Hell Has No Boundary (1982) Movie Review

The DVD blurb for the Shaw Brothers release “Hell has no Boundary” is an amazing piece of hyperbole, hailing the horror film as an ‘exercise in eradication’ which assures that ‘gorehounds will be giddy with joy’ – words guaranteed to send a shiver down the spine of any genre fan, especially those with a taste for the studio’s gruesome outings into maggoty black magic. Of course, few films could ever live up to such a billing, though to be fair, director Richard Yeung Kuen (who was also responsible for the Shaw’s infamous supernatural sleaze-fest “Seeding of a Ghost” amongst other things) never really tries, and although he does pack in a few moments of grotesque carnage, he seems to be aiming more for creepy atmosphere and sorcerous shenanigans than out and out splatter. Certainly, the film is more akin to the likes of Kuei Chih Hung’s “Hex” than his insanely over the top “The Boxer’s Omen”, though this is by no means a bad thing, and “Hell has no Boundary” stands as one of the studio’s better horror efforts, benefiting from solid direction and an investment in character and story which makes the last act dive into Grand Guignol all the more effective and enjoyable.

The plot follows police couple Cheng Jung (played by the legendary Derek Yee, a studio star who featured in the likes of “The Sentimental Swordsman”, and who later turned director, recently having hits with the excellent “One Nite in Mongkok” and “Protégé”) and Wong Lai Fen (Taiwanese actress Lau Suet Wah, also in a number of other Shaw productions including “Opium And The Kung-Fu Master”), who take a romantic camping trip on an island. Unfortunately for them, Lai Fen decides to investigate a strange noise she hears during the night (never a good idea, as any genre fan will testify), and is subsequently possessed by a particularly nasty vengeance seeking spirit. Back home, people notice changes in her personality, as well as somewhat more obvious suggestions of the supernatural such as her bullets changing direction mid-air to kill suspects. As the corpses start to pile up, the confused Jung tries desperately to save his sweetheart, though it soon becomes apparent that not even he is safe from the homicidal ghost.

Although “Hell has no Boundary” never really strays too far from the formula, director Yeung keeps things interesting by throwing in elements from various other genre films, mixing in black magic with a nice line in flamboyant creative deaths in the style of “The Omen” (which the DVD box ambitiously claims the film will make look like ‘a kiddie pic’). At the same time, he spends a fair bit of time with his characters, and while it does take a while for Jung and the others to realise what the viewer knows from the start, their cluelessness does make for some tension. The possessed Lai Fen is essentially at the centre of the film, and she makes for a great villainess, ruthless and bloodthirsty, and most viewers will likely cheer her on as she goes about her bloody business, especially since she is given a sympathetic back story to explain her rampage. This gives the action a credible emotional core, and whilst its raison d’être is undoubtedly its scenes of spooky action, the proceedings definitely benefit from a strong dramatic underpinning.

Moving at a good pace throughout, the film shifts gears towards the end as it heads into a series of fantastic magical duels, with a number of unpredictable twists and turns towards the unexpected though effective climax. Though the rest of the film works well as a sort of ghost story with slasher mentality, the final half hour or so is probably the most enjoyable, as Yeung really lets his imagination fly, with lots of bizarre and macabre touches. These include plenty of maggots and such, and though the film never quite delivers the bloody mayhem initially promised, it does serve up a fair amount of nasty moments which will certainly be enough to shock the uninitiated.

As a result “Hell has no Boundary” enjoys the best of both worlds, offering up both wacky horror havoc and a coherent, engrossing plot. Although some viewers may inevitably be somewhat disappointed given the outrageous claims of the DVD’s back cover, the film is an entertaining and well put together slice of genre fun which is recommended both to fans of the form and to those looking to experience the Shaw Brothers’ unique brand of queasy shocks for the first time.

Kuen Yeung (director)
CAST: Kin Ping Chow
Ping Ha
Suet-Wah Lau
Ming Si