Ab-normal Beauty

Ab-normal Beauty is one of those strange horror films that pulls you in with its look and mood more than its story. Directed by Oxide Pang, it follows Jiney, an art student and photographer who becomes obsessed with death. After witnessing a car crash, something inside her changes. She starts taking photos of accidents, dead animals, and anything that shows decay. Her best friend Jen tries to help, but Jiney drifts further away.

The first half is haunting and slow, but in a good way. It’s less about fear and more about the strange calm that comes with obsession. Jiney is quiet, broken, and hard to read. Race Wong plays her with sadness and curiosity that makes her both disturbing and sympathetic. You sense her obsession comes from buried trauma that still controls her.

Then halfway through, the story suddenly changes. Jiney starts receiving snuff films showing real murders, and it turns into a more familiar thriller about a serial killer. This shift feels uneven. The first part is emotional and artistic. The second feels like a standard horror twist that doesn’t quite fit. The mystery around the killer is built up, but the reveal isn’t very surprising.

Still, Oxide Pang’s style makes the film worth watching. The colors are bold and cold at the same time. Deep reds, soft blues, and strange green tints make everything look dreamlike. The camera moves in odd, nervous ways that match Jiney’s state of mind. Even when the story gets confusing, the film always looks beautiful.

There are many disturbing but powerful scenes. Jiney taking photos of a suicide, hanging over a balcony laughing, and strange photoshoots with red paint and knives. These scenes show her slipping deeper into obsession. They don’t explain her mind but make you feel her confusion and emptiness.

Some viewers might find it too distant or slow. It doesn’t always explain why things happen, and sometimes it feels like two different films put together. But it has a strange emotional pull. Beneath all the death and violence, there’s a story about pain, guilt, and trying to face what scares you most. The second half loses some power, but the visuals and mood stay with you. It’s bold, stylish, and hard to forget.