Money Kills Review 2004 Hong Kong 錢殺人

Money Kills 錢殺人

Year: 2004

Director: Wong Ka Fai

Writer: Aric Lung

Cast: Ken Wong, Lam Suet, Elle Choi

Running Time: 84 minutes

Country: Hong Kong

Wong Ka Fai directs this extremely low budget drama which looks like an American made-for-television movie. And it's about just as exciting.

Lam Suet, Ken Wong and Elle Choi are 3 best friends staying in a small village and living a relativley enjoyable life. After stumbling upon a dead body and a large bag of cash, they decide to hide the cash and keep it for themselves without informing the police. Unfortunately they can't keep their secret for long and trust issues start to develop between the friends which results in other villagers finding out about the loot.

Money Kills is meant to be a dramatic story looking at how money can change people and ruin friendships but unfortunately it doesn't actually get exciting until about an hour in. When it finally starts to pick up, it's over. On paper the idea works, but the idea just wasn't executed properly, mainly due to budget constraints.

The film essentially has a no name cast and Lam Suet, who actually delivers a fine performance, but even he can't help make the film more than painfully average. Elle Choi is another high positive to this film, she lights up the screen any time she is on and gives the story credibility.

The film is short and breezy at under 85 minutes, it never feels like a chore to get through. If you are looking for some fun nostalgia, the film transports us back to days of wearing baggy jeans and loose fitting Quicksilver or South Park tshirts. Everything was much simpler back then... Until you come across a large sum of money that is!

Not really recommended. But there is far worse out there. It killed 90 minutes of my time and I ultimately don't regret watching it. Although, I am in no hurry to watch it again.

4/10