The success of American independent producer Roger Corman can be attributed to a variety of measures, mostly through the usual of cost-effective films with high-concept storylines and full-on promotion to sell his latest efforts. This business practice has crossed over to Malaysia with the first product from Kuman Pictures, a local genre studio started by entrepreneur Amir Muhammad, is directly influenced and modeled in that style.
Trying to move on with her life, burgeoning writer Mei Xi (Emily Lim) finds that she must return to her childhood home and be with her sister Mei Yue (Lim Mei Fan) in order to put the lingering effects of Yue’s psychosis to rest. Reconnecting with each other in their mother’s house, the time apart begins to heal their wounds until they each begin to notice strange happenings around the villa as shadows begin to play tricks on their minds and other odd occurrences begin popping up. With Yue at the brink of exhaustion, the longer they remain a series of dark family secrets come to light, and the more they realize that lingering family secrets aren’t the only things haunting them.
For the most part, ‘Two Sisters’ strikes a lot of positive points about it. A large part of the film’s goodwill is derived from a detailed and enjoyable drama-filled storyline by director Lee. Bringing Xi and Yue back together again with the separation clearly having an effect on their relationship, having noted that they’re not in close contact anymore due to the hospitalization and concurrent novel Xi’s writing both serve to keep them apart for as long as they are. Harboring as much guilt as they are for each other’s predicament as well as for the manner in which their beloved mother died when they were kids leaves a rather striking and memorable impression in the film. Director Lee, as the story milks that drama for all it’s worth in the early stages slowly lets them come to grips with being around each other and getting comfortable within the house.
Read full review by Don Anelli on Asian Movie Pulse
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