mei is forced to leave, and the dumplings start to lose their power.
Cast: Miriam Yeung, Bai Ling, Tony Leung Ka-fai
Director: Fruit Chan
6. Dream Home (2010)
Enough of the horror-comedy and supernatural, it’s time for some… blood, courtesy of the slasher film, Dream Home. Just a word of caution that this film is not for the ill-hearted. Apparently, two audience members vomited and one fainted during the film’s premiere at the Far East Film Festival in 2010. The premise is dark but the film also explores the city’s tough housing conditions—a horror in its own right.
Synopsis: Cheng Lai is desperate to keep her home amid the hike in property prices. However, when things don’t go her way, she resorts to killing people.
Cast: Josie Ho, Wong Ching, Michelle Ye, Norman Chui, Eason Chan
Director: Pang Ho-cheung
7. Rigor Mortis (2013)
This 2013 horror film is a tribute to the Mr. Vampire series with many of the former cast featured in the film. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was praised for its reinvention of Hong Kong and Japanese horror film tropes. Think zombies, white ladies (female ghosts dressed in white), and a bit of black magic plus a modern touch compared to the 1980s Mr. Vampire.
Synopsis: Actor Chan Shui-ho (who plays himself in the film!) becomes depressed following his wife’s death. As he attempts to commit suicide, two twin ghosts possess him and change the course of his life.
Cast: Chin Siu-ho, Anthony Chan, Kara Wai, Paw Hee-ching, Richard Ng, Billy Lau
Director: Juno Mak
8. Tales from the Occult (2022)
Hong Kong is back at it with its anthology horror films. This time though, it’s all directed by Hong Kong filmmakers and focuses on the hidden horrors lurking in the city’s urban landscape. The film might be low-budget but it’s one of the smaller productions to come out of the city during the pandemic.
Synopsis: The film follows three stories: a YouTuber doing a livestream is confronted by an influencer, a mysterious figure blocks the stairwell of a residence, and a young pop star moves into a new home, but her mental health deteriorates.
Cast: Cherry Ngan, Ng Hoi-yan, Cecilia So, Richie Jen, Jerry Lamb, Sofiee Ng
Director: Fruit Chan, Fung Chih Chiang, Hoi Ip Sang
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All images credit: IMDb
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Which country has the best horror movies?
Many countries Japan and South Korea have great horror movies. They are known for their horror franchises such as The Ring and The Grudge.
- What are the 80s Hong Kong ghost movies?
There were many Hong Kong ghost movies in the 1980s including Mr. Vampire.
