Ghost movies are literally a dime a dozen over in Hong Kong (such as the long-running Troublesome Night series), so it takes something special for one of them to stand out. Though there is nothing really ground-breaking here, Inner Senses does manage to deliver a few thrills and shocks over its' running time. There are more than a few similarities with films like The Eye and The Sixth Sense, but there are enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing without making matters overly convoluted.

Inner Senses has a nice style about it -- unique without being too flashy. When you combine that with the strong performances of the lead actors, you have the makings of a good ghost/suspense film. Even though some Leslie Cheung fans might have a hard time sitting through this movie's conculsion (which sort of parallels his own tragic demise), Inner Senses is still one of the better ghost flicks Hong Kong has cranked out over the past few years.

COMMENTS
I didn't really know much about this film except that it was another one of those supernatural asian films. The plot kind of reminded me of The Eye so I figured I'd check it out...

The plot is about a girl who sees ghosts. She ends up visiting a psychologist about it and he proves that it's all in her head and in the process falls in love with her. After she is cured the psychologist himself begins seeing these ghosts.

The movie was interesting, but it really didn't have any good scary or creepy parts compared to The Eye or Ringu. I did like the plot a bit, because it starts off pretty unoriginal but once more is revealed it starts to get a lot more interesting. The twist towards the end was a little predictable, but good. I didn't really like the ghosts in this film. They looked a little funny and not as scary as the ones I've seen in other films.

The main ghost towards the end made unusual door-creaking noises whenever it moved its joints, which I thought was quite odd and sometimes funny. The directing and acting wasn't bad. It had good atmosphere at times. I would have given it a lower-rating, but it wasn't a bad film it just needs more work with script. If you're looking for something more in terms of tension and scares see the films I mentioned above.

OVERALL
A decent HK film. Interesting, but not as scary or as good as other Asian films I've seen. Check this if you're a fan of any Asian horror, but not recommended.

Yan Cheung (Karena Lam) is an emotionally fragile young woman with a past of attempted suicides. After she moves into a new apartment, she is haunted by voices and visions of ghosts. Enter Dr. Jim Law (Leslie Cheung) who is hired to help her by a colleague and family friend (Waise Lee). Jim believes that ghosts are merely a product of the mind. For instance, Jim believes that Yan’s landlords tale how his wife and son were killed in a landslide so he still awaits their return home is the reason behind Yan’s visions, such a story being planted into the mind of someone on the emotional edge. Her recovery becomes rocky as she begins to fall for Jim, and it is her failed past relationships that have always triggered her downward spiral and suicide attempts. But, Jim is able to help her and eventually she is well on the road to recovery and they develop an even deeper relationship. Then Jim begins to be haunted himself and his logical mind is overwhelmed, sleepwalking, crazed, as if his own forgotten ghosts have come out to haunt him.

Director Law Chi Leung is probably best known as the writer/director of the actioner Double Tap and the Leslie Cheung farce Viva Erotica, and here he serves a good, capable ghost tale that is hindered by a bad script but delivers enough chills and style to win most subtle horror lovers over. And, that’s the key selling point. Although, there was some rather hammy and unneeded exposition and moments where the characters behaved in rather unbelievable ways, like Jim suddenly going so nuts and irrational that he actually electroshocks himself, there were enough chills, effective jumps, and really slick direction to make the film a nice experience. Okay, so what if it gets really sappy and the end and has a long drawn out weepy and stupid conclusion? Its enough that the film had some great visual compositions and unseen scares. Its not perfect, but its pluses just outweigh its minuses. Particularly I enjoyed the duality of the film, with the first half focusing on Yan’s troubles and the second half on Jim’s. Sure it makes no sense why Yan’s hauntings suddenly stop, why they were there in the first place, and why Jim suddenly finds himself disturbed... but all isn’t always logical in the world of horror fright. Given the material, the performances are all good, with Cheung delivering one of his best roles in years, and it was also nice and unexpected to see Norman Chu as the landlord...