Title: Dead Talents Society
MPA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: John Hsu
Starring: Gingle Wang, Sandrine Pinna, Bo-lin Chen
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

What It Is: In this alternate version of Taiwan, when a person dies, they become a ghost. That ghost can only exist as long as their family remembers them. When a rookie ghost (Wang) has a family heirloom accidentally thrown out, she’s at risk of being forgotten—and disappearing for good. However, there is another way to stay remembered by the living: in this Taiwan, becoming an urban legend gains you clout, and the more you scare, the longer you stick around. The rookie seeks help from a “past-her-prime” scare queen, Catherine (Pinna). But can the two of them actually pull it off?

What We Think: This film is absolutely hilarious. It weaves a unique story with so much energy behind the camera, considering the characters in front of it are so, so dead. John Hsu’s previous work, Detention, was a dark, perfectly paced video game adaptation, and once again, he shows an incredible sense of timing here. There’s something like an internal clock in Hsu’s mind where he knows exactly when a scene needs a few extra beats and when it needs to be cut. This may also be thanks to his editors, but often directors are elbow-deep in the editing process themselves.

Gingle Wang is fantastic, channeling the shy, demure nature of the Rookie. As her character learns how to ‘be,’ she takes her performance somewhere completely different. The film brims with a sense of fun. Even the smaller characters leave their marks in the brief moments they’re on screen. It’s a brilliant piece that also explores social media and clout-chasing with sharp wit.

The B-plot with Catherine and her former protégé is pure Mean Girls, complete with catty rivalries and sharp claws. That part of the film is electrifying. And I have to mention Bo-lin Chen’s hilarious work as Makoto, a former failed pop star. He steals scenes left and right.

Our Grade: A+, Rarely have I felt the electricity and fun that this film brought. It is a wonderful film that deserves every single eyeball on it. John Hsu is the next director out of Taiwan to watch. Hsu wears his influences on his sleeve, and there’s even a confirmed Perfect Blue reference in this—which, as you’d expect, we’ll happily take as a nod to Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece. I don’t often guarantee much, but here, I can guarantee you’ll have a great time.