Ebola Syndrome 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

We meet Kai in Hong Kong, 1986 as he is engaging in a sex act with his boss’ wife, having sent her young daughter Lily out to play. Her husband comes home and beats and humiliates Kai, and in turn Kai murders him, his wife, and the man’s assistant. Before leaving, Kai remembers Lily and pours gasoline on her but is interrupted before finishing the job. He flees the city and ten years later we find him working as a cook in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kai routinely spits in the food or worse. He joins his boss on a meat run to a local Zulu village where he comes across a dying woman that he decides to rape and murder. The joke’s on him, however, because she has Ebola!

A grown Lily happens to visit Kai’s restaurant with her fiancé and recognizes Kai’s unique stench. She reports him to the police, but they cannot help based on a lack of evidence. Kai meanwhile murders the restaurant’s owner and his wife and chops them up with a cleaver, grinding the meat into patties and selling them as hamburgers the next day. Soon, people start coming down with Ebola, but as fate would have it, Kai is asymptomatic and is a super-spreader. When Lily returns asking questions, Kai decides it’s time to split and he returns to Hong Kong to spread his infectious personality among the masses – and this is where the nightmare really begins.

Jesus Christ – where to begin?!

In the late 1980s, the Hong Kong board of censors installed a rating system of three categories of films and the age-appropriate audience. Category III was the strongest and dealt with primarily extreme movies featuring high levels of adult content and graphic violence, including erotica, rape, torture and murder. The films carrying this rating are more in line with the UK list of banned Video Nasties than the R or NC-17 ratings in the United States.

Ebola Syndrome revels in its depravity as audiences are introduced to anti-hero Kai, the vilest and repugnant wretch in Hong Kong. Even before he becomes infected with Ebola, he is offensive in every way and has zero respect for the people around him. He has a volatile temper, is a sexual deviant, misogynist, murderer and rapist – but he is also a spineless coward easily cowed and looked down upon by anyone who stands up to him. When first infected, he is physically weakened but quickly recovers and unknowingly becomes highly contagious. Once he learns of the disease he carries, his reaction is to try to spread it as much as possible by biting and spitting on people in the street. Kai is a loathsome prick and a world-class asshole representing the very worst humanity has to offer – and I couldn’t stop watching.

The great Anthony Wong (Hard Boiled, the Infernal Affairs trilogy) accepts the challenge of playing such a total piece of garbage, filling Kai with an undeniable screen presence. Wong is fearless in the role and commands your undivided attention as he commits one atrocious act after another. Whether he is pouring gasoline on a child, masturbating into uncooked poultry, raping dying women or grinding up human meat to serve to others, Wong owns every second of his screen time, making Kai a totally watchable and unforgettable character.

Director Herman Yau (Taxi Hunter, Sleep Curse) has worked with Anthony Wong numerous times over the years, notably on one of the most notorious Category III titles, the infamous The Untold Story (1993). Yau doesn’t pull any punches in terms of delivering shock value in Ebola Syndrome, but never loses control while pushing the envelope. He masterfully guides us through the depravity and manages to include some moments of pitch-black comedy and also of natural beauty featuring the wildlife in South Africa. There are some uncomfortable bits of casual racism, but that is the least of Kai’s reprehensible behavior. There are many unexpected turns in the script, but what surprised me most based on all of the rape and misogyny was learning it was written by a woman, Ting Chau (Troublesome Night, Best of the Best).

Ebola Syndrome is quite the ride and is definitely worth watching as a passage into the world of Category III cinema. Not to give the impression that all of these films are no-holds-barred anarchy – some earn the rating without going to the extremes Yau does here – but there are plenty that try. If you are an Anthony Wong fan, you are likely already familiar with this title, but if you have somehow missed out on his work this is a must-see. This is a film that makes you feel dirty both watching and recommending, but this deserves a place in your collection.