As mentioned in my previous post, I had the intention of doing a mini-reviews post on In Time and Re-cycle but in the end I had written more than I had expected for In Time so I figured I may as well do an individual post for each film.

Re-cycle was released in 2006 and though it had intrigued me at that time, I didn't get to watch it in the cinema. And then the time just rolled and I had forgotten about this movie until last weekend, my husband asked if I am keen to watch this on screen so of course I said yes.

Author Ding Yan attains her fame through her debut romance novel and during a press conference one day, she stated that she would like to try her hands on writing a paranormal and she had even thought of the title. Her statement has intrigued the press as well as her readers and they believe that she would once again take the literary world by storm through her writing skills.

However, Ding Yan (played by Angelica Lee) faces difficulties when writing the story initially. To complicate matters, her ex-lover wants them to be together again and this further adds stress to her already chaotic mind. She tried several attempts in writing the story but most of the drafts ended up in the bin.

Then she began to sense something is not right at home; first she would see shadows late at night and thereafter, she would find strands of long hairs in the bathroom but the most terrifying experience is finding strange things began to happen as what she has written in her deleted drafts.

One night while taking the elevator, she encountered a mysterious old woman and a little girl. One thing leads to another and the next thing she knows, she finds herself in another dimension where the wasted lands are and the supernatural beings that roam there. While finding her way out of the ghoulish land, she finds her young daughter whom she had aborted eight years ago and through her assistance, she needs to find her way back to earth or risk stranded there forever.

While I think the premise is nothing new, what really made this movie stands out is the atmospheric setting and the stunning visual effects of the other dimensions (see below).

Personally, I feel many of the horror movies out there focus too much on the shocking effect (which I think is natural) and neglect to portray more of the messages (or morals) which may be hidden behind those effects. Re-cycle may seem to be a tad weak on the plot but the good thing is it gives the viewers something to ponder on the abortion and the environmental issues (hence the title?).

And finally, the ending may perplex some viewers but I have to say I quite liked the twist and that it stretch the imagination.