Even though Hong Kong movies are never as good looking or slick made as an Hollywood production, it produced a couple of great little movies. "Baat sin faan dim ji yan yuk cha siu baau" is simple one of those great movies, mostly because of its sick story.

Movies focusing on serial killers are often good and interesting ones to watch, especially when they are done as well as this one. The movie is not really made great by its directing, acting or writing but more due to its violence and graphic straight-forward approach.

The movie features a couple of pretty graphic and sick moments, that makes this movie stand out in its genre. It's one of those movies that got banned in numerous countries at the time of its release and is heavily cut in others. Not that it's the most shocking more around but the movie does have its moments that will make some people's stomach turn.

In the beginning the movie its storytelling doesn't feel balanced out well enough. On the one hand it focus on the movie its killer and on the other on the police investigators. The two don't always mix well and it feels a bit disjointed. This gets better as the movie progresses but it always still remains a problem of the movie. The movie also gets less great toward its ending, when its perhaps starting to drag a bit.

Because the movie picks a more light and comical approach at times, you're able to forgive the movie its rather cheap look and production values. Had the movie been done completely serious the movie would had probably been not as effective, although it of course also prevents this movie from being a classic movie within its genre.

Overall the movie remains a surprisingly good one, despite all of its obvious flaws and 'cheap' Hong Kong style of film-making.

8/10

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The film begins in Hong Kong with a graphic pyro scene and then moves to Macau and the discovery of body parts on a beach by police. Anthony Wong gives a committed, chilling and powerful performance as the lead which won him a Hong Kong film Best Actor award. He plays a man who runs the Eight Immortals restaurant where the previous owner's family mysteriously disappeared, and it turns out the barbecue meat buns he makes contain an unusual ingredient. The police on the demented owner's trail are lead by the captain, Danny Lee, and several others who behave in a frivolous way towards each other. Some of the scenes between them are amusing. But it is Wong's character that stays with us long after the credits. The scene where the Untold Story is told near the end is extremely distressing and definitely not for the squeamish and faint hearted. But this film is a very powerful account of a remorseless killer with a great central acting performance.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The untold story is an ingeniously crafted horror movie. Extreme violence is well complemented by dark or goofy humour. Some of which feels cliché‚ and unnecessary, although makes the movie a little easier to err, swallow. Until you know what's is in those 'pork buns'

Anthony Wong plays the deranged owner of the 8 immortals restaurant. He rightly won and award for his portrayal of the unhinged murderer. The movie sets out as a kind of police movie. Mainly focusing on a bunch of slacker cops whom are investigating a bag of limbs washed up on the beach. As the plot intensifies you realize that it is much more than a cop movie, it is a terrific and at times darkly humorous horror movie.

As owner of the 8 immortals restaurant, we see Wong chopping and shaping meat and cheating at mah-jong. He is a very creepy character who we know isn't right. His psychological breakdown throughout the picture is extremely well observed. Then sure enough, his true persona is revealed. When accused of cheating at mah-jong, Wong quickly dispatches of his accuser. Then proceeds, to process him. The murders in this film are unbelievably nasty. They're unlike any on screen violence you've ever seen. Unless you've viewed other such cat 3 movies like Dr Lamb. The few kills each play out like mini games of cat and mouse. They are very gruelling and slow. The camera does not stray from the violence, creating a very unsettling atmosphere. Well used music also adds to the pace and gritty, nasty tension. Let's just say that some of the death scenes made me feel sick, they are all ugly and full on. Murders occur at night, building tension well, closing time at the eight immortals usually meant that something was going to happen. Murder for example.

Between the scenes of character observation and murder we get to know the police force abit. This makes way for some interesting comedic interludes. Some humorous, others just plain daft. The police all come across as half assed sexists. The one woman cop has to do all the bad jobs, she gets no praise either. Then humour rises with the frequent of occurrence of General Lee's hookers. Or the female Bo seeking acceptance, by dressing more provocatively. These moments can be genuinely funny. But, as I've mentioned other things such as cheap sexual jibes just grow tiresome after a while.

By the last 20 minutes, the movie turns into a prison drama. The prisoners are all rather brutal towards Wong. I find this clever hear how Herman Yau, the director, is able to play with the audiences emotions. You almost feel sorry for Wong at times. This is until you discover his final confession. The savage slaughter of the previous restaurant owner's family maybe. This bit is a flashback and is hideous. It is gruesome. Little kiddies get killed for Christ's sake. This is monumentally disturbing and shocking.

Subtitles in this feature are good on the whole. Occasionally they pass to quickly to read but they're generally fine. A big plus though is they are in yellow, so you don't get the annoying white on white clashing.

Overall this is an indispensable Asian horror movie which should be seen by anyone who can stomach it. I feel that although the child killing made the movie scarier, it really is unacceptable. All the same this is still a fantastic cop/horror/ prison type flick. 9/10