The Film: Well, its not just the US that saw a spate of supernatural themed horror films in the late nineties. The success of such films as the Japanese Ring franchise, and other films like Kairo and Memento Mori, spawned a newfound popularity in the ghostly fantasy horror film genre. Inner Senses (2001) takes its cues from the film that started the wave in the US, The Sixth Sense... Like Sense, here we get a protagonist who "sees dead people" and is aided by a skeptic psychiatrist/professor. However, our protagonist is a introverted young woman instead of a pasty morose kid, and there is a much greater sense of mystery involving the truth, whether or not she actually sees these things or is just suffering from some psychosis. Plus, add a little sexual tension, a reversal with the therapist being haunted, and it becomes even less of a Sense imitator and has its own ground to stand on.

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.

The DVD: Tai Seng

Picture- Widescreen. Colors and flesh tones are quite good. Shows a little wear and tear, some softness, grain, and slightly dulled contrast that should probably not be on a film this young, but it is within acceptable amounts for an import. Edge enhancement and pixelation is at a minimum.

Sound-Pretty decent Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Cantonese or Mandarin tracks with options white English subtitles. The audio is pretty good, music is clear and well defined, with the only sore spot being some lackluster audio recording in a few scenes with uneven levels, background noise, and such. The subtitles are big and white, with very few/no mistakes other than some strange additions of ";@;@;@" instead of ellipses.

Extras- 8 Chapters--- Trailer

Conclusion: Barebones but decent DVD of an adequate, though uneven, horror pic. The price is fair, so those with a taste for Asian horror should pick it up; those still on the fence should give it a rental and they may find themselves pleased. Its not perfect, but there are far worse crimes in the post Sixth Sense world of horror celluloid.