Had this lying around in my pile of unwatched movies, and after reading MrBooth's enthusiatic review decided to pull it out and check for myself whether he simply got seduced by a comination of Ellen Chan's beauty, too little sleep, and too much Red Bull, or whether this movie indeed deserves his lavish praise.

And the verdict? Well, the film does not disappoint. It is indeed a well-crafted thriller that features well-developed characters and a very suspenseful story, despite some gaping plot holes. Ellen Chan as the undercover police officer trying to get evidence on suspected murderer Michael Wong displays just the right mix of ample charm, tough determination and innocent naivity to make the story work. The audience cares about her (and I'm not talking about the small portion of the audience who will watch the film merely for the sex scenes) and she has a smart counterpoint in Michael Wong, who works well as an actor when he is dubbed. The film initially keeps the audience guessing about the true identity of the villain, and when it is revealed, we desparately want to save Ellen from her pending fate. Alas, things go as they must, and the films ends with a rather upsetting and abrupt conclusion that left me somewhat unsatisfied, as it was not the outcome I had wanted.

The violence/gore level is pretty high, with some gruesome torture/murder scenes made all the more questionable by being combined with gratuitous sex.

All around, one of the better Cat 3 thrillers. Recommended, if you can stomach the violence.