Hex (1980)

Hex is the kind of old-school Hong Kong horror that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go: lurid, fast-moving, and gleefully unhinged in the best midnight-movie way. Kuei Chih-Hung keeps the pacing brisk, turning a grim domestic nightmare into a feverish spiral of dread where every scene seems to top the last in atmosphere and audacity. The special effects are undeniably of their era—sometimes downright preposterous—but they’re staged with such conviction and momentum that you stop judging and start enjoying the ride. If you prefer restrained, psychological chills, this may feel too wild; but if you want an entertaining shocker that knows exactly how to keep you watching, Hex delivers.

Hex is clearly aiming for a nasty, feverish mix of marital misery, folk-horror vengeance, and twisty melodrama, and Kuei Chih-Hung commits to that grimy, uneasy atmosphere. The problem is it can feel more like a string of mean-spirited shocks and paranoia beats than a tightly built story, with pacing that drifts and a tone that swings between tragic and lurid without always earning it. If you’re looking for clean supernatural rules, sympathetic characters, or a satisfying “ghost story” structure, this may test your patience. But if you can handle bleak subject matter and want a vintage Hong Kong horror oddity with oppressive mood and a few memorably creepy images, it’s at least an interesting, if rough, ride.