Victim is a suspense/horror/crime movie that can’t really decide which way it wants to go.

As many of the other reviewers have mentioned this can be a very confusing film. What is it? A crime drama? A horror movie? Action film? Instead of blending these genres together, the movie just starts, stops, and starts over again- several times.

Victim is about a computer programmer (Lau Ching Wan) who gets in too deep with some loan sharks. He is mysteriously kidnapped and found tied up in a haunted hotel. Tony Leung is the officer assigned to the case. Everyone is shocked (especially his wife) when LCW completely changes personality and acts like he is a different person altogether. Is this just a game, or is there really some supernatural activity going on here? I’m not even sure the writer and director of this film could answer that last question.

This movie really didn’t work for me. Part of the problem is that I am a big fan of LCW, and I was waiting for his personality to take over this film- and it never happens. He just kind of mopes around throughout the movie and doesn’t add much until the end. This was not necessarily his fault, as the script calls for him to appear possessed for much of the time; but the movie really does miss LCW’s personality. Towards the ending, Victim does pick up a little as the supernatural angle is completely dropped. That too, is ruined however when what looks like an exciting ending just falls apart without much happening. Then, at the last second, the “possessed” angle creeps back in as a possibility. That just left the story feeling even more pointless. This movie should have just picked a genre and stuck with it. The haunted hotel background story was cool; as was the kidnapping/blackmail of the computer programmer. Either one would have made for a successful plot. There are just enough interesting parts in this film to keep you watching, but it is not enough. To be fair, I must mention that Tony Leung does a good job portraying his workaholic cop character. He doesn’t overact the part as he is sometimes known to do. This movie is worth watching once- if you can find it cheap.