Red Nights

An odd little France/Hong Kong collaboration. Red Nights is a film that scores with its cinematography but loses it on score and editing. The potential was there to be a bona fide modern genre bender cult classic, only it never feels like the directors have full control over their film. Still, if you're looking for something a little different, it's a solid choice.

The white jade is a treasured memento, but it houses an even bigger secret. Inside there is a vial that contains a mythical poison that is said to numb the body while heightening the senses a thousandfold. Carrie has a taste for the dangerous and she wants to try out the poison herself. She's not the only one who wants to get her hands on the jade though.

The sets are lovely, the use of color is striking and the camera work is on point. The film looks great, but the cheap-sounding score really ruins the effect. I'm not really sure what happened there, but the music is truly second-rate. The performances aren't all that great either and the plot's a little uneven, but two torture-like scenes and some pretty pictures manage to redeem this film. Solid, but it could and should've been better.