The First 7th Night

Another Asian horror film that follows niche conventions. Don't expect excessive gore, high-string tension or original twists. The film serves a mystery with darker, supernatural elements and tries to do that to the best of its abilities. The result is an agreeable film that should obviously appeal to fans of contemporary Asian horror.

Xiao calls a cab and asks the driver to get him to an abandoned hotel. He is a little surprised the driver knows the way, as the location is quite obscure. Thirty years ago a dramatic event burned the hotel down, the mystery was never cleared up. Xiao wants to get to the bottom of it once and for all, but it will be a dangerous mission.

With Hong Kong directors slowly moving to China, Yau saw an opportunity to direct genre films on slightly bigger budgets. He used them to hone his skills, but the films themselves are actually pretty entertaining too. The First 7th Night is nothing too special or memorable, but it is a fun and atmospheric mystery that neatly ticks all the genre boxes.