![](https://www.grimoireofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/It-Remains-2023cover.jpg)
It Remains is a 2023 Hong Kong supernatural horror film, directed by Kelvin Shum. Kelvin started his directing career with a number of short films such as Devils Lure (2015), What Remains (2016), and The Exchange (2017), before moving on to his first feature-length title Deliverance (2022).
Finn embarks on an island adventure with his friends in an attempt to overcome a haunting tragedy, but this journey into the wilderness takes a terrifying turn. They begin to suffer from frightening dreams and come upon strange artifacts on this strange island, it’s not long before they realize that an ancient evil exists and stalks them at every turn. What awaits them are things they never expect out of this supposedly serene trip.
Beginning with a creative introduction to the narrative, It Remains forgoes a standard info dump of the main plot points on the audience in its emergence. Instead, the film implements an ethereal, dream-like sequence full of beautiful cinematography and intricate editing to construct a visually stunning yet concise introduction. With a heavy focus on loss, regret, dependency, and revenge, the story weaves an incredibly solemn tale that takes full advantage of generalised shared trauma to be both powerful and relatable. While our main protagonist’s anguish stems from alternating experiences, they all share the negative effects of erroneously processing said grief.
However, while the story features methodical pacing throughout, the film’s writing is noticeably weak at points. While the film’s second act is a competent display of supernatural horror and hallucinatory insanity, the first and third act features somewhat stilted character depth outside of their trauma—at times, feeling two-dimensional. Despite this, this is hardly detrimental to the film as a whole.
Featuring a plethora of differing styles and techniques, the cinematography in It Remains is one of its strongest features. The likes of alluring boom tilts, dolly pans, and ariel drone shots, when twinned with stylish editing produce a visually stunning piece of cinema. Moreover, the use of lighting and manipulation of darkness create an eerie stage on which this supernatural story unfolds. The vast shadows transform enclosed locations into environments of deeper dread.
With amazing performances from Chu Pak Hong, Ng Siu Hin, Lam Yiu Sing, and Kwok Chui Yee, their congenial delivery of guilt and woe is certainly one of the film’s driving forces. Although the actors don’t have much to their characters outside of their trauma, they all give their respective performances a cordially somber rendition of grief.
Evocative and perturbed, It Remains is an unsettling projection of family trauma and emotional suppression expertly presented within a haunting, supernatural narrative. With an astonishingly artistic level of cinematography, standout performances from the entire cast, and spine-chilling supernatural scares, the film is certainly a return to form for Hong Kong horror.
It Remains (2023) will premiere in the UK on Oct. 28th
More Film Reviews
Inspired by Nanami Kamon’s original novel, Room 203 is Ben Jagger’s new film that explores one of the most memorable horror genre staples: the haunted property. This trope is always… Nighty Night: Midnight Nightmares is a 1986 independent Japanese horror anthology, directed by Hirohisa Kokusho. The film was certainly unrecognized upon its initial release, receiving an extremely limited VHS run… “When six young strangers are invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – an exclusive dinner party hosted by a charming and enigmatic host on the most romantic night of the year,… Keepsake! is a 2019 American gore horror short, written and directed by Nathan Hine. The short was produced by Hardgore Core Productions, known for their low-budget splatter productions such as… “Wendy Alden, a young secretary in Portland lacking in self-confidence, becomes victim of a savage killer who has claimed the lives of a number of other women. Somehow, Wendy finds… Dealing with an abnormal form of tinnitus, a young IT worker begins a series of experiments to figure out the abnormal nature of his condition. Bringing various objects into his…Room 203 (2022) Film Review: Friendship Brings Fresh Air to a Haunted Room
Nighty Night: Midnight Nightmares (1986) Film Review – Lost Body Horror Film
Most Horrible Things (2022) Film Review – Most Horrible Indeed!
Keepsake! (2019) Film Review – Paint the Town Red
The Skin Collector (2013) Film Review – Horror Steeped in True Crime
Masking Threshold (2021) Film Review – Madness up Close
![Jim Cox Profile Pic](https://www.grimoireofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/new.jpg)
Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.