Hex

I usually watch Shaw Bros horror movie just to be entertain by the goofy special effect and the gross out cause these kind of movie never scare me at all so watch this movie Hex(1980)i'm not expecting anything new from it but the result is very refreshing.The plot is as old as ever,there still some slapstick humor when there nothing happened but the thing make it stand out the most is the movie twist.There some genuinely good jump scares and suspense in this movie.The makeup effect still cheesy as ever and a very memorable dance scene near the end make this movie a must watch for old fashioned horror movie fan

I saw this for the first time recently. Got enticed aft reading few glowing reviews. This is so different from ur regular Shaw Bros films.

The film stars off similar to Les Diaboliques. It has unnecessary comedic scenes, but I did enjoyed the hide n seek chase sequence. The film does get a lil spooky, thanks to the nice cinematography. The lighting is done very well, the narrow lanes, big wooden house, dark alleys with bright light n above all a misty, greenish swamp. The film also has decent twists n turns but the unnecessary comedic scenes n the seven mins naked dance makes it a tiring experience. Somehow I found Szu-Chia Chen attractive inspite of her different nose.

After about twenty minutes I was wondering if I was going to stay with this. We have an abusive husband bashing the maid and then when the sick wife interrupts, bashes her too. The he goes out drinking and comes back and does it all again. All with much screaming and shouting Cantonese style. Gradually, however, things change, we get to see a spooky pond, some wonderful interiors and a hint that something is going to happen. It does and there is just about enough in the various exotic scenes with all the potions and magic rituals to keep us engaged as things are gradually ramped up some more. The last twenty minutes or so are quite sensational. The naked witch dance is unbelievable and the subsequent naked calligraphy equally impressive. This is not the finest Hong Kong ghost mystery but it is certainly different and does have that final segment.

'Hex', one of the more mesmerising entries in Hong Kong's wave of early 80s supernatural cinema, is a film that thrives on mood with incense thick atmosphere and a genuinely unsettling sense of cultural mystique. It begins as a classic Chinese ghost tale, complete with ritual, familial tension, and whispered suspicions, but gradually morphs into something more ambiguous, more psychological, and, depending on your tastes, more daring or more frustrating.

Much of the film's effectiveness comes from its commitment to serious, almost theatrical horror, delivered through strong performances and carefully controlled pacing. Those early scenes of spiritual unease feel authentic to the traditions the film draws from, and the direction leans heavily on colour, shadow, and rhythm in a way that recalls the visual elegance of Shaw Brothers productions from the same era. It's a film that wants to be felt as much as understood.

The ending (no spoilers here) is where audiences tend to divide, including my girlfriend and I. Some prefer a clean supernatural conclusion like my partner, while others appreciate the film's pivot into a more rational (or at least less mystical) explanation. I found the shift intriguing; it reframes earlier scenes in a way that rewards attention, even if the logic isn't airtight. But I understand the alternative preference: the film builds such strong folkloric energy that stepping away from the supernatural can feel slightly at odds with the tone it created.

The nude dancing sequence near the finale is perhaps the film's most perplexing flourish. It's shot with the same elegance as the rest of the film, yet stylistically it sticks out, a sudden dip into exploitation aesthetics reminiscent of chaotic, sensationalist touches seen in other Asian horror films of the period. It's not poorly executed, but it does feel drawn-out, and its placement somewhat blunts the solemnity the film had been cultivating. One could argue it represents a moment of symbolic abandon before the final revelation, but even so, its length and tone shift make it hard to justify fully.

Despite these digressions, 'Hex' remains a well-crafted, distinctive foreign horror film, one that blends cultural texture, suspense, and melodrama into something memorable. It isn't flawless, but its strong visual identity and atmospheric storytelling make it stand out. Even with the ending's polarising nature, the experience feels cohesive, committed, and intriguing.

Beautifully filmed period horror that starts off great but then some misplaced humor and bad practical effects conspire to almost completely destroy the mood. A few different plot twists, perhaps one too many, are added in an attempt to keep it all interesting and it mostly works.

That final plot twist, though...it left me confused initially, enough so that I wasn't sure I even wanted to figure out if or how it fit into the plot. After I ejected the disc it was still bugging me and I put it back in and did a quick review of the final 30 minutes. Glad I did; everything clicked into place.

There are those visually impressive scenes, both beautiful and creepy. Plus a naked exorcism dance/writhing scene that is so freakishly weird it has to be seen to be believed. What immediately follows that was pretty impressive as well.

Uneven film that, when all was said and done, I found to be worth the watch despite its flaws.