In “The Mage,” the things people throw away shed light on a string of unexplained deaths. Produced by 852 Films, the thriller brings a police investigation into contact with the supernatural and explores Hong Kong through the eyes of a woman who makes a living collecting what others discard.
Josie Ho stars as Lan Pui-ching, whose unusual line of work gives her an unexpected advantage when a body turns up in a Hong Kong park. An abandoned object, no matter how insignificant it may seem, can hold the spirit of someone whose death remains unexplained. That is the hook behind Oxide and Danny Pang’s thriller.
The film made its North American debut at the 46th Hawaii International Film Festival, as part of the Spotlight on Hong Kong section. For the Pang brothers, it marks a return to the supernatural horror of Hong Kong that first brought them international recognition with “The Eye” (2002).
For Josie Ho, the role connects with other characters she has portrayed throughout her career. In his review for the South China Morning Post, Edmund Lee links the character to the actress’ interest in depicting people on the economic margins, a perspective he also identifies in “Dream Home” and “Onpaku.” In “The Mage,” that interest takes shape through Lan’s work as she pays attention to what the rest of the city throws away.
During the post-screening Q&A, questions about the rituals depicted in the film prompted Ho to discuss the place of Taoism in Hong Kong society. She also recommended the Shan Hai Jing, known in English as the Classic of Mountains and Seas, as a starting point for exploring Chinese mythology.
The screening also had a story of its own beyond the screen. Ho had missed two previous chances to attend the festival, which had selected both “Dream Home” and “Onpaku.” In 2022, she canceled her trip to stay with her husband, producer Conroy Chan, during a medical emergency in Australia. This time, she attended with Chan and Iman Taheri, a surgeon who helped treat him and now appears alongside Ho in “The Mage.”
Before its North American premiere in Hawaii, the film screened at the Bangkok International Film Festival and had its European premiere at Sitges. The Pang brothers show Hong Kong at street level, through the eyes of a woman who pauses over what most people walk past. In her hands, even a discarded object can give the dead a way to tell their stories.
