Out in Irish cinemas is Scare Out, this spy thriller tells a story about friendship, betrayal, and enemies abroad. Scare Out stars Zhu Yilong and Jackson Yee and is directed by Zhang Yimou (Hero).
The film is about an elite task force that discovers that state secrets are being leaked to Western enemies along with key technology. Not only that, but one of the team is in the process of being turned into a mole. Huang Ki (Yilong) and Yan Di (Yee) are two of the more senior members of the team; they find this to be unbelievable and disheartening. Unfortunately, Huang makes a disastrous discovery, one that spirals out of control and threatens to take everything he loves with it.
Scare Out is a brilliant film; Zhimou has constructed a thrilling spy adventure set in modern China. He’s brought some of his sensibilities to the film, giving it an intense air for its whole runtime. The choice to have the film utilise out-of-place cuts gives a sense of anxiety as you follow Huang as he falls further and further down the rabbit hole he has discovered early in the film. Now, for the first third of this filmI didn’t quite mesh with his decision to have such unique cuts in the film, but once I understood his choices, I was with it.
You think you’re watching in the dark
Scare Out has all the bells and whistles of a modern spy thriller; the tech is cutting-edge, to the point where it is frightening. The team utilises all kinds of invasive cameras and technology to find their prey, and it takes everything that Huang taught them to help him evade them until he can sort this mess out. There are a lot of twists and turns, and I found myself impressed with where the story went.
The cast boasts a large number of characters, but in actuality, it’s an intimate group; Huang Kai, Yan Di, and Bai Fan (Yang Mi) are the main players. Speaking of Bai Fan, she is a fantastic femme fatale. Equal parts brains and beauty, and she is a force to be reckoned with. She is a master maniuplator and it feels like she is untouchable, even when she is cornered at times. Huang and Yan have an excellent rapport, clearly built up over years of bonding and friendship.
Scare Out also has gorgeous cinematography. Macau is a beautiful city, with its many skyscrapers as well as abandoned buildings; there is a duality that flows throughout the film. The soundtrack is also quite potent, delivering a message with each song that punctuates each turning point of the story.
A good general is worth a thousand soldiers
It is here that I must discuss the clear propaganda laced throughout Scare Out. This film and its director do not hide the fact that the enemy is at the gates and the country, in this case China, needs to be ready, whatever the cost. It’s a clear reaction to what is going on in the world, with characters like Nathan clearly being a representation of the West and its evils. Scare Out is actually the first film created under the guidance of the Ministry of State Security of the People’s Republic of China, making it the first Chinese film centred on national security. It’s both fascinating and disturbing.
It was the first time I felt this happen in a film; it’s likely my naivety that I didn’t notice it in other past films, but it is one that I appreciate. It shows that I’ve grown and can recognise when the art we enjoy is shaped by the times we live in.
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