Wilson Yip directs this minor horror-comedy which is certainly better produced than many of its contemporaries (i.e., the Troublesome Night series), but arguably amounts to much more. Using the anthology format, Midnight Zone offers three unlinked horror tales. Story one involves a slacker cop (Jerry Lamb), who's been assigned to guard a crime scene where a severed head has gone missing. He spends the next half-hour freaking himself out. Story two is by far the silliest. Married couple Tsui Kam-Kong and Liz Kong get involved in a midnight hit-and-run, only to be terrorized in broad daylight by their victim (Leung Wing-Chung). And in story three, a bickering family (led by Anthony Wong and Yuen King-Tan) get visited by their recently-deceased grandmother (Law Lan). Since they mistreated her in life, they're afraid she'll take them to the afterlife with her.

Nothing of extreme note occurs here, even by the generally mild standards of HK horror-comedy. There are the occasional clever sequences, and some fun giggles, but more often than not Midnight Zone simply kills time. Any lessons to be learned are simple ones (don't hit and run, and be nice to your family), and there aren't any genuine shocks or twists that stay with you. This is certainly a thoughtful production, as there is an uncommon—though slight—attention to character, and the cinematography is well above average. Also, some of the actors (in particular Tsui Kam-Kong) are amusing in a scenery-chewing way. Anthony Wong turns in another solid, though unimportant performance, and Law Lan does her usual pitch-perfect creepy thing. Still, when all is said and done, there's not a lot to recommend here. Fans of Wilson Yip should be satisfied with his solid direction, but it's in the service of a script that's nothing special. Yip's better works have been edgier, and have even managed some emotional surprises too. There's nothing edgy or surprising about Midnight Zone, which is unfortunate. It isn't really a bad movie, but that's hardly a recommendation. Ultimately, this is just more fodder for the HK horror-comedy rental section. (Kozo 2003)