Today’s quick review: Accident. Brain (Louis Koo) is a very special kind of hit man. For the right price, he and his crew (Michelle Ye, Feng Tsui Fan, and Lam Suet) will stage a murder that’s indistinguishable from an accident. Careful planning and absolute secrecy have kept Brain and his crew alive and undetected. But when accidents begin to happen to them, Brain suspects the work of a rival killer and must go to great lengths to stop him.
Accident is a Chinese crime drama and mystery that revolves around one question: Is Brain being beaten at his own game, or is his crew falling victim to genuine accidents? Accident dives deep into the process of planning a murder and the secrecy required to cover it up. The logistics of Brain’s operation and a well-handled mystery help the movie make good on its premise. However, the nature of the story limits it to somewhat narrow appeal.
Accident thrives on uncertainty. From the moment Brain’s plans begin to go sideways, he suspects the work of another killer. Already cautious, his preparations reach paranoids heights in an attempt to catch whoever is targeting him. But by the nature of his work, actual proof is hard to come by, turning his life into a maze of unconfirmed suspicions. This central mystery is the film’s best feature and dovetails perfectly with its premise.
Accident does not offer much else, though. The characters are drawn well, but not quite well enough to get attached to. The vagueness of the threat against Brain and his team serves to build the mystery, but it robs the plot of top-down direction. The tone of the film is serious, verging on dark, and its uplifting moments are few and far between. The result is a fascinating intellectual exercise that’s a little short on conventional apppeal.
Try Accident when you’re in the mood for something that’s clever, original, and filled with diffuse suspense. Accident’s unusual premise keeps it from tapping into the staples of the crime genre, so viewers who aren’t on board with the central mystery will find little to latch onto. But its originality and solid execution make it a fine pick for the curious. For an action movie about a hitman with the same modus operandi, try The Mechanic.
6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a cat-and-mouse game with only one side.