Writer: Loong Wai Ting

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Watch this if you liked: “Memento”, “Dark City”, "Retribution"

Kudos to the ever-young Aaron Kwok who plays both a psychotic and vulnerable person in the same movie ever so well. The mysterious and rather dark film invites audiences into the psycho killer's mind and you simply have to hate his character or sympathise with him.

While the story is told from the "suspected" psycho point of view, audiences are lead into believing that killing is about survival of the fittest. The story in "Murderer" is dark, sick and best of all, rather real. The gory scenes can get too uncomfortable at times and this reviewer can't help but feel squeamish and sick.

Each character in "Murderer" is brilliantly written. Their actions transport audiences into another world, while leaving an air of suspicion to linger. People will be guessing till the very end about the identity of the real murderer. While all the clues lead back to the main character, the unexpected twist is however, laughably stupid. It's your decision if you find the ending fatal to enjoying the movie.

Performances-wise, there is no doubt that Hong Kong's 43-year-old pop star Aaron Kwok can act. His zealous acting help brings out the best of his character, while maintaining a cool look. As the story progresses Aaron can be seen stretching his skills and amazingly he carried the story through. You can read online that he has gone through some strenuous method acting to get the part right.

With all the grim murders and deaths surrounding the plot, "Murderer" can't be everyone's cup of tea. However, for those looking for a standard murder-thriller, "Murderer" gets the job done although that peculiar ending still might ruin the experience for you.


Cinema Online, 25 August 2009