Chinese Ghost Story I Ii Iii -1987-1990-1991-... [verified] — A

The first film is a certified classic. It follows Ning Choi-san (the late, legendary Leslie Cheung), a bumbling debt collector who has to stay in the haunted Orchid Temple because he’s too broke for an inn. There, he meets Nip Siu-sin (Joey Wong), a beautiful ghost forced to lure men to their deaths by her master, a terrifying Tree Demon with a massive, prehensile tongue. Why it works:

The film opens with Ling Choi-san, a meek, debt-ridden tax collector, who is forced to spend the night at the infamous Lanruo Temple. Unbeknownst to him, the forest is ruled by a thousand-year-old Tree Demon (Lau Siu-ming) and its legion of beautiful, enslaved female ghosts. A chinese ghost story I II III -1987-1990-1991-...

Decades later, the CGI may look dated, and the humor may be culturally specific, but the tragedy of Ning Tsai-shen and Lit Siu-sin remains timeless. It is an essential watch for anyone who wants to understand the soul of Asian fantasy cinema. The first film is a certified classic