Yee dou hung gaan

People who are expecting unrelenting scares and a general feeling of creepiness should probably avoid this one. It's good, but it's more of a character study than anything else. The ghosts are real, but then, we're all haunted by our own personal demons, aren't we?

A young woman with the frightening ability to see ghosts seeks help from a handsome young doctor. The two soon fall in love and begin a relationship. However, as her ability lessens, his increases, and soon he is plagued by the vengeful ghost of a teenage girl he once wronged. The doctor, who never before believed in ghosts, begins to fall apart. Will he be driven to suicide by the restless spirit, or will he find a way to put both her and himself at peace?

This film is methodical in its careful construction of its characters. Some might prefer the term "slow moving." It's a ghost story with bookend ghosts, one of which strongly resembles Sadako of "Ringu" fame. Perhaps the creepiest aspect of this film is the fact that Leslie Cheung, in the role of the tormented Jim, committed suicide not long after this film was released. It is most disconcerting to see his character pushed to the brink of suicide by a ghost who wants him to jump off of a building when you know in advance that he actually did leap to his death from a tall building! This sad fact definitely lends the movie an unsettling quality.

The performances are all strong and quite believable, and the ghosts (when they appear) are frightening. This is a good, strong story of guilt and shame and the way in which they come back to "haunt" us. Fans of fast-paced, gore- splattered fare might find themselves bored silly by this one, but for the intellectual ghost lover "Inner Senses" just might be their thing.