Written and directed by Captain Fang (yes, that’s his name), Any Other Side uses the framing device of a bunch of friends hanging out in a nightclub. To pass the time, the group shares dark stories, with each tale depicted using the same actors. A China supernatural/horror movie about a bunch of people telling fictional supernatural/horror stories? Yep, that’s how the filmmakers get around those pesky China censorship rules, and just to make things more complex, the stories are sometimes layered with even more levels of untruth. Something about this is actually clever, though given the practical need (imaginary stories = okay by SARFT) it’s hard not to see the storytelling device as a cop out.

Story one is presented by handsome Qi Yuwu (Painted Skin, 14 Blades), and tells the tale of feuding twin sisters (both played by Chrissie Chau) preyed upon by their murderous husband (Van of Cape No. 7). This half-hour segment might work better as a full-length feature; as a short, the plot twists and fake-outs have to be delivered via droning exposition. The time granted a full-length feature might have allowed for an actual narrative rather than an explained series of plot twists. Some deviations into mind-bending darkness restore some interest, but the execution isn’t impressive enough to sustain matters. At the very least, there’s potential here. Giving this segment a B- score is generous, but what the hell, let’s do it.

Story two doesn’t rate higher praise. Van returns as a father taking his daughter on a nighttime drive, before deciding upon a detour down a one-way street. He hits a guy, his daughter disappears and we basically enter The Twilight Zone. This well-shot journey into unremarkable metaphysical shenanigans has some decent twists, but the whole thing is marred by a too-cute female archetype played by actress Jill Hsu. Overall, her performance is a symptom of the whole cast, as the acting is generally average to worse, and the characters played are never that interesting. This segment also features rampant exposition to explain all its wonky sci-fi-like concepts. Pro tip: dialogue and prose are not interchangeable.

Story three is interminable and a right disaster. Deng Jiajia (Double Trouble) is a nurse working at a hospital with a secret. I’ll give it away: everyone in one closed-off wing is a zombie, and some ape pop culture figures like Michael Jackson, American superheroes, and even horror icons Freddy and Jason. There’s even a scene (glimpsed in the trailer) where a bunch of zombies do the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance, which could lead to an outbreak of hives for the audience. Adding to the silliness, the nurses (One played by Chrissie Chau, yow!) dress in totally inappropriate cosplay/SM outfits that would never be used in an actual hospital. This last segment is played far more for comedy than the others, but that’s not a positive when the jokes are mostly cringe-worthy and self-amused. Nineties Hong Kong Cinema bonus: Yuen King-Tan plays the evil head nurse, and she still looks like herself.

The film closes with a return to the framing device, picking up on the tale of a depressed girl (also played by Deng Jiajia) moping over the recent disappearance of her boyfriend (singer Yida Huang). This leads the film to its final metaphysical gymnastics, propelling things towards a pseudo-clever climax that makes no sense and doesn’t really try to. It’s nice that Captain Fang made an effort to tie his multiple stories together, but for what reason besides his own amusement is hard to fathom. Any Other Side kills time but does not alleviate boredom, providing unchallenging and only sporadically entertaining diversion – hardly an enthusiastic or positive description. Sorry, Captain Fang, no promotion for you. (Kozo 2012)