Inner Senses is a 2002 Hong Kong psychological horror film directed by Law Chi-leung and starring Leslie Cheung and Karena Lam.
The film explores themes on hallucination, clinical depression, psychological trauma and suicide. It is also the last film Leslie Cheung acted in before he committed suicide on April 1, 2003.
Plot:
Psychiatrist Doctor Jim Law tries to treat his patient, Cheung Yan, a woman who believes that she sees ghosts. Law does not believe in the supernatural and thinks that she is repressing her past. Law reads Yan’s diaries to better understand her psyche and learns that her parents are divorced and do not care for her. Yan’s condition improves gradually and they develop a romantic relationship at the same time.
However, Law feels that he cannot become too close to Yan because she is his patient and tries to convey the message to her indirectly. Yan understands his words and feels hurt, as she thinks that he is dumping her in the same way as her ex-boyfriend did. She starts having hallucinations again and sees the spirits of her landlord’s deceased wife and son, after which she attempts suicide by overdosing on antidepressants and slitting her wrist, but survives. Law travels to Yan’s apartment later and hears strange noises in the bathroom and thinks that her neighbour upstairs is responsible…
Reviews:
“Inner Senses is not a bad movie, but it’s not anywhere near as frightening as The Eye. Some of the ghost make-up leaves a lot to be desired, although the movie’s psychological take on the ghost phenomenon is a welcome change to the I See Dead People genre. But through it all, one gets the feeling that Inner Senses never really rises to its fullest potential.” Beyond Hollywood
“The film is involving and even affecting, but it isn’t really haunting – which would seem to register as a failure given the film’s chosen genre. Inner Senses actually isn’t a failure. On the contrary, it’s an involving motion picture that does its job extremely well. However, it’s also a film that doesn’t really hold up upon repeat viewings, as it lacks any real emotional resonance. The film’s a great ride, but once it’s over, it’s over.” Love Hong Kong Film
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