Now, as for the movie itself:

Director Herman Yau, probably best known for his joyously gruesome Category III thrillers, takes a stab at a more traditional horror movie, with mostly good results. Taking inspiration from both supernaturally-themed movies like The Sixth Sense and frequent collaborator Anthony Wong's directorial debut New Tenant and from more down-to-Earth thrillers such as Seven (a bit of homage in the title, perhaps?), this film delivers satisfactorily in the most important areas.

Officer Fong Jing (Andy Lui) from the Serious Crimes Division is a dedicated cop who secretly despises most of his co-workers, regarding them as lazy backstabbers. During a shootout he has the misfortune to get shot in the head, but instead of dying, he lapses into a coma for two years. Horror movie tradition dictates that a character's perception of reality be altered somehow after such an experience, and this is no exception; upon awakening, Fong is able to see and speak with ghosts and befriends a deceased psychiatrist named Kit. He still has friends among the living, too, though...his nurse Oscar (Rachel Lee...yes, Oscar is a woman) happily fills the role of his new significant other, and he returns to his duties (with the cops that he actually likes) after an unnaturally quick recovery. His first case: tracking down a rapist and murderer who favors a very specific type of victim: ..................yeah, you guessed it...nurses.

Remember that TV show Quantum Leap, where Scott Bakula had to keep getting information from Al (Dean Stockwell), who was invisible and inaudible to everyone else? I betcha Herman Yau does. Fong and Kit work as a team in much the same manner; Kit is able to read peoples' "life meters" as a way of predicting the future in terms of who will outlive whom, who is in life-threatening danger, and so forth. Fong pretends to speak to somebody on his cell phone when he needs to converse with Kit; a plot device that wears thin too quickly in light of the frequency with which it is used.

Nightmares in Precinct 7 occasionally relies on predictable scare tactics, but manages to do so without being too cheesy to take seriously. The musical score by Brother Hung (who has scored most, if not all of Herman Yau's movies) is rather unremarkable, and the film fails to maintain a distinct visual mood, but the strong acting helps make up for this. Andy Lui is certainly credible as Fong; just watch his facial expressions when Officer Jap fills him in on what has happened during his coma. He didn't make me believe he really needed that walker, though. Rachel Lee is very good too. She manages to convey just the right amount of sweetness without getting nauseatingly saccharine, and her wholesome, girl-next-door look suits the role very well. The camera loves her, and if you're a heterosexual male who has not yet reached the age where someone like her is young enough to be your daughter and you should feel guilty for ogling her, you'll probably lover her too. If you have to have SOMEBODY wipe your ass and empty your bedpan for two years, I suppose you could do worse. I didn't even mind all the scenes devoted to her budding romance with Fong.

F***, I must be getting soft in my old age...and I'm only 23. Yo, Kit? What's my life meter look like?