Well, this is a first. . . watching an exploitative pandemic themed film during a real life pandemic – talk about making the subject matter much more horrifyingly effective! An aggressively edgy Hong Kong feature that deservedly received the restrictive Category III rating (like the dreaded X found in many other places in the world, it means no one under the age of 18 is allowed into theatres to see it), Herman Yau’s Ebola Syndrome (1996) might make your skin crawl in more ways than one.
Not for the faint of heart, the piece is centered upon a psychopathic, sex crazed lowlife criminal, Kai (Anthony Chau-Sang Wong) – who likes nothing better than schtupping his crime boss’s younger wife. Unceremoniously interrupted by the big man himself, instead of taking the harsh punishment, he decides to kill his way through man, wife, as well as bodyguard, promptly fleeing the country while leaving one witness behind – the boss’s young daughter, Lily (played as an adult by Chui Ling).
Finding what seems like a perfect hidey hole in South Africa, this all-out wacko shows his only reputable skill – being a surprisingly decent chef. Working in a Chinese food restaurant and getting paid under the table by his cheapskate boss Yeung (Yeung-Ming Wan) and ball-busting wife Har (Miu-Ying Chan), this guy is so cheap, he takes Kai out to the middle of the desert to buy his pigs from an African tribe. . . that just so happens to be carrying the Ebola virus – and this ain’t no ordinary swine flu.
Bringing it home, Kai is one of the lucky few who can fight it off (according to doctors, a rare one in ten million), becoming a super spreader by way of any bodily fluid. You can likely see where this is going, as the sleazebag will spread the virus in both Johannesburg and Hong Kong (though in many ways, it’s even worse than that). . . starting a ridiculously dangerous outbreak.
The story also weaves in adult Lily’s tale – now a stewardess who just so happens to fly into Johannesburg. Feeling like she has to vomit every time she smells Kai (their first unseen meeting at the very restaurant he works at), she begins to investigate the matter. . . hoping to finally find her parents’ murderer. She really doesn’t realize how dangerous a game she is playing.
Reprehensible in every which way, this film is only recommended to those who really want to delve into the most fringe of features. And it is quite clear that director Yau is having some twisted fun here – tweaking the previous year’s hit Outbreak as well as other Category III movies to make a cringy exploitation piece. . . after all, you wouldn’t choose this type of protagonist if you were taking things very seriously. It covers all of the affronting topics – sex and violence, animal and human cruelty, racism and drug addiction, while it even takes us into the morgue. . . many scenes likely never seen on screen before or again.
And though this motion picture would turn most people off, it is competently made – in many ways, it does not look like a B to C grade picture. It features sharp cinematography, realistic effects, visual creativity, decent action, and a solid enough story. . . all coming together to give it a rather surprisingly strong cult following.
Imbued with a shudder and cover your eyes combination of splatter and spitter (watch those bodily fluids), Ebola Syndrome is only for the most adventurous of film fans. Competently made, it is also very much a film of its time – a movie that would be near impossible to make in the current cinematic climate (be it in Hong Kong, or anywhere else in the world). So, be warned if you decide to take in this tongue in cheek tale on pandemics and exploitation, for not every chef’s choice is to be trusted.
This film is in Cantonese with English subtitles