Though it doesn't really fit into the Untold Story series (famous for its human dumplings and spare ribs), this one does share the same theme of dismembered-corpse cases - with one grisly comic-horror sequence that shows just how hard it is to kill someone and cut up the corpse. The film is reputedly based on Hong Kong's first "no witness, no evidence" case, in which four young men were convicted of murder solely on the basis of their own taped confessions, as no dead body was ever found.
In early 1996 a woman repeatedly reports her brother, Ma, missing to the police. When Insp. Lee (Danny Lee) finally investigates the case, he discovers that Ma was a loan shark; and that night a spaced-out kid (Sam Lee) walks into the police station and admits he and three friends killed Ma. A simple case? Not really, as there is no physical evidence. In flashback, we then learn how and why the crime took place.
Very much in the style of actor-producer Danny Lee's other police procedurals based on real-life cases, the film is also a good example of well-known Category III director Herman Yau's urgent, documentary-like style. Surrounded by a more experienced supporting cast - including Lee, Emily Kwan and Chin Ka-lok as cops - the young leads stand out in this movie. Sam Lee's unique facial expressions, Samuel Leung's emotional intensity and Lam Tsz-sim's fearful expression all help to build a powerful movie.
Ryan Law