OVERTIME FRIGHTENED (China, 2024) - REVIEW
Doing overtime is a killer.
In the midst of a work crunch, a young design team developing a horror-theme attraction are encouraged to work overtime to complete the project. But when the lights go out in the office, a ghostly woman appears, haunting the office floor.
As the scares pile on, the team uncover a sinister plan is afoot involving a dead employee and their new young and attractive president!
Let’s be very clear at the start of this review - there are no scares that pile on in this movie. After watching so many Chinese horror movies, it’s obvious that until the Government’s film censorship board get a directive to change the type of content allowed in horror films, we will never ever get a film that’s either scary or makes sense.
The typical issues are at play here. It’s all a dream, a hallucination or a person wearing a mask. All these of those elements happen here. In fact, the movie opens with three consecutive dream sequences that just make you wonder if anything in this film is actually real. You know what I mean.
And there’s a lot of these dream sequences. It’s in these sequences where the only horror type incidents occur. But even then, it’s so weak and lame. Rubber masks, excessive lightning (seriously, where is this office location for such a violent thunderstorm to take place) and horrible overacting from the cast who have to pretend to be frightened when they hear a pot plant fall off a shelf.
News flash: that stuff isn’t scary.
In an attempt to add validity to the movie, there is constant references to American horror movies in this film, and visual imagery of other, better horror franchises like Chucky and even Kayako from The Grudge. You know, the types of movies you should be watching instead.
On top of this is the music. WTF is with that music? Pop style guitar riffs almost drown out the dialogue and give off a romantic movie vibe, not a horror vibe.
And don’t get me started on the ending. It’s the typical double twist thriller style ending these films are famous for.
If I leave you with anything positive about the film, it’s that the main actress in this movie is stunningly beautiful, but she has the most annoying voice. That’s kind of the theme with this film.
GENRE Chinese Horror Thriller
DIRECTOR Dahai Ding
STARRING Lining Bao, Yanqing Sun, Fulong Nan
ORIGINAL TITLE 加班惊魂
ALTERNATIVE TITLE Overtime Frightened, Overtime Scare
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN China
RELEASE DATE 10 August 2024