Hong Kong filmmaker Danny Ko continued in the vein of his popular thriller The Crucifixion with this serial-killer film about a maniacal motorcyclist in black leather murdering young women walking alone on Friday nights. The Friday Killer, as he becomes known, even murders an undercover officer as part of his bloody spree. The dead woman's policeman boyfriend Lau (Au Kam-tong) blames Ko (Simon Yam), the leader of the investigation, for mishandling the sting operation and causing his girlfriend's death. Lau attacks Ko and is suspended from the force for a month, but more pressing issues dog Ko as he receives threatening calls from the Friday Killer promising to kill Maggie (Loletta Lee), a prostitute who managed to escape from him, and several other girls during the next month. Structured like a 1970s Italian giallo thriller, Bloody Friday plays up its mystery elements at the expense of narrative cohesion, leading to a typically silly conclusion. Nonetheless, it boasts some engaging performances, notably by Lee as the ditzy hooker Maggie, and the scenes involving the black-clad psycho cyclist are effectively staged. Ada Choi co-stars with Elvis Tsui, Emily Kwan, and Bobby Yip.
by Robert Firsching
synopsis
