The Deathday Party

The debut feature of New Zealand-born Eddie Tse, the film centers on a happily married, child-expectant couple, played by Archie Kao and Anita Yuen, who experience an accident that leaves Kao a full-bodied cripple. After expressing his wish to be euthanized, Yuen must deal with the criminality of her actions and the legal consequences on her and her daughter’s lives. Soon after, Yuen is caught up in an investigation by law enforcement that utilizes mind-simulation technology to extract a confession from within her. But this unique element of the film fails to externalize her internal strife in any compelling way and merely adds another cheaply decorated set in addition to a flat storyline.