Unidentified Murder review – playful sendup of alien abduction and true crime influencers in Hong Kong

Childhood friends claim to have witnessed the disappearance of a schoolkid in this low-budget comedy caper that pushes limits of storytelling

Modestly scaled and intricately structured, Kwok Ka-Hei and Jack Lee Chun-Kit’s comedy is a capriciously playful send-up of true crime aficionados and wannabe influencers, done with affection rather than malice. It revolves around a (fictional) 25-year-old case that captivates the whole of Hong Kong. Back when they were seven, childhood friends Mark (Ling Man-lung) and Kit (Ronald Lam Tsz-kit) claimed to have witnessed the abduction by aliens of their classmate Ho in the woods of Tung Tau Hill. On the 25th anniversary of this supposed incident, the pair re-enter the internet’s consciousness after an interview on an online chatshow about unsolved mysteries. Cashing in on their viral fame, Mark’s girlfriend Man (Renci Yeung) hires actor Kim (Peter Chan Charm-man) to pretend to be Ho, all in the hope of racking up views on her social channels. Just when the cameras are all set up, Man watches in horror as the staged reunion leads to a real murder … or does it?

The film unfolds in a series of increasingly tricksy complications and reversals. All of a sudden, apparent victims are revealed to be scheming masterminds, and vice versa. As most of the actions take place in the forest where the abduction supposedly occurred, the plot derives comic relief from the increasingly blurred line between truth and playacting. Largely shot with handheld cameras, it has a visual style that lends authenticity to representations of online media, though occasionally this distracts from the physical comedy performed by the cast. The constant twists also turn into bit of a competitive sport, meaning the film becomes more of a writing exercise than anything else.

At the same time, considering the modest budget, the film-makers’ efforts at pushing the limits of meta storytelling are quite admirable. But what keeps Unidentified Murder engaging is the chemistry between Ling Man-lung and Ronald Lam, who compellingly capture a sense of genuine friendship amid a vortex of chaotic mishaps and shenanigans.

• Unidentified Murder is in UK cinemas from 11 September.