Mostly famous for his horror work, but Oxide Pang's skill set is a lot broader than that. His films are modern, atmospheric and stylishly realized, always making sure that each film is a full-blown experience rather than a mere on-screen story.
Movies
Diary is a skillful, beautiful and impressive little mindfuck thriller. With a very limited cast and one single location Oxide Pang still manages to go all-out and delivers his best film to date.
Bangkok Dangerous is a film that's surviving the test of time surprisingly well.
Re-cycle is a fine blend of fantasy and horror, coming from the Pang Brothers. The film starts like a typical horror film, but as the plot thickens fantasy and drama elements take the lead, while never truly overshadowing the film's horror roots. Inspired imagery, an original fantasy world and solid acting make this another stand-out Pang production.
The Storm Warriors is definitely not a masterpiece, but taking it at face value, it's an almost perfect piece of entertainment featuring some stunning art direction.
One of the weirder Oxide Pang projects. It's almost like watching two separate films, bound together by the main character's love for morbid beauty. Sharply edited, full of neat little camera tricks, bold use of color and some intruiging, dark scenes. Not the easiest film to categorize, but definitely recommended if you're looking for something different.
Oxide Pang succeeds again in making a visual masterpiece, although less experimental and in your face as his other films.
Like I said before, Sleepwalker is a pretty simple film. Everything is neatly revealed and tied up at the end, the plot doesn't contain any real big twists and runs smoothly from start to finish.
In the end, Som and Bank is another very solid entry in the oeuvre of Oxide Pang and will have a hard time failing fans of the original Bangkok Dangerous.
The Detective 2 is a very solid sequel, somewhat different in tone and execution as the first film, but that's not really a bad thing.
A pretty low profile film that is sure not to reach the West any time soon, but fans of the Pang brothers should do well to seek it out anyway.
Even though Oxide and Danny Pang still operate as a duo, they are spending more and more time on their own individual projects. The Conspirators is the latest entry in Oxide Pang's Detective series (C+ Jing Taam, B+ Jing Taam). While storywise a straight sequel to the previous two films, The Conspirators feels more like a quick spin-off than the final conclusion of Tam's detective adventures. I never quite understood the decline in critical reception of Oxide Pang's work. I still see him as one of the more consistent directors working in Hong Kong today. While his films are plagued by some recurring problems (like slightly overdone scores and less than perfect use of CG), there is enough quality in each of his film to warrant a modest recommendation. Still a lot of people seem to detest his films for whatever reason. The Conspirators sees Tam moving to Malaysia in a renewed attempt to solve the murder case of his parents 30 years earlier. He teams up with a local detective (played by Nick Cheung), but finds himself the target of a lethal attack soon after. He is clearly closing in on the ones who made him an orphan, but the closer he gets the more dangerous his work becomes. Even though this film brings an end to the overarching story of the Jing Taam series, The Conspirators does lack a sense of real urgency. Somehow Tam's exploits fail to truly engage, lessening the impact of Tam's quest. Visually it's still miles ahead of most of his peers (the coloring in particular is amazing), though Oxide Pang should really look out for unnecessary use of CG, as it does hinder the overall effect of some scenes. Aaron Kwok returns as Tam and does a splendid job, Nick Cheung plays Tam's surprisingly amusing sidekick. While still a very solid film, The Conspirators can't meet the quality level of the previous Jing Taam films. It's still worth your time though, especially when you've enjoyed the previous two films. Read all
The Pangs remaking their own breakout hit with Hollywood money. The result is a film with Nicolas Cage in the lead, while still set in Bangkok (with a title like that, what did you expect). It's a film I liked a lot when it was first released, but watching it now, it clearly lost some of its original appeal. A contract killer moves to Bangkok for his final hit. He wants out of the business, he just needs to finish one last job before he can peacefully retire. Things don't quite go as planned and when he starts to go against his own rules, he is forced to make some tough decisions along the way. The film has plenty of flair and Cage is a pretty decent lead, but the remake misses the heart of the original and the plot is more action-oriented. There are still some cool action scenes scattered throughout and it's a good film in its own right, but between the two, the original is by far the better version.Read all
Oxide Pang trying to force an international breakthrough. It's an interesting enough attempt, with some stand-out scenes and memorable moments, but the quality is not consistent enough and the second part of the film doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first half. In a little rundown hotel in Bangkok, the lives of four people are about to cross each other, changing their destinies forever. A British drug dealer, a female psychologist, a poor orphan, and a skilled killer get tangled up in a messy drug deal. They can only rely on each other to escape their predicament. The presentation is pretty cool, Pang leaves no option untouched to pimp the film, but he runs out of steam halfway through, which hurts the second half. The crime plot isn't the most interesting and the performances are a bit doubty. It's a fun, flashy film, just not the future classic I once hoped it could be.Read all
One of the pivotal Asian horror films of the early 21st century. It was a landmark film for the Pangs, whose career got a big boost after releasing The Eye. I loved the film when I first watched it, but a lot has changed since, and the niche's repetitiveness somewhat devaluated its earlier highlights. Mun has been blind for most of her life, a cornea transplantation will allow her to see again. The operation goes well, but Mun soon realizes that she sees more than she is supposed to. Her new eyes allow her to see ghosts, and they try to contact Mun, hoping she can bring them relief. The scares aren't quite as tense or scary as they used to be, and the second half (which is mostly dedicated to uncovering the back story) feels a little dull and by the numbers. The Pang's visual prowess is also lacking here, the soundtrack on the other hand is still pretty effective. Not a bad film, but far from the masterpiece it used to be.Read all
A solid start to Oxide Pang's career. The colorful cinematography and sharp editing are already present, but the level of execution isn't quite there yet. A decent but somewhat predictable and episodic plot keep the film advancing at a steady pace, making this an enjoyable, though slightly forgettable film.
