Fridae

Singapore may be producing more films now than it was 15 years ago, but many of them are simply dismal in quality and production values. Once in a while, though, we get an exciting new talent like Royston Tan or Kelvin Tong who restores our faith in local films and leave us hankering for more.

Writer-director Chai Yee Wei is one such talent, and Blood Ties marks one of the most impressive debuts in Singapore cinema’s history.  After making film buffs sit up and take notice of his short films in recent years, he’s served up a stunningly well-made supernatural actioner that’s a cut above the rest. 

Told in non-linear format, this clever and original tale centers on a vengeful spirit (David Leong) who returns from the grave to inhabit the body of his teenage sister (a truly impressive Joey Leong) and seek revenge on those who murdered him.  The body count rises and the blood flows freely.

Though the story has been chronologically rearranged, it is still remarkably clear and devoid of loopholes. Director Chai seems to have skipped over all the potential pitfalls of young directors to deliver a satisfying tale well-told. His cast, which includes Hong Kong veterans Chen Pei Pei and Kenneth Tsang, is uniformly good. And his script, written in a smattering of dialect, Mandarin, English and Malay, feels concise yet natural. 

With his assured direction and good storytelling instincts, he is one young man to watch.