Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- oppressive
- melancholic
- late night horror marathon
- cult film night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's lavish atmosphere, veteran cast, and potent set pieces while finding its storytelling heavy-handed, incoherent, and insufficiently frightening.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film explicitly pays homage to classic 1980s Chinese vampire movies and populates a Hong Kong housing tower with jiangshi-like undead.
The public housing block is the primary arena, and its occupants range from living residents to dead and undead beings.
The reception describes a succession of flashy, hyper-stylized, potent set pieces, while the plot foregrounds action and special effects.
Juno Mak's debut is framed as an homage to the classic Chinese vampire films of the 1980s and reunites members of the Mr. Vampire cast.
Films like Rigor Mortis, and why
Mr. Vampire
Hong Kong jiangshi horror, Taoist exorcism, supernatural action, and darkly comic genre tradition
The Eye
Stylized East Asian supernatural horror featuring ghosts, ritual combat, and mournful atmosphere
The Haunted Cop Shop
Hong Kong horror-action blending occult mythology, violent set pieces, and apartment-block dread
The Grudge
J-horror-inflected supernatural terror with ghosts, heightened visuals, and oppressive mood
Movie Details
- Director
- Juno Mak
- Release Date
- 2013-10-23
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (217)
Cast
- Chin Siu-Ho
- Anthony Chan Yau
- Kara Wai Ying-Hung
- Nina Paw Hei-Ching
- Lo Hoi-Pang
- Richard Ng Yiu-Hon
- Paul Chung Fat
- Billy Lau Nam-Kwong
- Ko Cheun-Man
- Giselle Lam
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hi-YAH, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel, Bloodstream
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rigor Mortis about?
- A haunted Hong Kong housing tower becomes a battleground for ghosts, jiangshi, vampires, and the living in a lavishly stylized revival of Chinese supernatural horror.
- What is Rigor Mortis like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rigor Mortis as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Rigor Mortis violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Rigor Mortis as graphic.
- What did critics think of Rigor Mortis?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's lavish atmosphere, veteran cast, and potent set pieces while finding its storytelling heavy-handed, incoherent, and insufficiently frightening.
- Which films are like Rigor Mortis?
- Films with a similar feel include Mr. Vampire, The Eye, The Haunted Cop Shop, and The Grudge.
- How long is Rigor Mortis?
- Rigor Mortis runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rigor Mortis?
- In United States, Rigor Mortis streams on Hi-YAH, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel, Bloodstream.
