Horsemen of the Apocalypse (4 Stars)

This was an unusual film for the beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. It was her first American film, and it was the first film in which she played a totally evil character. I thought it would be her breakthrough into the American market, but she hasn't made another American film since. She certainly has the talent. Maybe she just isn't interested. She makes enough money in China.

The film is part horror story, part murder mystery. An unknown gang of killers styling themselves on the Biblical four horsemen of the apocalypse is carrying out a series of gruesome murders, torturing their victims for hours before letting them die. Zhang Ziyi plays a teenager called Kristin Spitz, who represents the second horseman, War. She confesses to her crimes and lets herself be arrested just to tease the police, so she can watch their frustration while the murders continue without her.

The film has an intense atmosphere as the crimes continue and the police run in circles, unable to understand the clues that the horsemen are deliberately leaving. The plot twist at the end when the real motive of the horsemen is revealed seemed somehow disappointing to me. Maybe my readers think differently. If you've seen the film, please leave a comment with your thoughts.