Satan's Return (1996)

Dir: Ah Lun

This rollicking Hong Kong actioneer with a supernatural twist stars Chigmy Yau and Donnie Yen as a pair of cops in pursuit of a serial killer. He calls himself 'Judas', likes to crucify young women and is convinced that the Daughter of the Devil will be reborn on the 6th June 1996. At first, it seems he's just a nutter (well, he does like eating human hearts, after all) but then, as evidence mounts up that may well confirm his batshit theory, the cops find themselves doubting their own sanity and quite possibly plunging headlong towards the apocalypse. The movie bounds along at a rate of knots, loaded with hi-energy camerawork, exagerrative lighting and tons of blasphemous imagery (unusual for an Eastern film). Yau, as ever, lights up the screen and sizzles, whilst Yen looks suitably intense and kicks everybody's ass, as the hard-as-nails no-nonsense detective (who also wields a mean chainsaw). True, the script has a few holes and the ending is annoyingly goofball, but there are some wicked action sequences, a few moments of creepiness and enough quirkiness to keep you guessing. I'm feeling generous. ***